Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud
Encyclopedia
Ghazi Saiyyed Salar Masud (died 14 Rajab 424AH / 1032 AD) was nephew of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi
Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...

 and a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

 missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...

. Salar Masud was a Islamic scholar who came along with his uncle Jalaluddin Bukhari and teacher Syed Ibrahim Mashadi Bara Hazari (Salar-i-Azam of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi
Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...

) in early 11th century to the South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...

 for propagation of Islam. Salar Masud was born at Ajmer on 22 January 1015 AD. He was son of Ghazi Salar Sahu
Gazi Saiyyed Salar Sahu
Gazi Saiyyed Salar Sahu or Sahu Bin Ataullah or Salar Sahu was commander in the army of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi who came to the South Asia in the early 11th century. Salar Sahu was a descendant of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, son of Hazrat Ali...

 who was married to Sitr-i-Mu'alla, a sister Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi
Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...

Many historian disagree with the claim of his relations with Sultan Ghaznavi as sultan was known as arthodix Sunni whereas Salar Ghazi was a Shia scholar. Salar Sahu was a descendant of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah
Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah
Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah surnamed Abu'l-Qasim was an early Muslim leader. He was a son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Shi'ite Imam and the fourth Sunni Caliph.-Biography:...

, son of Hazrat Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...

.However

Somnath

Salar Masud was very young when he took part with his uncle Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi the invasion of Somnath when he was 11 years old (1026 AD). There is common belief that a saint come to his dream that it is important for him to join the expedition of somnath. so that later people know him as most respected saint so he grasp this chance to become popular. While his uncle returned to Ghazni after victory at Somnath, Salar Masud settled in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...

 to further his ambitions.

Invasion

Salar Masud entered India with an army of more than 100,000 men in May 1031 AD with intention of permanent settlement and Islamization
Islamization
Islamization or Islamification has been used to describe the process of a society's conversion to the religion of Islam...

 of its population. Salar Masud was one of the first Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

 missionary in the region of Mewat
Mewat
Mewat is a historical region of Haryana and Rajasthan states in northwestern India. The loose boundaries of Mewat are not precisely determined but generally include Mewat District of Haryana and parts of Alwar, Bharatpur, and Dholpur districts of Rajasthan...

 and Rajputana
Rajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...

 nearly 150 years before Sufi Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti
Moinuddin Chishti
Sultan-ul-Hind, Moinuddin Chishti was born in 1141 and died in 1230 CE. Also known as Gharīb Nawāz "Benefactor of the Poor" , he is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of the Indian Subcontinent. He introduced and established the order in South Asia...

. King Anandpal Shahi tried to check this Gazni advance towards heartland of India. He was helped by king of Sialkot, Rai Arjun. But, this
alliance was overwhelmed by superiority of numbers of Pathan army.After defeating Anandpal Shahi and Rai Arjun, Masood advanced towards towards Malwa and Gujarat. King Mahipal Tomara tried to check their advance here but was defeated too.

After victories across in Northern India plains and passing through Meerut, Kannauj and Malihabad he arrived in Satrikh. He stayed and encamped here up to mid 1033. He was soon after joined by his father from Kabuliz near Kashnur. Salar Masood Ghazi conquered Amroha
Amroha
Amroha is a small town in the north-western Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is located north-west of Moradabad, near the Sot River...

 in 589 AH/1093 AD.after 61 years of his death. This was a pure miracle to lead an army 61 years after death. Salar Masud is the only one in the History to do that. unmatchable Salar Masud Ghazi hussaini.

Miyya Rajab and Salar Saifuddin took Bahraich
Bahraich
Bahraich is a city and a municipal board in Bahraich district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Located on the Saryu River, a tributary of river Ghaghra, Bahraich is 125 km north-east of Lucknow, the state capital. The towns of Barabanki, Gonda, Balrampur, Lakhimpur and Sitapur share...

. Amir Hasan Arab took Mahona
Mahona
Mahona is a town and a nagar panchayat in Lucknow district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Politics:Mahona Vidhansabha is converted into Bakshi Ka talab Vidhan Sabha seat, 3/4 gomti nagar, Indira nagar, mahanagar, nishatganj, and jankipuram is out from this seat...

, Malik Fazal took Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...

. Sulutanu-s-Salateen and Mir Bakhatiar went south to Kannor and there Mir Bakhtiar was killed during a fight with the local army. Sayad Sahu took Karra and Manikpur
Manikpur
Manikpur is a census town under Sankrail police station in Sadar subdivision of Howrah district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Demographics: India census, Manikpur had a population of 19,125. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%...

. Leaving Malik Abdullah in charge of karra and Kutb-haidar at Manikpur. Syad Aziz-ud-din was sent against Hardoi
Hardoi
Hardoi is a city and a municipal board in Hardoi district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Hardoi District.-Geography:Hardoi is located at...

