Reasons for Invasion of India.

The wealth and prosperity of India was one of the prime factors which lured the foreigners to invade India. After invading they found out the weakness of the people and of the land and slowly they established themselves in India. This action of invasion was followed by number of foreign countries. Here we can discuss few causes that are responsible for this.

Lack of International Security: Muhammad - Bin- Qasim attacked Sindh in 711 A.D. The lack of security force in the border areas, the meager monetary resources of Sindh, its military weakness and sharp social divisions, the indifference of other Indian rulers towards the fate of Sindh, the pre-eminence of arms and military tactics of the Arabs and the incompetence of native were the main reasons of the success of the Arabs. Then the Turks invaded India in the eleventh and twelfth century. The Turks are given credit in establishing the Muslim rule in India. Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni was the first ruler who was successful in breaking up the military strength of the Hindus and plundering the wealth of India. After this Portuguese, French and English people came to India to trade and slowly ruled India one by one till it attained independence on 15^th Aug. 1947.

Social Cause: The prevalent social condition of the medieval time also weakened India. Caste system, practice of untouchability, social inequality and distinctions and inequitable position of Indian women contributed to the main weaknesses of the Indian society. Political unsteadiness and absence of consolidation of India even under few strong unified states led to its social degeneration. The deterioration in religion was also responsible for the defeat of the Indians. The liberalism of Hindus was its greatest strength but, afterwards, became its greatest weakness as well when it had to compete with Islam and Christianity. Besides, the monopoly of the Brahmanas over religion and the Sanskrit language excluded the common people from the knowledge of true religion. It led to the division of Hinduism in different sects and also ignorance about religion among the people. Therefore, the Hindus failed to accept the challenge of foreign invaders in the name of one religion, one culture and, thereby one country. 

Political Cause: political weakness was one of the causes of the defeat of the Indians. After emperor Ashoka, India could not be united under one rule. The attempts to unite India under one rule failed even during medieval times. Besides, though India was divided politically, yet, there were many Rajput states at that time which were far more widespread and powerful in material resources in comparison to the Muslim invaders. The most important cause of the weakness of India was that Rajput states were engaged in constant fighting against each other for power and glory and failed to unite themselves against a common enemy even in the greatest hour of danger to their country, its culture and religion.

Economical Cause: Economically, India was a rich country but the wealth was unequally distributed. The cause of the weakness of the Indians had been that they had failed to utilize that wealth to build their military strength which alone could provide safety to their wealth. Instead they stored the wealth in temples and palaces of kings which tempted foreign invaders.

Thus the political, social, religious, moral, and cultural weakness of the Indians and also their increased prosperity in their own way constituted the causes of the invasions by the foreign powers.

Courtesy: Google