Mahmud of Ghazni's numerous raids into the Indian subcontinent were primarily driven by which objective?

महमूद गजनवी के भारतीय उपमहाद्वीप पर अनेक आक्रमण मुख्यतः किस उद्देश्य से प्रेरित थे?

Mahmud's raids were not meant to found an empire in India. His targets were rich temples and cities (Nagarkot, Mathura, Kannauj, Somnath), and the gold, silver and jewels he carried back to Ghazni paid for his wars in Central Asia and for his capital's grand buildings. So the main objective was plunder.

(A) Trade expansion: no; he destroyed trade centres rather than building trade links.

(B) Territorial conquest: no; he annexed only Punjab and Multan, and left the rest.

(D) Religious zeal: religion was a cover and a rallying cry, but his armies attacked Hindu, Ismaili and even Muslim targets alike where wealth lay.

He took the title Sultan, the first ruler to do so.

He annexed Punjab and Multan to the Ghaznavid empire (c. 1021).

Firdausi wrote the Shahnama at his court.

Utbi wrote Kitab-i-Yamini about his reign.

Mahmud died in 1030.