The Ghurids and the Expansion of Islam in India: A Study of Political and Cultural Transformations
Keywords:
Ghurids, India, Iranian-Islamic culture, Islam, Iranian-origin dynastiesAbstract
The Ghurid dynasty, as one of the Persianate and influential dynasties of the Islamic world, played a fundamental role in the political and cultural transformations of the Indian subcontinent through the expansion of its realm from Ghor to Khorasan and then to India. Using a historical and descriptive–analytical method, this study examines the role of the Ghurids in the spread of Islam in India and the cultural consequences of their domination. The findings indicate that, despite the brevity of the Ghurid rule in India, they left enduring impacts; among them were the promotion of Persian as the official administrative language, the expansion of religious and educational institutions such as madrasas, mosques, and khanqahs, and the transfer of cultural traditions from the Ghaznavid court to new territories. Securing legitimacy from the Abbasid caliphate and cooperating with Sufi orders such as the Chishtiyya and the Suhrawardiyya played an important role in consolidating the position of the Ghurids in India. While confronting rivals, this dynasty established Islamic social and administrative structures and paved the way for the emergence of the first stable Islamic states in the subcontinent. On this basis, the Ghurids should be regarded as one of the key agents in the establishment and expansion of Islamic civilization in medieval India.
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