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History of Kanauj to the Moslem Conquest c19.s2.t2: Moslem conquest of Kanauj

History of Kanauj to the Moslem Conquest c19.s2.t2

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English

Moslem conquest of Kanauj

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The kingdom of Kanauj was swept away by the whirlwind of Moslem invasion, and so in order to understand the full circumstances of its destruction we now proceed to trace how step by step the arms of Islam penetrated into the heart of Hindustan. The Ghori chieftains, having established themselves in Ghazni, gradually turned their attention towards the alluring Moslem territories in the Panjab. Multan was wrested from the sway of the Ismailian sect of heretics in 1175 A. D., and a stratagem soon led to the capture of Uccha also.¹ Peshawar followed in 1179 A. D., and during the course of a series of expeditions conducted in the years 1180, 1184 and 1186 A. D., Sihābuddin eventually took Khusrau Malik prisoner. He also annexed Lahore, where he stationed Ali Kirmani, Governor of Multan, to manage the affairs of government.² Thus getting hold of the last remnants of the Ghaznavide empire, Sihābuddin Ghori, who aimed at founding a permanent dominion, began to devote himself systematically to the conquest of Hindustan. In the year 1190-91 A. D. he advanced against the strategic fortress of Bhatinda, which was probably within the territories of Prithvīrāja, and after its reduction he left there a garrison of over a thousand chosen horse and some foot under Malik Ziauddin Toozuky¹.

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¹ Briggs (Firishta), Vol. I, pp. 169-70.

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² Ibid., pp. 170-71.

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¹ Ibid., p. 172.

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When Sihābuddin was about to return to Ghazni, the Cauhan king, assisted by other Rajput princes, marched against him with a mighty army consisting of 200,000 horse and 3,000 elephants.² Sihābuddin turned to meet him on the historic field of Narain or Tarain (Taroari) near Thanesvar, where a deadly encounter took place. The Moslems were completely overwhelmed by the huge Hindu hosts, and the Sultan himself would have met death on the battle-field, but for the courage and alacrity of a Khilji retainer who rescued him from the furious charges of the Cauhans. This great debacle constantly troubled the Ghori, and the very next year, in 1192 A. D., he again proceeded towards Hindustan with a reorganised force of 12,000 horse to avenge it. War was the very element of Prithvīrāja, and he "wrote for succours to all the neighbouring princes" to repeat, as it were, the anniversary of his victory. The Rajput chiefs to the number of one hundred and fifty enthusiastically responded to his appeal "having sworn by the water of the Ganges that they would conquer their enemies, or die martyrs to their faith."³ Thus a formidable army of 300,000 horse, besides above 3,000 elephants and a body of infantry, encamped on the former field of battle with the breadth of the river Sarsuti (Sarasvati) dividing the opposing hosts. But Jayacandra, the king of Kanauj, kept himself in proud isolation thinking probably that the defeat of Prithvīrāja, who was his rival for supremacy in the north, would clear the way for him and enable him to attain that distinction. Indeed, Major Raverty, following Cand-Bardāi, asserts that Jayacandra was even in secret communication with Sihābuddin to ensure the humiliation of Prithvīrāja.¹ This does not, however, appear to be true, as the contemporary Moslem historians are totally silent about any such invitation having been made by the Gahaḍavāla monarch. In the battle that ensued fortune frowned on the Hindus, and the Moslems "carried death and destruction" so desperately that by sunset there was complete confusion in the Hindu ranks. Prithvīrāja fled from the field for dear life, but was captured near the Sarsuti (Sarasvati) and "sent to hell."² The forts of Sarsuti, Samana, Kahram, Hansi, and Ajmer surrendered soon after, and Sihābuddin became master of northern India almost to the gates of Delhi. On his return homewards the command was entrusted to Qutbuddin, who conquered Meerut the same year, thus establishing a Moslem outpost to the east of the Jumna. Delhi fell in Hijri 589 or 1193 A.D., as also did the fortress of Kol in the Aligarh district. These victories of the Moslems prepared the way for their attack on Kanauj, the overthrow of which city had now become necessary, if they were to obtain a firm control over Hindustan.³ In 590 Hijri or 1194

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² Briggs (Firishta), Vol. I, p. 172.

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³ Ibid., p. 175.

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¹ Raverty, Tabaqāt-i-Nāsirī (Eng. Trans.), Vol. I, p. 466, Note 1; and p. 467. See also Tod's Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan (Crooke), Vol. I, p. 300.

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² Elliot, History of India, II, p. 297; Briggs (Firishta), Vol. I, p. 177.

