Mahmud of Ghazni

Who was Mahmud of Ghazni?

Yamīn al-Dawla Abul-Qāṣim Maḥmūd ibn Sebüktegīn, more commonly known as Mahmud of Ghazni, also known as Mahmud-i Zabuli, was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid Empire. In the name of Islam, he conquered the eastern Iranian lands and the northwestern Indian subcontinent from 997 to his death in 1030. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazna into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Afghanistan, eastern Iran, Pakistan and northwestern India.

He was the first ruler to carry the title Sultan, signifying the extent of his power, though preserving the ideological link to the suzerainty of the Abbassid Caliphate. During his rule, he invaded and plundered parts of Hindustan 17 times.