# Raja Dahir vs Muhammad bin Qasim: The true story



## Indus Priest King

~ Raja Dahir vs Muhammad bin Qasim: The true story ~
By Ancient Pakistan Facebook Page







A lot has been written about Raja Dahir and Muhammad bin Qasim in Pakistan, yet most has come from the extreme fringes of the right and left wings, who seem to purposely skew, hide or blow facts out of proportion to fit their own political and religious narrative. To the right wing conservative extremists, Muhammad bin Qasim is a hero who defeated the evil Hindu tyrant Raja Dahir. To the left wing liberal extremists, Raja Dahir was a hero who attempted to defend his people from the evil rampaging Islamic warlord Muhammad bin Qasim. Fortunately, both these narratives are completely wrong.

Both Raja Dahir and Muhammad bin Qasim should be viewed equally from a correct historical perspective, and not from the damaged lenses of the extreme right and extreme left. So let's begin – we first need to understand the entire history of Sindh in a timeline. The Rai Dynasty and Chach Dynasty are intricately connected to one another and should be discussed. This timeline also should tell you that Raja Dahir was not the first ruler of Sindh…he was just a handful of rulers spread over a period of 3000 years.

* ~ Timeline of Sindh ~*
Early Harappan Period c. 3300 – c. 2600 BCE
Mature Harappan Period c. 2600 – c. 1900 BCE
Late Harappan Period c. 1900 – c. 1500 BCE
Vedic Sindhu Kingdom c. 1500 – c. 500 BCE
Sattagydia (Persian Achaemenid Empire) c. 516 – c. 330 BCE
Ror Dynasty, c. 489 – c. 450 BCE
Gedrosia (Macedonian Empire) c. 323 – c. 312 BCE
Mauryan Empire, c. 322 – c. 200 BCE
Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, c. 190 – c. 140 BCE
Indo-Greek Kingdom, c. 170 – c. 50 BCE
Indo-Scythian Kingdom, c. 110 BCE – c. 95 CE
Indo-Parthian Kingdom, c. 25 – c. 80 CE
Kushan Empire, c. 60 – 345 CE
Makuran (Sasanian Empire), c. 250 – 655 CE
* > Rai Dynasty, c. 415 – 644 CE <*
* > Chach (Brahman) Dynasty c. 641 - 725 CE <*
Umayyad Caliphate c. 670 - 860 CE
Habbari Dynasty c. 841 - 1024 CE
Samma Dynasty c. 1351 - 1524 CE
Arghun Dynasty c. 1520 - 1554 CE
Tarkhan Dynasty c. 1554 - 1591 CE
Thatta Subah (Mughal Empire) c. 1627 - c. 1707 CE
Kalhora Dynasty c. 1701 - c. 1783 CE
Talpur Dynasty c. 1783 - c. 1843 CE
Sind (British Raj) c. 1843 - c. 1947 CE
Sindh (Pakistan) c. 1947 - present

* ~ Rai Dynasty ~*
The Rai Dynasty was a Buddhist kingdom that ruled Sindh from 524 to 632 AD (CE). This was the first Sindhi kingdom to be established in over 800 years – the last being the Ror dynasty. Their rise to power came at a time of shifting political scenes in the Indus Valley, with the wane of Sassanian influence in the wake of the Hepthalite (White Hun) invasions. During this period, five emperors would rise to power, who were said to be great patrons of Buddhism. They included

Rai Diwa
Rai Sahiras
Rai Sahasi
Rai Sahiras II – died battling the King of Nimroz
Rai Sahasi II – died of unknown illness

