Mahmud of Ghazni

Timeline

1. 998–1005Ghazni · AfghanistanAfter his father Sebüktegin died in 997, he defeated his brother Ismail in a struggle for the throne, established control over Ghazni and eastern Khorasan, and received investiture as sultan from the Abbasid caliph.
2. 1005–1027Punjab · PunjabHe repeatedly led armies south, defeating the Shahi dynasty and other North Indian powers, seizing enormous wealth and destroying famous temples such as Somnath; at the same time he used the spoils to build palaces at Ghazni and patronize Persian literature, bringing the dynasty to a dual military and cultural peak.
3. 1027–1030Ghazni · AfghanistanIn his later years he was mainly based at Ghazni, handling domestic affairs and succession arrangements; he died of malaria at Ghazni in 1030, after which his son Mas'ud and others fell into succession disputes, and the dynasty declined from its peak.