One difference between the invasions of Mohammad Ghori and Mahmud Ghazni was that while the former used Khyber Pass as the route for making an entrance into India; the later chose Gomal Pass. This pass is located between Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass and connects Ghazni in Afghanistan with Tank and Dera Ismail Khan in Pakistan. Ghori chose it because according to him it was a safer and shorter route. The primary reason to avoid the Khyber Pass region was that it was still defended by Ghaznavi rulers and Ghori did not want a direct class with Ghaznavids at that time. The selection of this pass meant that the Multan and Uchh were the first to fall on his way and thus were won first. He entered through Khyber pass only after the crushing defeat from Mulraj-II / Bhima-II of Gujarat.

After the annexation of Punjab, Muhammad Ghori made Lahore the base of his operations against the Rajputs. He made thorough preparations for three years before challenging Prithvi Raj Chauhan of Delhi and Ajmer. In 1189, he captured Tabarhind (Bhatinda). This led to the first battle of Tarain in which the Ghurid army was crushed and Mohd. Ghori himself was wounded (but saved by a Khalji soldier in the litter) by Gobind Rai (Brother of Prithviraj Chauhan).