42 IIISTOItV OF INDIA. [Book I.
AD. 970. Glmznce, which plays a most important part in the hist^jry of India, was
founded.
Aiptegin, Alptcgin, the founder of the hoase of Ghuznee, wa-s originally a Tinki .slave
tho h.MHo of to Abdulmelek, the fifth prince of the Somani line, and had no higher office
Ghuznee. |.jj.^jj ^j^^^^ ^^ amusing his master hy tumbling and tricks of legerdemain. He
was capable, however, of much better, and gradually rose t^j be governor of
Khorasan. On the death of Abdulmelek, in 961, he lost the favour of his
successor, Mansur, by recommending that another member of the family should
be selected for the throne, was deprived of his government, and ran great ri.sk
of losing both his liberty and his life. After a variety of narrow escapes, in
which he displayed much courage and military talent, he found an asylum with
a body of faithful followers at Ghuznee, among the mountains of Soliman.
Here he declared his independence, and .succeeded in maintaining it till his
death, in 976. He was succeeded by Sebektegin, who, like him.self, had
been originally a Tm-ki slave, but had risen so much in his favour that he gave
him his daughter in marriage, and made him his heir.
Sebektegin: Scbcktegin's futurc Sovereignty is said to have been early foretold. One day,
anecdote of , .,
him. while a private horseman, he hunted down a fawn and was carrying it off, when
he looked behind and saw its mother foUowino- with such sicms of distress, that
he was moved with compassion and set the fawn at libei-ty. The joy and
apparent gratitude expressed by the mother made so strong an impression upon 1
him, that when he went to sleep it became the subject of a dream, in which
Mahomet appeared to him, and announced that as a reward for his humanity ]
li[ he was destined to be a king. The prediction, if it was made, had no sooner
been fulfilled, than an event took place which threatened to render it fruitless.
The inhabitants on the left bank of the Indus had for nearly three centuries
been living in the enjoyment of their recovered independence ; but they knew
enough of the cruelty and oppression which their forefathers had endured
while subjected to an Arab yoke, and were naturally filled with alarm when
they saw a new Mahometan kingdom established on their frontiei"s. It there-
Native con- f^j.^ sccmcd to them good policy not to wait tiU the threatened calamity over- federation or./ J
agaiiiathim. took them, but to cndcavour by anticipating to prevent it. The initiative in this bold enterprise was undertaken by Rajah Jeipal, who ruled over a large extent of territory, and kept his court at Lahore. Crossing the Indus, he advanced till he came up with the troops of Sebektegin, who commanded in person, and was accompanied by his son, who, then only a boy, gave proof of the talents which afterwards made him celebrated under the name of Sultan Mahmood. After some time spent in skirmishing, the annies were on the eve of fighting a great battle, when a fearful storm of wind, thunder, and hail occurred- Both armies suffered gi'eatly, but not to the same extent. The troops of Ghuznee soon recovered from the disaster, whereas those of Hindoostan, being If' at once less hardy and more superstitiou.s, were so dispirited that Jeipal was
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