The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c9.s1: Afghanistan under Hindu rule, c. 430-870 A.D.

The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c9.s1

Language: English

Afghanistan under Hindu rule, c. 430-870 A.D.

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¹ Afghanistan was originally called Asvakayana (Sanskrit), *Assakenoi* (Greek).

There were three Hindu kingdoms on the north-western borderland of India in the 7th century A.D., when the Arabs, inspired by the teachings of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, and conscious of their new unity and strength, were embarking on a career of world conquest. These were, besides Sindh, the kingdoms of Kabul or Kia-pi-shi (Kapisha), Zabul (Jabala) or Zabulistan. On account of their geographical situation they were the first among the Indian powers to face the brunt of the Arab aggression and onslaught. The kingdom of Kabul was situated in and comprised the valley of the river Kabul (Kubha) and extended as far North as the Hindukush (Upari-syena or Paraponissus) mountains. A Hindu dynasty known as Shahi (Turki-Shahi) held sway over this region from about the middle of the fifth century A.D. In 630 A.D. the famous Chinese pilgrim Yuan Chwang (Hiuen Tsiang) found an able and shrewd king of Kshatriya caste ruling over this extensive kingdom which was more than 4000 li in circuit² and included in the East Laghman (Lamghan), Jalalabad district (Nagarhara), Peshawar, Charsadda and Und on the Indus (Gandhara region); and in the South the territory on both the banks of the river Gomal or ancient Gomati (Varana), the district of Bannu and probably the principality of Ghazna (Hosi-na) also. In the north-east it touched the boundary of Kashmir and in the west that of Iran. The Kshatriya king belonged to a dynasty founded by Barhatakin³ who had established his authority in the Kabul valley about 430 A.D. Yuan Chwang's contemporary on the throne of Kabul was powerful enough to bring under his control ten independent principalities prominent among which were Laghman, Jalalabad and Peshawer. The king was a Buddhist and the people were Hindus, Jains and Buddhists. The country was full of Buddhist monasteries.⁴

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² Thomas Watters, *On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India*, Vol. I, p. 122.

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³ *Kitab-ul-Hind* of Al Beruni (Eng. Trans. by Sachau), Vol. II, pp. 10-15.

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⁴ *Life of Hiuen Tsiang* by S. Beal, pp. 54-72 and 192-95; Thomas Watters, *op. cit.*, Vol. I, pp. 122-23 *and* 180-285; Vol. II, pp. 264-66.

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The kingdom of Zabul (Jabala) lay south of that of Kabul and just north of modern Baluchistan (Pardayane or Gedrosia) and comprised the upper valley of the Helmand (Setumant or Haetumanet) river, including an extensive territory to the east and west of that valley. Most probably Seistan (Sijistan=Sakasthan), with its capital Zarang, which lay on the lake Zarah, formed part of this kingdom. Its king was a Hindu and bore the title of Shah or Shahya. “In the seventh century A.D. these two kingdoms formed parts of India both politically and culturally being Indian in language, literature and religion, and ruled over by kings who bore Indian names.”⁵

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⁵ R. C. Majumdar, *The Classical Age*, p. 165.