This is the first of a two-part series on the complicated human stories that led to the rise of the Delhi Sultanate. The subcontinent experienced a violent upheaval a thousand years ago, as Turkic armies began making inroads into the Northern plains. Why did the Turks want to invade India? What made them successful? And why did they sometimes fail? In this episode, Anirudh and Aditya dive into the world of Mahmud of Ghazni and his Indian rivals. How did they fight? When did they talk? How did they see each other? And how did the mysterious Muhammad of Ghor rise to power?

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