The influence of the Rai's extended from Kashmir in the north, Makran and Debal (Karachi) in the south and the Kandahar, Sulaiman, Ferdan and Kikanan hills in the west. Buddhism was the main religion of this dynasty and of the Indus Valley for over 500 years up until this point, while Hinduism was a minority. The Battle of Rasil in 644 played a crucial role in their decline, which resulted in the Makran coast being annexed by the Rashidun Caliphate. The chronicle of Chach Nama describes the final demise of the Rai dynasty and the ascent of Chach of Alor to the throne. Chach, a Brahmin Hindu, rose to a position of influence under Rai Sahiras II and reportedly may have served as a “Vice Minister” of the dynasty. When Rai Sahasi II died, Suhandi (widow of the Rai) confided to Chach that the throne would pass to other relatives of the dying King in absence of any direct heir to the kingdom – and hence Rana Maharath, the king of Chittor and younger brother of Rai Sahasi II, would be next in line. However, unbeknownst to all, both Suhandi and Chach were supposedly "secret lovers". Suhandi had declared her love for the Chach years earlier, but the Chach refused to betray Rai Sahasi II as long as he was alive. They consequently kept secret the news of the king's death until claimants to the throne were killed. Following the purge, Chach declared himself ruler of Sindh and later married Suhandi. This ended the Rai Dynasty and thus began the Chach (Brahman) Dynasty in 632 AD.

* ~ Brahman (Chach) Dynasty ~*
Rana Maharath , who was not present during the purge, challenged Chach’s claim to the throne in 640 AD. According to Chach Nama, Maharath, seeing that his army was making little headway, devised a sly strategy of challenging Chach to a one-on-one duel. Maharath took advantage of the fact that as a trained warrior and would naturally have a decisive advantage over Chach, who was a court administrator with very little combat training. Chach, knowing he could not refuse a duel without appearing weak, realized that he could only win by tricking Maharath. Chach claimed that he could not fight on horseback as he was not a trained horseman and suggested that they both fight on foot. Maharath readily agreed knowing that he would have the overwhelming advantage at close quarters. The two dismounted to engage in a duel, but Chach remounted upon his horse and killed Maharath by chopping his head off with a sword. With Maharath now out of the picture, Chach was in complete control of Sindh,

* ~~ Public Perception of Chach ~~*
Not much is known about how Chach was viewed by the general population; however, it is known that several regions in the dynasty attempted to secede following the rise of Chach to the throne. The Chach was a Brahmin Hindu, yet the majority of the populations were Buddhists, which may have played a part in the distrust. Furthermore, the purge of loyal followers of Rai Sahasi II and the killing of his brother, did not help matters further for the Chach, who was increasingly viewed as a tyrant, rather than a King.

* ~~ Secession Threats ~~*
Chach viewed the threat of secession as an insult and enlisted the help of his brother Chandar. He launched a campaign against the revolting autonomous regions along the River Beas in Punjab at Iskandah and Sikkah. It was a decisive victory for the Chach - 5000 men were killed, while the remainder became prisoners of war, of which a significant number of these captives would be enslaved. After his victory, he appointed a Thakur to govern from Multan, and used his army to settle boundary disputes in Kashmir. Chach also conquered Siwistan, but allowed its chief, Mutta, to remain as its king.

* ~~ Suppression of Buddhists ~~*
Later, he established the writ of his power in Buddhist majority region within Sindh, which were resisting Chach – these efforts culminated in a battle at Brahmanabad, in which the region's Buddhist governor, Agham Lohana, was killed. Chach remained in Brahmanabad for a year to cement his authority. In order to prevent any future mutiny against his reign, Chach equaled the social status of the ruling family of Lohana to Shidr, the lowest class of society. They were prohibited to wear silk, ride horses or worship at any temples. Chach also took Agham's widow as his second wife.

Not only were the Lohana family targeted but also the Jat tribe. Jat’s were originally farmers from Sindh and held the status of “Vish”, which was above the “Shidr” class. Following the rise of Chach, these Jat farmers were declared “Shidr”. They were also prohibited from entering temples and heavy taxes were imposed on them. The extent of cruelty towards Jats is not fully understood – it is possible that the Jats were one of the largest resistance to the Chach’s initial rise to power, which may have led to the cruel treatment.

* ~~ Dynasty Expansion ~~*
From Brahmanabad, Chach invaded Sassanid territory through the town of Armanbelah, marching from Turan to Kandahar. He exacted tributes from the latter before returning. Chach died in 671, and his brother Chandar took the throne until 679 temporarily, while Dahir was being groomed. In 679, Dahir (son of Chach) took the throne.

