Historical Overview Section

The Ghaznavid Empire was a Khorasanian Sunni Muslim state founded by a dynasty of Turkic Mamluk origin, which existed from 975 to 1187. It was founded by Alp Tigin who established himself at Ghazna (modern Ghazni, Afghanistan) in 962. He competed with other Khurasanian Dynasties Samanid Mamluk generals for the governorship of the province of Khorasan and with it, control of the entire Khurasanian Dynasties Samanid empire by intriguing to place Emirs favourable to him on the Samanid throne. In 961 a succession crisis threw this intriguing into disarray and open conflict which saw Alp Tigin prudently retire to his fief of Ghazna. The Samanid successor dynasty were eventually hard-pressed by a third great Iranian dynasty, the Dailami Buwayhids and eventually in turn fell again to the Ghaznavids.

The great expansion of territory came under Saboktekin, who conquered much of current Afghanistan and the Punjab (then ruled by Khurasanian Dynasties and Shahi dynasties). In 997, Mahmud succeeded his father and went on to complete the conquest of Samanid, Shahi lands, the Ismaili Kingdom of Multan, Sindh as well as some Buwayhid Dailami territory. This era was a golden age for the Ghaznavid Empire, but a rather rough old time for their neighbours as Mahmud carried out seventeen expeditions through the region, establishing control, setting up tributary states and looting of a great deal of plunder. From the borders of Kurdistan to Samarkand, from the Caspian Sea to the Yamuna river in Northern India, he established his authority and brought back loads of elephants as well.

Mahmud died in (1030) and his son Mas'ud struggled to preserve the empire and following a disastrous defeat at the Battle of Dandanaqan (1040) lost all the Ghaznavid lands in Iran and Central Asia to the Seljuk Turks. His son Ibrahim re-established a smaller empire by agreeing terms with the Seljuk Turks, and so with a peaceful stable Western border he continued to raids the Later Hindu North Indian Rajput rulers territory. When Masud III died in 1115 things started to unravel and a messy situation ended with Sultan Bahram Shah taking power only as a Seljuk Turk vassal. The Ghurid Afghan?s conquered the Ghaznavid Capital Ghazni in 1151, razing the city which was only restored to the Ghaznavids by the intervention of the Seljuk Turks. The Ghurid Afghan?s continued to steal bits of Ghaznavid territory, as did the Oghuz Turks although Ghaznavid power in northern India continued until nearly 1186 when the Ghurid Afghan?s again were the root problem.

Using the army in ADLG

  • The army is an Elephant, Indian Swordsmen and Dailami delivery system
  • Everything else exists to protect the flanks of the above formation(s). Be prepared and plan for your cavalry to be shredded slowly - its worth it if you can get the Elephants into play sooner and intact
  • likewise let your covering light infantry screen be shot away rather than withdrawing them and allowing shots on the elephants before combat
  • An included General on an Elite Elephant is truly fearsome for any opponent.

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Army Lists

Sample army lists for this army
Lisbon 2023 Iniaki
2 Elephants (1 with Armour and Ordinary General)
2 Dailami
3 LF (2 x Jav, 1 x Incendiary)
==
2 Bow
3 MCv Bow1 Elephant
2 LF Bow
1 LH Javelin
Strategist
==
4 HCv Bow
2 LH Impact
Included Ordinary General

PAW 2023
Competent
1 War Elephant Elephant Armour ------
2 Dailami Warriors Medium Swordsmen Impact Elite
2 Indian Skirmishers Light Infantry Javelin ------
2 Turkic Ghulams Heavy Cavalry Bow ------
1 Turks and Nomads Light Cavalry Bow ----
1 Ghaznavid Archers Bowmen ------
1 Afghan Archer Bowmen Mediocre
==
Competent
1 War Elephant Elephant Armour
2 Indian Warriors Medium Swordsmen Impetuous
1 Naffatun Light Infantry Incendiary
3 Ghaznavid Infantry Heavy Spearmen
==
Ordinary Included
2 Turkic Ghulams Heavy Cavalry Bow
1 Turks and Nomads Light Cavalry Bow
2 Kurds Heavy Cavalry Impact
1 Turks and Nomads Light Cavalry Bow


Rafas list from Alicante 2023
1 LH Bow
1 LH Impact
2 HCv Bow (1 elite, with included Ord General)
1 MCv Impact
==
3 Elephants
1 LH Bow
1 LH Impact
2 Dailami with Support
2 Bw (O)
2 Craxy Warriors
1 LF Bw
2 LF Jav
Strategist
==
1 LH Bow
1 LH Impact
2 HCv Bow (1 elite, with included Ord General)
1 MCv Impact
(this event required use of a Strartegist)

