U.P. Lower Sub. Special Prelims 2004

Turkish Raids in Early Medieval India

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Consider the following statements: **Assertion (A):** Mohd. Ghazni invaded India seventeen times. **Reason (R):** He wanted to establish permanent Muslim Empire in India. Select the correct answer from the given codes:

Solution & Analysis

Answer: C

Concept Mahmud of Ghazni’s campaigns are often contrasted with those of Muhammad Ghori. The distinction lies in their long-term objectives regarding the Indian subcontinent.

Explanation Historians like Satish Chandra confirm that Mahmud invaded India 17 times (Assertion A is true). However, his goal was to plunder the wealth of Indian temples to fund his Central Asian empire, not to establish a permanent state in India (Reason R is false).

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Mahmud's raids focused on temple cities like Mathura, Kanauj, and Somnath, where immense gold and jewels were stored.
Logic 2: After each raid, he returned to Ghazni. He only annexed the Punjab region as a strategic buffer and forward base, but the rest of India remained independent.

Active Recall

Question

How did Muhammad Ghori's motive differ from Mahmud of Ghazni's?

Answer

While Mahmud raided for wealth, Ghori invaded to establish a permanent Islamic empire and a centralized administration in North India.

Core Insight

Mahmud of Ghazni functioned as a conqueror of Central Asia but primarily as a raider of India, using Indian wealth to build his magnificent capital at Ghazni.