Ghazni Mohammed

• His first expedition was directed against the frontier towns in 1000 AD.
• His second expedition was against Jaipala, the Hindushahi king of Punjab whom he defeated in the First Battle of Waihind. Jaipala could not survive the shock of humiliation and he burnt himself to death. He was succeeded by his son, Anandpala in 1002 AD.
• In his sixth expedition, Mahmud defeated Anandpala in the II Battle of Waihind (1008). Anandpala had organized a confederacy of rulers of Ujjain, Gwalior, Kalinjar, Kannauj, Delhi and Ajmer, but the alliance was defeated.
• In his other expeditions, Mahmud plundered Nagarkot, Thaneshwar, Kannauj, Mathura and Somnath.
• His sixteenth expedition was the plunder of Somnath temple (dedicated to Shiva) in 1025 AD, situated on the sea coast of Kathiarwar.
• After looting the Somnath temple, when Mahmud was going back to Ghazni, the Jats had attacked his army. So, to punish the Jats, he returned and defeated them in 1026.
• He patronized 3 persons:
  Firdausi (Persian poet, known as Homer of the east) who wrote Shahnama.
  Alberuni (a brilliant scholar from Central Asia) who wrote Tahqiq-I-Hind.
  Utbi (court historian), who wrote Kitab-ud-Yamni.