Britcon 2022 (V4)
1010AD
Strategist
2 war elephants Elephant armour ------
2 indians Light infantry javelin ------
2 Daylami Medium swordsmen impact support Elite
2 ghaznavidsbowmen Bowmen pavise ------
1 kurds Heavy cavalry impact ----
1 turks Light cavalry bow ------
1 arabs and bedouins Light cavalry impact ------
==
Competent
4 Ghulams Heavy cavalry bow Elite
2 turks Light cavalry bow ------
==
Ordinary
2 arabs and bedouins Light cavalry impact ------
1 turks Light cavalry bow Elite
1 turks Light cavalry bow ------


v4 Alicante 2022
C1
HCv Bow 2 Normal included Gen Brill
HI Spear 3 (2 support)
LH Bow 2
7
==
C2
Elephants 1
LI Incendiary 1
HCv Bow 2
Bowmen 2 poor
Dailami 2 elite no support
LH Impact 2
10
==
2 elephants
2 LI javelin
Ord gen included
2 Med Spear
6
23 total


Ghaznavid 2
Dailami 2
Bow 2
LH Impact 2
Cavalry 2
Competent gen
==
2 LH Bow elite
5 CAV Bow elite
1 Li bow
General competent
==
Elephant armour general brilliant
4 HI Spear
1 LI bow
22



193 Ghaznavid (Webb, 25mm - Britcon 2019)
Ordinary Included
1x Elite Elephants
2 x Impetuous Swordsmen
2 x LF Javelin
==
Strategist
1 x Elite Elephants
2 x Dailami
1 x LF Handgun
1 x LF Bow
2 x HCv Elite Bow
2 x HCv Bow
1 x LH Bow
==
Competent
2 x HCv Elite Bow
2 x HCv Bow
1 x LH Bow

Britcon 2018
193 Ghaznavid
Irdinary Included
4 TURKISH GHULAMS* Heavy cavalry bow Elite
1 NOMADS Light cavalry bow ------
1 GHULAMS Heavy cavalry bow ------
==
CinC Brilliant
3 GHAZNAVID INF ½ Heavy spearmen ½ Bowmen ------
2 INDIAN LIGHT BOW Light infantry bow ------
2 ELEPHANT Elephant Elite
1 NAFATUN Light infantry firearm ----
1 AFGHANS Medium spearmen ------
2 INDIAN SKIMISHERS Light infantry javelin ------
2 DAILAMI Medium swordsmen impact Elite
==
Ord Included Unreliable
1 NOMADS Light cavalry bow ------
1 TURKISH GHULAM GENERAL Heavy cavalry bow Elite


193 Allen Ghaznavid
Strategist
2 Turkish Ghulams Heavy cavalry bow Elite
1 Arabs Light cavalry impact ------
2 Elephant Elephant Elite
2 Ghaznavid Infantry Bowmen ------
2 Indian Skirmishers Light infantry javelin ----
1 Turks & Nomads Light cavalry bow ------
1 Dailami Infantry Medium swordsmen impact Elite
==
Ordinary Included
1 Elephant * Elephant Elite
1 Dailami Infantry Medium swordsmen impact Elite
2 Indian and Afghan Archers Light infantry bow ----
==
Ordinary Included
3 Turkish Ghulams * Heavy cavalry bow Elite
1 Turks and Nomads Medium cavalry bow ------
2 Turks & Nomads Light cavalry bow ----



Cry Havoc 2018
Elite Cav + General
Normal HC Bow
1 LH Bow
==
Ordinary General with Elephant
2 Dailami
2 LI Bow
==
2 Elite Elephants
2 Indian Medium Foot Impetuous Sword
4 HC Bow Elite
2 LF Javelin
Strategist General
1 Handgunner/Naffatun LF
1 LH Impact
1 LH Bow

Panos' Ghaznavid Army Patras 18
Elephants
2 Indian Swordsmen
Naffatun
==
1 HC Elite Bow
2 HC ordinary Bow
1 Medium cavalry Ordinary
2 LH
Included Brilliant
==
Elephant & Dailami Death Star
2 JF Javelin
1 LH Bow
3 Cv Bow Ordinary
2 Elite Bw cavalry

Madaxeman Lists Patras 2018
Indian Death Star + 1 LF Javelin
Included Competent General
==
3 Elite HC
2 Ordinary HC
1 MC Lancer
2 LH Bow
Competent General
==
Dailami Death Star & 1 naffatun
2 Mixed Bw/Spear HI
2 Elite HC Bow
Brilliant General

