Ghaznavid Army

Timeline

1. c. 977–997Ghazni · AfghanistanSebüktegin based himself in Ghazni, integrating Turkic cavalry slave corps (ghulams) with the local Persian administrative system to form a standing army combining mobile striking power with logistical capability.
2. 1001–1010Punjab and the Indus River basin · Indus River basinSultan Mahmud led his army deep into northern India multiple times between 1001 and 1027, capturing Multan, Lahore, and other places; he defeated coalitions of Hindu states with heavy cavalry charges and siege tactics, plundered wealth, and forced some rulers to pay tribute.
3. 1030–1186Khorasan and eastern Afghanistan · KhorasanSuccession disputes after Mahmud's death weakened central military power, while the ghulams and regional governors grew in strength; by the 12th century, squeezed by Seljuk and Ghurid forces, the Ghaznavid army lost its capacity for Indian expeditions and was ultimately annexed by the Ghurid dynasty.