8 
HINDO 
of the Indus. India, it is laid, had not for centuries feen 
fo immenle a concpurfe of her fons in arms. Mahmood 
was encamped on an extenlive plain near the confines of 
Peifhore. Oppoiite to him encamped this body of Hin¬ 
doos, who daily became more formidable in numbers and 
ftrength. The two armies remained thus looking at each 
other during forty days; a paufe pregnant with horror at 
the bloodfiied which was to follow. 
Mahmood, whole forces were greatly inferior in num¬ 
ber, ftrongly intrenched himlelf in his camp, to avoid the 
danger of a general affault; at length, however, he com¬ 
manded a thoufand archers to advance in his front, that 
the Hindoos, galled by their arrows, might be tempted to 
attack his intrenchments. The projeft l'ucceeded 5 but, as 
fall as the Hindoos approached the camp, they were cut 
down by whole battalions placed in ambufcade; and 
though a. large body of the more daring among them 
forced their way into the trenches, and killed feveral thou- 
iand Mulfulmen, yet the lofs of the latter bore no propor¬ 
tion to that of the former. In the midlt of this partial con¬ 
flict, Mahmood, with a great body of Arab and Afghan 
liorfe, kept in referve for the purpofe, rallied out from the 
intrenchments, and began a terrible attack on the altonilhed 
Hindoos. An immenfe daughter followed ; but, the Hin¬ 
doos were Hill incalculably numerous, and unvanquilh- 
ed. Whatever might have been the ultimate fuccefs of 
Mahmood, a mere accident turned the fortune of the day 
in his favour. A fpecies of fire-arrow feems to have been 
in ufe at that time in the Afiatic battles; and the ludden 
explofion of one of thole inllruments of dellruCtion, dole 
by the elephant on which the prince of Lahore, the gene- 
ralifiimo of the army, rode, having terrified the animal, 
rendered it utterly ungovernable; and, in fpite of every 
exertion of the guide, the affrighted animal bore the ra¬ 
jah precipitately from the field, which gave the appear¬ 
ance of a daftardly flight of the commander of the Indian 
army., This unexpected event threw the Hindoos into 
confuflon ; who, imagining themfelves deferted by their 
leader, betook themfelves to flight in every direction. 
Mahmood, at the head of his horfe, began a purfuit more 
fatal and bloody than the preceding battle ; and in which 
twenty thoufand Hindoos were flaughtered, in addition 
to the multitude that perilhed on the field of battle. The 
plunder obtained on this occafion was lufficient to load 
thirty elephants ; while the renown acquired by Mahmood 
furpafled every other confideration, and wafted his trium¬ 
phant name to the extremities of Afia. 
But this immenfe acquilition was not fufficient to fa- 
tiate the ambition and avarice of the fultan. He had heard, 
that in the territory of Naugracut, among the mountains 
that form the northern boundary of Hindoollan, there 
had been erefted by a celebrated rajah of the name of 
Bime, a fort and temple, conlecrated to the idols of the 
Hindoos, and denominated from himfelf, Bime ; the very 
floors of which, according to Mandellloe, were covered 
with plates of gold. The fprt too, being intended to 
protect the diftrift of Naugracut, was ereCted on the fum- 
mit of the fteepelt mountain ; and in vaults beneath the 
fanfluary, as in a place of inviolable fecurity, was depo- 
flted the whole wealth of the neighbouring principalities ; 
fo that in this fort there was fuppofed to be amafled by 
the Brahmins, a greater quantity of gold, filver, and pre¬ 
cious llones, than had ever before been collected together 
in the royal treaiury of any prince of Alia. Pretended 
zeal for the propagation of Iflamifm, but in truth an infa- 
tiable defire of wealth, determined Mahmood to attempt 
the capture of this important place. The greater part of 
the garrifon had defcended to join the army,- which had 
been defeated in the late engagement. Before they could 
recover from their conilernation, or any freflr troops could 
be thrown into the fortrefs, Mahmood directed the place to 
be invefled on every fide, fending at the fame time detach¬ 
ments to fcour the lurrounding country, and lay walte 
every thing with fire and fword. But, notwithllanding 
thefe formidable preparations, the Brahmins who prefided 
in it refolutely determined, with the remainder of the 
OSTAN. 
