Shahi

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This article is about the Hindu dynasty. For the city formerly known as Shahi, see Qa'em Shahr.

The Shahi (Devanagari शाही) also called Shahiya^[1], dynasties ruled portions of the Kabul Valley (in eastern Afghanistan) and the old province of Gandhara (northern Pakistan and Kashmir) from the decline of the Kushan Empire in third century to the early eleventh century.^[1] The kingdom was known either as Kabul or Waihind^[2] and later Udabhandapura for it's new capital. The term Shahi is the title of the rulers, likely related to the Kushan form Shao^[1] or Persian form Shah^{[citation needed]} and refers to a series of 60 rulers probably descended from the Kushans or Turks (Turshkas).^[1] They are split into two eras the Buddhist Turk-Shahis and the later Hindu-Shahis with the change-over occurring sometime around 870.

Contents 1 Turk-Shahi 2 Hindu Shahi 3 History 4 Etymology 5 Historical Record 6 Dynasty 7 Shahi rulers 8 See also 9 Footnotes 10 References

[edit] Turk-Shahi

The Turk Shahi (also Turk Shahiya) were a Buddhist dynasty of Kabul who claimed descent from the Kushan King, Kanishka.^[3]. Their domain was reported to extend from Kabul to the Chenab River.^[3] The last Turk Shahi king was called Lagaturman (Katorman) who was imprisoned by his Brahmin vizier Kallar who began the line of Hindu Shahi kings.^[3]

[edit] Hindu Shahi

The Hindu Shahis first dynasty owe their origins to Kallar. The kingdom was bounded on the north by the Hindu kingdom of Kashmir, on the east by Rajput kingdoms, on the south by the Muslim Emirate of Multan and Mansura, and on the west by the Abbasid Caliphate. The Hindu Shahi's became engaged with the Yamini Turks of Ghazni^[4] over supremacy of the eastern regions of Afghanistan initially before it extended towards the Punjab region.

[edit] History

In 870-1 they were expelled from their capital at Kabul to Udabhandapura^[5] by the Saffarids where they became the Rais of Hindustan whose rule extended in length from Sirhind to Lamghan, and breadth from Kashmir to Multan.^[3] They briefly recaptured the Kabul Valley from the Samanids who succeeded the Saffarids until Alptigin who drove out the Samanid wali of Zabulistan established the Ghaznavid dynasty at Ghazna and recaptured the area.^[3] Under his general and successor Sabuktigin the Ghaznavids had begun to raid the provinces of Lamghan ^[6] and Multan.^[3] This precipated an alliance first between the then King Jayapala and the Amirs of Multan, and then in a second battle in alliance with Delhi, Ajmer, Kalinjar and Kannauj which saw the Hindu Shahi lose all lands west of the Indus River.^[3] His successor Anandapala arrived at a tributary arrangement with Sebuktigin's successor, Mahmud of Ghazni before being conquered and the Hindu Shahi's being expelled to the hill districts south of Lohara, and eventually into exile at the court of Kashmir.^[3] Al-Idirisi reported that until as late as the 12th century that a contract of investiture was performed at Kabul for eery Shahi king, and that the name and their kshatriya lineage continued to be of significance both within and outside of Kashmir.^[3]

[edit] Etymology

The Hindu Shahi, a term used by history writer Al-Biruni^[7] to refer to the ruling Hindu dynasty^[8] that took over from the Turki Shahi and ruled the region during the period prior to Muslim conquests of the tenth and eleventh centuries.

The term Hindu Shahi was a royal title of this dynasty and not it's actual clan or ethnological name. Al-Biruni used the title Shah for many other contemporary royal houses in his descriptions as well. (Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society, xxxvi, Dr N Ahmad, 1988, i, NWF Regions of Pakistan Geographical tribes and and Historical perspective, p53)

[edit] Historical Record

Archeological sites of the period, including a major Hindu Shahi temple north of Kabul and a chapel in Ghazni, contain both the pre-dominant Buddhist and Hindu statuary, suggesting that there was a close interaction between the two religions.

When the Chinese visitor Hsuan-tsang visited Kapisa (about 60 km north of modern Kabul) in 7th century, the local ruler was a Kshatriya king Shahi Khingala. A Ganesha idol has been found near Gerdez that bears the name of this king, see Shahi Ganesha.

