12th Century

"There was a certain tribe in the neighbourhood of Kol which had… occasioned much trouble… ‘Three bastions were raised as high as heaven with their beads, and their carcases became the food of beasts of prey. That tract was freed from idols and idol-worship and the foundations of infidelity were destroyed’…"

"From that place [Asni] the royal army proceeded towards Benares ‘which is the centre of the country of Hind’ and here they destroyed nearly one thousand temples, and raised mosques on their foundations; and the knowledge of the law became promulgated, and the foundations of religion were established…"

"When Kutbu-d dîn beard of the Sultãn’s march from Ghazna, he was much rejoiced and advanced as far as Hãnsî to meet him… In the year AH 592 (AD 1196), they marched towards Thangar, and the centre of idolatry and perdition became the abode of glory and splendour…"

"In the year AH 599 (AD 1202), Kutbu-d dîn proceeded to the investment Kãlinjar, on which expedition he was accompanied by the Sãhib-Kirãn, Shamsu-d dîn Altamsh… The temples were converted into mosques and abodes of goodness, and the ejaculations of bead-counters and voices of summoners to prayer ascended to high heaven, and the very name of idolatry was annihilated…"

"From that place the royal army proceeded towards Benares, ‘which is in the centre of the country of Hind,’ and here they destroyed nearly one thousand temples, and raised mosques on their foundations; and the knowledge of the law became promulgated, and the foundations of religion were established; ‘and the face of the dinar and the diram was adorned with the name and blessed titles’ of the king. The Rais and chiefs of Hind came forward to proffer their allegiance. ‘The government of that country was bestowed on one of the most celebrated and exalted servants of the State,’ in order that he might distribute justice and repress idolatry."

"Next year he [Muhammad of Ghor] defeated Jayachandra of Kanauj. A general massacre, rapine, and pillage followed. The Gahadvad treasuries at Asni and Varanasi were plundered. Hasan Nizami rejoices that in Benares which is the centre of the country of Hind, they destroyed one thousand temples and raised mosques on their foundations. According to Kamil-ut-Tawarikh of Ibn Asir, 'The slaughter of Hindus (at Varanasi) was immense; none were spared except women and children, and the carnage of men went on until the earth was weary.' The women and children were spared so that they could be enslaved and sold all over the Islamic world. It may be added that the Buddhist complex at Sarnath was sacked at this time, and the Bhikshus were slaughtered."

"Banaras experienced its first Muslim attack in AD 1033, when troops of Ahmad Nialtagin, son of Mahmud of Ghaznavi, suddenly appeared before the city. Banaras was totally devastated in AD 1194 by a Ghurid force led by Qutubuddin Aibak. Hardly a shrine survived the onslaught. Buddhist presence was almost wholly wiped out with the havoc wrought at Sarnath. In the ensuing centuries of Muslim political ascendancy, Banaras' great temples were destroyed several times. The Banaras of the Puranic mahatmyas was completely obliterated; the Krittivasa, Omkara, Mahadeva, Madhyaameshvara, Vishvanath, Bindu Madhava, and Kaal Bhairava temples were all razed. In many cases, mosques were built with "calculated insolence" in their place and the sites closed to Hindus."

"In the Kamilu-t Tawarikh, Ibn Asir records, Shahab-ud-din Ghori, king of Ghazni, sent his slave Kutbu-d-Din to make war against the princes of Hind … the king of Benares was the greatest king in India and possessed the largest territory extending lengthwise from the borders of China to the province of Malawa [Malwa] and in breadth from the sea to within ten days’ journey of Lahore. When he was informed of this inroad, he [king of Benares] collected his forces and in the year 590 [1194 ce], he entered the territories of the Muhammadans …. [T]he Hindu prince had 700 elephants and his men were said to amount to a million. There were many nobles in his army…when the two armies met, there was great carnage…the slaughter of the Hindus was immense; none were spared except women and children, and the carnage of the men went on until the earth was weary … the Hindu king was slain, and no one would have recognized his corpse but for the fact of his teeth, which were weak at their roots, being fastened in with golden wire. After the flight of the Hindus, Shahab-ud-din entered Benares, and carried off its treasures upon fourteen hundred camels."

"Hasan Nizami writes in the Taj-ul-Masir, The Rai of Benares, Jai Chand, the chief of idolatry and perdition, advanced to oppose the royal troops with an army, countless as the particles of sand … the Rai of Benares who prided himself on the number of his forces and war elephants, seated on a lofty howdah, received a deadly wound from an arrow and fell from his exalted seat to the earth. His head was carried on the point of a spear to the commander and his body was thrown to the dust of contempt. The impurities of idolatry were purged by the water of the sword from that land and the country of Hind was freed from vice and superstition. Immense booty was obtained, such as the eye of the beholder would be weary to look at, including one (some copies say three) hundred elephants. The royal army then took possession of the fort of Asni where the treasure of the Rai was deposited …from that place the royal army proceeded towards Benares, which is the centre of the country of Hind, and here they destroyed nearly 1000 temples and raised mosques on their foundations; and the knowledge of the law became promulgated and the foundations of religion were established and the face of the dinar and the diram was adorned with the name and blessed titles of the king. The Rais and Chiefs of Hind came forward to proffer their allegiance. The government of the country was then bestowed to one of the most celebrated and exalted servants of the state in order that he might distribute justice and repress idolatry."