Hindu History
Chapter One : India Through The Ages
-The Intervention of Alien rule from 1194 C.E. up to 1947 C.E.
The Times When We Lost Our Sovereignty to the Muslims
The Hindu Struggle to Resist Muslim Aggression
In the earlier chapter covering the story of Prithviraj
Chouhan the last Hindu
Ruler of Delhi, we read how Muslim
Rule was established at Delhi in the year 1194 C.E.
The fort of Gwalior.
-This fort dates back to the 11th century and was originally built by
the Tomara rulers whose adopted heir was Prithiviraj Chouhan - the last
Hindu ruler of Delhi. The Gwalior Fort witnessed the chapters of the
stout Indian resistance to the Muslims and later the British. Important
rulers of this fort were Prithviraj Chouhan (circa 1190 C.E.), Man Singh
Tomar (circa 1490 C.E.), Mahadji Shinde (circa 1761 C.E.) and Rani
Laxmibai of Jhansi (circa 1857 C.E.)
The very first Muslim attack on India had taken place nearly 500 years
earlier in Sindh in the year 715 C.E. These Muslim invaders were Arabs
led by Mohammad Bin Qasim. They had displaced Raja Dabir who ruled Sindh from
his capital Deval (near modern Karachi). The actual reason for this invasion was
that Raja Dabir was aiding the Iranian (Zoroastrian)
princes in trying to overthrow the Arab
Rule in Persia. This seems to be a fact as many Sassanian nobles from
Iran had taken refuge in Sindh and were plotting for the liberation of their
country from the Arab yoke. But the pretext given by Arab historians for the
Arab invasion of Sindh is that Raja Dabir's navy had detained an Arab merchant
ship. To avenge this detention of a merchant ship, the Arabs
overran the entire kingdom of Raja Dabir as also the neighbouring kingdom of
Mulasthana (Multan). They even unsuccessfully tried to attack Malwa (Malibah in
Arab records)!
After this invasion which was limited to Sindh, for a period of 300 years all
further Muslim attacks were thwarted by Kings like Raja Bhoja and other Gurjara
Kings.
The second surge of the Muslim aggression began in 980 C.E. and lasted till
1020 C.E. This was the time when the Shahi Kings of Punjab grappled with the
invaders. By the year 1020 C.E. Muslim rule had been established in Afghanistan,
Paktoonistan (NWFP) and West Punjab. These Muslim invasions were led by Mahmud
of Ghazni. The Rajputs ruling North India resisted further Muslim aggression.
The third wave of a successful Muslim invasion led by Mahmud Shabuddin Ghori
(or Ghauri) took place between 1191 C.E. and 1255 C.E. This was the time the
Muslims extended their occupation to Delhi. The lead role in resisting this
invasion was played by Prithviraj Chouhan. This Muslim surge brought East
Punjab, the Ganges Valley (Uttar Pradesh and Bihar) and Bengal under Muslim
Occupation. This invasion reached up to Bengal where the last Hindu kingdom
ruled by Laxman Sena was overurn by the Muslims. But the Muslims were checked
and repelled when they tried to invade Orissa, where the Hindu King Narasimha
Deva defeated Tugan Khan who invaded Orissa from Bengal. To commemorate this
victory, Narasimha Deva erected the Sun Temple at Konark.
The next surge of the Muslim Invasion was launched from Delhi by Allah-ud-din
Khilji in the year 1310 and was led by his general Malik Kafur. This invasion
trampled the Hindu Kingdoms of the Yadavas of Devgiri in Maharashtra, the
Kakatiyas of Warangal in Andhra Pradesh, the Hoysala of Belur-Halebid in
Karnataka and the Pandyas of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. This invasion lasted till
the year 1328 and with this invasion, except Orissa and Assam, the whole of
India passed under Muslim Occupation.
Author: Shri Sudheer Birodkar