Several 6th or 7th century A.D Buddhist manuscripts were found out from a stupa at Gilgit. One of the manuscripts reveals the name of a Shahi king Srideva Sahi Surendra Vikramaditya Nanda. See Gilgit Manuscripts

[edit] Dynasty

The kings of Kashmir were related to the Shahis through marital and political alliance. Didda, a famous queen of Kashmir was a granddaughter of the Brahmin Shahi Bhima, who was married to Kshema Gupta (r. 951 - 959). Bhima had visited Kashmir and built the temple Bhima Keshava.

The initial Hindu Shahi dynasty, was the House of Kallar, but in 964 AD the rule was assumed from Bhima upon his death by the Janjua emperor Maharajadiraja Jayapala, son of Rai Asatapala Janjua and a descendant of Emperor Janamejaya (Coins of Medieval India, A.Cunningham, London, 1894, p56, p62, ''The Last Two Dynasties of The Sahis, A Rehman, 1988, Delhi, p131, p48, p49, p3001, Chronicles of Early Janjuas Dr H.Khan, 2003 iUniverse, p3, p5, p8, p9). Epithets from the Bari Kot inscriptions record his full title as "Parambhattaraka Maharajadhiraja Paramesvara Sri Jayapala deva" the first Emperor of the Janjua Shahi phase. He is celebrated as a hero in his struggles in defending his Kingdom from the Turkic rulers of Ghazni.

Emperor Jayapala was challenged by the armies of Sultan Sabuktigin and later by his son Sultan Mahmud. According to the Minháj ad-Dīn in his chronicle Tabaqát-i Násiri (Raverty's trans., Vol.1, p.82), he bears a testament to the political and powerful stature of Maharaja Jayapala Shah, "Jayapála, who is the greatest of all the ráis (kings) of Hind..." Misra wrote on Jaypala: "(He) was perhaps the last Indian ruler to show such spirit of aggression, so sadly lacking in later Rajput kings." (Indian Resistance to Early Muslim Invaders Up to 1206 AD, R.G Misra, Anu Books, repr.1992)

Prince Anandapala who ascended his father's throne (in about March/April 1002AD) already proved an able warrior and General in leading many battles prior to his ascension. According to 'Adáb al-Harb' (pp.307-10) in about 990, it is written, "the arrogant but ambitious Raja of Lahore Bharat, having put his father in confinement, marched on the country of Jayapála with the intention of conquering the districts of Nandana, Jailum (Jehlum) and Tákeshar" (in an attempt to take advantage of Jayapala's concentrated effort with defence against the armies of Ghazna). "Jayapala instructed Prince Anandapala to repel the opportunist Raja Bharat. Anandapala defeated Bharat and took him prisoner in the battle of Takeshar and marched on Lahore and captured the city and extended his father's kingdom yet further." However, during his reign as emperor many losses were incurred on his kingdom by the Ghaznavids. During the battle of Chach between Mahmud and Anandapala, it is stated that "a body of 30,000 Gakhars fought alongside as soldiers for the Shahi Emperor and incurred huge losses for the Ghaznavids" . However, despite the heavy losses of the enemy, he lost the battle and suffered much financial and territorial loss. This was Anandapala's last stand against Sultan Mahmud. He eventually signed a treaty with the Ghaznavid empire in 1010AD and shortly a year later passed away a peaceful death. R.C Majumdar (D.V. Potdar Commemoration Volume, Poona 1950, p.351) compared him ironically to his dynastic ancient famous ancestor "King Porus, who bravely opposed Alexander but later submitted and helped in subduing other Indian rulers". And Tahqíq Má li'l-Hind (p.351) finally revered him in his legacy as "noble and courageous" .

Prince Tirlochanpála, the son of Anandapala, ascended the Imperial throne in about 1011AD. Inheriting a reduced kingdom, he immediately set about expanding his kingdom into the Siwalik Hills, the domain of the Rai of Sharwa. His kingdom now extended from the River Indus to the upper Ganges valley. According to Al-Biruni, Tirlochanpála "was well inclined towards the Muslims (Ghaznavids)" and was honourable in his loyalty to his father's peace treaty to the Ghaznavids. He eventually rebelled against Sultan Mahmud and was later assassinated by some of his own mutinous troops in 1021-22AD, an assassination which was believed to have been instigated by the Rai of Sharwa who became his arch-enemy due to Tirlochanpala's expansion into the Siwalik ranges. He was romanticised in Punjabi folklore as the Last Punjabi ruler of Punjab.