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³ The Prabandhakoṣa and the Prabandhacintāmaṇi, V, 210-12, (ed. Jinavijaya Muni, pp. 113-14), however, depose that feeling

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A. D., therefore, Sihābuddin marched against Jayacandra with a huge force of "50,000 mounted men clad in armour and coats of mail" according to the *Tāj-ul-Maāsir*.¹ He was met on the way by his trusted general Qutbuddin, whom he ordered to proceed with the vanguard of 1,000 cavalry. The latter made an incursion into the territories of the "enemies of religion," but withdrew after having taken many prisoners and immense booty.² When Jayacandra, "the chief of idolatry and perdition," was informed of this inroad, he advanced to oppose the alien aggressors with an army "countless as the particles of sand," his force consisting of 700 elephants, besides about one million men.³ The contending parties met on the plain between Candawar and Etawah, and in the contest that followed Jayacandra sustained a signal defeat at the hands of the Moslems.⁴ The slaughter was appalling, for "none were spared except women and children; and the carnage of men went on until the earth was weary." The "Rai of Benares," who "prided himself on the number of his forces and war elephants," seated on a lofty *howdah* received a deadly wound from an arrow discharged by Qutbuddin,⁵ and "fell from his exalted seat to the earth." His head was carried on the point of a spear to the commander, and "his body was thrown to the dust of contempt."⁶ We are further told in the

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¹ Elliot, *History of India*, Vol. II, p. 222.

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² *Ibid.*, p. 223; also see p. 250.

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³ *Ibid.*, p. 251 (*Kāmil-ut-Tawārīkh*).

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⁴ *Ibid.*, p. 251; Briggs (Firishta), I, p. 178.

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⁵ Briggs (Firishta), I, p. 192.

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⁶ The *Rāso* testifies that the battle continued for seven days, when Jayacandra lost his life fighting (*Rāsosāra*, p. 455). According

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mortified at the non-recognition of her son's claims for the throne, Suhavādevī, whom Jayacandra had kept as a concubine, invited the Moslems to attack Kanauj.

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Kāmil-ut-Tawārīkh that no one would have recognised Jayacandra’s dead body “but for the fact of his teeth, which were weak at their roots, being fastened in with golden wire.”¹ As a result of this victory, the Moslem historians naively assure us that “the impurities of idolatry were purged by the water of the sword from that land, and the country of Hind was freed from vice and superstition.”² Immense booty was obtained “such as the eye of the beholder would be weary to look at,” including one (according to Firishta) three hundred elephants.

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¹ Elliot, History of India, II, p. 251; Briggs (Firishta), Vol. I, p. 192. Another version says that Jayacandra was not killed in battle, but in order to avoid the disgrace and dishonour of defeat he met a “death congenial to the Hindu by drowning himself in the sacred Ganges” (See Forbes, Rāsamālā, I, p. 223).

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² Tāj-ul-Maāṣir : Elliot, History of India, II, p. 223.

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Next, Sihābuddin marched to the fort of Asni, where Jayacandra had deposited his treasure; there much precious spoil of all kinds fell into the hands of the victors.³ He then proceeded to the other important town of the kingdom, viz., Benares, “which is the centre of the country of Hind;” here the invaders destroyed over one thousand temples, and “raised mosques on their foundations.”⁴ Sihābuddin bestowed the government of the conquered territories upon Qutbuddin, “the most celebrated and exalted servant of the State,” in

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³ Both Firishta and Hasan Nizami depose to the march on Asni (Briggs, I, pp. 178-79; Elliot, History of India, II, p. 223). Asni seems to have been an important stronghold of the kingdom of Kanauj from the time of the Pratīhāras. It was here that an inscription of Mahipāla was discovered.

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⁴ Briggs (Firishta), I, p. 179; Elliot, History of India, II, p. 223.

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to Vidyāpati’s Puruṣaparīkṣā, Jayacandra was killed in war with Sihābuddin by the treachery of his queen Śubhadevī (See Nerurkar’s Eng. Trans., Bom. 1914), ch. IV, 11th tale (Ghasmarakathā), pp. 146-153; Darbhanga ed., 41st tale, pp. 225-233). No stress, however, need be laid on such tales.

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order that he “might do justice and repress idolatry; and having thus settled affairs the former returned towards Ghazni with the captured elephants and 1400 camels bearing booty.¹ With a view to securing the full allegiance of the nobles of the Kanauj kingdom, Qutbuddin also planted his standards for some days on the fort of Asni. This halt soon had the desired effect; “the chiefs and elders all around hastened to his service with various kinds of rarities and presents, and his noble court became the scene where the princes and generals of the world came to bow their heads in reverence.”²

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¹ *Ibid.*, p. 224; Briggs (Firishta), I, p. 179.

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² *Tāj-ul-Maāṣir* : Elliot, *History of India*, II, p. 224; *Kāmil-ut-Tawārīkh* : Elliot, II, p. 251.

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