, but fell in the battle at Gopalmau on the banks of Gomti.

The graves of his close associates and relatives such as Jalaluddin Bukhari and Syed Ibrahim Bara Hazari are still located at Rewari
Rewari
Rewari is a city and a municipal council in Rewari district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located in south-west Haryana around from Delhi and from Gurgaon.- Etymology :...

.

Battle of Bahraich

Meanwhile, 17 kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...

 rulers of Northern India forged an alliance against Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud. Various kshatriya clans that participated in this war included Bhale-sultans, Bais Rajputs, Arkawanshi kshatriyas, Kalhans Rajputs, Raikwars and bhar warriors. The head of this confederation was Raja Suheldev, the ruler of Sravasti
Sravasti
Śrāvastī or Sāvatthī , a city of ancient India, was one of the six largest cities in India during Gautama Buddha's lifetime. The city was located in the fertile Gangetic plains in the present day Gonda District of Uttar Pradesh near Balrampur some 120 km north of Lucknow...

. In June 1033, Salar Masud received correspondence from kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...

 confederation that the land belonged to Hindus and Masood should evacuate these lands. Masood replied that all land belongs to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....

 and hence he would not retreat.

On 13 June, Morning, kshatriya army of about 120,000 descended on Salar Masud camp of Bahraich. Masood's army was completely besieged and encircled. The battle continued for hours. In the end, nearly all soldiers of Salar Masud army were exterminated. No POW's were taken, no mercy was shown on the Turkic army.The battle ended on 14 June with victory of Raja Suheldev and his kshatriya alliance.

The location of this battle to be precise was near Chittaura Jheel
Chittaura Jheel
Chitaura Jheel is a Hindu pilgrimage site, centred around a pond in Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh, India. The site is believed to be the place where the fight between Raja Sukhdeo and Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud took place in June 1033. Ashtwarka Muni, the Guru of Maharaja Janak used to live...

, a lake about 8 KM away from modern Bahraich on Bahraich-Gonda Road .

The invasion was completely crushed and such resounding was this victory
that none of the king from Northwest dared to invade India for 160
years..

This is one of the golden pages of Indian History. India is indebted to
series of Rajput Kings along the western border of India and in Central
India. They were extremely instrumental in keeping Arab invaders at bay
for 3 centuries. This was the time when Arabs were at their zenith. The
Khilafat extended from Western Sindh to Spain.. However, they could not
defeat Rajputs and enter Indian heartlands.

Rajputs were also instrumental in initial defeat of Muslim invaders from
Northwest. The Battle of Bahraich was the peak point of Rajput valor.
Their resistance waned with time over next 5 centuries. Rana Pratap was
perhaps last famous Rajput general to fight invaders.

Tomb of Ghazi Saiyyed Salar Masud

The tomb of Masood Gazni is still present at Bahraich. People there have elevated him to the status of peer and Gaazi and worship him.Hazrat Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud is considered a great saint amongst Hindus and Muslims of India, although this claim is against the fact narrated in battle of bharich where Salr Ghazi was ask to quite or face the consequences.his grave (Dargah
Dargah
A Dargah is a Sufi shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint. Local Muslims visit the shrine known as . Dargahs are often associated with Sufi meeting rooms and hostels, known as khanqah...

) is situated 3 Km North of Bahraich
Bahraich
Bahraich is a city and a municipal board in Bahraich district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Located on the Saryu River, a tributary of river Ghaghra, Bahraich is 125 km north-east of Lucknow, the state capital. The towns of Barabanki, Gonda, Balrampur, Lakhimpur and Sitapur share...

 city in state of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...

. It was built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq. The mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...

 of Syed Salar Ghazi Masood is a perfect example of good relations that exist in the country between Hindus and Muslims.

See also

  • Tijara
    Tijara
    Tijara is a city and a municipality in Alwar district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Tijara is situated 48 km to the north east of Alwar, the nearest Railwau station is Khairthal. It was founded by Tajpala, Raja of Sarahata, 6 km from Tijara. A scion of Yadav family, he built palaces at...

  • Ahirs
  • Pataudi
    Pataudi
    Pataudi is a town in Gurgaon district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located from Gurgaon, at the foot hills of the Aravali hills.Pataudi was the seat of Pataudi State which was ruled by the Nawabs of Pataudi. The 8th Nawab, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, played cricket for both England and...

  • Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi
    Mahmud of Ghazni
    Mahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...

  • Ahmad Niyaltigin
  • Bakhtiyar Khalji

External links



Source

  • Mirati Mas’udi by ‘Abdur Rahman Chishti
  • In The History of India as Told by its own Historians. The Posthumous Papers of the Late Sir H. M. Elliot. John Dowson, ed. 1st ed. 1867. 2nd ed., Calcutta: Susil Gupta, 1956, vol. 14, pp. 103-145.
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