Altigpin crossed the Hindu Kush, after laying siege to the "insignificant" Fort of Ghazni in 962 transforming it into "one of the most dazzling capitals of the Islamic world" after his victory. [7] The fort itself was militarily and politically advantageous for his cause; it lay near the lucrative Silk Road where it was nestled in between Kabul and Kandahar. [7] The empire itself became significant for it's prestige and for being the first Islamic empire to spread itself across Asia, and well into Hindu-dominated Northern India. [7] The centre of the Ghaznivid empire was known for being home to artisans, [7] poets, [7] [5] musicians, [7] philosophers, [7] scholars [5] /scientists [9] and other intelligentsia; and were also responsible for building "opulent palaces, gold encrusted mosques" [7] and for having spread "abundant" gardens into India. [7] This empire also gave the world windmill's, which were one of the most important inventions the world has ever seen.

The Ghaznivid Empire was an empire that existed during the 10th-11th century; stretching at it's peak from Tehran to Northern India, and was Turkic-Persian in origin, largely following Sunni Islam. The date of it's foundation was 962 [3] -977 [4] [5] [6] , and that of it's disintegration 1180 [6] -1187; [4] [5] [3] lasting some 224 years. The Ghaznivids were one of the most distinguished empires to have ever existed in Afghanistan. [7] The empire was founded by the slave [8] Aptigin (a Turkish Mamluk originally from Ghazni; [7] who had fled from Balkh [3] to Ghazni in 961 after a failed coup; [9] [8] ) who revolted against the ruling Samanids of Iran, [7] conquering their throne, thus establishing himself [7] as ruler who would bring in great economic and political development. He was father in law [9] to Sabuktagin (whom some historians also consider the founder of the Ghaznivids [5] [7] [3] ) who would later expand the empire extensively. [8] [9]

Ultimately when Masud III died in 1115 war erupted between his sons, as to who should take over control of the empire.Finally, with the help of the Seljuks, Bahramsah emerged as the victor in 1117.However this came at a huge cost; the Seljuks demanded heavy tributes, which in effect turned them into nothing more than a vassal state.Furthermore, the Seljuks demanded that he send his own son as a hostage for insurance; sent to the emperor Sanjar's court in Marv.He attempted a rebellion in 1135 but this did not fare well.Still attached to tradition in the meanwhile, he continued raiding India.Eventually, the Ghurids caught up with the Ghaznavids, but it was only through the ill judged actions of the emperor, which provoked their wrath.Bahramshah had captured a Ghurid in 1149 and executed him, which lead to the total sacking of Gazna between 1150—1151.Retreating to India, the emperor would only return when the Ghurids were beaten by the Seljuks.Bahramsah died in 1157, although it is unclear how and the exact date of his death.The Ghaznavids would continue for at least thirty more years but were severely weakened by the Ghurids, Oghuz and the lack of support from the Seljuks, permanently moving their home into the Punjab near Lahore; having lost almost all their historical territory in the east.Multan and Peshawar were then conquered by the same party, and then finally the siege of Lahore began in 1186, crushing them into dust.

Consolidating their territories in Eastern Afghanistan, and lands north of India, the empire augmented it's strength, but it should be noted that it was not totally weak.It could have challenged the Seljuks to some serious blows, but it chose not to.The peace brought about from Ebrahims rule lead to marriages of alliance, cementing ties between the two powerful empires.Furthermore, cross border immigration was allowed to flow freely, and trade increased.Peace however, would not last.Ebrahim died in 1099, and a new power rising to the east explosively broke ground in 1148 with a sudden shock, indicating the coming of the Ghurids.Ebrahim's son, Masud III and thereafter his grandsons, Šīrzād, Malek Arslān or Arslānšāh, and Bahrāmšāh, were long charged with the dynasties defence to the ends of their reigns.The Ghaznavids would ultimately lose ground to this new aggressive power, but it did not stop them from raiding deep into India at the same time, as such was the profit to be brought back.Their raids thundered all the way down to the Punjab, Lahore, and beyond; which were in essence fast becoming the only lifeblood of the Ghaznavid dynasty.It became so reliant on the raids for sustenance, that the empire's capital moved ever deeper inland.These raids were also likely expensive in and of themselves, and the empire faced, but yet they still succeeded

