All Topics  
Shahi

 
Shahi

   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link






 

Shahi



 
 
The Shahi (Devanagari
Devanagari

, or 'Nagari', is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line running along the tops of the letters that links them together....
 ????) , Sahi , also called Shahiya dynasties ruled portions of the Kabul Valley
Kabul

Kabul is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of approximately three million. It is an economic and cultural centre, situated 5,900 foot above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains along the Kabul River....
 (in eastern Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....
) and the old province of Gandhara
Gandhara

Gandhara is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River....
 (northern Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
 and Kashmir
Kashmir

Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" referred only to the valley lying between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range; since then, it has been used for a larger area that today includes the Indian administerd state of Jammu and Kashmir consisting of the Kashmir...
) from the decline of the Kushan Empire
Kushan Empire

The Kushan Empire of Ancient India originally formed in Bactria on either side of the middle course of the Oxus River or Syr Darya in what is now northern Afghanistan, Pakistan, southern Tajikistan and Uzbekistan....
 in third century to the early ninth century .






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Shahi'
Start a new discussion about 'Shahi'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Spalapatideva
The Shahi (Devanagari
Devanagari

, or 'Nagari', is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line running along the tops of the letters that links them together....
 ????) , Sahi , also called Shahiya dynasties ruled portions of the Kabul Valley
Kabul

Kabul is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of approximately three million. It is an economic and cultural centre, situated 5,900 foot above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains along the Kabul River....
 (in eastern Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....
) and the old province of Gandhara
Gandhara

Gandhara is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River....
 (northern Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
 and Kashmir
Kashmir

Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" referred only to the valley lying between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range; since then, it has been used for a larger area that today includes the Indian administerd state of Jammu and Kashmir consisting of the Kashmir...
) from the decline of the Kushan Empire
Kushan Empire

The Kushan Empire of Ancient India originally formed in Bactria on either side of the middle course of the Oxus River or Syr Darya in what is now northern Afghanistan, Pakistan, southern Tajikistan and Uzbekistan....
 in third century to the early ninth century . The kingdom was known as Kabul-shahan or Ratbel-shahan from (565 - 670 CE
Common Era

Common Era, abbreviated as CE, is a designation for the calendar system most commonly used in the Western world, and also internationally, for numbering the year part of the calendar date....
) when they had their capitals in Kapisa and Kabul, and later Udabhandapura (also known as Hund) for its new capital. In ancient time, the title Shahi appears to be a quite popular royal title in Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....
 and north-western province of Indo-Pakistan Sub-continent
. It has been used by Achaemenids , Sakas , Kushanas , Hunas
Hunas

The Huna , as they were known in South Asia, seem to have been part of the Hephthalite group, who established themselves in Afghanistan and Pakistan by the first half of the fifth century, with their capital at Bamyan City....
 , Bactria
Bactria

Bactria is a historical region of Greater Iran. Known by the ancient Greeks as "Bactriana" the region is located between the range of the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya ; in later times, the region became known as Tokharistan. The name of the region has survived to present time in the name of Afghan province "Balkh"....
ns , as also by the rulers of Kapisa/Kabul
Kabul

Kabul is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of approximately three million. It is an economic and cultural centre, situated 5,900 foot above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains along the Kabul River....
  as well as of Gilgit
Gilgit

Gilgit is a city in Northern PakistanGilgit may refer to other terms related with the area of the city:* Gilgit River* Gilgit Valley...
 etc. In Persian form, the title appears as Kshathiya, Kshathiya Kshathiyanam, -Shao of the Kushanas and the Ssaha of Mihirakula
Mihirakula

Mihirakula was the most important Sveta Hunas ruler in India. He was the son of Toramana, the founder of Hun power in India. He came to power in 510....
 (Huna chief) . The Kushanas are stated to have adopted the title Shah-in-shahi ("Shaonano shao") in imitation of Achaemenid practice . Ancient Jaina work Kalakacarya-kathanaka says that the rulers of the Sakas who had invaded Ujjaini/Malwa in 62 BCE also wore the titles of Sahi and Sahnusahi . Since the title Shahi was used by the rulers of Kapisa/Kabul or Gandhara also in imitation of Kushana "Shao", it has been speculated by some writers that the Shahi dynasty of Kapisa/Kabul or Gandhara was a foreign dynasty and had descended from the Kushans or Turks
Turkic peoples

The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern, central and western Eurasia, and who mostly speak languages belonging to the Turkic languages....
 (Turushkas). However, the title has been used by several rulers irrespective of any racial connotations and this may refute the above speculation. The Shahis of Kabul/Gandhara are generally split up into two eras -- the so-called Buddhist Turk
Turkic peoples

The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern, central and western Eurasia, and who mostly speak languages belonging to the Turkic languages....
-Shahis and the so-called Hindu-Shahis, with the change-over thought to have occurred sometime around 870 AD.

