summary

Turkish Regime

Epilogue

Internal confilcts failed to keep Rajputs united. Jaichandra's daughter Sanyogita, married his rival Prithviraj. Despite, Prithiviraj's plea for help, Jaichandra remained in Ghadwal when Prithviraj was defeated by Ghuri. Two years later, Ghuri defeated Jaichandra too ...

Prithviraj Chauhan was the last Hindu King to rule in Delhi. After which started the saga of destruction of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain religion. Thousands of monks, priests, sadhus, common men & women were mercilessly killed. Thousands were converted to Islam, at the point of the sword. Non-muslims had to pay extra taxes like Jazia, and pilgrimage tax. Statues of Hindu gods and sculptures were destructed.

About 60,000 Hindu temples were destroyed through out the Islamic rule. Roughly 3,000 were converted into Masjids. (Example the Jama Masjid in Delhi, the Babri Masjid of Ayodhya.) The Hindu temples were built in deep forests during this time (example Bhimashankar in Maharashtra), so that they were safe from Muslim attack.

After the Senas of Bengal were defeted (1250s) the Buddhist University of Nalanda was destroyed. 9 million scriptures in the University were burned. It is said that the university burned for months! The place where Astronomy, Physics, Medicine, Philosophy, Theology, Mathematics, Sanskrit and Grammar were taught, the place where students from all over Asia came to learn, all that remained were ruins.

Kings like Akbar, Jehangir and Shah Jahan were exceptions, who were tolerant to all beliefs. By 1707 AD, nearly 1000 years after the first Islamic invasion, Hindus under Marathas had nearly put an end to the Islamic rule in India.

Within 200 years, Arabs had wiped out the original religions of North Africa, Western Europe and Central Asia. They came to India with the same intention. But even after 700 years of tyrannical rule, they did not succeed.

Hindushahi: 717 - 920AD

Kabul valley and Gandhara (modern Afghanistan and Pakistan) was occupied by Turko-Hephthalic kings. Because of spread of Hinduism in these kingdoms, they were popularly known as Hindu Shahi kings.  

Byzantine Empire: 330 - 1453AD

Greek speaking, Orthodox Christians of this Empire called themselves Romans. They are identifed as Byzantium, after the original name of the capital city Constantinople.

In 1204, a large Crusading army attacked and partially destroyed Constantinople. In 1453, Ottomans captured Constantinople. They began its conversion to a Turkish city by converting the famous Hagia Sophia church into a mosque. (This mosque was recently converted into a museum.)

Turks also closed the trade route between Europe and India which was through Constantinople. This led the daring Europeans find the sea route to India. Protugese Vasco-da-Gama found the sea-route to India via Cape of Good Hope. Columbus went west to find sea route to India, but reached the American shores. Europeans established their colonies in South Asia and the Americas