Chach (632 – 671 AD )
Chandar (671 – 679 AD )
Dahir (679 – 712 AD – from Alor)

* ~~ Declining Law & Order ~~*
During this transition period from Chach to Dahir, law and order in the dynasty appears to have eroded away. This had several consequences both domestically and internationally by 680 AD. Domestically, the peripheral territories, which Chach had captured, were again threatening to secede and made the dynasty vulnerable to attack from foreign powers.

* ~~ Piracy in the Arabian Sea ~~*
Internationally, piracy was becoming huge issue. Pirated raids off the coast of Debal (Karachi) resulted in gifts to the Umayyad caliph from the king of Serendib (Sri Lanka) being stolen. The coast of Sindh has always been a major shipping route (and still is today). The Meds, a tribe of Scythians living in Sindh, had pirated earlier upon Sassanid shipping in the past, from the mouth of the Tigris to the Sri Lankan coast, and now were able to prey on Arab shipping from their bases at Kutch and Debal (Karachi) with ease. This led to Arabs putting Raja Dahir on “notice”.

* ~~ Muhammad Haris Allafi Betrayal ~~*
During this same period, Muhammad Haris Allafi (possibly a general) had killed the governor of Makran, which at that time was under Umayyad control. Dahir allied himself with Muhammad Haris Allafi, and granted refuge to Allafi and his troops as they had become self-exiled from Makran. Coupled with the piracy occurring in the Arabian Sea and refuge to Allafi, the governor of Basra, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, tasked an expedition to eliminate Raja Dahir, as be was becoming a nuisance to them.

* ~~ Siharas of Kannauj Invasion ~~*
Prior to the Arab invasion however, another invasion took place in 687 AD. The Siharas of Kannauj (King Ramal) of a Rajput dynasty based in the Ganges plain, attacked Raja Dahir for reasons not fully understood. Some claim the Siharas of Kannauj was attempting to take control of valuble Indus territory, while others claim it was done to repel the declining law and order situation from spreading into Kannauj’s territory. Regardless, Dahir was able to defend his territory – Dahir’s army along with Muhammad Haris Allafi and his soldiers fought against the Siharas of Kannauj and repelled the invading forces.

* ~~ Muhammad bin Qasim ~~*
Muhammad bin Qasim was an orphan and the governor of Basra, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, was his paternal uncle and his teacher of warfare and governing. Muhammad bin Qasim was highly intelligent who at the age of 15 was considered by many to be one of his uncle’s greatest assets. Hajjaj’s complete trust in Muhammad’s abilities as a general became even more apparent when he appointed the young man as the commander of the all-important invasion on Sindh.

* ~~ Invasion ~~*
Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan granted a large army of 6000 troops, 3000 camels and a sea artillery of equal strength to the governor Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf for his invasion of Sindh. The argument for the invasion was not because Raja Dahir was a “Hindu” but rather the tyranny Raja Dahir was implementing around the region – the pirated raids of Arab sea merchants, the refuge of Muhammad Haris Allafi and the general resentment of Raja Dahir from the Buddhist majority in Sindh seemed to have tempted the Arabs to make a move as soon as possible. Seventeen-year-old Muhammad bin Qasim was put in charge as general of the campaign.

Muhammad bin Qasim, as mentioned, was intelligent, under understood that many within the Chach dynasty were not in favour of Raja Dahir – hence the policy was generally one of enlisting and co-opting support from defectors and defeated lords and forces.

In 711 AD, Muhammad bin Qasim marched upon Debal by way of Shiras via Makran. On orders of Hajjaj, he freed earlier captives and prisoners from the previous failed campaign against Raja Dahir. From Debal, his troops, along with freed prisoners and local tribes of Debal moved on to Nerun (near Hyderabad). The city's Buddhist governor supported the Caliphate’s campaign against Raja Dahir and offered to support Muhammad bin Qasim’s campaign to remove Dahir from power. Qasim's army and allied supporters and defectors then moved on to Siwistan (Sehwan), where again he was received warmly and received allegiances from several tribal chiefs. After securing the surrounding regions, Muhammad bin Qasim’s combined forces captured the fort at Sisam, and secured the region west of the Indus River in Sindh.