Prince Bhímapála, son of Tirlochanpala, succeeded his father in 1021-22AD. He was referred to by Utbí as "Bhīm, the Fearless" due to his courage and valour. Considering his kingdom was at it's lowest point, possibly only the control of Nandana, he admirably earned the title of "fearless" from his enemy's own chronicle writer. He is known to have led the battle of Nandana personally and seriously wounding the commander of the Ghaznavid army Muhammad bin Ibrahim at-Tāī ('Utbi, vil.ii, p.151.) He ruled only five years after his father before meeting his death in 1026AD. He was final Shahi Emperor of the famed dynasty.

His sons Rudrapal, Diddapal, Kshempala and Anangpala served as generals in Kashmir. They gained prominence in the Kashmiri Royal court where they occupied influential positions and intermarried with the royal family. They are mentioned frequently in Rajatarangini of Kalhana written during 1147-1149. Rudrapal was mentioned by the writer Kalhana as a valiant general in the campaigns he led to quell resistance to the Kashmiran kings to whom they served whilst in exile. His later descendants fell out of the favour of the royal court were exiled to the Siwalik Hills retaining control of the Mandu fort. After a brief period, they rose again to take control of Mathura under Raja Dhrupet Dev in the 12th century before the campaigns of the Ghorid Empire.

Alberuni, in spite of the fact that he lived under Mahmud, praises the Shahis:
"The Hindu Shahiya dynasty is extinct and of the whole house there is not the slightest remnant in existence. We must say that in all their grandeur, they never slackened in the ardent desire of doing that which is good and right, that they were men of noble sentiment and noble bearing."

Kalhana writes about the sad fate of the Shahis:
"Where is the Shahi dynasty with its ministers, its kings, and its great grandeur? ... The very name of the splendor of Shahi kings has vanished. What is not seen in dream, what even our imagination cannot conceive, that dynasty accomplished with ease"

The Janjua Rajputs of Punjab are the descendants of the House of Jayapala (Chronicles of Early Janjuas, 2003, iUniverse, Dr H Khan, p2-10) (Coins of Medieval India, A.Cunningham, London, 1894, p56, p62) (''The Last Two Dynasties of The Sahis, A Rehman, 1988, Delhi, p131,p48, p49)(Gazeteer of the Jhelum District, Lahore, 1904, p93)

[edit] Shahi rulers

• Khingala of Kapisa (7th c.)
• Surendra of Gilgit (6-7th c.)
• Kallar (c. 890-895) of Kabul
• Kamaluka (895-921)
• Bhima (921-964), son of Kamaluka
• Jayapala (964-1001)
• Anandapala (1001-c.1010), son of Jayapala
• Trilochanapala (ruled c.1010-1021-22; assassinated by mutinous troops)
• Bhímapála (died in 1022-1026)

Middle kingdoms of India
Timeline:	Northern Empires	Southern Dynasties	Northwestern Kingdoms
6th century BCE  5th century BCE  4th century BCE  3rd century BCE  2nd century BCE  1st century BCE  1st century  2nd century  3rd century  4th century  5th century  6th century  7th century  8th century  9th century 10th century 11th century	Magadha Shishunaga dynasty Nanda empire Kalinga Maurya Empire Sunga Empire Kuninda Kingdom Gupta Empire Pala Empire Solanki Sena dynasty	Pandyan Cholas Chera Satavahana empire Kalabhras Pallava Chalukya Rashtrakuta	Gandhara (Persian rule) (Greek conquests) Indo-Greeks Indo-Scythians Indo-Parthians Kushan Empire Western Satraps Indo-Sassanids Kidarite Kingdom Indo-Hephthalites (Islamic invasions) Shahi (Islamic empires)

[edit] See also

• List of Indian monarchs
• Pre-Islamic period of Afghanistan
• Janjua
• Gandhara

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] References

• Wink, Andre,"Al Hind the Making of the Indo Islamic World", Brill Academic Publishers, Jan 1, 1996, ISBN 90-04-09249-8