History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c33.s7.19

v3.c33.s7.19

Muhammad was king only for six months; for Maudud, son of Masa'ud flew from Balkh, where he was governor, to avenge his father's death. Taking possession of Afghanistan he went on to Hindustan, defeated his uncle and took him and all his children prisoner. They were all killed as also the Turkish and Hindu slaves who had seized his father. He returned to Ghazni and ruled for nine years. His sons were incapable and the officers and nobles raised one of them Mahmud and his uncle Ali together to the throne. But both being incapable, complete disorder prevailed. After two months they were sent to a fortress and Abdul Rashid, a son of Mahmud, was raised to the throne in 444 H. (1050 A. D.). Alp-Arslan, the Seljuk king of Iran and Khorasan advanced against Ghazni but was defeated by Tugril, a fearless slave disciplined under Mahmud, who was placed at the head of the Ghazni forces. When he returned victorious, he killed the Sultan Abdul Rashid and ascended the throne himself. He killed eleven other princes and ruled tyrannically. After forty days of misrule, he was killed by a Turkish silahdar or arm-bearer (a term of general use in later Indian history) on the throne itself.