Transcription
If you turn the pages of history in India, one name will repeatedly prick you. Bakhtiyar Khilji. Bakhtiyar Khilji is that name which, upon hearing, images of the burning library of Nalanda University, the destruction of Udhanpuri University, and Vikramshila Vihar will automatically form in your mind. This Turkish invader played a huge role in destroying India's culture and its ancient knowledge. History is a witness that the destruction caused by Bakhtiyar Khilji was no less than a catastrophe. Bakhtiyar was not just an invader but a very cruel face that attacked India's extremely rich civilization. A person who considered books as enemies and finished monks at the point of a sword. But today, we will not hear the story of his victory, but of his death, which in itself was no less than a punishment. Along with universities like Nalanda, Vikramshila, and Udhanpuri, Bakhtiyar also caused widespread destruction in Bihar and Bengal. But the saying "as you sow, so shall you reap" also applied to Bakhtiyar Khilji. The end of Bakhtiyar, who instilled fear with his cruelty, was just like that. In today's story, we will learn how not only Bakhtiyar's army was finished, but he himself died writhing. That too, betrayed by his own people and suffocating. He who sent thousands of innocent people to their deaths, himself died a very painful death. So, do watch the video till the end because if you don't know your history, how will you recognize yourself? If you order from SGI and want to save money, you can apply for the Axis Bank Myzone Credit Card. This credit card is lifetime free and comes with many offers. The link is in the description. Don't forget to check it out. The end of the 12th century was tumultuous for India. On one hand, Muhammad Ghori had established his control over North India, and on the other hand, his general and slave commander, Bakhtiyar Khilji, had started writing a new chapter of destruction by moving towards the East. While Ghori and Qutb-ud-din Aibak had achieved victories in areas like Delhi and Ajmer, Bakhtiyar's gaze was on prosperous regions like Bengal and Bihar. But Bakhtiyar was a master of deceit as well as the sword. Cruelty was his nature, and his method was to attack suddenly and destroy everything. Bakhtiyar Khilji left no obstacle in his path. Some people believe that Bakhtiyar Khilji wanted to convert India's Buddhist population into an Islamic population. However, many historians deny this. People might also think this because Bakhtiyar brutally set fire to Buddhist monasteries and universities. The most important thing is that he attacked suddenly, giving no one a chance to recover. In this way, while a new power was being established in Delhi, Bakhtiyar Khilji was erasing India's centuries-old tradition of knowledge in the East. And precisely during this period, India's civilization suffered wounds whose sting still echoes in the ruins of Nalanda today. However, after defeating the Sena dynasty in Bengal, he made a mistake that brought him to the brink of destruction. What was that mistake and how he destroyed Bihar and Bengal, before that, let me tell you who this Bakhtiyar Khilji was. Bakhtiyar Khilji was born in 1150 in the town of Garmsir in the Helmand province of Afghanistan. He was a Turk. Bakhtiyar Khilji belonged to a tribe called Khalji. This tribe speaks the Khalji language. Even today, people speaking this language are found in some parts of Iran. Well, let me tell you an interesting thing, it was this Khalji tribe that later became Khilji in Hindustan. Although Bakhtiyar and Alauddin were not directly related to each other, both belonged to this one tribe. During Bakhtiyar Khilji's time, there was a historian named Minhaj-us-Siraj. He mentions many things about Bakhtiyar in his book Tabaqat-i-Nasiri. One amusing thing among these is that Bakhtiyar was short in height and his hands reached below his knees. This was the reason he was not getting entry into the army. But perhaps the destruction of Bihar and Bengal was written in Bakhtiyar's long hands. Therefore, he first tried his luck at the court of Ghazni, and when rejected from there, he tried his fortune at the court of Muhammad Ghori of Ghazni. But here too, he was sent back. When Muhammad Ghori defeated Prithviraj Chauhan and captured Delhi in 1192 AD, Khilji tried his luck after coming to Delhi. But he did not succeed here either. After this, he went to Badaun in UP, where he got a job with a local Turkish administrator, Malik Mashumuddin. After this, he went to Awadh, and here he was given land in the Mirzapur district. Then, after establishing his rule in Mirzapur, he strengthened his army and cast his greedy eyes on the prosperous lands of Bihar and Bengal. Minhaj writes that although Bakhtiyar's body was small, he was very active. He was brave, and along with that, he was also cunning. This is why, before moving towards Bihar and Bengal, he defeated many small Garhwal chieftains of UP and captured their territories. He used to raid like a plunderer, win a lot of money, and leave after killing many people. Due to this characteristic, many Khiljis joined him in the army. Qutb-ud-din Aibak himself honored him. Many people from Afghanistan and Central Asia began to join his army to fight. Between 1193 and 1200, he devastated Bihar. His Bihar campaign was the most brutal period in Indian history. He caused significant damage, especially to Buddhism. Bakhtiyar Khilji first defeated the small Hindu kings in the eastern parts of Bihar. Then he destroyed famous Buddhist universities like Nalanda and Vikramshila. Most people know that Bakhtiyar Khilji burned Nalanda. But many people do not know that major Buddhist education centers of that era, such as Vikramshila and Udhanpuri, were also scorched by Khilji's fire. Three years before Nalanda, he had burnt down the great Udhanpuri University in the Sharif district of Bihar in 1193 AD. Then, in celebration of his victory, he also built a fort. According to the Buddhist scholar Taranatha in the early 17th century, invaders massacred many monks in Udantapuri and destroyed Vikramshila. It is said that the library of Nalanda University had so many books that it took several months for them to burn. Khilji's army killed the Buddhist monks there, and a prosperous center of education was completely