Mort Gate, Raja Jayapala(Jayapaladev) -New Delhi

Raja Jayapala(Jayapaladev): The Savior of North India who invaded Ghzani | Hindu Shahi (Brahman) Dynasty

The Hindu Shahi kingdom was also known as Raes (Kings) of Hindustan & present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan had bravely fought and resisted several Arabs invasions. From the late 6th century CE the Hindu Shahi were at constant war against the Arabs and their caliphs.

We know that there was a Hindu king who was known as Ranbal or Ranbil in Islamic texts who continuously defeated the Arabs. Later this struggle was continued by new Hindu kings who adopted the title of Hindu Shahi (Brahman) whose name has been forgotten in Indian history.

He was Maharaja Jayapala or Jayapaladev who not only stood against the wrath of the Yamini Turks, but also invaded their stronghold i.e. Ghzani.

For a very long time we had heard that Mahmud Ghzani attacked India from 1001 AD- 1027 AD but prior him it was Maharaja Jayapala of Hindu Shahi Dynasty who decided to invade Ghzani twice. But unfortunately ,such heroic courage of raiding the territory of the Subuktigin (Ghazni) with a united Hindu front under king Jayapala couldn’t find its place in Indian history.

Background
The powerful Samanid dynasty of Persia didn’t make any efforts to invade the Hindu Shahi kingdom. But with the rise of Alb-tigin (Alpatagin) a Turkish slave soldier of the Samanid governor Mansur the position of the Shahis soon became vulnerable.

During the period of 870 CE the Hindu Shahi lost Kabul and were forced to retreat. This temporary loss of the great Hindu Shahi kingdom was the beginning of another chapter in the medieval history of the Indian Sub-continent.

Turkish Invasion
The introduction of the Turk (Turuskas) warlords completely changed the mentality and the conduct of war. The establishment of this new Muslim (Turk) authority in Ghazni completely changed the policy of the Muslims.

Under the Turks, the raids on the Hindu Shahi’s and later on northern India became even more aggressive and lethal. The first Hindu king who faced this wave of the Turuskas was Jayapala (Jaipal or Jayapaladev), who fought till his last breath in order to protect his kingdom of people.

The Hindu Shahi kingdom under Maharaja Jayapala was stretched from Sirhind to Lumghan (Laghman) and from Kashmir to Multan.