Lineage of Shahis


The affinities of the earlier Shahi rulers of Kapisa/Kabul who are believed to have probably ruled from early 5th century till 870 AD are still not clear. The confused accounts of 11th century Persian
Persian people

Persian identity, at least in terms of language, is traced to the ancient Indo-Iranians , who arrived in parts of Greater Iran circa 2000-1500 BCE....
 Muslim
Muslim

:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits "....
 scholar Alberuni, ("which bear the impress of folklore for the early history of the Kabul Shahi rulers") state that:
  • Hindu kings residing in Kabul were Turks
  • they were said to be of Tibetan
    Tibetan people

    group = Tibetans|image = File:Bundesarchiv Bild 135-BB-046-03, Tibetexpedition, Tibeter.jpg|caption =|population = between 5 and 10 million...
     origin
  • first of them was a Barahatakin, (founder of the dynasty) who came (from Tibet) into the country (Kabul), entered a cave and after few days, started to creep out of it in the presence of people who looked upon him as a "new born baby", clothed in Turkish dress. People honored him as a being of miraculous birth, destined to be a king. And he brought those countries under his sway and ruled under the title of Shahiya of Kabul
  • the rule remained among his descendants the number of which is said to be about sixty generations till it was supplanted by a Brahmana minister and
  • in this series of his descendant rulers, one was Kanik (Kanishaka?) who is said to have built Vihara in Purushapura which is called Kanika Caitya .


Based on Alberuni's accounts, V. A. Smith speculates that the earlier Shahis were a cadet branch of the Kushanas who ruled both over Kabul
Kabul

Kabul is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of approximately three million. It is an economic and cultural centre, situated 5,900 foot above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains along the Kabul River....
 and Gandhara
Gandhara

Gandhara is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River....
 until the rise of Saffarids. H. M. Elliot relates the early Kabul Shahis to the Kators and further connects the Kators with the Kushanas. Charles Fredrick Oldham also traces the Kabul Shahi lineage to the Kators-- whom he identifies with the Kathas or Takkhas-- Naga worshipping collective tribal groups of solar (Sun-worshiping) lineage. He further speaks of the Urasas, Abhisaras, Daradas
Daradas

Daradas were a people who lived north and north-east to the Kashmir valley. This kingdom is identified to be the Gilgit River region in Kashmir along the river Sindhu or Indus....
, Gandhara
Gandhara

Gandhara is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River....
s and Kambojas
Kambojas

The Kambojas were a Kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature, making their first appearance Kambojas in the Mahabharata and contemporary Vedanga literature ....
 etc as allied tribal groups of the Takkhas belonging to the Naga-worshipping and Sun-worshiping race of the north-west frontiers . D. B. Pandey traces the affinities of the early Kabul Shahis to the Hunas
Hunas

The Huna , as they were known in South Asia, seem to have been part of the Hephthalite group, who established themselves in Afghanistan and Pakistan by the first half of the fifth century, with their capital at Bamyan City....
.

E. Vesey Westmacott , Bishan Singh, K. S. Dardi etc connect the Kabul Shahis to the ancient Ksatriya clans of the Kambojas/Gandharas. George Scott Robertson
George Scott Robertson

Sir George Scott Robertson was a British soldier, author, and administrator who was best known for his arduous journey to the remote and rugged region of Kafiristan in what is now northeastern Afghanistan....
  writes that the Kators/Katirs of Kafiristan belong to the well known Siyaposh tribal group of the Kams, Kamoz and Kamtoz tribes . But numerous scholars now also agree that the Siyaposh tribes of Hindukush are the modern representatives of the ancient Kambojas
Kambojas

The Kambojas were a Kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature, making their first appearance Kambojas in the Mahabharata and contemporary Vedanga literature ....
.

According to Olaf Caroe, "the earlier Kabul Shahis in some sense were the inheritors of the Kushana-Hephthalite chancery tradition and had brought in more hinduised form with time. There does not yet exist in the upper Kabul valley any documentary evidence or any identifiable coinage which can establish the exact affinities of these early Shahis who ruled there during the first two Islamic centuries". The affinities of the early Shahis of Kapisa/Kabul are still speculative, and the inheritance of the Kushan-Hephthalite chancery tradition and political institutions by Kabul Shahis do not necessarily connect them to the preceding dynasty (i.e. the Kushanas or Hephthalites).

It appears that from start of 5th century till 793-94 AD, the capital of the Kabul Shahis was Kapisa. In the wake of Muslim
Muslim

:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits "....
 invasions of Kabul and Kapisa in second half of seventh century (664 AD), the Kapisa/Kabul ruler called by Muslim writers as Kabul Shah (Shahi of Kabul) made an appeal to the Ksatriyas of the Hind who had gathered there in large numbers for his assistance and drove out the Muslim invaders as far as Bost . This king of Kapisa/Kabul who faced the Muslim invasion was undoubtedly a Ksatriya .

In subsequent years, the Muslim armies returned with large reinforcements and Kabul was swept when the Shahi ruler agreed to pay tribute to the conquerors. For strategical reasons, the Shahis, who continued to offer stubborn resistance to Muslim on-slaughts, finally moved their capital from Kapisa to Kabul
Kabul

Kabul is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of approximately three million. It is an economic and cultural centre, situated 5,900 foot above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains along the Kabul River....
 in about 794 AD. The fact that Chinese
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
 pilgrim Hieun Tsang (644 AD) specifically addresses the ruler of Kapisa as Ksatriya and that of Zabul at this time being known as Shahi , casts serious doubt about the speculated connections of the first Shahis of Kabul/Kapisa to the Kushanas or the Hephthalites. Neither the Kushanas nor the Hunas/Hephthalites nor the Turks (or Turushakas) have ever been designated or classified as Ksatriyas in any ancient Indian tradition.