After his father's death, Mawdud I was next in line to the throne, who took up to eight years to hunt down and murder his father's killers and then stem the flow of the Seljuk raiders of the north.By now the city states of Balk, Herat and Termed were lost to the empire, with Sistan under serious threat of being taken over by the northern Turkic dynasty. Mawdud, by shear will power and military skill ultimately managed to bring stability to Southern Afghanistan which was in the most danger of annexation.Importantly, he continued the raids of his forefathers into India for plunder. Unfortunately, Mawdud was murdered along with his son, Abd-al-Rasid in 1052; betrayed by one of his own trusted commanders, Ṭoḡrïl; who usurped the throne.Mawdud's two other son's Farroḵzād and Ebrāhīm, wrestled his armies for the succession, penultimately winning it for house Ghaznavid for another 40 years.Prior to this, the empire was in serious trouble of breaking apart totally, when the Čagri Beg of the Seljuk empire attacked their capital, still under Togril's rule. However the Ghaznavids managed to check the Seljuks before they could fully overtake the territory.When Ebrahim came to power in 1059, he knew that any sort of challenge to bring back former territories into the fold were impossible, so he didn't try.The idea of a Western Ghaznavid Afghanistan was therefore abandoned. A peace deal was then signed and negotiated with the Seljuks to prevent any more losses of territory.

Indeed, the latter of these groups was the most threatening, but they are also seen as one of the most important dynasties in the history of early medieval Islam.With their invasions into Transoxania starting in the 11th century, having been employed as auxilliary troops to various kings, emperors, rulers or otherwise, their employment by the Samanids, Qarakhanids, and even the Ghaznavids themselves proved in hindsight, immensely problematic.By Mahmud's reign's end, this mercenary empire were on the very fringes of their territory.Soon enough, they raided towns and cities, looting agricultural lands and destroying the countryside; further disrupting the flow of caravan trade in the Khurasan region.The Ghaznavids were too slow to act, or else powerless to stop them.The worst was yet to come with the city states of Marv, Ray and Nisapur openly welcoming the Oguz Turks between 1036 and 1037, frustrated with the lack of help from the sultan that was supposed to act as their protector.A humiliating battle in 1040 saw the Ghaznavids even lose confidence in themselves.The Seljuks then made a dash for the north of Persia, founding their sultanate, which would grow powerful enough to even challenge the Europeans to the west.Things were so desperate that Masud I even expected to lose Gazna itself, fleeing to India.Before he got there, he was brutally murdered by his own men in 1041, near the crossing of the Indus River.

By the end of his life, Mahmud had achieved almost near total domination of Persia and north-western India, having also murdered the Buyid dynasty of Ray (a Shia dynasty), overtaking it in 1029, with the Daylamite and Kurdish princes of northwestern Persia following suit, either bringing them into the fold or killing them.His success saw him thus createBy his death in 1030 however, a more meagre son took charge, Masud I, who truly saw the first struggles of the fledgling empire.His first mistake was to misjudge the military, with his behaviour also irking the army and irritating the civilian government, thereby slowing the machinery of the empire.He was unable to raise taxes, which were the single most pressing issue of his day.Compensating by trying to find a solution, the young emperor raided India and Persia and even personally attacked the Virgin Fortress of Hansi in Delhi in 1037.Open rebellions by what was left of the Buyid dynasty in Persia saw more cracks beginning to appear.Compounding problems further were the Qarakhanids, who began harassing the Ghaznavids from Transoxania.Particular concern were the upper Oxus River, Kottal, and Caganian.By 1034, the worst occurred, with the Ghaznavids losing the territory of Karazm; additionally the rise of the Oguz Turks lead by the Seljuks posed a further problem.

Executing his brother Esmail, and taking control of Gazna for himself, Mahmud proceeded to annex the lands of the south Oxus River.Issuing his ruling by a religious decree from the Caliph of the Abbasids, al-Qader, he was legally allowed to call himself independent, and grant himself royal titles.The most important one of these were theHis next move was to partition the former Samanid territories with the Qarakhanids, thereby cementing his 32-year long rule.A series of invasions, raids and wars increased the prestige of his empire, which was growing militarily strong every day.His military soon became so successful that, as news of his great victories spread, a string of volunteers eager for adventure joined his ranks from across the Eastern Islamic world.These supplementary units complimented the core professional force of soldiers in the employment of the Ghaznavid royalty.Their raids reached as far as the Ganges, and deep into Gwailor at the very heart of India.Victories over Somnath proved immensely profitable, given the treasure trove of bounties found there.His achievements were so brazen that one historian called him theof the Hindus, with his exploits reaching as far as Baghdad.However, it should be noted that these were not religious wars, but were entirely secular, mainly for the purposes of accumulating wealth and power, leaving a string of ruling Hindu governors in his place to serve as his vassals.

