History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c14.51

v1.c14.51

The Turks now began to invade the country and in 934 A. D. took possession of Ghazni under Alf Tegin (these are two words which are often wrongly combined). The Shah of Kabul assisted his suzerain of Samani dynasty to fight against the Turks. Kabul became now independent for a few years. But Sabak Tegin conquered it probably in 975 A. D. and Kabul again became dependent on the Turkish rule at Ghazni and we find a Kabul king (see Alberuni) offering his aid to Sabak Tegin to fight against his enemies. But the kingdom of Kabul could not last before the growing ambition of Mahmud and after a final terrible conflict (A. D. 1021) as we shall presently relate Kabul was finally conquered by him and completely blotted out as an Aryan kingdom, so much so that not even the memory of Kabul being once a Hindu kingdom remains. The people were forcibly converted. Alberuni mentions an interesting story of this conversion (Vol. II p. 157). The Ispahadad (governor) of Kabul consented to be a Mahomedan on two conditions viz: that he would not eat cow's flesh and that he would not follow another repugnant practice! The people, however, were soon so completely changed in sentiment that they too soon forgot not only these conditions but the very fact that they were once Indian Aryans.