History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c33.s3.47

v3.c33.s3.47

For four years Panjab remained unmolested. Probably Trilochanapāla quietly paid the stipulated tribute without demur, and Mahmud also appears to have been engaged in the west. A terrible famine is described by Utbi as raging in Khorasan and its capital Nishapur. He also mentions troubles with Ilekkhan the Turk who must have taken advantage of these difficulties. Utbi also describes the conquest of Garjistan (Georgia) which had belonged to the Samani empire and the Shar of which ("the king of Georgia was called Shar, as the king among Hindus was called Rai, among Turks Khan and among Greeks Cæsar"—Utbi p. 377) defied Mahmud, and Mahmud with his usual swiftness and completeness reduced him to subjection. Mahmud then found time to turn his attention to Hindustan. Human feelings would tempt Mahmud to finally annex the Panjab which had been only subjugated and the same would impel even Trilochanapāla to rebel and throw off the yoke imposed upon him. It is, therefore, probable that some pretext must have been found by one party or the other to begin the conflict again, as in the parallel case noted before viz: the Maratha war of 1818 wherein after the defeat of Bapu Gokhale Bajirao II finally lost his kingdom.