The Ghaznavids were a Turkic Islamic dynasty ruling between 977 and 1186.This civilisation managed to stretch it's empire as far west as Ray and Jebal, near modern day Iran, all the way up to Karazm, to the south in Baluchistan and North-western India.By the end of it's lifespan, the empire was reduced to the state of Punjab (modern day Pakistan, and some parts of India).They were essentially descended from slaves, with the dynasties true birth starting with a Turkic slave soldier of the Samanid Empire, in the middle of the 10th century.Only when the Samanid emperor, Amir Abd-al-Malek died in 961, would Alptigin make for Gazna, following a failed usurpation of his Samanid masters; routing the Lawiks, who had ruled the city long before him.There he mended his ties with the Samanids and became it's vassal, going as far as striking his own coins with the names of their Persian rulers.The fifth commander of Altigin's forces in Gazna, Sabuktagin, then arose into prominance, ruling Gazna for 20 years as the cities, laying the foundations of what would become one of the greatest dynasties South Asia would ever know.Fortunately for Sabuktagin, his son Maḥmud was already in the employment of the Samanids in Khurassan, giving them ample opportunity to kill off what was left of this former dynasty, who were crippled by the invasions of the neighbouring Qarakhanids (these very same neighbours would later also prove problematic).

Beginnings:— The Ghaznavids were a Turkic Islamic dynasty ruling between 977 and 1186.[10] This civilisation managed to stretch it's empire as far west as Ray and Jebal, near modern day Iran, all the way up to Karazm, to the south in Baluchistan and North-western India.[10] By the end of it's lifespan, the empire was reduced to the state of Punjab (modern day Pakistan, and some parts of India).[10] They were essentially descended from slaves, with the dynasties true birth starting with a Turkic slave soldier of the Samanid Empire, in the middle of the 10th century.[10] Only when the Samanid emperor, Amir Abd-al-Malek died in 961, would Alptigin make for Gazna, following a failed usurpation of his Samanid masters; routing the Lawiks, who had ruled the city long before him.[10] There he mended his ties with the Samanids and became it's vassal, going as far as striking his own coins with the names of their Persian rulers.[10] The fifth commander of Altigin's forces in Gazna, Sabuktagin, then arose into prominance, ruling Gazna for 20 years as the cities "noble commander", laying the foundations of what would become one of the greatest dynasties South Asia would ever know.[10] Fortunately for Sabuktagin, his son Maḥmud was already in the employment of the Samanids in Khurassan, giving them ample opportunity to kill off what was left of this former dynasty, who were crippled by the invasions of the neighbouring Qarakhanids (these very same neighbours would later also prove problematic).[10] The Ghaznavids were a Turkic Islamic dynasty ruling between 977 and 1186.This civilisation managed to stretch it's empire as far west as Ray and Jebal, near modern day Iran, all the way up to Karazm, to the south in Baluchistan and North-western India.By the end of it's lifespan, the empire was reduced to the state of Punjab (modern day Pakistan, and some parts of India).They were essentially descended from slaves, with the dynasties true birth starting with a Turkic slave soldier of the Samanid Empire, in the middle of the 10th century.Only when the Samanid emperor, Amir Abd-al-Malek died in 961, would Alptigin make for Gazna, following a failed usurpation of his Samanid masters; routing the Lawiks, who had ruled the city long before him.There he mended his ties with the Samanids and became it's vassal, going as far as striking his own coins with the names of their Persian rulers.The fifth commander of Altigin's forces in Gazna, Sabuktagin, then arose into prominance, ruling Gazna for 20 years as the cities, laying the foundations of what would become one of the greatest dynasties South Asia would ever know.Fortunately for Sabuktagin, his son Maḥmud was already in the employment of the Samanids in Khurassan, giving them ample opportunity to kill off what was left of this former dynasty, who were crippled by the invasions of the neighbouring Qarakhanids (these very same neighbours would later also prove problematic).

