Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud

Ghazi Saiyyed Salar Masud (Persian: غازى سيد سالار مسعود‎) (died 14 Rajab 424AH / 1032 AD) was a Turkic warrior and the nephew of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi. He was son of Ghazi Salar Sahu who was descendent of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, son of Hazrat Ali and Sitr-i-Mu'alla, who was sister of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi. Salar Masud came along with his uncle Salar Saifudin and teacher Syed Ibrahim Mashadi Bara Hazari (Salar-i-Azam of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi) in early 11th century to the South Asia for propagation of Islam.^[1] Salar Masud was born at Ajmer on 22 January 1015 AD.

Somnath

Salar Masud was 11 years old (in 1026 CE) when he took part in the invasion of Somnath with his uncle Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi. While his uncle returned to Ghazni after victory at Somnath, Salar Masud settled in South Asia to further his ambitions.^[2]

Invasion

Salar Masud entered India with an army of more than 100,000 men with 50,000 horses accompanied by two generals Meer Hussain Arab and Ameer Vazid Jafar attacked India in May 1031 AD. He marched on into northern India and was joined by his uncle Salar Saifuddin, Meer Wakhtiar, Meer Sayyad Ajijuddin and Malik Bahruddin and their armies.

After swift raids across Northern India plains and passing through Meerut, Kannauj and Malihabad he arrived in Satrikh. They marched on to Meerut and Ujjain whose local kings made friendship treaties. Later Saket was taken. Miyya Rajab and Salar Saifuddin took Bahraich. Amir Hasan Arab took Mahona, Malik Fazal took Varanasi. Sulutanu-s-Salateen and Mir Bakhatiar went south to Kannor and there Mir Bakhtiar was killed during a fight with the local army. Sayad Sahu took Karra and Manikpur. Leaving Malik Abdullah in charge of Karra and Kutb Haidar at Manikpur. Syad Aziz-ud-din was sent against Hardoi, but fell in the battle at Gopamau on the banks of Gomti.

The graves of his close associates and relatives such as Jalaluddin Bukhari and Syed Ibrahim Bara Hazari are still located at Rewari.

Battle of Bahraich

Syed Salar Masood proceeded to attack Ayodhya via Zaidpur, Baba Bazar, Rudauli, but on reaching Raunahi,and here a little town has been founded by the of Salar Masud named Salarpur. (in the outskirts of Ayodhya) he suddenly changed his mind and marched his army towards Brahmarchi, the present-day Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh. At that time, Bahraich was also a very important place of Hindu pilgrimage, as there stood an old and magnificent temple of Sun God, named Balark Temple. It was a temple of Morning Sun, as the golden rays of the rising Sun first touched the feet of the deity. There was a bauli (which still exists, though in a very dilapidated condition) and a vast tank named Surya Kund.

Meanwhile, 17 Hindu Kshatriya rulers of Northern India forged an alliance against Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud. They were Rai Raib, Rai Saib, Rai Arjun, Rai Bheekhan, Rai Kanak, Rai Kalyan, Rai Makaru, Rai Savaru, Rai Aran, Rai Birbal, Rai Jaypal, Rai Shreepal, Rai Harpal, Rai Hakru, Rai Prabhu, Rai Deo Narayan and Rai Narsinha. Various Kshatriya clans that participated in this war include Bais Rajputs, Arkawanshi kshatriyas, Kalhans Rajputs, Raikwars and Bhar warriors. Rai Sahar Deo and Rai Hardev also joined later.The head of this confederation was Raja Suheldev, the ruler of Sravasti. In June 1033, Salar Masud received correspondence from kshatriya confederation that the land belonged to Hindus and Masood should evacuate these lands. Masood replied that all land belongs to Allah and hence he would not retreat.

On 13 June, Morning, Kshatriya army of about 120,000 descended on Salar Masud camp of Bahraich. Masood's army was completely besieged and encircled. The battle continued for hours. In the end, nearly all soldiers of Salar Masud army were exterminated. No POW's were taken, no mercy was shown. The battle ended on 14 June with victory of Raja Suheldev and his kshatriya alliance.In the evening of Sunday 14 June 1033 Salar Masud was killed.

The location of this battlefield to be precise is near Chittaura Jheel, a lake about 8 Kilometres away from modern Bahraich on Bahraich-Gonda Road .

Tomb of Ghazi Saiyyed Salar Masud

Later, Firuz Shah Tughlaq, the Turkic Sultan of Delhi who had a great admiration for Salar Masud built his tomb.

See also

• Tijara
• Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi
• Ahmad Niyaltigin
• Moinuddin Chishti
• Ashraf Jahangir Semnani

External links

• The Marriage of Lat Bhairava and Ghazi Miyan
• Mirati Mas’udi by ‘Abdur Rahman Chishti

Sources

• Mirati Mas’udi by ‘Abdur Rahman Chishti
• In The History of India as Told by its own Historians. The Posthumous Papers of the Late Sir H. M. Elliot. John Dowson, ed. 1st ed. 1867. 2nd ed., Calcutta: Susil Gupta, 1956, vol. 14, pp. 103–145.

References