Somnath's 1000-Year Saga: Mahmud Ghazni's Legacy & Enduring Debates

• Mahmud Ghazni's 1026 raid on Somnath, his 16th on India, was not just for loot but earned him the title "Butshikan" (idol-breaker) for religious desecration.
• The article challenges modern interpretations that downplay Mahmud's communal intent, citing historical accounts and the repeated destruction of the temple.
• Veraval Inscriptions from 250 years later show complex Hindu-Muslim relations but also Muslim intent for Islamization of Somnath.
• Subsequent destructions by Alauddin Khilji and Aurangzeb, gleefully chronicled by figures like Amir Khusro, confirm a pattern of religious animus against the Jyotirlinga.
• Somnath's repeated rebuilding, culminating in 1951 by Sardar Patel and others despite opposition, symbolizes Hindu resilience and cultural protection.

Why It Matters: Somnath's history reveals a millennium of religious conflict, resilience, and ongoing debates over historical narratives.