| Siege of Lahore | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofIndian campaigns of Muhammad of Ghor | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Ghurids | Ghaznavids | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Muhammad of Ghor Husain Kharmil | Khusrau Malik  (POW)Malik Shah (POW) | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 20,000 | Unknown | ||||||||
  Lahore Lahore (Pakistan) Show map of Pakistan | |||||||||
Thesiege of Lahore (1186) was part of themilitary expedition ofGhurids during which the Ghurid rulerMuhammad of Ghor annexed the principality of theGhaznavids inLahore after overthrowing the lastGhaznavid rulerKhusrau Malik.
Muhammad of Ghor made two brief incursions into the Ghaznavid domains earlier in the course of which he plunderedLahore and extracted some ransom from Khusrau Malik, along with capturing some of his territories before the third successive invasion in which Khusrau Malik surrendered after a short siege and was assured of safety to present himself toMuhammad of Ghor. However, both Khusrau Malik and his son were imprisoned and sent toGhiyath al-Din Muhammad inFiruzkuh where they both were executed in 1191, extinguishing the Ghaznavid lineage.
TheGhaznavids soon after the death ofMahmud of Ghazni who vastly expanded his empire began to lose their western domains inPersia andKhurasan after their defeat in theBattle of Dandanaqan against theSeljuk Empire.[1] Notwithstanding, the Ghaznavids and Seljuks continue to control large parts of Khurasan during the early 12th century.[2] However, in the later part of the twelfth century, when influence of both the Ghaznavids and Seljuks began to wane, anotherTajik dynasty[3]Ghurids (formertributaries of the Ghaznavids and Seljuks)[4] were emerging in their influence.[5][6]
The rivalry between the Ghaznavids and the Ghurids reached the crux, whenBaharam Shah capturedSayf al-Din Suri after avenging his earlier defeat against him in theBattle of Ghazni (1148) by regaining Ghazni. Sayf al-Din was later torturously executed along with other prominent member of the Ghurids.[7] His brotherAla al-Din Husayn as a revenge, launched a catastrophic raid inGhazni in 1151, Baharam Shah wasdefeated and fled toLahore.[8] Alauddin followed up his victory by sacking the city of Ghazni, in the course of which he ordered a general massacre of all the civilians, burnt the city down, destroyed all the monuments built by the ancestors of Baharam Shah. The carnage continued for seven days, when Alauddin returned toFiruzkuh.[9] Despite the success, Alauddin probably could not annex Ghazni in long term due to hostility of the populace.[10] In any case, the Ghaznavids soon under eitherKhusrau Shah orKhusrau Malik[a] lostGhazni and some of their other possessions to theGhuzz Turks. Hence, they were forced to move their capital toLahore.[13]
Meanwhile, the Ghurids were on a historic rise under the reign ofGhiyath al-Din Mahmud andMuhammad of Ghor in the later twelfth century. Prince Muhammad (then Shahabuddin) raided several times before finally defeating theGhuzz Turks after a prolong struggle and annexed Ghazni along with most of the eastern Afghanistan to the Ghurid domains in 1173.[13]
Muhammad was crowned at Ghazni in 1173. Soon after, he marched from theGomal Pass down to middle of theIndus Plain,capturing Multan and Uch before beingcompletely routed in Sirohi against an alliance of theRajput rulers led bySolanki rulerMularaja II.[14][15] While the Ghaznavid domain was considerably truncated, though they were still controlling parts ofPunjab andPakistan down to the valley ofKabul which were of strategic importance in the pathway toNorthern India. Therefore, Muhammad, whose direct route fromRajasthan was blocked after the defeat in Mount Abu, began his expeditions against the Ghaznavids in 1180.[16][17]
According to the 12th-13th century chroniclerIbn al-Athir, theGhurids began to invade theGhaznavid territories inPunjab after their conquest of Ghazni in 1173 but were dissuaded byKhusrau Malik.[16] While, this account of Ibn al-Athir is not corroborated by any other contemporary annals, although Muhammad certainly raidedLahore twice before finally capturing it in 1186.[18]