Therefore, the identification of the first line of Shahi kings of Kapisa/Kabul
Kabul

Kabul is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of approximately three million. It is an economic and cultural centre, situated 5,900 foot above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains along the Kabul River....
 with the Kushanas, Hunas or Turks obviously seems to be in gross error . Once the political clout of the invaders like the Kushanas or the Hephthalites had declined, some native chieftain from the original dominant clans of this region seeems to have attained ascendancy in political power and established an independent kingdom on the ruins of the Kushanas and/or the Hephthalites empire .

The powerful evidence from Hiuen Tsang (644 AD) attesting that the ruler of Kabul/Kapisa was a devout Buddhist and belonged to Ksatriya caste would rather connect this ruling dynasty either to the erstwhile Gandhara
Gandhara

Gandhara is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River....
s or more probably to Ashvaka clan of the Kambojas
Kambojas

The Kambojas were a Kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature, making their first appearance Kambojas in the Mahabharata and contemporary Vedanga literature ....
, the eminent Ksatriya clan
Clan

A clan is a group of people united by kinship and descent, which is defined by actual or perceived descent from a common ancestor. Even if actual lineage patterns are unknown, clan members may nonetheless recognize a founding member or apical ancestor....
 of the Mauryan times from this very region Even, as early as 424 AD, the prince of Kapisa (Ki-pin of the Chinese) was known as Guna Varman .

It is important to note that the name ending "Varman" is used after the name of a Ksahriya only. Thus the line of rulers whom Hiuen Tsang refers to in his chronicles appears to be an extension of the Ksatriya dynasty whom this Guna Varman of Ki-pin or Kapisa (424 AD) belonged. Thus this Ksatriya dynasty was already established prior to 424 AD and it was neither a Kushana nor a Hephthalite dynasty by any means .

Song Yun, the Chinese Ambassador to the Huna kingdom of Gandhara
Gandhara

Gandhara is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River....
, in 520 AD writes that the Yethas (Hephthalites) had invaded Gandhara two generations prior to him and had completely destroyed this country. The then Yetha ruler was extremely cruel, vindictive and Anti-Buddhist and had engaged in a three years border war with the king of Ki-pin (Cophene or Kapisa), disputing the boundaries of that country . The Yetha king referred to by Song Yun may have been Mihirakula (515 - 540/547AD) or his governor. This evidence also proves that the Kapisa kingdom was well-established prior to the Huna/Hephthalite invasion of Gandhara (~477 AD) and that it did not submit to the Yethas but had survived and continued to maintain its independence.

It is also a known fact of history that from second century BCE onwards (much prior to the Huna ascendancy), the Tukharas had settled in considerable numbers in the ancient Kamboja
Kamboja

Kamboja may refer to:*the ancient tribe of the Kambojas of the Hindukush in Iron Age India**Kambojas in South Asian literature*the Kamboja Kingdom, one of the Mahajanapadas of Iron Age India...
 land and thus the culture of the Kambojas undoubtedly underwent some changes and due to the interaction of two cultures, the Kambojas of Kapisa were also substantially influenced by Tukharas who remained quite for a time the ruling power in this region.

This fact is also verified by Hiuen Tsang who records that the literature, customary rules, and currency of Bamiyan were same as those of Tukhara; the spoken language is little different and in personal appearance the people closely resembled those of the Tukhara country. On the other hand, the literature and written language of Kapisa (=Kamboja) was like that of Tukharas but the social customs, colloquial ideom, rules of behavior (and their pesonal resemblance) differed somewhat from those of Tukhara country which means that the original and dominant community of Kapisa had imbibed the Tukharan culture and customs but to a limited extent and the penetration of the Tukharas in the Kapisa territory appears to have therefore been also limited. The Kambojas and the Tukharas (Turks) are mentioned as immediate neighbors in north-west as late as 8th century AD as Rajatarangini
Rajatarangini

The Rajatarangi?i is a metrical chronicle of the kings of Kashmir from earliest time written in Sanskrit by Kalha?a. It is believed that the book was written sometime during 1147-1149 CE....
 of Kalhana
Kalhana

Kalhana , a Kashmiri people Brahmin, was the author of Rajatarangini, an account of the History of Jammu and Kashmir. He wrote Rajatarangini in Sanskrit during 1147-1149 CE....
 demonstrates .

Evidence also exists that some medieval age Muslim writers have confused the Kamboja clans of Pamirs/Hindukush with the Turks and invested the former with Turkic ethnicity. For example, 10th century Arab
Arab

An Arab is a person who Identity as such on linguistic or cultural grounds. The plural form, Arabs , refers to the Ethnocultural group at large....
 geographer
Geographer

A geographer is a scientist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's physical natural environment and human habitat .Though geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography....
 Al-Muqaddasi
Al-Muqaddasi

Muhammad ibn Ahmad Shams al-Din Al-Muqaddasi , also transliterated as Al-Maqdisi and el-Mukaddasi, was a notable medieval Arab geographer, author of Ahsan at-Taqasim fi Ma`rifat il-Aqalim ....
, refers to the Kumiji (=Kamoji/Kamboja) tribesmen of Buttaman mountains (Tajikstan) , on upper Oxus, and calls them of Turkic
Turkic

Turkic may refer to:* Turkic languages** Turkic alphabets* Turkic peoples** Turkic migration** Turkic nationalism* Turkic European* Turkic Federalist Party...
 race . According to the confused accounts recorded by Alberuni which are chiefly based on folklore , the last king of the first Shahi dynasty, Lagaturman (Katorman) was overthrown and imprisoned by his Brahmin
Brahmin

Brahmin is the class of educators, law makers, scholars and preachers of Dharma in Hinduism. It is said to occupy the highest position among the varna in Hinduism of Hinduism....
 vizier
Vizier

A Vizier , is a term for a high-ranking political advisor or minister, often to a Muslim monarch such as a Caliph, or Sultan. It sometimes refers to ministers and advisors of the Persian Empire's Shahs....
 Kallar, thus resulting in the change-over of dynasty.