Mahmud, receiving his religious decree as an independent emperor from Al-Qadir.

Raids:— Executing his brother Esmail, and taking control of Gazna for himself, Mahmud proceeded to annex the lands of the south Oxus River.[10] Issuing his ruling by a religious decree from the Caliph of the Abbasids, al-Qader, he was legally allowed to call himself independent, and grant himself royal titles.[10] The most important one of these were the "Yamīn al-Dawla".[10] His next move was to partition the former Samanid territories with the Qarakhanids, thereby cementing his 32-year long rule.[10] A series of invasions, raids and wars increased the prestige of his empire, which was growing militarily strong every day.[10] His military soon became so successful that, as news of his great victories spread, a string of volunteers eager for adventure joined his ranks from across the Eastern Islamic world.[10] These supplementary units complimented the core professional force of soldiers in the employment of the Ghaznavid royalty.[10] Their raids reached as far as the Ganges, and deep into Gwailor at the very heart of India.[10] Victories over Somnath proved immensely profitable, given the treasure trove of bounties found there.[10] His achievements were so brazen that one historian called him the "hammer" of the Hindus, with his exploits reaching as far as Baghdad.[10] However, it should be noted that these were not religious wars, but were entirely secular, mainly for the purposes of accumulating wealth and power, leaving a string of ruling Hindu governors in his place to serve as his vassals.[10] Executing his brother Esmail, and taking control of Gazna for himself, Mahmud proceeded to annex the lands of the south Oxus River.Issuing his ruling by a religious decree from the Caliph of the Abbasids, al-Qader, he was legally allowed to call himself independent, and grant himself royal titles.The most important one of these were theHis next move was to partition the former Samanid territories with the Qarakhanids, thereby cementing his 32-year long rule.A series of invasions, raids and wars increased the prestige of his empire, which was growing militarily strong every day.His military soon became so successful that, as news of his great victories spread, a string of volunteers eager for adventure joined his ranks from across the Eastern Islamic world.These supplementary units complimented the core professional force of soldiers in the employment of the Ghaznavid royalty.Their raids reached as far as the Ganges, and deep into Gwailor at the very heart of India.Victories over Somnath proved immensely profitable, given the treasure trove of bounties found there.His achievements were so brazen that one historian called him theof the Hindus, with his exploits reaching as far as Baghdad.However, it should be noted that these were not religious wars, but were entirely secular, mainly for the purposes of accumulating wealth and power, leaving a string of ruling Hindu governors in his place to serve as his vassals.

The Seljuk dynasty would later grow to great proportions. [4]

Peak:— By the end of his life, Mahmud had achieved almost near total domination of Persia and north-western India, having also murdered the Buyid dynasty of Ray (a Shia dynasty), overtaking it in 1029, with the Daylamite and Kurdish princes of northwestern Persia following suit, either bringing them into the fold or killing them.[10] His success saw him thus create "the most powerful and extensive empire known in the Islamic world since the heyday of the Abbasid caliphate".[10] By his death in 1030 however, a more meagre son took charge, Masud I, who truly saw the first struggles of the fledgling empire.[10] His first mistake was to misjudge the military, with his behaviour also irking the army and irritating the civilian government, thereby slowing the machinery of the empire.[10] He was unable to raise taxes, which were the single most pressing issue of his day.[10] Compensating by trying to find a solution, the young emperor raided India and Persia and even personally attacked the Virgin Fortress of Hansi in Delhi in 1037.[10] Open rebellions by what was left of the Buyid dynasty in Persia saw more cracks beginning to appear.[10] Compounding problems further were the Qarakhanids, who began harassing the Ghaznavids from Transoxania.[10] Particular concern were the upper Oxus River, Kottal, and Caganian.[10] By 1034, the worst occurred, with the Ghaznavids losing the territory of Karazm; additionally the rise of the Oguz Turks lead by the Seljuks posed a further problem.[10] By the end of his life, Mahmud had achieved almost near total domination of Persia and north-western India, having also murdered the Buyid dynasty of Ray (a Shia dynasty), overtaking it in 1029, with the Daylamite and Kurdish princes of northwestern Persia following suit, either bringing them into the fold or killing them.His success saw him thus createBy his death in 1030 however, a more meagre son took charge, Masud I, who truly saw the first struggles of the fledgling empire.His first mistake was to misjudge the military, with his behaviour also irking the army and irritating the civilian government, thereby slowing the machinery of the empire.He was unable to raise taxes, which were the single most pressing issue of his day.Compensating by trying to find a solution, the young emperor raided India and Persia and even personally attacked the Virgin Fortress of Hansi in Delhi in 1037.Open rebellions by what was left of the Buyid dynasty in Persia saw more cracks beginning to appear.Compounding problems further were the Qarakhanids, who began harassing the Ghaznavids from Transoxania.Particular concern were the upper Oxus River, Kottal, and Caganian.By 1034, the worst occurred, with the Ghaznavids losing the territory of Karazm; additionally the rise of the Oguz Turks lead by the Seljuks posed a further problem.

