Loss of nearly 80 million Hindu lives in India between 1000 AD (first invasion of Mahmoud Ghazni) and 1525 AD (end of Sultanate).
Stephen Knapp's book "Crimes against India" tells us all about that part of Indian history not available in our history text-books. It details the events of the annihilation of whole Hindu civil populations as well as the destruction and looting of Hindu temples. He is an American scholar and has relied on the writings of Islamic Court Chroniclers in every page of this book. Perhaps every Indian should know this real history, as sadly the text books show the Muslim/ Mughal rulers basically as courageous conquerors and glorious builders of monuments!
Historian K.S.Lal has estimated the loss of nearly 80 million Hindu lives in India between 1000 AD (first invasion of Mahmoud Ghazni) and 1525 AD (end of Sultanate). Stephen Knapp says: "This is probably the biggest holocaust in the history of the whole world". Belgian Orientalist Koenraad Elst has also mentioned an estimate of 80 million killed thanks to Islamic Jehad in India. Even if the figure happens to be exaggerated, India will have to take No.1 place in historical genocide. Estimate of Hindus killed during the Moghul time (1526-1857) is 20 million.
The Greek invader Alexander who defeated the big-made King Porus in 326 BC, did not take his life. He allowed him to continue to rule as before and began his own retreat from India. The other invaders Sakas, Parthians, Kushans and Hunas killed the Hindu warriors they fought against but did not interfere with Hinduism, Hindu civilians, Hindu temples etc. Some of those leaders even became Hindus, such as Heliodorus (a Greek) and Mihirakula (a Huna)! Many Kushan kings such as Kanishka became Buddhists. However, our Islamic invaders and rulers, in the name of "holy war", behaved differently with civilians. They were singular in being brutal and blood-thirsty, in eliminating civilian Hindus mostly through beheading unless converted, cruelly displaying chopped heads, capturing women and children as slaves, and destroying and looting temples. Broken stone idols were usually integrated into masjid steps to be treaded upon. Where temples were razed, Masjids were constructed.
ARAB CONQUEST OF SINDH, 712 AD:
This is the first Islamic conquest in India. This came 80 years after the Prophet Muhammad's death in 632 AD. The Arab invader Muhammad Bin Kasim, after 16 failures, conquered Sindh with 15,000 troops, after killing the Hindu Brahmin King Dahir. Many men got killed and many women were raped. Two daughters of the Hindu king were sent to an Arab Sultan, who found them not to be virgins - the Muslim generals had spoilt them - and they were killed by the "char-diwari" method (burial within 4 walls, applied to Anarkali later on, under Sura IV, verse 15 of Quran). Luckily as for the general population of Hindus, Parsis and the Buddhists in Sindh, Muhammad bin Kasim did not interfere with their religions. After Kasim, all Islamic invaders and rulers tried to destroy Hinduism and kill the Hindu "kafirs" unless converted.
MAHMOUD GHAZNI'S (971-1030) TERROR-INVASIONS:
The Turk Alptigin captured Ghazni (in Afghanistan) in 963 AD and his son Subuktigin captured Kabul after defeating the Hindu King. Mind you, Afghan rulers were then Hindus. Subuktigin's son was the famous Mahmoud of Ghazni (Ghazni was the capital) who defeated the Hindu Kings of Afghanistan, invaded India 17 times and massacred Hindus in lakhs, and sacked several thousands of temples including the very rich Somnath temple! The idols were broken, sent to Ghazni and other places and were meant to be trampled upon (unless made of gold or silver in which case they became useful loot).What a record!
Mahmoud Ghazni was a devout Sunni. He had therefore to kill the Hindu kafirs in as many numbers as possible. He spared no effort to convert the Shiahs. He believed in warring raids and looting and the destroyal of Hindu temples.
In 1001, Mahmoud attacked King Jaipal, the king of the Hindushahi Kingdom based in Peshawar. Jaipal was defeated and he committed suicide from shame. Mahmoud took out a lot of loot and took 5 lakh Hindus towards Ghazni as slaves. Many died on the way through Hindu-Kush, from slaughter or exertion. Hindu-Kush means killing of Hindus and that is the etymology.
In 1008, Mahmoud attacked King Anandpal, son of Jaipal. During the fight, Anandpal's elephant took fright and ran away. This put the Hindu army in disarray. The invading Muslims killed 20,000 Hindus. A lot of looting was also done.
