It was during the year 1026 that Mahmud of Ghazni attacked the temple of Somanatha for its wealth, leading to the destruction of its many idols. In Somanatha: The Many Voices of a History, Romila Thapar explores the distinct stories that were written at the time by placing them in the historical context of the time. His aim, through this monograph, was not to reestablish the way we perceive the history of the raid, but rather to study the various perspectives and points of view represented in the different sources collected on the subject. Historical interpretations range from Turco-Persian accounts of the time to colonial writings long after the raid. Through investigation of sources, one might hope to highlight variations in the texts and then analyze why these discrepancies in history occurred. Thapar's findings would help any historian determine the nature of these sources and how they are currently used. It must be remembered that all sources could have significant importance when we are interested in the attitudes of individuals of the time. Turco-Persian accounts contain a multitude of different versions of the raid of the Somanatha temple by Mahmud of Ghazni. Persian scholar Al-Biruni provides historians with the most realistic version of the events surrounding the raid. He believed that since the Somanatha temple was built of stone and placed in an area surrounded by the sea on three sides, it must protect wealth. Mahmud was indeed able to conquer the temple of Somanatha for its wealth, then bringing pieces back to Ghazni. Turkish raids into India were originally focused on obtaining herds of animals, but their raison d'etre was now to plunder urban treasures and capture prisoners of war... middle of paper ... ...short-term goals of the Indian colonials, but this course of action would leave lasting effects on the people of both cultures. Overall, Somanatha: The Many Voices of a Story hopes to explore the various perspectives and viewpoints represented in the various sources collected on the subject. The hope is that this will allow historians to better understand the different perspectives on this period. In order to obtain an accurate picture of an event, it will be necessary to analyze all possible views of what really happened. Historical interpretations range from Turco-Persian accounts of the time to colonial writings long after the raid. Any event, like the raid on Somanatha's temple, can be more complicated than you might think at first glance. Works Cited Thapar, Romila. Somanatha: the many voices of a story. London: Verso, 2005. Print.