Ghurids

The Ghurids were a medieval Muslim dynasty of Persianate culture from the Ghor region in present-day Afghanistan. They rose to power in the late 11th and early 12th centuries and expanded from their homeland to control territories across eastern Iran, western Afghanistan, and parts of the Iranian plateau, ultimately overthrowing the Ghaznavid state and building a regional empire.

Under Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad and his brother Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad (Muhammad of Ghor), the Ghurids extended their rule across eastern Iran and into the Indian subcontinent. They captured Ghazna and pushed their frontier toward the Indian plains, establishing administrative centers along routes linking Central Asia to South Asia.

In India, the Ghurids conducted campaigns that culminated in the 1192 conquest of Delhi after the battles of Tarain, securing Muslim rule in northern India. This expansion created a base for later polities in the region, and a cadre of Ghurid officers, notably Qutb al-Din Aibak, went on to found the Delhi Sultanate’s Mamluk Dynasty after Muhammad’s death in 1206.

The empire began to fragment after Mu'izz al-Din’s death in 1206; eastern territories faced pressures from rivals, and the Mongol expansion in the 13th century further weakened Ghurid control. By the mid-13th century the Ghurid state had largely dissolved, with remaining influence absorbed by successor powers.

Legacy: The Ghurids are remembered for catalyzing Muslim rule in parts of Iran, Afghanistan, and northern India, and for promoting Persianate culture, architecture, and scholarship across their domains. Their campaigns helped set the stage for the Delhi Sultanate and influenced administrative and military practices in the region.