Mahmud of Ghazni's invasions of India

Timeline

1. c. 1000–1001Punjab · South AsiaMahmud set out from Ghazni with elite cavalry across the Hindu Kush into northwest India. He defeated local Hindu princes in Punjab, plundered great wealth, and established Ghazni suzerainty over the Indian borderlands.
2. 1004–1019Multan and Kanauj direction · South AsiaOver the following decade-plus Mahmud campaigned south repeatedly, capturing Multan, Thanesar, Mathura, and other cities, defeating remnants of the Gurjara-Pratihara power and local rulers. Each expedition targeted temple wealth and ransoms, forcing north India's political center southward.
3. 1026Somnath · IndiaMahmud campaigned to Gujarat's west coast, destroying the Somnath temple and carrying off enormous treasure. This battle is recorded in both Islamic and Hindu sources and became a landmark event of medieval Indian religious conflict and foreign invasion, with far-reaching influence.