| ID | 158944 |
| Title Proper | Representations of Mahmud of Ghazni in the Islamic State’s texts |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Aggarwal, Neil |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The militant group known as the Islamic State has published periodicals in multiple languages since its declaration of a ‘caliphate’ in 2014. A series of articles in Arabic and English praises Mahmud of Ghazni (971–1030), raising questions into why a group based in the Middle East would take interest in a historical figure from South Asia. This research note situates themes from the Islamic State’s articles on Mahmud of Ghazni against the group’s other writings. Three main themes emerge: his attacks against Hindus were a jihad against non-Muslims; he pledged allegiance to the Abbasid Caliphate; and he annihilated Shia Muslims because of their ‘deviance’ from Sunni orthodoxy. Contrasting such themes against the historiographical record – including scholarship from South Asian Studies – highlights inconsistencies around which counter-messaging strategies could be constructed to advance the goals of counter-terrorism. |
| `In' analytical Note | Contemporary South Asia Vol. 26, No.1; Mar 2018: p. 86-96 |
| Journal Source | Contemporary South Asia Vol: 26 No 1 |
| Key Words | Terrorism ; Counter-Terrorism ; Islamic State ; Mahmud of Ghazni |