In 1009, Mahmoud attacked Nagarkot (Kangra) known for its rich temples. The temples were razed; gold, silver and jewellery were looted and everybody and everything in the army's path got destroyed.
In 1014, Mahmoud invaded Thanesar (Haryana), known for rich temples. His army destroyed the city, massacred the inhabitants and plundered the sacred temples.
In subsequent years came Mahmoud's invasions and destruction of the Hindu temples at Mathura, Kannauj (in UP), Somnath (Gujarat) and many other places. The high-point was the destruction and looting of the Somnath Shiva temple in 1026 AD, which yielded him a wealth of 20 million dinars. About 50,000 Hindus were killed in Somnath.
---------------------
Let me conclude this first part with Stephen Knapp's observation:
"Even the American historian Will Durant stated that the Islamic conquest of india is probably "the bloodiest story in history..its evident moral is that civilization is a precious good whose delicate complex order and freedom can at any moment be overthrown by barbarians invading from without and mutiplying from within" ".
=============== END==========
Notes:
Historian Romila Thapar has presented the naive and misleading view that Mahmoud Ghazni attacked temples for their riches to finance his wars and invasions. She makes light of his anti-Hinduism! Stephen Knapp, however, shows us that Mahmoud was an intolerant kafir-slayer and temple-demolisher first.
(1) Knapp points out to the historic chronicle "Tarikh-i-Yamini" by Utbi (Mahmoud Ghazni's Secretary) and gives an extract relating to the Thanesar invasion by Mahmoud Ghazni which is as follows:
"The blood of infidels flowed so copiously that the stream was dicoloured..The sultan returned with plunder which is impossible to count. Praise be to Allah for the honour he bestows on Islam and Muslims".
(2) Knapp quotes chronicler Utbi and mentions the following as regards Mahmoud's attack on Mathura. In the attack on Mathura, 50,000 Hindus were killed. Mahmoud burnt the huge Keshav Rai temple to the ground. The pillage of the city went on for 20 days.
(3) As regards the attack on Kanauj, Knapp mentions chronicler Utbi as saying that there were nearly 10,000 temples worshipped by the "idolaters". Seeing the destruction of so many temples and deities, many citizens fled, and those who did not were butchered.
Stephen Knapp's book "Crimes against India" tells us all about that part of Indian history not available in our history text-books. It details the events of the annihilation of whole Hindu civil populations as well as the destruction and looting of Hindu temples. He is an American scholar and has relied on the writings of Islamic Court Chroniclers in every page of this book. Perhaps every Indian should know this real history, as sadly the text books show the Muslim/ Mughal rulers basically as courageous conquerors and glorious builders of monuments!
Historian K.S.Lal has estimated the loss of nearly 80 million Hindu lives in India between 1000 AD (first invasion of Mahmoud Ghazni) and 1525 AD (end of Sultanate). Stephen Knapp says: "This is probably the biggest holocaust in the history of the whole world". Belgian Orientalist Koenraad Elst has also mentioned an estimate of 80 million killed thanks to Islamic Jehad in India. Even if the figure happens to be exaggerated, India will have to take No.1 place in historical genocide. Estimate of Hindus killed during the Moghul time (1526-1857) is 20 million.
The Greek invader Alexander who defeated the big-made King Porus in 326 BC, did not take his life. He allowed him to continue to rule as before and began his own retreat from India. The other invaders Sakas, Parthians, Kushans and Hunas killed the Hindu warriors they fought against but did not interfere with Hinduism, Hindu civilians, Hindu temples etc. Some of those leaders even became Hindus, such as Heliodorus (a Greek) and Mihirakula (a Huna)! Many Kushan kings such as Kanishka became Buddhists. However, our Islamic invaders and rulers, in the name of "holy war", behaved differently with civilians. They were singular in being brutal and blood-thirsty, in eliminating civilian Hindus mostly through beheading unless converted, cruelly displaying chopped heads, capturing women and children as slaves, and destroying and looting temples. Broken stone idols were usually integrated into masjid steps to be treaded upon. Where temples were razed, Masjids were constructed.
