Muslim conquests in South Asia were a struggle of life and death for Hindus. Populations massacred and cities burnt down with thousands and hundreds killed or deported as slaves.

Here’s a thread for those who claim “Islam wasn’t spread by the sword in South Asia.”

The birth of Islam in the Middle East, the new converts (Muslims) were enthusiast to invade South Asia, they started coming in one after the other. Invading not only to loot but to convert the population of “kafirs” to Islam.

One of the first to carry the banner of Islam into the heart of the region and pave the way for so many to follow was Mahmud of Ghazni. He was the first independent ruler of the Turkic dynasty of Ghaznavids, he ruled from 998 to 1030 AD.

Mahmud was so fanatical and desperate to satisfy his ego as the greatest conqueror he attacked 17 times and each time he was successful in his mission. He had two motives that led his conquest; accumulate the vast amount of wealth that existed and secondly, to spread Islam.

One of the most barbaric raids was the temple of Somanth in Gujarat in 1025 AD that killed over 50,000 people. The priest pleaded with him not to destroy Somnath idol but he stated he wanted to be remembered as “Mahmud who destroyed the idol,” so he blew the idol into pieces.

The outcome of his conquests was practiced through vanity, a monstrous growth of unrestrained autocracy. His invasions were one of the foremost reasons of the spread of Islam in South Asia.