height of the Muhammadan power, the Hindu princes paid
tribute, and sent agents to the imperial court. But even this
modified supremacy of the Mughal Empire of Delhi did not last
for one and a half centuries (1560-1707). Before the end of
that brief period, the Hindus had again begun the work of re-
conquest. The Hindu chivalry of Rájputána was closing in
upon Delhi from the south-east; the religious confederation of
the Sikhs was growing into a military power on the north-west.
The Maráthás, who combined the fighting powers of the
Hindu low-castes with the statesmanship of the Brahmans, had
begun to subject the Muhammadan kingdoms in Southern India
to tribute. So far as can now be estimated, the advance of the
English power in the last century alone saved the Mughal Empire
from reverting to the Hindus.
First Túrkí Invasions—Subuktigín, 977 A. D.—The first collision between Hinduism and Islam on the Punjab frontier was the act of the Hindus. In 977, Jaipal, the Hindu Chief of Lahore, annoyed by Afghán raids, led his troops through the mountains against the Muhammadan kingdom of Ghazní, in Afghánistán. Subuktigín, the Ghaznivide prince, after severe fighting, took advantage of a hurricane to cut off the retreat of the Hindus through the pass. He allowed them, however, to return to India, on the surrender of fifty elephants, and the promise of one million dirhams (about £25,000). Tradition relates how Jaipal, having regained his capital, was counselled by the Bráhmans standing at his right hand not to disgrace himself by paying ransom to a barbarian; while his nobles and warrior Chiefs, standing at his left, implored him to keep faith. In the end, Subuktigin swept through the hills to enforce his ransom, defeated Jaipál, and stationed an Afghan officer with 10,000 horse to garrison Peshiwar (977). Subuktigin was soon afterwards called away to fight in Central Asia, and his Indian raid left behind it only this Peshawar outpost. But henceforth the Afgháns held both ends of the Khaibar pass.
Mahmúd of Ghazní, 1001-1030.—In 997, Subuktigfn died, and was succeeded by his son, Mahmud of Ghazní, aged sixteen. This valiant monarch reigned for thirty-three years, and extended his father's little Afghán kingdom into a great