The name (Katorman or Lagaturman) of the last king of the so-called first Shahi line of Kabul/Kapisa simply reveals a trace of Tukhara cultural influence in the Kamboja (Kapisa) region, as hinted in above discussion. Thus, the first ruling dynasty of Kapisa and Kabul, designated as Ksatriya dynasty by Hiuen Tsang, may indeed have been a Kamboja dynasty . It is also very remarkable that Kalhana
Kalhana

Kalhana , a Kashmiri people Brahmin, was the author of Rajatarangini, an account of the History of Jammu and Kashmir. He wrote Rajatarangini in Sanskrit during 1147-1149 CE....
 (c. 12th century), the author of Rajatarangini
Rajatarangini

The Rajatarangi?i is a metrical chronicle of the kings of Kashmir from earliest time written in Sanskrit by Kalha?a. It is believed that the book was written sometime during 1147-1149 CE....
 (written in 1147-49 AD) also refers to the Shahis and does not maintain any any difference or distinction between the earlier Shahis (RT IV.143) and the later Shahis or does not refer to any supplanting of the dynasty at any stage as Alberuni does in his Tarikh-al-Hind . Furthermore, Kalhana takes the dynasty of the ancestors of the Hindu Shahi rulers Lallya (Kallar), Kamala Toramana, Bhimadeva, Jaipala, Anandapala, Trilochanpala, Bhimapala etc.,unbroken, to as far as or earlier than 730 AD . It is also remarkable that Rajatrangini and all other sources refer to the Shahi rulers of Udabhandapura/Waihind as belonging to the Kshatriya lineage in contrast to Alberuni who designates the earlier Shahi rulers as Turks and the later as Brahmin
Brahmin

Brahmin is the class of educators, law makers, scholars and preachers of Dharma in Hinduism. It is said to occupy the highest position among the varna in Hinduism of Hinduism....
s . The system of naming the kings of the so-called Turki Shahi dynasty and the Hindu Shahi dynasty is also similar for which reason it is very likely that the caste
Caste

Castes are hereditary systems of wikt:occupation, endogamy, culture, social class, and political power, the assignment of individuals to places in the social hierarchy is determined by social group and culture....
 of the two might also have been same i.e Ksatriya . Thus, if we follow Kalhana, then the ancestors of Shahi kings Lallya, Toramana, Kamalu, Bhimadeva, Jaipala, Anandapala, Trilochanapala etc may be traced back to the Ksatriya ruler of Kapisa/Kabul (644-45 AD) mentioned by Hiuen Tsang and also probably to prince Guna Varman (424 AD), a princely scion of the Ksatriya rulers ruling at the start of 5th century in Kapisa (
Ki-pin) as mentioned in the Chinese Buddhist records . In addition, one ancient inscription and several ancient Buddhist manuscript
Manuscript

A manuscript is any document that is written by hand, as opposed to being printed or reproduced in some other way. The term may also be used for information that is hand-recorded in other ways than writing, for example inscriptions that are chiselled upon a hard material or scratched as with a knife point in plaster or with a stylus on a wa...
s found from Gilgit
Gilgit

Gilgit is a city in Northern PakistanGilgit may refer to other terms related with the area of the city:* Gilgit River* Gilgit Valley...
 area between upper Indus and river Kabul shed some light on three kings who ruled in Gilgit region in 6-7th c AD. They also wore Shahi titles and their names are mentioned as Patoladeva alias Navasurendradiyta Nandin, Srideva alias Surendra Vikrmadiyta Nandin and Patoladeva alias Vajraditya Nandin. It is very relevant to mention here that each of the Shahi rulers mentioned in the above list of Gilgit rulers has Nandin as his surname
Surname

A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases a surname is a family name; the family-name meaning first appeared in 1375....
 or last name . It is more than likely that the surname Nandin refers to their clan name. It is also very remarkable that the modern Kamboj
Kamboj

The Kambojs are an ethnic community of the Punjab region. They are the modern representatives of ancient Kambojas, a well known Kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, said to have Indian as well as Iranian affinities....
 tribe of northern Punjab still has Nandan (Nandin) as one of their important clan names.

It is therefore, very likely that these Gilgit rulers of upper Indus may also have belonged to the Kamboja
Kamboja

Kamboja may refer to:*the ancient tribe of the Kambojas of the Hindukush in Iron Age India**Kambojas in South Asian literature*the Kamboja Kingdom, one of the Mahajanapadas of Iron Age India...
 lineage
Lineage

Lineage may refer to:In science:* Lineage , descent group that can demonstrate their common descent from an apical ancestor* Lineage , group composed of species, taxa, or individuals related by descent from a common ancestor...
  . Furthermore, "Shahi" as a septal name is still carried by a section of the Punjab Kambojs which appears to be a relic from the Shahi title of their Kabul/Kapisa princes .

