More than 13 centuries ago, Muslims launched a military campaign against Indian pirates.

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — More than 13 centuries ago, Muslims launched a military campaign in India to suppress Indian pirates who raided Arab merchant ships and attacked Sind rulers who helped the Persians to fight the Muslims in the Battle of Qadisiyyah which took place in 16 Hijri or 637 AD.

Further campaigns continued until the first organized conquests took place during the Umayyad Caliphate, under the command of the general of the Umayyad Caliphate, Mohamed bin Al Qasim Al Thaqafi in Sindh and Punjab in 92 AH or 710 AD . The conquest was carried out out of revenge against the King of Sind who protected the pirates who attacked the Muslim ships.

The campaign of Umayyad forces under the command of General Mohamed bin Al Qasim Al Thaqafi initiated the movement of Muslims to settlements in India. However, the political upheaval had a negative impact on the Muslim presence in Sindh, causing some Hindu leaders to see an opportunity to suppress the Muslim regime by launching a campaign in the Indian city of Sindan by arresting the Muslim governor and murdering.

The entry of the Turks into Islam gave impetus to the Muslim conquest, which culminated in the reign of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni in 387-421 Hijriyah or 997-1031 Hijri. He was the founder of the Ghaznavid Empire which covered most of present-day Afghanistan and led many campaigns against the kings of India.

The organized conquest of North India took place under the Ghurid dynasty of Afghanistan, which led to the establishment of a Muslim sultanate with Delhi as its capital. After the Ghurids, several sultanates ruled India.

Among them is the Mamluk dynasty founded by Qutbuddin Aybak in 602-607 Hijri or 1206-1210 AD. He was a Mamluk for the Ghurids who defended Delhi against the Hindu rulers, and was replaced by many powerful figures. The most famous is Ghiyasuddin Balban who managed to repel the Mongol attacks.

After that there was the Khilji dynasty in 689 Hijriyah or 1290 AD. The most famous ruler of the Khilji dynasty was Alauddin who ruled in 695-715 Hijriyah or 1295-1316 AD. Alauddin brought the Muslim troops against the Mongols and crushed the Hindu attacks. His death marked the end of the Khilji dynasty.

Then came the Tughlaq dynasty which was founded by Sultan Ghazi Tughlaq in 720 Hijriyah or 1321 AD. He was famous for his military skills and defeated the Mongols 29 times.

His son was Mohamed who succeeded him and invested in Indian construction, art and science, but suffered military failures, which eventually led to his downfall against Tamerlane who occupied Delhi in 801 AH India was later divided into several dynasties until the Mughals unified most of them in the 10th century Hijri or 16 AD.