The Second Battle of Laghman was fought between the

Ghaznavid The Ghaznavid dynasty ( ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a Persianate Muslim dynasty of Turkic ''mamluk'' origin. It ruled the Ghaznavid Empire or the Empire of Ghazni from 977 to 1186, which at its greatest extent, extended from the Oxus to the Indus Va ...

forces under

Sabuktigin Abu Mansur Nasir ad-Din wa'd-Dawla Sabuktigin (; 940s – August-September 997) was the founder of the Ghaznavid dynasty, and amir of Ghazna from 977 to 997. Sabuktigin was a Turkic slave who was bought by Alp-Tegin, the commander of the r ...

and the

Hindu Shahi The Hindu Shahis, also referred to as the Kabul Shahis and Uḍi Śāhis, were a dynasty established between 843 CE and 1026 CE. They endured multiple waves of conquests for nearly two centuries and their core territory was described as having c ...

under

Jayapala Jayapala was a ruler of the Hindu Shahi dynasty from 964 to 1001 CE. He ruled over the area which stretched from Laghman in the west, to Kashmir in the east and from Sirhind to Multan. He was the son of Hutpal and the father of Anandapala. ...

near Laghman in 991 AD. It took place near Laghman, present day

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. The Ghaznavids defeated the Hindu Shahis and emerged victorious in the battle. This battle laid the foundation for the Ghaznavids to establish their dominance over parts of present-day Afghanistan and

northern India North India is a geographical region, loosely defined as a cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent) wherein Indo-Aryans (speaking Indo-Aryan languages) form the prominent majority populati ...

Background

Ghaznavids The Ghaznavid dynasty ( ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a Persianate Muslim dynasty of Turkic peoples, Turkic ''mamluk'' origin. It ruled the Ghaznavid Empire or the Empire of Ghazni from 977 to 1186, which at its greatest extent, extended from the Oxus ...

had defeated the Hindu Shahis at the first battle of Laghman in 988. The Hindu Shahi King Jayapala, who was forced to sign a treaty after the battle, returned to his capital

Multan Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...

, and made preparations to avenge his defeat. Jayapala orchestrated the formation of a confederacy comprising Hindu chiefs from the

Tomara dynasty The Tomaras of Delhi (also called Tomar dynasty in modern vernaculars due to schwa deletion) ruled parts of present-day Delhi and Haryana in India during 8th–12th century. Their rule over this region is attested to by multiple inscriptions ...

Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty The Pratihara dynasty, also called the Gurjara-Pratiharas, the Pratiharas of Kannauj or the Imperial Pratiharas, was a prominent medieval Indian dynasty which ruled over the Kingdom of Kannauj. It initially ruled the Gurjaradesa until its vic ...

, Chahamanas, and

Chandelas The Chandelas of Jejakabhukti was an Indian dynasty in Central India. The Chandelas ruled much of the Bundelkhand region (then called ''Jejakabhukti'') between the 9th and the 13th centuries. They belonged to the Chandel clan of the Rajputs. T ...

. This alliance was aimed at preparing for a pivotal battle. Jayapala amassed a force 100,000 cavalry and an immense contingent of foot soldiers.

Battle

Jayapala led a contingent of Rajput allies as they advanced from Multan toward Laghman. Sabuktigin, leading his outnumbered army, confronted Jayapala and recognized the significant disparity in their forces. To increase his chances of victory in the battle, he made strategic preparations to engage the Shahis. He divided his troops into squadrons of 500 men each, and directed them to attack the enemy on one particular point. Sabuktigin successfully executed his strategy, leading the Ghaznavids to overcome the Hindu Shahi forces. After having high casualties, Hindus gave up but they were driven with dreadful slaughter beyond the Indus. Following this triumph, Sabuktigin appointed a governor in Peshawar with a force of 10,000 troops. He then proceeded to incorporate the territory between Laghman and Peshawar into his empire.

References

{{coord missing, India Battles involving the Rajputs Military history of Afghanistan Muslim period in the Indian subcontinent 10th century in India Battles involving the Ghaznavid Empire Kabul Shahi Battles involving the Indian kingdoms Wars involving the Pratihara Empire 990s conflicts 991