Conclusion

In conclusion, it appears more than likely that, rather than the Kushanas or Hunas or the Turks, the Shahi rulers of Kabul
Kabul

Kabul is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of approximately three million. It is an economic and cultural centre, situated 5,900 foot above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains along the Kabul River....
/Kapisa and Gandhara
Gandhara

Gandhara is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River....
 had a descent from the native warlike Ksatriya clans of the Kambojas
Kambojas

The Kambojas were a Kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature, making their first appearance Kambojas in the Mahabharata and contemporary Vedanga literature ....
 known as Ashvakas
Ashvakas

The Asvakas or Asvakayanas, classically called the Assacenii/Assacani, is the Sanskrit name of a people who supposedly lived in northeastern Afghanistan and the Peshawar Valley....
 (q.v.), who in the fourth century BCE, had offered stubborn resistance to Macedon
Macedon

Macedon or Macedonia was the name of a monarchy centred in the northernmost part of ancient Greece. The homeland of the ancient Macedonians, it was bordered by the kingdom of Epirus to the west and the region of Thrace to the east....
ian invader, Alexander
Alexander

Alexander is a common male first name....
 and later, had helped Chandragupta Maurya
Chandragupta Maurya

Chandragupta Maurya , sometimes known simply as Chandragupta , was the founder of the Maurya Empire. Chandragupta succeeded in bringing together most of the Indian subcontinent....
 found the Mauryan empire of India.

They were the same bold and warlike people whom king Asoka Maurya had thought it wise and expedient to bestow autonomous status and give eminent place in his Rock Edicts V and XIII.

They were fiercely independent warlike people who had never easily yielded to any foreign overlord . They were the people who, in fifth c AD, had formed the very neighbors of the Bactria
Bactria

Bactria is a historical region of Greater Iran. Known by the ancient Greeks as "Bactriana" the region is located between the range of the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya ; in later times, the region became known as Tokharistan. The name of the region has survived to present time in the name of Afghan province "Balkh"....
n Ephthalites of Oxus and whom Chandragupta II
Chandragupta II

Chandragupta II was one of the most powerful emperors of the Gupta empire. His rule spanned 375-413/15 CE, during which the Gupta Empire achieved its zenith....
 of Gupta dynasty had campaigned against and had obtained tribute from about the start of 5th century AD . The Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata
Mahabharata

The is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetrys of History of India, the other being the '. The epic is part of the Hindu itihasa , and forms an important part of Hindu mythology....
, supposed to have been edited around the 4th or 5th century AD, in one of its verses mentions the Hunas with the Parasikas and other Mlechha tribe
Tribe

A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups ....
s
of the northwest including the Kambojas
Kambojas

The Kambojas were a Kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature, making their first appearance Kambojas in the Mahabharata and contemporary Vedanga literature ....
, Yavanas, Chinas
Chinas

The Chinas or Ci?as are a people mentioned in ancient Indian literature from the 1st millennium BC, such as the Mahabharata, Manu Smriti, as well the Puranas literature....
, Darunas, Sukritvahas, Kulatthas etc .

Dr V. A. Smith says that this epic
Epic poetry

An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation....
 verse is reminiscent of the times when the Hunas first came into contact with the Sassanian dynasty of Persia . And the Monghyr grant of king Devapala
Devapala

Devapala was a powerful king of Pala Empire of Magadha. He was the third king in the line and had succeeded his father, king Dharmapala of Bengal ....
  of the Pala dynasty
Pala Empire

The Pala Empire was a dynasty in control of the northern and eastern Indian subcontinent, mainly the Bihar and Bengal regions, from the 8th to the 12th century....
 of Bengal attests that the great king had led his war expedition (810 AD - 850 AD) into the northwest against the Hunas (in western Punjab) and then the Kambojas (in the Kabul/Gandhara valleys) . Sata-pańcasaddesa-vibhaga of the medieval era Tantra book Saktisamgma Tantra locates Kambojas (Kabul Shahis?) to the west of South-west Kashmir (or Pir-pańcala), to the South of Bactria
Bactria

Bactria is a historical region of Greater Iran. Known by the ancient Greeks as "Bactriana" the region is located between the range of the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya ; in later times, the region became known as Tokharistan. The name of the region has survived to present time in the name of Afghan province "Balkh"....
 and to the east of Maha-Mlechcha-desa (=Mohammadan countries i.e Khorasan
Khorasan

Khorasan Khorasan is famous world wide for its saffron and Berberis#Zereshk which are produced in the southern cities of the province. Production is more than 170 tons per year....
/Iran
Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
) and likewise, locates the Hunas (Zabul Shahis?) to the south of Kama valley (or Jallalabad/Afghnaistan) and to the north of Marudesa (or Rajputana
Rajputana

Rajputana, also called Rajwar, was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area....
) towards western Punjab .

