Grounds and Social Factors in the Formation and Promotion of Ghurids' Military Power

Abstract

The present article studies the grounds and factors which influenced the formation and promotion of Ghurids’ military power and their military actions for encountering invaders and rivals. The present paper, based on historical sources and a descriptive- analytic approach, has studied the ups and downs experienced by the Ghurids for gaining military authority and power and also various factors effective in the formation and development of Ghurids’ military power. The main issue addressed by this study is the internal and external factors effective in the formation of Ghurids’ military power and the promotion of their military abilities. The findings of the research indicate that internal elements such as Ghur mountainous location, the characteristics of its people and its enjoyment of mines of metals utilized in making arms had influenced their gaining military power. Furthermore, external factors such as Ghurids' struggles with some of their powerful neighbors, increase in their motives for gaining power and repelling invaders, expansion of Ghurids' territory and their encountering powerful rivals, and promotion of their military power via military experiences of other powers were also at work.

Keywords

• Military Skills
• Ghurids
• Ghaznavids
• Seljuqs
• Khwarazm Shahids