First Muslim Invader In India
Mahmud Ghazni was born in 971 CE . He ascended the throne in 998 CE . he decided to invade north-west India where the Gujara - Pratihara empire had become weak due to frequent battles with pallavas and Rashtrakutas . Mahmud Ghazni invaded India 17 times in 27 years ( 1000-1027 CE ) . He wanted to make Ghazni , a small hilly and poor region , into a powerful empire . He gained the control of Afghanistan and Khurasan . He was attracted by the great wealth of india . So, he started plundering ( Loot ) towns and temples in north India like Nagarkot, Thanesar, Mathura and Kanauj . His most destructive attack was directed against Somnath Temple in 1025 CE . This temple is situated on the sea coast of Gujrat . Rajput warriors put up a stiff resistance but lost the battle . Mahmud broke the idol of Somnath and looted property worth 20 million rupees . Some historians are of opinion that the main objective of Mahmud Ghazni was to propagate Islam and gain popularity amon...