Kavyamimasa of Rajshekhar also lists the Sakas, Kekayas, Kambojas, Vanayujas, Bahlikas, Hunas, Pahlvas, Limpakas, Harahuras, Hansmaragas (Hunzas) etc in the north-west. Since Rajshekhar (880-920 AD) was contemporary with Hindu Shahis, he identifies people called Kambojas (Kabul/Kapisa), Vanayujas (Bannus), Limpakas (Lamghanis), Hunas (Zabul), Pahlvas (Persians--Maha-mlechchas), Harahuras (Red Hunas located in Herat) etc almost exactly in the same localities which were occupied by Kabul Shahi and Zabul Shahi kingdoms respectively. The above referred to pieces of evidence again spotlight on the Kambojas and the Hunas together and places them near the environs of the Muslim
Muslim

:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits "....
 Persians in north-west. During first century AD and later in 5th century (~477 AD), the cis-Hindukush Kambojas and Gandharas partially came under the sway of foreign invaders like the Kushanas and the Hephthalites (Hunas
Hunas

The Huna , as they were known in South Asia, seem to have been part of the Hephthalite group, who established themselves in Afghanistan and Pakistan by the first half of the fifth century, with their capital at Bamyan City....
).

These warlike people were temporarily overpowered by the numerous hordes but they did not become extinct; and once the political tide of the foreign horde
Horde

Horde may refer to:* a clan or army of steppe nomads* the White Horde, formed 1226.* the Blue Horde, formed 1227.* the Golden Horde, a Tatar-Mongol state established in the 1240s...
s ebbed down, someone from the native chieftains from the original dominant clans (i.e. the Ksatrya Ashvakas) of this region asserted his authority and attained ascendancy in political power and had established himself as Ksatriya overlord of an independent kingdom on the ruins of the erstwhile Kushana and/or the Hephthalites empire . Having been exposed to the foreign environs for a while and having also, in a sense, inherited the Kushana-Hephthalite chancery tradition of their predecessors, these native Kabul/Kapisa native rulers had also adopted their political institutions and regal titles such as "shahi" and "tegin" etc in the same way as the Sakas, Kushanas and Hunas
Hunas

The Huna , as they were known in South Asia, seem to have been part of the Hephthalite group, who established themselves in Afghanistan and Pakistan by the first half of the fifth century, with their capital at Bamyan City....
 had earlier adopted a form of Kshayatiya title from their predecessors, the Achamenids of Persia. The Shahis of Afghanistan have specifically been connected to the Kamboja race by E Vesey Westmacott .

Hindu Shahi

The first Hindu Shahi dynasty was founded in 870 AD by Kallar (see above). The kingdom was bounded on the north by the Hindu kingdom of Kashmir
Kashmir

Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" referred only to the valley lying between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range; since then, it has been used for a larger area that today includes the Indian administerd state of Jammu and Kashmir consisting of the Kashmir...
, on the east by Rajput
Rajput

A Rajput is a member of one of the major Hindu Kshatriya groups of Indian subcontinent. The Rajputs trace their roots to Rajputana. They enjoy a reputation as formidable soldiers and it is common to find many of them serving in the Indian Armed Forces....
 kingdoms, on the south by the Muslim Emirate
Emirate

An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Arab Monarch styled emir....
s of Multan
Multan

is a city in the Punjab of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province. Multan District has a population of over 3.8 million and the city itself is the sixth largest within the boundaries of Pakistan....
 and Mansura
Mansura (Brahmanabad)

Mansura was the capital of the Arab empire in Sindh. When Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh in 711 A.D., he chose Brahminabad as his capital city....
, and on the west by the Rashidun Caliphate. In 671 AD Muslim
Muslim

:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits "....
 armies seized Kabul
Kabul

Kabul is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of approximately three million. It is an economic and cultural centre, situated 5,900 foot above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains along the Kabul River....
 and the capital was moved to Udabhandapura, where they became known as the Rajas of Hindustan.

The Hindu Shahi's became engaged with the Yamini Turks
Turkic peoples

The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern, central and western Eurasia, and who mostly speak languages belonging to the Turkic languages....
 of Ghazni
Ghazni

Ghazni City is a city in central Afghanistan, with an approximate population of 141,000 people. It is the capital of Ghazni Province, situated on a plateau at 7,280 feet above sea level....
 over supremacy of the eastern regions of Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....
 initially before it extended towards the Punjab region
Punjab region

Punjab , also Panjab , is a region straddling the border between India and Pakistan. The "Five Rivers" are Beas River, Ravi River, Sutlej, Chenab and Jhelum River; all these are tributaries of the Indus river, Jhelum being the biggest one....
. They briefly recaptured the Kabul Valley from the Samanid
Samanid

The Samanid dynasty or Samanids was an Iranian Persian empire in Central Asia and Greater Khorasan, named after its founder Saman Khuda who converted to Sunni Islam despite being from Zoroastrianism theocratic nobility....
 successors of the Saffarids, until a general named Alptigin
Alptigin

Alp Tigin was a general of Central Asian Turkic peoples origin from Balkh who had risen from slave to general and eventually to the Governor of Khorasan based in Ghazni....
 drove out the Samanid
Samanid

The Samanid dynasty or Samanids was an Iranian Persian empire in Central Asia and Greater Khorasan, named after its founder Saman Khuda who converted to Sunni Islam despite being from Zoroastrianism theocratic nobility....
 wali of Zabulistan
Zabulistan