Silver dirhams of Masud I.

Crisis:— Indeed, the latter of these groups was the most threatening, but they are also seen as one of the most important dynasties in the history of early medieval Islam.[10] With their invasions into Transoxania starting in the 11th century, having been employed as auxilliary troops to various kings, emperors, rulers or otherwise, their employment by the Samanids, Qarakhanids, and even the Ghaznavids themselves proved in hindsight, immensely problematic.[10] By Mahmud's reign's end, this mercenary empire were on the very fringes of their territory.[10] Soon enough, they raided towns and cities, looting agricultural lands and destroying the countryside; further disrupting the flow of caravan trade in the Khurasan region.[10] The Ghaznavids were too slow to act, or else powerless to stop them.[10] The worst was yet to come with the city states of Marv, Ray and Nisapur openly welcoming the Oguz Turks between 1036 and 1037, frustrated with the lack of help from the sultan that was supposed to act as their protector.[10] A humiliating battle in 1040 saw the Ghaznavids even lose confidence in themselves.[10] The Seljuks then made a dash for the north of Persia, founding their sultanate, which would grow powerful enough to even challenge the Europeans to the west.[10] Things were so desperate that Masud I even expected to lose Gazna itself, fleeing to India.[10] Before he got there, he was brutally murdered by his own men in 1041, near the crossing of the Indus River.[10] Indeed, the latter of these groups was the most threatening, but they are also seen as one of the most important dynasties in the history of early medieval Islam.With their invasions into Transoxania starting in the 11th century, having been employed as auxilliary troops to various kings, emperors, rulers or otherwise, their employment by the Samanids, Qarakhanids, and even the Ghaznavids themselves proved in hindsight, immensely problematic.By Mahmud's reign's end, this mercenary empire were on the very fringes of their territory.Soon enough, they raided towns and cities, looting agricultural lands and destroying the countryside; further disrupting the flow of caravan trade in the Khurasan region.The Ghaznavids were too slow to act, or else powerless to stop them.The worst was yet to come with the city states of Marv, Ray and Nisapur openly welcoming the Oguz Turks between 1036 and 1037, frustrated with the lack of help from the sultan that was supposed to act as their protector.A humiliating battle in 1040 saw the Ghaznavids even lose confidence in themselves.The Seljuks then made a dash for the north of Persia, founding their sultanate, which would grow powerful enough to even challenge the Europeans to the west.Things were so desperate that Masud I even expected to lose Gazna itself, fleeing to India.Before he got there, he was brutally murdered by his own men in 1041, near the crossing of the Indus River.

The Seljuk Empire, and the Ghaznavids, and Byzantines.

