History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c33.s3.4

v3.c33.s3.4

Mahmud returning to Ghazni resolved upon capturing Multan and driving away the heretic Mahomedan governor there. Multan was at this time an independent state, Mahomedan Sind being divided into two kingdoms, Multan in the north and Mansura in the south. The king of Multan was a Mahomedan but he belonged to the Karmatian sect. This sect was founded by one Abdulla bin Maimun, a Persian. He preached that the seventh Imam was the last Imam. He denied resurrection and believed in incarnation. This sect was driven out of Persia and coming to India found many adherents here. (Indeed these two doctrines were perhaps taken from Hindu philosophy). There were esoteric doctrines such as the sacredness of the numbers 7 and 12, stages of initiation, mystical interpretations and so on which are always catching with religious simple minds, especially in India. The governor and many people in Multan were Karmatians and Mahmud who was a staunch Mahomedan properly resolved to wipe out this heresy from India. Indeed it appears that the father of the governor of Multan had been driven out of Khorasan by Sabuktagin.