garrifon, to hold out to the laft extremity: they thought 
the place fufliciently defended by its hitherto unviolated 
fanftity, and that the thunderbolt of the avenging Seeva 
could not poflibly fleep, while an alien ufurper was threat¬ 
ening to violate his augufl temples. Mahmood, however, 
carried on his works with vigour and effefl, and it was 
not till inevitable deltraCtion awaited them, that they 
l'ubmitted to capittilate, and opened their gates to the all- 
conquering fultan of Gazna. In the lanCtuary of Bime, 
were found feven hundred thoufand golden dinars, feven 
hundred maunds of gold and filver plate, forty maunds of 
pure gold in ingots, two thoufand maunds of filver bul¬ 
lion, and twenty maunds of various jewels fet, which had 
been collecting from the time of Bime. With this enor¬ 
mous treafure the king returned to Gazna, where, at a 
magnificent fellival, he difplayed his wealth to the people 
in golden thrones, and other rich ornaments, on an exten- 
five plain without the city 5 and diflributed a portion of 
it imprefents to his generals, principal omrahs, and vete¬ 
ran foldiers. 
In the year 1011, Mahmood commenced his fixth In¬ 
dian expedition, being his fecond into Hindoojian Proper, 
in which the venerable city of Delhi 'felt the fury of his 
arms. The route of Mahmood lay through the territories 
of Annindpal, with whom, after conquering, he ha<j form¬ 
ed an alliance. The fultan therefore fent to require of 
that rajah necefiaries for the fupport of his army. But 
Annindpal, zealous to preferve the city of Tannafar, en¬ 
deavoured to avert his fury by the proffer of a number of 
elephants, and jewels to a great amount. Mahmood, how¬ 
ever, remained inexorable ; and the anfwer returned by 
the Gaznavian emperor deferves to be recorded, becaufe 
it ingenuoufly difeovers the principles by which both him¬ 
felf, Gengis Kahn, Timur Bee, and all the tribe of Mo¬ 
hammedan invaders, were guided in their devaftations of 
the fineft region of the earth. The anfwer of Mahmood 
was, “ That in the Mufiulman religion it was an efta- 
bliihed maxim, that the more the glory of the prophet was 
exalted, and the more his followers exerted themfelves in 
the fubverfion of idolatry, the greater would be their re¬ 
ward in heaven; that therefore, it was his firm refolu- 
tion, with the afiiltance of God and the prophet, to root 
out the abominable worth ip of idols from the face 0/ the 
country of Hindooftan. To fpare Tannafar, the grand 
feat of Hindoo fuperflition, would be to trample on the 
moll facred precepts of the Koran.” Mahmood, therefore, 
without delay, marched his invincible army before its 
walls, and blockaded every avenue into the city. Better 
calculated for pagan fuperltition than formed for military 
defence, Tannaiar, wholly unfuccoured, was quickly com¬ 
pelled to furrender; and in the lpace of a few hours its 
lofty palaces and venerable fltrines were plundered and 
defaced. A Hill greater number of jewels, but lefs bul¬ 
lion, was found in this city than in Bime; and, among 
the former, a ruby was difcovered, (according to Ferilhta,) 
of fuch magnitude and value as appear almoft incredible. 
The rajah of Delhi, having endeavoured to excite the 
other powers of Hindoollan to arm againil Mahmood, the 
angry fultan commenced a hally march for that capital. 
The rapidity of his courfe, and the fury of his attack, ren¬ 
dered all oppofition fruitlefs ; one of the Itrongelt caltles 
and molt lumptuous palaces of Hindoollan, enriched with 
all that the mines, and looms, and genius, of India could 
produce, were foon in pofleflion of the conqueror; who 
was fo delighted with the place, that he reluCtantly yield¬ 
ed back the feeptre to the vanquiihed and fubmilfive ra¬ 
jah, upon the ufual terms of an annual tribute ; but wilhed 
rather to annex that rich city for ever to his own do¬ 
minions. Finding this impoffible, Mahmood marched 
back his army to Gazna, taking with him forty thoufand 
captives, and articles of wealth which in number and value 
almoll defied computation. 
The account, in Ferilhta, of the campaign in Cachi- 
mere, A. D. 1012, which conftitutes the feventh irruption 
of Mahmood into the country of Hindoollan, is very lum- 
mary and unfatisfaClory, In the plain, Mahmood could 
1 not 