destroyed. In this way, Bakhtiyar Khilji expanded in Bihar and also carried out massacres with extreme cruelty. Khilji laid the foundation of Islamic rule in Bihar and constructed many mosques. Friends, the destruction in Bihar was just a sample. After this, he also plundered extensively in Bengal. In Bengal, there was a city called Gauda, which was the center of prosperity in Bengal. Today, this place falls in the Malda district of Bengal. Well, the city of Gauda was founded by a ruler named Shashanka, who was the king of Bengal in the 7th century during the time of Harshavardhana. At that time, this region was known as Gauda Desha. After that, this city served as the capital of the Pal and Sena dynasties. During Bakhtiyar Khilji's time, this city was very prosperous and was located at a strategic location. At that time, the capital of Bengal was Nadia, and its ruler was the 80-year-old Lakshmana Sena. He was the king of the Sena dynasty. When Bakhtiyar Khilji's eyes fell on the wealth of Bengal, he attacked Bengal. In 1204, he launched a kind of surgical strike on Bengal. First, he suddenly attacked Nadia, the capital of King Lakshmana Sena. There is a very famous story about this, written by Minhaj-us-Siraj. He states that Bakhtiyar advanced towards Nadia so rapidly that only 18 horses could match his speed. In Nadia, people saw this and thought that some horse traders were showcasing their horses. But when they entered the city and drew their swords, chaos ensued. Now, some people exaggerate this story, saying that Khilji conquered Bengal with the help of only 18 men. But friends, this is not true. In reality, his army was behind him, which later took charge. Minhaj Siraj states about Bakhtiyar that after conquering that region, he devastated the city of Nadia and made the place, which is now Lakhnauti, the headquarters of the government. He brought the different parts of the region under his control and introduced the practice of reading the Khutbah and minting money everywhere. With his and his nobles' commendable efforts, mosques, colleges, and monasteries were built in those areas. But after conquering Bengal, he decided to start his next mission, which became the cause of his destruction. He thought that after Bihar and Bengal, he should now conquer Tibet as well. His motive behind conquering Tibet was to elevate his name by conquering great kingdoms in the East, just as Muhammad Ghori conquered Delhi and Ajmer in the West. Now, friends, Tibet as you see it today was not like that then. Tibet was very prosperous then. It was famous for its trade routes, horse trade, and mineral resources. Khilji's eyes were also on these resources. If he conquered Tibet, he would get immense wealth, which would make his army even more powerful. Besides, conquering Tibet would mean he would control a part of the Silk Route from China to Central Asia and earn money. Therefore, in 1206, he gathered a large army of about 10,000 cavalry and marched towards Tibet. He thought that just as he had plundered by attacking suddenly in Bengal and Bihar, he would also conquer Tibet. But he did not know what was going to happen to him in Tibet. A local chieftain of the Himalayan hills was helping him as a guide to conquer Tibet. The name of this chieftain was Ali Mech, who had embraced Islam. While going towards Tibet, Bakhtiyar also invited King Prithu of Assam. But he refused to do so. Then, passing through Bengal and Sikkim, Bakhtiyar marched for 15 days and reached the Chumbi Valley of Tibet. The surprising thing was that he had not had to fight any battle in Tibet yet, and he had come very deep into Tibet. Khilji thought that Tibet was not far now, but soon all his joy turned into agony. In reality, the Tibetans deliberately let Khilji and his army come deep inside so that they would get trapped in Tibet's difficult terrain. In the rugged hills and cold regions, they would have no choice but to die. After this, friends, his army got trapped in the rugged mountain passes of the Himalayas. The Tibetans started attacking Khilji's army. His army, which fought in the plains, had no experience fighting in the mountains. Therefore, his army began to collapse. Finally, Khilji decided to retreat. But on the way to escape, the Tibetans continued their guerrilla tactics attacks on the retreating army. Khilji's soldiers were so badly trapped in this battle that defeat is a very small word. They had to kill and eat their own horses to survive. With great difficulty, they got out of Tibet, and when they reached the plains of Bengal, another enemy stood before them, who was determined to defeat Khilji at all costs. The same King Prithu of Kamrup, i.e., Assam, whom Khilji had invited for the invasion of Tibet. His army ambushed Khilji. This happened because Khilji thought that the losses incurred in Tibet could be compensated by attacking Assam. When his army reached Kamrup, before attacking the fort, Khilji ordered an attack on the surrounding villages. In protest, the King of Kamrup, Prithu, along with his army and the Bodo, Koch, and many other tribal groups, forced Khilji's army to retreat. The situation became such that Khilji and the remaining Turkish soldiers had no option but to cross the river and reach the other side. Then, when the army was forced to cross the Brahmaputra and Teesta rivers, the army of Kamrup attacked them by raining arrows. In this way, Khilji's very large army drowned and died in the river. It is said that out of an army of 10,000 soldiers in Tibet, only 100 people returned. The defeat in Tibet and Assam shocked Bakhtiyar Khilji. He never thought that he would reach the brink of destruction in this way. Meanwhile, one of his own commanders betrayed him. In August 1206, when Bakhtiyar Khilji was resting, this commander named Ali Mardan Khilji stabbed him to death. Thus, the ferocious Bakhtiyar Khilji met his end. So friends, this was the story of Bakhtiyar Khilji's invasions and his end. Khilji, who destroyed educational centers like Nalanda, Vikramshila, and Udhanpuri, also met his end amidst betrayal and failure. Now, how did you feel after hearing this story? Please tell us by commenting. Don't forget to like and share the video, and for such interesting stories, subscribe to History Connect to stay connected with history. Thank you. [Music]