Ghaznavid invasions of Kannauj
| Ghaznavid invasion of Kannauj | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Ghaznavid campaigns in India | |||||||||
Painting of Kannauj by Thomas Daniell c. 1802 | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Ghaznavid Empire | Pratihara dynasty | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Mahmud of Ghazni | Rajyapala | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||||
The Ghaznavid invasion of Kannauj or the siege of Kannauj in 1018 was a military campaign conducted by Mahmud of Ghazni, the then ruler of the Ghaznavid Empire, against the Pratihara dynasty. During this siege, the Pratihara ruler, Rajyapala, eventually surrendered to Mahmud of Ghazni, thereby accepting nominal suzerainty under his rule. This event marked the decline of the Pratihara dynasty's power. In the aftermath of his surrender to Mahmud, Rajyapala met his demise at the hands of the Chandela ruler, Vidhyadara, for capitulating to the Ghaznavid conqueror.
After the decline of the Pratihara dynasty, the Rashtrakutas rose to prominence in Kannauj. Their fourth ruler, Gopala, was defeated and Kannauj was plundered by the Ghaznavid governor of Punjab named Mahmud who was the son of Ibrahim of Ghazni. Subsequently, Kannauj came under the control of the Gahadavala dynasty, whose ruler, Madanapala, was defeated by Masud III and imprisoned by the Ghaznavids. He was later released upon payment of ransom by his son, Govindachandra.