After annexingPeshawar from theGhaznavids, Muhammad marched towards Lahore and besieged the Ghaznavid capital in 1180. The Ghaznavid ruler at the time wasKhusrau Malik whose ancestral capital was already lost to theGhuzz Turks. Further, the 16th-17th century chroniclerFerishta stated that, "His throne was tottering from attacks ofRais ofDelhi".[14] Ferishta reference to the Rai of Delhi is probably to theChahamana kingPrithviraj III who repulsed a Ghaznavid invasion during his reign.[19] Khusrau Malik, thus dispatched an envoy for peacemaking and sent his son Malik Shah along with anelephant as a token of submission and allegiance to the Ghurids.[18][20]
Meanwhile, Muhammad captured the whole area adjacent ofSindh up to the sea coast by 1182.[20] He did not attack Lahore for three years, before marching again in 1185.[21] During this raid, Muhammad sacked Lahore and the neighbouring rural areas, followed by the annexation ofSialkot. Muhammad established his military stronghold in Sialkot and fortified the city before returning to Ghazni.[22]
The encroachment of theGhurids inSialkot and the pillage of his capital, lead Khusrau Malik to retaliate, who aided by theKhokhars laid siege to the Ghurid stronghold in Sialkot.[23] However, the well equipped garrison underHusain Kharmil forced him to turn back after an abortive attempt to recapture Sialkot.[22]
All three contemporaneous account of the subjugation ofLahore byMinhaj-i Siraj Juzjani,Ibn al-Athir andMuhammad Aufi including the later writing ofMohammad Qasim Firishta collaboratively stated that Lahore was captured by Muhammad in final attempt by a manoeuvre.[24][23][25]
According to the manoeuvre, Muhammad released Khusrau Malik's hostage son Malik Shah to visit his father and sent him along with some of the Ghurid officers. Muhammad, further according to Ferishta instructed his officers to "make him drink as much liquor as possible in the way to Lahore". Meanwhile, Muhammad through a different direction then Malik Shah, advanced fromGhazni with an army of 20,000 troopers and besieged Khusrau Malik who according toFerishta rose from his "careless sleep", when Muhammad captured theriverside. Khusrao Malik was forced to surrender Lahore after a short siege[26] and present himself to theGhurids. However, Muhammad persuading him under the protection of a treaty deceitfully imprisoned him and his son in the fort ofGharjistan underGhiyath al-Din Muhammad.[22][23][27]
A slightly different account of Ibn al-Athir claimed that, Khusrau Malik after surrendering Lahore was allowed to live inPeace "(amãn)" for two months beforeGhiyath al-Din Muhammad through an envoy asked for his presence in his court. While, Khusrau Malik was reluctant to leave as the populace of Lahore advised him against it, nonetheless, fearing a possible Ghurid invasion, he along with his son went to the court of Ghiyath al-Din. However, they were never brought to Ghiyath al-Din but rather imprisoned in a fortress.[24]
Khusrau Malik and his sons spent several years in confinement before being executed in 1192 or thereabouts.[22][28] According to theTabaqat-i-Nasiri "No member from the house ofGhazni was allowed to survive".[23] Thus, the Ghaznavid dynasty got eradicated, ending their preceding rule of two centuries and the long-standing rivalry with theGhurids.[28]
After the fall of the Ghaznavids, Muhammad now held his sway over most of theIndus andPunjab plains by 1190.[17][25] Muhammad with the possession of Punjab, made another inroad intoNorth India but was defeated by aRajput Confederacy led byPrithviraj Chauhan in theFirst Battle of Tarain, although he defeated them a year later in theSecond Battle of Tarain and subsequently executed Prithviraj.[29][30] Muhammad and his slaves by turn of the century overran most of theGangetic Plain and later expanded theGhurid empire up toBengal.[31]
"The first battle of Tarain was won by the Rajput confederacy led by Prithviraj Chauhan of Ajmer. But when Muhammad of Ghur returned the following year with 10,000 archers on horseback he vanquished Prithviraj and his army
