During both the battles against the ferocious Mohammed of Gazanavi, King Trilochanpal played a significant role. He was the son of King Anandpal, the last Hindu legacy that ruled Kabul. Valiant and assiduous, he had a thorough understanding of the warfare strategy of Muslim kings. He had worked as commander in his father’s army, he had successfully enforced retreat to Islamic invasions. He had mastery over Guerilla warfare.
Historian Kalhan, in Rajtarangini has depicted an extremely interesting portrayal of Trilochanpal’s warfare manoeuvre :
कस्व्रिलोचनपालस्य महात्म्य वक्तूमीश्वर:।
नि:संख्या अरि यं संख्ये न जेतुमशकनिद्वश ।।
This stanza speaks about the unparalleled valor of King Trilochanpal. It says, who can be capable of illustrating Trilochanpal’s chivalry…? Who remained unbeatable even by innumerable enemies.
Unfortunately, many Persian historians have attempted to conceal these defeats of Mohammed Gazanavi and camouflaged them with his retreat due to blight and floods!!! But, one Muslim historian Nizamuddin, had shown the audacity to accept these frightful withdrawals. As per his detailed explanation, in Hijri 412 (CE 1021), Mohammed Gazanavi had attacked Lohar or Lohkot for the second time but he was beaten and had to return back.
It has been our utter misfortune that our truthful history has been systematically falsified and the saga of successful warfare by Hindu kings has been altered and twisted to project Hindustani bravery, in weak light.
The Farsi historian Pir Hasan has presented the factual deeds shattering the truth. He has narrated, “संग्रामराजने अपने अंदर मुक़ाबले की ताव न देखकर, बहुत तुहफे तकलीफ़ के साथ ख़ुद को सुल्तान की मुलाजिमत में पहुँचाया।
सुल्तान ने फ़रमाया-“तूने ख़ुद की क्यों आजिज़ और ज़लील किया।
राजा ने जवाब में कहा की शरीफ़ लोग मिहमान की ख़ातिर तवाजह अपने लिए फकर और तरक़्क़ी का सबब समजते है।
सुल्तान महमूद ने उसकी हुस्न बयानी से महफ़ूज़ होकर उमदाँ- उमदाँ पोशाकों से सरफ़राज़ किया और खिराजशाही मुक़र्रर करके कश्मीर की हकूमत उसीं के हवाले कर दी।”
Peer Hasan, in his above elucidation, has attempted to present Gazanavi as an angel, as a large-hearted emperor which he was clearly not. The world is well aware of his brutish ways of smashing Hindu idols and kidnapping Lakhs of Hindu women and turning them into his slave and murdering Hindus in the most barbaric manner who denied being converted to Islam. Mahmood was a fanatic conspirator. His returning Kashmir kingdom to King Sangramraaj is a tale, beyond believable.
If King Sangramraaj ‘s abduction had been a reality, he would have surely been subjected to the same fate as that of Prithviraj Chauhan, Guru Tegbahadur, Guru Arjundev, and Banda Vairagi.
Renowned history commentator Dr.Raghunath Singh, in his comments in Rajtarangini mentions that “The description by Peer Hasan, appears unilateral and an attempt to portray Mohammed Gazanavi ‘s greatness as well as demeaning Kashmiris.
There is no historical evidence found to support this comment. In fact, Mohammed Gazanavi had never been successful in entering Kashmir. It is a dishonest attempt by Peer Hasan with a fabricated story to diminish the significance of Sangramraaj- that Mohammed came into Kashmir and Sangramraaj lowered his flag in surrender.“
Historian Kalhan has mentioned Mohammed Gazanavi’s invasion of 1013 CE in Rajtarangini.
King Trilochanpal had a face-off with Islamic invaders for the last time, in Punjab and Mohammed Gazanavi retreated post failed warfare with Trilochanpal, in the valley leading towards Kashmir from Jhelum river. It is possible that certain kings of the border region near Kashmir, may have accepted the suzerainty of Mohammed Gazanavi, but the Kashmir kingdom fought fiercely and Kashmiri king Sangramraaj never ever bowed before him.
King Sangramraaj had longsightedness to judge the perils of Mohammed Gazanavi’s invasions. Hence, in the national interest, he joined hands with King Trilochanpal of Kabul and sent the Kashmiri army to combat against Mohammed Gazanavi. The intentions of kings like Mohammad Gazanavi, while invading Bharat, were not limited to purely territorial expansion. Along with being attracted to the economic affluence of Bharat, they possessed fervent zealousness towards religious conversion. Kashmir, being a neighbouring region to Arabian land, the farsightedness of Kashmiri kings regarding future pervade by Islamic kings with the intention of gaining religious supremacy, was a necessary pitfall, that king’s of Kashmir, must foresee.
But unfortunately, the sanctimoniousness in the otherwise valorous legacy ruined the future course of Bharatvarsh.
Source for Reference:
हमारी भूलोका स्मारक : धर्मांतरित कश्मीर
नरेन्द सहेगल
राजतरंगिणी – कल्हान
