"Having read what was said by Cunningham as well as Neave, it would be useful to also see what Stanley Lane-Poole, wrote: Sultan Mahmud Ghazni fought his greatest campaign in 1018, and pushed further east than ever before. He marched upon Kanauj, the capital of the To mara rajas and then reputed the chief city of Hindus tan. The march was an orgy and an ovation... Kanauj was reached before Christmas. The raja had already fled at the mere bruit of the sultan's coming, and the seven forts of the great city on the Ganges fell in one day. Of all its gorgeous shrines not a temple was spared. Nor were the neighbouring princes more fortunate. 174 years later came another cataclysm this time perpetrated by Muhammad Ghauri in 1192. The Rathorsjled south to found a new principality at Marwar, and Kanauj and Benares became part of the empire of Ghor."