ARAB CONQUEST OF SINDH, 712 AD:
This is the first Islamic conquest in India. This came 80 years after the Prophet Muhammad's death in 632 AD. The Arab invader Muhammad Bin Kasim, after 16 failures, conquered Sindh with 15,000 troops, after killing the Hindu Brahmin King Dahir. Many men got killed and many women were raped. Two daughters of the Hindu king were sent to an Arab Sultan, who found them not to be virgins - the Muslim generals had spoilt them - and they were killed by the "char-diwari" method (burial within 4 walls, applied to Anarkali later on, under Sura IV, verse 15 of Quran). Luckily as for the general population of Hindus, Parsis and the Buddhists in Sindh, Muhammad bin Kasim did not interfere with their religions. After Kasim, all Islamic invaders and rulers tried to destroy Hinduism and kill the Hindu "kafirs" unless converted.
MAHMOUD GHAZNI'S (971-1030) TERROR-INVASIONS:
The Turk Alptigin captured Ghazni (in Afghanistan) in 963 AD and his son Subuktigin captured Kabul after defeating the Hindu King. Mind you, Afghan rulers were then Hindus. Subuktigin's son was the famous Mahmoud of Ghazni (Ghazni was the capital) who defeated the Hindu Kings of Afghanistan, invaded India 17 times and massacred Hindus in lakhs, and sacked several thousands of temples including the very rich Somnath temple! The idols were broken, sent to Ghazni and other places and were meant to be trampled upon (unless made of gold or silver in which case they became useful loot).What a record!
Mahmoud Ghazni was a devout Sunni. He had therefore to kill the Hindu kafirs in as many numbers as possible. He spared no effort to convert the Shiahs. He believed in warring raids and looting and the destroyal of Hindu temples.
In 1001, Mahmoud attacked King Jaipal, the king of the Hindushahi Kingdom based in Peshawar. Jaipal was defeated and he committed suicide from shame. Mahmoud took out a lot of loot and took 5 lakh Hindus towards Ghazni as slaves. Many died on the way through Hindu-Kush, from slaughter or exertion. Hindu-Kush means killing of Hindus and that is the etymology.
In 1008, Mahmoud attacked King Anandpal, son of Jaipal. During the fight, Anandpal's elephant took fright and ran away. This put the Hindu army in disarray. The invading Muslims killed 20,000 Hindus. A lot of looting was also done.
In 1009, Mahmoud attacked Nagarkot (Kangra) known for its rich temples. The temples were razed; gold, silver and jewellery were looted and everybody and everything in the army's path got destroyed.
In 1014, Mahmoud invaded Thanesar (Haryana), known for rich temples. His army destroyed the city, massacred the inhabitants and plundered the sacred temples.
In subsequent years came Mahmoud's invasions and destruction of the Hindu temples at Mathura, Kannauj (in UP), Somnath (Gujarat) and many other places. The high-point was the destruction and looting of the Somnath Shiva temple in 1026 AD, which yielded him a wealth of 20 million dinars. About 50,000 Hindus were killed in Somnath.
---------------------
Let me conclude this first part with Stephen Knapp's observation:
"Even the American historian Will Durant stated that the Islamic conquest of india is probably "the bloodiest story in history..its evident moral is that civilization is a precious good whose delicate complex order and freedom can at any moment be overthrown by barbarians invading from without and mutiplying from within" ".
=============== END==========
Notes:
Historian Romila Thapar has presented the naive and misleading view that Mahmoud Ghazni attacked temples for their riches to finance his wars and invasions. She makes light of his anti-Hinduism! Stephen Knapp, however, shows us that Mahmoud was an intolerant kafir-slayer and temple-demolisher first.
(1) Knapp points out to the historic chronicle "Tarikh-i-Yamini" by Utbi (Mahmoud Ghazni's Secretary) and gives an extract relating to the Thanesar invasion by Mahmoud Ghazni which is as follows:
"The blood of infidels flowed so copiously that the stream was dicoloured..The sultan returned with plunder which is impossible to count. Praise be to Allah for the honour he bestows on Islam and Muslims".
(2) Knapp quotes chronicler Utbi and mentions the following as regards Mahmoud's attack on Mathura. In the attack on Mathura, 50,000 Hindus were killed. Mahmoud burnt the huge Keshav Rai temple to the ground. The pillage of the city went on for 20 days.
(3) As regards the attack on Kanauj, Knapp mentions chronicler Utbi as saying that there were nearly 10,000 temples worshipped by the "idolaters". Seeing the destruction of so many temples and deities, many citizens fled, and those who did not were butchered.
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