Zabulistan , also spelled Zabolestan, is a historical region in the border area of today's Iran and Afghanistan....
 and established the Ghaznavid dynasty at Ghazna. Under his general and successor Sabuktigin the Ghaznavids had begun to raid the provinces of Lamghan and Multan. This precipated an alliance first between the then King Jayapala
Jayapala

Jayapala Shahi, the son of Asatapala and father of Anandapal, succeeded the last Hindu Shahi Bhima and thus began the start of the Rajput phase of hindushahi Shahiya Dynasty....
 and the Amirs of Multan, and then in a second battle in alliance with Delhi
Delhi

Delhi , sometimes referred to as Dilli , is the List of most populous cities in India metropolis in India and, with over 11 million residents, the List of metropolitan areas by population....
, Ajmer
Ajmer

This article is about a city in central Rajasthan, for the historical region, see Ajmer region.'Ajmer' is a city in Ajmer District in India's Rajasthan states and territories of India....
, Kalinjar
Kalinjar

Kalinjar is a fortress-city in the Bundelkhand region of central India. Kalinjar is located in Banda District of Uttar Pradesh state, near the temple-city and World Heritage Site of Khajuraho....
 and Kannauj
Kannauj

Kannauj , also spelt Kanauj, is a city and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian States and territories of India of Uttar Pradesh....
 which saw the Hindu Shahi lose all lands west of the Indus River
Indus River

File:Indian subcontinent CIA.pngThe Indus River is the longest river in Pakistan and the twenty-first largest river in the world, in terms of annual flow, on the Indian Subcontinent....
. His successor Anandapala arrived at a tributary
Tributary

A tributary is a stream or river which flows into a Mainstem river. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea. Tributaries and the mainstem river serve to drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater by leading the water out into an ocean or some other large body of water....
 arrangement with Sebuktigin's successor, Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni

'Mahmud of Ghazni Province' , also known as , was the founder of the Ghaznavid Empire, which he ruled from 997 until his death. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which extended from Afghanistan into most of Iran as well as Pakistan and regions of North-West India....
, before he was defeated and exiled to Kashmir in the early 1000s.

Al-Idirisi
Muhammad al-Idrisi

Abu Abd Allah Muhammad al-Idrisi al-Qurtubi al-Hasani al-Sabti or simply El Idrisi was an Islamic geography, cartography and traveller who lived in Sicily, at the court of King Roger II of Sicily....
 (1100 AD -1165/1166 AD) testifies that until as late as the 12th century, a contract of investiture for every Shahi king was performed at Kabul and that here he was obliged to agree to certain ancient conditions which completed the contract . Kalhana remarked: "To this day, the appellation Shahi throws its lustre on a numberless host of kshatriya
Kshatriya

Kshatriya is one of the four varna in Hinduism in Hinduism. It constitutes the military and ruling order of the traditional Vedic-Hindu social system as outlined by the Vedas and the Laws of Manu....
  abroad who trace their origin to that family"
.

Etymology

The Hindu Shahi, a term used by history writer Al-Biruni
Al-Biruni

, often known as 'Alberuni', 'Al Beruni' or variants, was a Persian people polymath scholar of the 11th century.He was a Islamic science and Islamic physics, an Anthropology and Comparative sociology, an Islamic astronomy and Alchemy and chemistry in Islam, a critic of Alchemy and chemistry in Islam and Islamic astrology, an encyc...
 to refer to the ruling Hindu dynasty 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 its 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 Historical perspective, p53)

Historical record

Archeological sites of the period, including a major Hindu Shahi temple north of Kabul
Kabul

Kabul is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of approximately three million. It is an economic and cultural centre, situated 5,900 foot above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains along the Kabul River....
 and a chapel in Ghazni
Ghazni

Ghazni City is a city in central Afghanistan, with an approximate population of 141,000 people. It is the capital of Ghazni Province, situated on a plateau at 7,280 feet above sea level....
, 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
Kshatriya

Kshatriya is one of the four varna in Hinduism in Hinduism. It constitutes the military and ruling order of the traditional Vedic-Hindu social system as outlined by the Vedas and the Laws of Manu....
 king Shahi Khingala. A Ganesha
Ganesha

Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh and also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most widely worshipped Hindu deities in the Hinduism Pantheon ....
 idol has been found near Gerdez that bears the name of this king, see .

Several 6th or 7th century A.D Buddhist manuscripts were found out from a stupa at Gilgit
Gilgit

Gilgit is a city in Northern PakistanGilgit may refer to other terms related with the area of the city:* Gilgit River* Gilgit Valley...
. One of the manuscripts reveals the name of a Shahi king Srideva Sahi Surendra Vikramaditya Nanda. See

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
Jayapala

Jayapala Shahi, the son of Asatapala and father of Anandapal, succeeded the last Hindu Shahi Bhima and thus began the start of the Rajput phase of hindushahi Shahiya Dynasty....
, son of Rai Asatapala Janjua and a descendant of Emperor Janamejaya
Janamejaya

Emperor Janamejaya was the son of Maharaja Parikshit and great-grandson of Arjuna the valiant warrior hero of the Mahabharata epic. He took up the Kuru throne following the death of his father....
. 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
Turkic peoples

The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern, central and western Eurasia, and who mostly speak languages belonging to the Turkic languages....
 rulers of Ghazni
Ghazni

Ghazni City is a city in central Afghanistan, with an approximate population of 141,000 people. It is the capital of Ghazni Province, situated on a plateau at 7,280 feet above sea level....
.

