What it says
Al-Biruni quotes the Gita and Varahamihira at length and lists the eighteen Puranas. He is plain about the raids: “Mahmud utterly ruined the prosperity of the country, and performed there wonderful exploits, by which the Hindus became like atoms of dust scattered in all directions.” He adds that Hindu sciences retreated to Kashmir, Varanasi and other places out of reach.
What it proves
It shows the state of Hindu science and scripture in the early 11th century, and gives an outsider’s witness to the damage of the Ghaznavid raids.
