Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Raja Dahir: Last Kashmiri Pandit to rule Sindh
After installing the statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the first Punjabi ruler of Punjab province in Lahore, Pakistan, and giving him the 'Sher-e-Punjab', the demand for official daring of King Dahir in Sindh province has also gained momentum.
After the establishment of Ranjit Singh's statue, Punjab is being presented on social media congratulating him that he has given respect to his real hero.
Dahir, also known as Raja Dahir, was a Hindu king who ruled over Sindh, a historical region located in present-day Pakistan, during the early 8th century. Dahir is often remembered as the last Hindu ruler of Sindh, and his reign came to an end with the Arab-Muslim conquest of Sindh in 711 AD.
Dahir was the son of Chach of Alor and a member of the Brahmin dynasty that ruled Sindh. His kingdom included parts of present-day southeastern Pakistan and western India. In 711 AD, the Umayyad Caliphate, under the command of Muhammad bin Qasim, invaded Sindh. The two forces clashed in the Battle of Aror, where Dahir fought valiantly but was eventually defeated. The exact circumstances of his death are unclear, but according to historical accounts, he was captured and killed in the battle.
Following the defeat of Raja Dahir, Sindh came under Muslim rule, and the region experienced significant cultural and religious changes. The Arab-Muslim influence became prevalent, leading to the conversion of a large portion of the local population to Islam.
Dahir's legacy continues to be a topic of historical interest and debate, particularly in the context of the Arab-Muslim expansion in the Indian subcontinent during the early medieval period.
Who Was King Dahir?
Raja Dahir was the ruler of Sindh in the eighth century AD. He was the youngest son of King Chach and the last ruler of the Brahmin dynasty.
According to the Scindiana Encyclopaedia, thousands of years ago, many Kashmiri Brahmin dynasty migrated to Sindh, it was educated, after gaining political influence and influence, they ended the 184-year rule of the Rai Gharana and Chacha became the first Brahmin king.
According to historians, the rule of King Dahir extended to Makran in the west, to the Arabian Sea and Gujarat in the south, to the center of the existing Malwa and Rajputana in the east, and through Multan in the north to southern Punjab. There was also land and sea trade from Sindh.
Mumtaz Pathan writes in 'Date-e-Sindh' that Raja Dahir was a justice-liker. There were three types of courts, called koalas, sarpanas and ganas, with large cases going to the king who held the status of Supreme Court.
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Attack on Sindh
In the eighth century, on the orders of Baghdad Governor Hujaz bin Yusuf, his nephew and young warlord Mohammad bin Qasim attacked Sindh and defeated King Dahir and established his rule here.
Ali Kofi, the translator of 'Chachnama' or 'Fatehnama', the first book of Arab history in Sindh, writes that the Sri Lankan king had sent some gifts to the governor of Baghdad, Huzaz bin Yusuf, who was looted near the port of Dibal. Women were also present in these ships. Some people absconded and reached near Hujaz and told them that women were calling you for help.
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According to historians, Huzzaz bin bin Yusuf wrote a letter to King Dahir and issued an order that the women and looted goods and belongings should be returned, although King Dahir denied and said that the robbery did not take place in his area.
Elder demos of Sindh, the eminent GM Syed, used to reject that justification for the attack. He wrote in the book 'Surma of Sindh' that the pirates may have looted or else the King Dahir could have benefited from this?
"This is like accusing, otherwise, what was the rationale for the Arabs who attacked Sindh 14 times earlier?"
Rebellion against the alafis
In Oman, Mawiya bin Haris Alafi and his brother Mohammed bin Haris Alafi revolted against the Caliph, in which Amir Saeed was killed. According to 'Chachnama', Mohammad Alafi along with his companions took refuge in Makran where Raja Dahir ruled.
The Governor of Baghdad wrote him several letters asking him to hand over the rebels but he refused to hand over the occupants to his land. This is also understood to be a reason for the attack.
Official chaos
Before his occupation on the throne of King Dahir, his brother Chandrasen was a king who was a supporter of Buddhism and when King Dahir came to power, he strengthened it.
According to 'Chachnama', Buddhist monks had welcomed and helped them in Nirnkot and Sewastan at the time of Mohammed bin Qasim's attack.
GM Syed, a communist leader from Sindh, writes that Chandrasen promoted Buddhism and made special concessions for monks and priests. King Dahir did not do strictures on these but two governors were from Buddhism.
Married with King Dahir's sister
In 'Chachnama', the historian claims that King Dahir believed in the influence of astrology. When he consulted the astrologers about the sister's marriage, he told that whoever marries it will become the king of Sindh. He got married to his sister on the advice of ministers and astrologers. Historians say that apart from physical connection, all other rituals were performed.
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He argues that the girl may have been seated at home by not giving a relationship to a younger king because there is caste discrimination among Hindus and that is why a person of lesser status is denied a relationship.
Dr. Azad Qazi writes in a paper titled 'Dahir ki khanadan tehqee ki mein mein' that the historian of Chachname has written about the relatives of Raja Dahir taken from the fort of Arud, mentioning that it also included the king's niece. Which Arab identified as Karb bin Makhru. If it is to be believed that there was a romantic marriage with the sister, then where did this girl come from?
King Dahir's daughters and Mohammed bin Qasim
In 'Chachnama' the historian writes that two daughters of King Dahir were sent to the Caliph. The Khalifa bin Abdul Malik ordered the two daughters to be brought to their harem after a day or two rest.
One night both were called to the caliph's harem. Khalifa asked one of his officers to tell which daughter is the elder among the two.
The elder called his name Surya Devi and as soon as he removed the mask from the face, the caliph was stunned by his beauty and pulled the girl towards him by hand, but the girl said to herself, "Let the king be safe, I am not worthy of the king Because Adil Imaduddin Mohammed bin Qasim kept us with him for three days and then sent him to the caliphate. Perhaps your custom is such, this infamy is not justified for the emperors. "
According to the historian, the Khalifa was very angry with Walid bin Abdul Malik, Mohammed bin Qasim, and issued an order that he should be locked in the box and present. When this Farman reached Mohammed bin Qasim, he was in Awadhpur. Immediately the order was followed but within two days, he died and was sent to the court. Some historians believe that King Dahir's daughters took their revenge in this way.
Object to the question
Chanchanama translator Ali bin Hamid Abu Bakr is Kofi. He started living in Achsharif and at that time there was the rule of Nasiruddin Kabacha.
There he met Maulana Qazi Ismail, who showed him an Arabic book written by his fathers and grandfathers, Ali Kofi translated it from Arabic to Persian, which is known as Fatehnama and Chachanama.
Some historians and writers look at Chachnama with suspicion.
According to Dr. Muralidhar Jaitley, Chachnama was written by Arab tourist Ali Kofi in 1216, which included the things heard from people after the attack.
In this way, Peter Harde, Doctor Mubarak Ali and Ganga Ram Samrat have also doubted the reality of the information contained in it.
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GM Syed has written that every true Sindhi should take care of the exploits of Raja Dahir as he is the first to show his head for Sindh. After this, Sindh was in slavery for 340 years, till the Somra Gharana of Sindh achieved the rule.
Proponents of the nationalist ideology call this idea correct, while some consider Mohammed bin Qasim their hero and savior.
This ideological debate also laid the foundation for celebrating the day in Sindh when religious observers celebrated 'Mohammed bin Qasim Day' and the nationalists began to celebrate 'Raja Dahir Day'.