Mathura's Devastation: Mahmud Ghaznavi's 1018 Attack, Temples Melted for Gold, Yamuna Echoed Screams

• In 1018, Mahmud Ghaznavi's army attacked Mathura, a center of devotion on the Yamuna's banks, shattering its peace.
• King Kulchand, Mathura's ruler, chose death over surrender, leading to widespread terror and a city surrounded by Ghaznavi's forces.
• Ghaznavi ordered the destruction of magnificent temples, which were set ablaze with naphtha, as recorded by Al-Utbi and 'Tarikh-i-Yamini'.
• Soldiers looted immense wealth, extracting approximately 98,300 misqals of gold from idols and seizing over a hundred silver idols.
• The devastation lasted about twenty days, leaving thousands dead, women and children enslaved, and the city in ruins, as screams echoed along the Yamuna.