Hindu Shahi

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The Hindu Shahi ( Persian کابل شاهى) or Kabul Shahan ( Persian کابل شاهان) ( Shah = king) were a Hindu dynasty who ruled Kabulistan , today's Afghanistan and in the Panjab between approx. 870 and 1026 and replaced the so-called Turk-Shahi .

They are mentioned by the chroniclers al-Biruni and Kalhana. The Hindu Shahis successfully resisted Islamization and the Arab conquests for centuries. During their resistance, the Hindu Kabulshahans "Ratbil Shah" (?), "Zanburak Shah" and "Zanbilak Shah" (all derived from " Zunbil ") used the forts and walls in and around Kabul. Today you can see the ruins of the kilometer-long 'Great Wall' z. B. can still see well with the help of satellite images. This wall stands on the mountain of Sher-Darwaza, opposite the mountain Assamai .

The founder of the dynasty was the Brahmin Lalliya (ruled approx. 870–902, Al-Biruni calls him Kallar). He was minister of the last Turk Shahi king of Kabul , killed him because of his bad behavior and occupied the throne himself. Since the Muslims ( Saffarids ) had occupied Kabul for almost ten years in 870, he moved his capital to Udabhanda near Attock on the Indus . At the time, the King of Kashmir, Samkaravarman (ruled 883–902), extended his power to the Panjab again, drove out a vassal appointed by Lalliya and then even occupied Kabul. Lalliya's failure was probably due to the fact that he enjoyed no special support as a usurper .

But Samkaravarman's successors in Kashmir reached a compromise with the Hindu Shahis around 902: they formally incorporated Afghanistan again through the installation of Lalliya's son Toramana as the new king ( Kamaluka , ruled approx. 902–940), and in practice it became independent. Shortly afterwards (around 906) turmoil broke out in Kashmir and the Hindu Shahis were able to take over the Panjab . In addition, around 950 there was a long-lasting marriage alliance with the royal house of Kashmir: King Bhima Devas (ruled approx. 940–965) granddaughter Didda of Lohara (ruled approx. 958–1003) rose to become Queen of Kashmir, Bhima Deva himself is said to be Visited Kashmir and donated a temple to Vishnu there . After Queen Didda, her nephew (also: adopted son) Sangrama Raja (r. 1003-1028) came to power in Kashmir, who maintained the alliance with the Hindu Sahis.

The Muslims, specifically the Ghaznavids under Alp-Tigin (r. 963-977) and Sebük ​​Tigin (r. 977-997), who had founded an independent sultanate in Ghazna , turned out to be the greater threat to the Hindu Shahis . They inflicted heavy defeats on the Hindu Shahis and their allies in 973, 991 and 1008 and extended their power over the Kabul Valley, even if the Hindus could defend the mountainous country relatively easily, at least in winter. The kings Jaya Pala (r. 965–1001 / 2) and Trilochana Pala (r. 1008 / 13–1021) already resided in Lahore and Sarhind or Sarhind because of this constant threat . Trilochana Pala was killed in the conquest campaigns of Mahmud of Ghazni (ruled 998-1030) in 1021, his sons fled to Kashmir and in 1026, Bhima Pala, the last king of the dynasty fell.

The Hindu Shahis were considered equally as promoters of Hinduism and Buddhism (e.g. Subahar monastery Persian سوبهار), today Tapa Sardār Tapeh ye Sardar ( Persian تپه سردار), in Ghazna or Ghaznein (today Ghazni), with their fall, Islam prevailed in the Afghan mountainous region. The Tapeh (hill) or Tapah ye Shahbahar ( Carl Ritter and Johann Martin Honigberger made Tapeh or Tapah to Tope and finally those hills on which Buddhist meditation sites were built, Honigberger called stupa . The building in Shiwaki in Hindaki in Kabul Bagrami is as Shahbahar Persian شاه بهار"King's Spring") called. And in Balch the meditation site was called Naubahar or Tacht-e Rostam (Balch) or Naubahar. Tapah ye Rostam and Tacht ye Rostam.

Kings

  • Lalliya (also: Kallar, ruled approx. 870–902)
  • Samand (reg.?)
  • Kamaluka (ruled approx. 902–940)
  • Bhima Deva (ruled approx. 940–965)
  • Jaya Pala (alias Jaipal) (ruled approx. 965–1001 / 2)
  • Ananda Pala (reg. 1001 / 02-1012)
  • Trilochana Pala (Tarojanapal) (r. 1008 / 13-1021)
  • Bhima Pala (ruled 1021-1026)

literature

  • Minoru Inaba: Across the Hindūkush of the ʿAbbasid Period. In: DG Tor (Ed.): In The ʿAbbasid and Carolingian Empires. Comparative Studies in Civilizational Formation. Brill, Leiden / Boston 2018, p. 123 ff.
  • Yogendra Mishra: The Hindu Sahis of Afghanistan and the Punjab, AD 865-1026. Patna 1972. [basic, but not evaluated here]

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