There is nothing in the Vedas, Puranas, and other Brahmanical books to illustmte the origin and history of the Somnath temple. The earliest notice is contained in the brief account of the successful campaign of Mahmud of Ghazni. Ac cording to Ferishta, the fortified city of Somnath was situated on a narrow peninsula, washed on three sides by the sea. It was the residence of the raja, and Naharwala (a transposition of Anhalwara) was then only a frontier city of Gujerat. This agrees with the native histories, which place the close of the Saura or Chaura dynasty of Anhalwara in S. 998, or A.D. 941, when the sovereignty passed into the hands of the Chalnkya prince, Mula raja, who became the paramount ruler of Somnath and Anhalwara. When the Somnath temple was phindered by Alalimud of Ghazni in A.D. 1024, 13yrain Deo (13rehina Deva) of Gujerat was deposed. Mahniud left Ghazni, on his expedition against Somnath, in September A.D. 1024 ; his numerous army was accompanied by crowds of volunteers, the flower of the south of Turkestan. Ajmir and Anhalwam fell before him. Advancing against Soinnath, for two days his most devoted followers were beaten headlong back by the valour of the liajputs light ing for hearth and altar. On the third day, 31aluilud led a furious charge in person, 5000 Hindus lay dead, and the day was won. When he entered the shrine of Sorneswam, lie beheld a superb edifice of hewn stone, its lofty roof sup ported by pillars curiously carved and set with precious stones. In the adytum, to which no external light penetrated, and which was illumin ated only by a lamp suspended from the centre by a golden chain, appeared the symbol of Sornes ware, a stone cyliuder which rose 9 feet in height above the floor of the temple, and penetrated 6 feet below it. Two fragments of this object of idolatrous
WO1Fibil) were, at the king'a order, taken off, that one might be thrown at the threshold of the public mosque, and the other at the court gate of his own pelace of Ghazni. Other fragments were reserved to grace the holy cities of Mecca and 31edina. The tradition says that while Mahmtul wan thus employed, a crowd of Brahmana offered an enormous ransom if the king would desiat from further mutilation. Mahmud heaitated, but, after a moment's pause, he exclaitned that he would be known by posterity not a R the idol-seller, but as the destroyer. The work of destruction then continued, and was rewarded by the d.scovery in the vaults below the adytum of untold treasures. Thus fell Somnath. But this traditional story is quite unworthy of credence; the huge is never hollow. Its gates were taken to the moaque of Ghazni, from which they were removed when the British troops returned from the oecupation of that country in 1842.
After the time ;of • Malimud, Somnath would appear to have be en:abandoned by its rulers favour of Anhalwara, which is mentioned as the capital of Gujerat in • the- time of Muhammad Gliori and his successor Aibeq. It was still the c.apital of the kingdcim,in Atif. 697, or A.D. 1297, when the country was invaded by the army of Ala-ud-Din, Muliamm-ed •Khilji, which occupied Anhalwara, and annexed the province to the empire of Dehli.—Potan's Western India ; Bird's Hist. of Gujerat ; Cunninghanes Geog. of India ; Prinsep; History of Persia; 1Vilson; Town. Outrant and Havelock ; Imp. Gaz.