Muhammad bin Qasim was very well aware of the need to enlist the support of local tribes, as the campaign would not be successful without them. With the Meds tribe and Buddhist rulers of Nerun, Bajhra, Kaka Kolak and Siwistan as infantry to his predominantly-mounted army.

Dahir then tried to prevent Qasim from crossing the Indus River to his eastern domain, moving his forces to its eastern banks. Muhammad Harris Alafi served in the capacity of a military advisor to Raja Dahir, but refused to take active part in the campaign against Muhammad bin Qasim. Eventually, however, Qasim crossed and defeated forces at Jitor led by Jaisiah (Dahir's son). Qasim fought Dahir at Raor (near modern day Nawabshah) in 712 AD, killing him. After Dahar was killed in the Battle of Aror on the banks of the Indus River, his head was sent to Hajjaj bin Yousuf. Muhammad Harris Alafi was also captured, however, since he refused to take part in a campaign against Qasim, he would later secure a pardon from the Caliph.

* ~~ Post Raja Dahir ~~*
Conflicting theories begin after the fall of Raja Dahir and this is where identity and religious politics really take off. Indian historian Upendra Thakur says that the Muslims persecuted Hindus after the fall of Raja Dahir. In a subsequent communication, Hajjaj ingeminated that all able-bodied men were to be killed, and that their underage sons and daughters were to be imprisoned and retained as hostages. Qasim obeyed, and on his arrival to Brahminabad killed between 6000 and 16,000 of the defending forces.

Thakur writes “When Muhammad Kasim invaded Sind in 711 AD, Hinduism had no resistance to offer to their fire and steel. The rosary could not be a match for the sword and the terms Love and Peace had no meaning to them. They carried fire and sword wherever they went and obliterated all that came their way. Muhammad triumphantly marched into the country, conquering Debal, Sehwan, Nerun, Brahmanadabad, Alor and Multan one after the other in quick succession, and in less than a year and a half, the far-flung Hindu kingdom was crushed, the great civilization fell back and Sind entered the darkest period of its history. There was a fearful outbreak of religious bigotry in several places and temples were wantonly desecrated. At Debal, the Nairun and Aror temples were demolished and converted into mosques. Resistors were put to death and women made captives. The Jizya was exacted with special care. Hindus were required to feed Muslim travelers for three days and three nights.”

Other historians and archaeologists such as J E Lohuizen-de Leeuw offers another explanation.

He writes “In fact, we have clear evidence that the Arabs were very tolerant towards the Hindus during the rest of the campaign and throughout the time they ruled Sind...Of course that does not mean that no monuments were ever destroyed, for war always means a certain amount of damage to buildings but it does prove that there was no wanton and systematic destruction of each and every religious Center of the Hindus in Sindh”

* ~ Conclusion ~*
The purpose of this post was not to blame one particular person or religion either, but rather to clear up misconceptions of both Raja Dahir and Muhammad bin Qasim. Both were brave leaders who fought valiantly.

Raja Dahir seems to have inherited a lot of trouble from his father Chach. Instead of learning from previous mistakes, he seemed to have learned from his father, and continued making mistakes. This not only alienated the Buddhist majority, but also caught the ire of Rajpur King Ramal of Kannauj and eventually the Arabs, which eventually led to his demise in 712 AD.

Muhammad bin Qasim's on the other hand is not this brave "Islamic hero" as he is being portrayed in Pakistan. His purpose of invading Sindh was not to "spread Islam" but rather protecting shipping routes used by Arab sea merchants and establishing a friendly regime in SIndh. The removal of Raja Dahir was seen necessary to fulfill these requirements.

War is a messy business, and tragedy is bound to strike. The battle between Raja Dahir and Muhammad bin Qasim was indeed no different. There is no doubt that following the fall of Raja Dahir, the Hindu minority may have been persecuted by not only the new Muslim rulers, but also the Buddhist majority. However, this is no different than what occurred following the fall of the Buddhist Rai dynasty of Sindh and the subsequent persecution of Buddhists (in particular the Jat tribe) from Raja Dahir and his Hindu minority. The sad fact is, this is how war was conducted back then…the victors usually suppressed and tormented the defeated. One could argue this still occurs today as well (ie. Treaty of Versailles).