Emperor Jayapala
Jayapala

Jayapala Shahi, the son of Asatapala and father of Anandapal, succeeded the last Hindu Shahi Bhima and thus began the start of the Rajput phase of hindushahi Shahiya Dynasty....
 was challenged by the armies of Sultan Sabuktigin and later by his son Sultan Mahmud
Mahmud of Ghazni

'Mahmud of Ghazni Province' , also known as , was the founder of the Ghaznavid Empire, which he ruled from 997 until his death. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which extended from Afghanistan into most of Iran as well as Pakistan and regions of North-West India....
. According to the
Minháj ad-Din in his chronicle Tabaqát-i Násiri , 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
Rajput

A Rajput is a member of one of the major Hindu Kshatriya groups of Indian subcontinent. The Rajputs trace their roots to Rajputana. They enjoy a reputation as formidable soldiers and it is common to find many of them serving in the Indian Armed Forces....
 kings."

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
Raja

A Raja is a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya Varna in Hinduism.The word 'raja'means 'rajan' in nepali which means the supreme king.It's normally the first given name in Nepal and surname in India which isused by hindus and buddhist....
 of Lahore
Lahore

is the capital of the Pakistani Subdivisions of Pakistan of Punjab and is the List of most populated metropolitan areas in Pakistan city in Pakistan after Karachi....
 Bharat, having put his father in confinement, marched on the country of Jayapála with the intention of conquering the districts of Nandana
Nandana

Nandana was a fort in eastern flanks of Salt Range in Punjab Pakistan. It was ruled by Hindu Shahi family and Mahmud of Ghazni expelled them from here. It was built on a hilly range and it ruins are present....
, 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
Gakhars

File:Hazara.gifThe Gakhars were a fiercely independent and warlike clan now located in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Jhelum District, Kashmir, Gilgit Valley, Baltistan, Chitral, Khanpur and Mirpur, Pakistan regions in modern day Pakistan....
 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
Porus

King Porus was the King of Pauravas. The state falls within the territory of Punjab region located between the Jhelum River and the Chenab rivers in the Punjab region and dominions extending to the Beas ....
, 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
Peace treaty

A peace treaty is an agreement between two hostile parties, usually countries or governments, that formally ends an armed conflict. It is different from an armistice, which is an agreement to cease hostilities, or a surrender , in which an army agrees to give up arms....
 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
"Bhim, the Fearless" due to his courage and valour. Considering his kingdom was at its 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-Tai ('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
Rajatarangini

The Rajatarangi?i is a metrical chronicle of the kings of Kashmir from earliest time written in Sanskrit by Kalha?a. It is believed that the book was written sometime during 1147-1149 CE....
 of Kalhana
Kalhana

Kalhana , a Kashmiri people Brahmin, was the author of Rajatarangini, an account of the History of Jammu and Kashmir. He wrote Rajatarangini in Sanskrit during 1147-1149 CE....
 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
Siwalik Hills

The Sivalik Hills or Shiwalik Range, also known as the Sivalik mountains and sometimes called Churia or Chure Hills or Outer Himalaya are the southernmost and geologically youngest east-west mountain chain of the Himalayas....
 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
Punjab region

Punjab , also Panjab , is a region straddling the border between India and Pakistan. The "Five Rivers" are Beas River, Ravi River, Sutlej, Chenab and Jhelum River; all these are tributaries of the Indus river, Jhelum being the biggest one....
 are the descendants of the
House of Jayapala

Shahi rulers

  • Khingala of Kapisa (7th c.)
  • Patoladeva alias Navasurendradiyta Nandin of Gilgit (6-7th c.)
  • Srideva alias Surendra Vikrmadiyta Nandin of Gilgit (6-7th c.)
  • Patoladeva alias Vajraditya Nandin of Gilgit (6-7th c.)
  • Kallar alias Lalliya (c. 890-895) of Kabul
  • Kamaluka (895-921)
  • Bhima (921-964), son of Kamaluka
  • Ishtthapala
  • Jayapala
    Jayapala

    Jayapala Shahi, the son of Asatapala and father of Anandapal, succeeded the last Hindu Shahi Bhima and thus began the start of the Rajput phase of hindushahi Shahiya Dynasty....
     (964-1001)
  • Anandapala (1001-c.1010), son of Jayapala
  • Trilochanapala (ruled c.1010-1021-22; assassinated by mutinous troops)
  • Bhímapála (died in 1022-1026)

See also

  • List of Indian monarchs
    List of Indian monarchs

    The following list of Indian monarchs is one of several lists of incumbents.Rulers and Dynasty who ruled a portion of the Indian subcontinent and were based in South Asia will be included in this list....
  • Pre-Islamic period of Afghanistan
    Pre-Islamic period of Afghanistan

    Archaeology exploration of the Pre-Islamic period of Afghanistan began in Afghanistan in earnest after World War II and proceeded until the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan disrupted it in December 1979....
     (Before 650 AD)
  • Kushanshas or Indo-Sassanians
  • Hephthalites
  • Kushano-Hephthalite or Kabul Turk-Shahi Dynasty (565-870 AD)
  • Janjua
  • Gandhara
    Gandhara

    Gandhara is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River....


Footnotes