THE HISTORY OF KATHIAWAD

effected an entrance into the town. In the two days5
fighting, and in the massacre that followed, over fifty
thousand Hindus were killed.

The victorious Mahmud at once proceeded to the
Somnath temple to find out whether the stories he had
heard of its fabulous wealth were true. A vigorous search
in pursuit of treasure resulted in the finding of a compara-
tively small amount, and the Musalmans were beginning
to think they would be obliged to return to Ghazni only
partially satisfied when Mahmud, in spite of the earnest
protestations of the Brahmans—or perhaps because of
them—gave orders that the sacred " lingam " should be
broken. Accordingly a fire was lighted round it to make
the breaking of the idol easier, and on its being smashed
a profusion of jewels poured from inside it, such that even
Mahmud was satisfied. The total value of the treasure
carried off is estimated at £1,050,000, and the famous
temple was completely despoiled, even its golden gates
being taken away by the conquerors to Ghazni. Al
Biruni tells us that a portion of the " lingam " was placed
before the door of the mosque in Ghazni, on which people
rubbed their feet to clean them from dirt and wet.

Mahmud left Saurashtra as soon as he had collected
his treasure, and marched across the Rann of Kachh on
an ebb tide to attack Bhimadeo at Kanthkot. It is not
known whether this assault was successful or not, but it
is certain that the Musalmans did not spend much time
over it as they were in a hurry to get back to Ghazni, which
they reached eventually via Mansuriyah, in Sind, on
April 2, AJD. 1026.

The effects of Mahmud's onslaught were long felt in
Saurashtra, and the great temple of Somnath never quite
recovered its former reputation and splendour. A Maho-
medan Governor, Dabishalim, was left at Prabhas Patan
and Mahmud himself contemplated settling there, but
afterwards thought better of this idea.

62