1 The Sultan’s return
2 to Ghazni.
3 Architectural
4 embellishments of the
5 capital of Mahmud.
6 Tonth Invasion,
7 1021
8 Lihore sacked.
9 Malik Ayaz left in
10 sharge of Lahore,
11 TA
12 art
13 Sosa
14 A.D,
15 Vore called
16 racdpur
17 84 HISTORY OF THE PANJARB.
18 twenty days, during which time the city suffered greatly from fire and pillage.
19 Having subdued some petty Rajput princes, the Sultan returned to Ghazni,
20 laden with spoil and encumbered with captives, the private plunder of his
21 army being not less than that gathered into the public treasury. The ”
22 king, during his stay in India, was struck with the beauty of Indian
23 architecture. On his return to his capital, he erected a magnificent
24 mosque of marble and granite, which he furnished with rich carpets,
25 candelabra and furniture of silver and gold, and called the “Celestial
26 Bride.” The example was followed by the nobles of his court, who vied with
27 each other in embellishing the capital with magnificent private palaces and
28 public buildings. In the neighbourhood of the royal mosque, Mahmid es-
29 tablished a grand university, a vast library of books by learned authors, anda
30 museum of natural curiosities and works of art, at an enormous expense to the
31 State. The taste for architecture increased, and, in a short time, the capital
32 of Mahmid was decorated with beautiful mosques, pavilions, fountains,
33 reservoirs, aqueducts and cisterns, unequalled in design and workmanship by
34 any work of the kind in previous ages. In 1019 the Sultan forwarded an
35 account of his victories to Alqddir Billah, the Caliph of Baghdad, who had
36 it read out at a grand assembly of the Mahomedans of that city who
37 celebrated with great rejoicings the victories which the Moslem arms had
38 gained in distant parts of the globe.
39 A confederation of the Hindu princes having, in 1021, attacked Kowar
40 Rai, Rdjé of Kanauj, for entering into an alliance with Mahmdd, the Sultan
41 again marched into India, but before he could arrive, Kanauj had been reduced
42 by Nanda Raja, of Kalinjar in Bundelkhand, who had put Kowar Rai and
43 a number of his chiefs to death. To avenge his death, the Sultan proceeded
44 to Kalinjar and put Nanda Rai to flight. After this victory, Mahmtd
45 marched to Kashmir, investing, by the way, the impregnable fort of Lokot.
46 He then entered Léhore and ordered his troops to sack the city, in revenge
47 for Anangpal’s having joined the confederacy against the Raja of Kanauj.
48 Here enormous wealth fell into his hands, and the Rdjd, finding himself
49 unequal to his adversary, fled to Ajmere for protection. In the spring of
50 the same year, Mahmdd, appointing his own satraps to the charge of “the
51 conquered provinces, returned to Ghazni. He left Léhore in charge of his
52 favourite counsellor aud general, Malik Ayaz, whose name is associated with
53 many anecdotes and sayings of his royal master. The Malik built the walls
54 ae of ees and enlarged and beautified the town. During the
55 hency of this popular Ghaznivide governor, Lahore became a seat of
56 learning, and men from Ghazni came and sett] i
57 Stine : : ed there, among them being
58 irene rates Ali age Baksh, Hujweri, whose mausoleum, known as
59 ata Ganj Baksh, outside the city, is held i ; 7
60 eda population * y, 1s held in great reverence by the Mahom
61 Mahmud called Léhore, after his own nam ‘dou
62 . ; ia , e, Mahmiudpur, he struck,
63 coins at Lahore which bore the following inscription in ead Hindi :—
64 Reverse (in Kufi characters).
65 &UL yl RJ}
66 SU Joo J] snare Uys] ayy
67 cpome shall sre] 3 aI ga5} phos
68 bn, P55 Fe wyled! 3A
69 lox! 5 Bynes Wh} Saya ay opens ad ¢? DoJ ine) Wyo WL} pad
70 _* A fair is : i
71 Mint, 2 oot oe here every Friday. The tomb of Malik
72 by the people as the burial place of the sured by the Taxali Gate, or old
73 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com