Jayapala

(d. 1001) One of the last kings of the
Pratiharas, a northern Indian dynasty
whose capital was in Kanyakubja on the
Ganges River. By Jayapala’s time the
divided Hindu kingdoms in northern
India were being threatened by the
Turkish emirs, especially Mahmud of
Ghazni, who had settled in modern-day
Afghanistan. Jayapala was defeated and
captured in battle with Mahmud and
subsequently committed suicide; a
short time later, Jayapala’s son
Anandapala suffered a crushing defeat,
leaving a nearly complete collapse of
power in northern India. Because of this
absence of any effective opposition,
Mahmud was able to indulge in almost
yearly campaigns of pillage and plunder.