Indian Death Star + 1 naffatun
Included Competent General
==
3 Elite HC
2 Ordinary HC
1 HC Lancer
2 LH Bow
Competent General
==
Dailami Death Star & 2 LF Javelin
1 Heavy Gun
2 Elite HC Bow
Brilliant General

Roll Call 25mm 2018
2 LF Bw
2 Indian Impetuous Swordsmen
Elite Elephant
General
==
2 Bowmen
Elite Elephant
LF Bow
LH Bow
Elite Cavalry Bow
General Competent
==
2 Dailami
1 Elephant Elite
3 Ordinary Cavalry
1 Elite Cavalry
Naffatun
2 LG
1 LF Bow



USTT 2018 200ap
Brilliant
2, Ghulams, Heavy cavalry bow, Elite
1, Elephant, Elephant , Elite
2, Dailami, Medium swordsmen impact, Elite
1, Indian Archer, Light infantry bow, ------
1, Ghaznavid Infantry, ½ Heavy spearmen ½ Bowmen, ----
1, Naffatun, Light infantry firearm, ----
1, Artillery, Heavy artillery , ----
==
Competent Included
1, Elephant*, Elephant , Elite
2, Indians, Medium swordsmen impetuous, ------
1, Indian Skirmisher, Light infantry javelin, ------
==
Competent Included
1, Ghulams*, Heavy cavalry bow, Elite
3, Ghulams , Heavy cavalry bow, ------
4, Turks, Light cavalry bow, ------



200AP from Derby
Ordinary Included
2 Arab cavalry Light cavalry impact ------
1 Ghilman with general Heavy cavalry bow Elite
1 Turkish cavalry Light cavalry bow ------
==
Strategist
1 Afghan spearmen Medium spearmen ------
2 Ghaznavid infantry ½ Heavy spearmen ½ Bowmen ------
3 Ghilman Heavy cavalry bow Elite
1 Turkish cavalry Light cavalry bow ----
1 Kurdish cavalry Heavy cavalry impact ----
1 Arab cavalry Light cavalry javelin ----
1 Naffatun Light infantry firearm ----
==
Competent
1 Dailami Medium swordsmen impact Elite
2 Elephants Elephant Elite
1 Afghan archers Medium spearmen ----
2 Indian skirmisher with bows Light infantry bow ----
1 Indian skirmishers with javelins Light infantry javelin ----


200 Points, Peter Webb, Britcon 2017 Winner
Strategist
1 Elephant Elephant Elite
2 Dailami Medium swordsmen impact Elite
1 Indian or Afghan archers Light infantry bow ------
1 Naffatun Light infantry firearm ------
2 Turkish Ghulam Heavy cavalry bow Elite
2 Turkish Ghulam Heavy cavalry bow ----
1 TURKS AND NOMADS Light cavalry bow ----
===
Ordinary Included
1 Elephant Elephant Elite
2 Indian warriors Medium swordsmen impetuous ------
2 INDIAN SKIRMISHERS Light infantry javelin ------
===
Competent
2 Turkish Ghulam Heavy cavalry bow Elite
2 Turkish Ghulam Heavy cavalry bow
1 TURKS AND NOMADS Light cavalry bow ------


200 Points with commentary
The strategist is perfectly capable of handling both an elephant block and the HC simultaneously, which creates more options on deployment and can help mask where the elephant blocks wind up a bit. As it turns out in each of my games the real game-winner was the anti-foot power of the elephant blocks – against weak to moderate foot these two blocks are just lethal capable of winning and winning quickly. As I will show that was the play in all three games and doing that quickly then creates a lot of pressure on the enemy army as they are now behind on attrition and have a big hole in their line. While this can sort of look like a shooty-cav army, the real strength of the HC Bow is as escorts for the elephants getting into battle. They march up along either side shooing enemy skirmishers out of the way (if necessary) and can then protect the flanks of the elephant blocks. But what is nice is that they enemy then charges, you run away and now can start pulling the rest of the battle away from the elephants who can merrily smash things up on their own.

Corps I CiC Strategist Mahmoud the Conqueror
1 Elite HC Bow
3 HC bow
1 LC Bow
1 Elite Elephant
2 Elite M Sw Impact
1 Elite LI Firearms
1 Li Bow

Corps II Ordinary Sub-general
1 Elite Elephant
2 Impetuous M Sw
2 LI Javelins

Corps III Competent Sub-general
2 Elite HC Bow
2 HC Bow
1 LC Bow