Murder:— After his father's death, Mawdud I was next in line to the throne, who took up to eight years to hunt down and murder his father's killers and then stem the flow of the Seljuk raiders of the north.[10] By now the city states of Balk, Herat and Termed were lost to the empire, with Sistan under serious threat of being taken over by the northern Turkic dynasty. Mawdud, by shear will power and military skill ultimately managed to bring stability to Southern Afghanistan which was in the most danger of annexation.[10] Importantly, he continued the raids of his forefathers into India for plunder. Unfortunately, Mawdud was murdered along with his son, Abd-al-Rasid in 1052; betrayed by one of his own trusted commanders, Ṭoḡrïl; who usurped the throne.[10] Mawdud's two other son's Farroḵzād and Ebrāhīm, wrestled his armies for the succession, penultimately winning it for house Ghaznavid for another 40 years.[10] Prior to this, the empire was in serious trouble of breaking apart totally, when the Čagri Beg of the Seljuk empire attacked their capital, still under Togril's rule. However the Ghaznavids managed to check the Seljuks before they could fully overtake the territory.[10] When Ebrahim came to power in 1059, he knew that any sort of challenge to bring back former territories into the fold were impossible, so he didn't try.[10] The idea of a Western Ghaznavid Afghanistan was therefore abandoned. A peace deal was then signed and negotiated with the Seljuks to prevent any more losses of territory.[10] After his father's death, Mawdud I was next in line to the throne, who took up to eight years to hunt down and murder his father's killers and then stem the flow of the Seljuk raiders of the north.By now the city states of Balk, Herat and Termed were lost to the empire, with Sistan under serious threat of being taken over by the northern Turkic dynasty. Mawdud, by shear will power and military skill ultimately managed to bring stability to Southern Afghanistan which was in the most danger of annexation.Importantly, he continued the raids of his forefathers into India for plunder. Unfortunately, Mawdud was murdered along with his son, Abd-al-Rasid in 1052; betrayed by one of his own trusted commanders, Ṭoḡrïl; who usurped the throne.Mawdud's two other son's Farroḵzād and Ebrāhīm, wrestled his armies for the succession, penultimately winning it for house Ghaznavid for another 40 years.Prior to this, the empire was in serious trouble of breaking apart totally, when the Čagri Beg of the Seljuk empire attacked their capital, still under Togril's rule. However the Ghaznavids managed to check the Seljuks before they could fully overtake the territory.When Ebrahim came to power in 1059, he knew that any sort of challenge to bring back former territories into the fold were impossible, so he didn't try.The idea of a Western Ghaznavid Afghanistan was therefore abandoned. A peace deal was then signed and negotiated with the Seljuks to prevent any more losses of territory.

The coming of the Ghurids.

Peace:— Consolidating their territories in Eastern Afghanistan, and lands north of India, the empire augmented it's strength, but it should be noted that it was not totally weak.[10] It could have challenged the Seljuks to some serious blows, but it chose not to.[10] The peace brought about from Ebrahims rule lead to marriages of alliance, cementing ties between the two powerful empires.[10] Furthermore, cross border immigration was allowed to flow freely, and trade increased.[10] Peace however, would not last.[10] Ebrahim died in 1099, and a new power rising to the east explosively broke ground in 1148 with a sudden shock, indicating the coming of the Ghurids.[10] Ebrahim's son, Masud III and thereafter his grandsons, Šīrzād, Malek Arslān or Arslānšāh, and Bahrāmšāh, were long charged with the dynasties defence to the ends of their reigns.[10] The Ghaznavids would ultimately lose ground to this new aggressive power, but it did not stop them from raiding deep into India at the same time, as such was the profit to be brought back.[10] Their raids thundered all the way down to the Punjab, Lahore, and beyond; which were in essence fast becoming the only lifeblood of the Ghaznavid dynasty.[10] It became so reliant on the raids for sustenance, that the empire's capital moved ever deeper inland.[10] These raids were also likely expensive in and of themselves, and the empire faced "powerful and resolute Hindu opponents from such dynasties as the Paramāras of Mālwa and the Gāhaḍavalas of Kanawj", but yet they still succeeded[10] Consolidating their territories in Eastern Afghanistan, and lands north of India, the empire augmented it's strength, but it should be noted that it was not totally weak.It could have challenged the Seljuks to some serious blows, but it chose not to.The peace brought about from Ebrahims rule lead to marriages of alliance, cementing ties between the two powerful empires.Furthermore, cross border immigration was allowed to flow freely, and trade increased.Peace however, would not last.Ebrahim died in 1099, and a new power rising to the east explosively broke ground in 1148 with a sudden shock, indicating the coming of the Ghurids.Ebrahim's son, Masud III and thereafter his grandsons, Šīrzād, Malek Arslān or Arslānšāh, and Bahrāmšāh, were long charged with the dynasties defence to the ends of their reigns.The Ghaznavids would ultimately lose ground to this new aggressive power, but it did not stop them from raiding deep into India at the same time, as such was the profit to be brought back.Their raids thundered all the way down to the Punjab, Lahore, and beyond; which were in essence fast becoming the only lifeblood of the Ghaznavid dynasty.It became so reliant on the raids for sustenance, that the empire's capital moved ever deeper inland.These raids were also likely expensive in and of themselves, and the empire faced, but yet they still succeeded

Ghaznavid poets.