I look forward to your feedback...

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## war&peace

Is it your write up? What is the source of this info?

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## Indus Priest King

war&peace said:


> Is it your write up? What is the source of this info?



Mostly Chachnama, but also some Arab sources as well. If you like I can provide you a list. It'll take some time since my original Word document has been lost.

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## somebozo

Teaching simplistic history in Pakistan has created an Arab slave mentality among Pakistani nation...


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## Jaanbaz

"I am going to meet the Arabs in the open battle, and fight them as best as I can. If I crush them, my kingdom will then be put on a firm footing. But if I am killed honourably, the event will be recorded in the books of Arabia and India, and will be talked about by great men. It will be heard by other kings in the world, and it will be said that Raja Dahir of Sindh sacrificed his precious life for the sake of his country, in fighting with the enemy."

Raja Dahir


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## El Sidd

Jaanbaz said:


> "I am going to meet the Arabs in the open battle, and fight them as best as I can. If I crush them, my kingdom will then be put on a firm footing. But if I am killed honourably, the event will be recorded in the books of Arabia and India, and will be talked about by great men. It will be heard by other kings in the world, and it will be said that Raja Dahir of Sindh sacrificed his precious life for the sake of his country, in fighting with the enemy."
> 
> Raja Dahir



He must be your hero then

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## No to income tax

Bin Qasim was later executed by caliph for failing to annexe Rajasthan

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## Jaanbaz

El Sidd said:


> He must be your hero then



Not really but I'm not like you who thinks his father was Habibi Bin Habibi. 



Aditya Sahai said:


> Bin Qasim was later executed by caliph for failing to annexe Rajasthan



No it was internal politics of the Arab caliphate.

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## No to income tax

Jaanbaz said:


> No it was internal politics of the Arab caliphate.


That was an excuse to cover up their failures.


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## El Sidd

Jaanbaz said:


> Not really but I'm not like you who thinks his father was Habibi Bin Habibi.



You think petty insults will satisfy your Ego?

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## Jaanbaz

El Sidd said:


> You think petty insults will satisfy your Ego?



Yes.


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## El Sidd

Jaanbaz said:


> Yes.



Do you feel Better now?

Or you want to add something?

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## Crystal-Clear

Aditya Sahai said:


> Bin Qasim was later executed by caliph for failing to annexe Rajasthan


nope . because chalip changed and kill every potential opponent



Aditya Sahai said:


> That was an excuse to cover up their failures.


rajistan wasnt the goal at that time .

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## No to income tax

Crystal-Clear said:


> nope . because chalip changed and kill every potential opponent
> 
> 
> rajistan wasnt the goal at that time .


It was because they attacked again and failed with a few decades.


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## Taimoor Khan

Aditya Sahai said:


> Bin Qasim was later executed by caliph for failing to annexe Rajasthan



LOL where did you hear this trash? He was killed because of a woman.

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## Jaanbaz

El Sidd said:


> Do you feel Better now?
> 
> Or you want to add something?



No thanks I'm good.


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## El Sidd

Jaanbaz said:


> No thanks I'm good.



Cool


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## No to income tax

Crystal-Clear said:


> rajistan wasnt the goal at that time


It was the goal and he failed.


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## Crystal-Clear

Aditya Sahai said:


> It was because they attacked again and failed with a few decades.


arabs want plains of punjab not the deserts of rajistan . they already had lots of deserts 
. their goal was punjab.

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## War Thunder

Indus Priest King said:


> ~ Raja Dahir vs Muhammad bin Qasim: The true story ~
> By Ancient Pakistan Facebook Page
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A lot has been written about Raja Dahir and Muhammad bin Qasim in Pakistan, yet most has come from the extreme fringes of the right and left wings, who seem to purposely skew, hide or blow facts out of proportion to fit their own political and religious narrative. To the right wing conservative extremists, Muhammad bin Qasim is a hero who defeated the evil Hindu tyrant Raja Dahir. To the left wing liberal extremists, Raja Dahir was a hero who attempted to defend his people from the evil rampaging Islamic warlord Muhammad bin Qasim. Fortunately, both these narratives are completely wrong.
> 
> Both Raja Dahir and Muhammad bin Qasim should be viewed equally from a correct historical perspective, and not from the damaged lenses of the extreme right and extreme left. So let's begin – we first need to understand the entire history of Sindh in a timeline. The Rai Dynasty and Chach Dynasty are intricately connected to one another and should be discussed. This timeline also should tell you that Raja Dahir was not the first ruler of Sindh…he was just a handful of rulers spread over a period of 3000 years.
> 
> * ~ Timeline of Sindh ~*
> Early Harappan Period c. 3300 – c. 2600 BCE
> Mature Harappan Period c. 2600 – c. 1900 BCE
> Late Harappan Period c. 1900 – c. 1500 BCE
> Vedic Sindhu Kingdom c. 1500 – c. 500 BCE
> Sattagydia (Persian Achaemenid Empire) c. 516 – c. 330 BCE
> Ror Dynasty, c. 489 – c. 450 BCE
> Gedrosia (Macedonian Empire) c. 323 – c. 312 BCE
> Mauryan Empire, c. 322 – c. 200 BCE
> Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, c. 190 – c. 140 BCE
> Indo-Greek Kingdom, c. 170 – c. 50 BCE
> Indo-Scythian Kingdom, c. 110 BCE – c. 95 CE
> Indo-Parthian Kingdom, c. 25 – c. 80 CE
> Kushan Empire, c. 60 – 345 CE
> Makuran (Sasanian Empire), c. 250 – 655 CE
> * > Rai Dynasty, c. 415 – 644 CE <
> > Chach (Brahman) Dynasty c. 641 - 725 CE <*
> Umayyad Caliphate c. 670 - 860 CE
> Habbari Dynasty c. 841 - 1024 CE
> Samma Dynasty c. 1351 - 1524 CE
> Arghun Dynasty c. 1520 - 1554 CE
> Tarkhan Dynasty c. 1554 - 1591 CE
> Thatta Subah (Mughal Empire) c. 1627 - c. 1707 CE
> Kalhora Dynasty c. 1701 - c. 1783 CE
> Talpur Dynasty c. 1783 - c. 1843 CE
> Sind (British Raj) c. 1843 - c. 1947 CE
> Sindh (Pakistan) c. 1947 - present
> 
> * ~ Rai Dynasty ~*
> The Rai Dynasty was a Buddhist kingdom that ruled Sindh from 524 to 632 AD (CE). This was the first Sindhi kingdom to be established in over 800 years – the last being the Ror dynasty. Their rise to power came at a time of shifting political scenes in the Indus Valley, with the wane of Sassanian influence in the wake of the Hepthalite (White Hun) invasions. During this period, five emperors would rise to power, who were said to be great patrons of Buddhism. They included
> 
> Rai Diwa
> Rai Sahiras
> Rai Sahasi
> Rai Sahiras II – died battling the King of Nimroz
> Rai Sahasi II – died of unknown illness
> 
> The influence of the Rai's extended from Kashmir in the north, Makran and Debal (Karachi) in the south and the Kandahar, Sulaiman, Ferdan and Kikanan hills in the west. Buddhism was the main religion of this dynasty and of the Indus Valley for over 500 years up until this point, while Hinduism was a minority. The Battle of Rasil in 644 played a crucial role in their decline, which resulted in the Makran coast being annexed by the Rashidun Caliphate. The chronicle of Chach Nama describes the final demise of the Rai dynasty and the ascent of Chach of Alor to the throne. Chach, a Brahmin Hindu, rose to a position of influence under Rai Sahiras II and reportedly may have served as a “Vice Minister” of the dynasty. When Rai Sahasi II died, Suhandi (widow of the Rai) confided to Chach that the throne would pass to other relatives of the dying King in absence of any direct heir to the kingdom – and hence Rana Maharath, the king of Chittor and younger brother of Rai Sahasi II, would be next in line. However, unbeknownst to all, both Suhandi and Chach were supposedly "secret lovers". Suhandi had declared her love for the Chach years earlier, but the Chach refused to betray Rai Sahasi II as long as he was alive. They consequently kept secret the news of the king's death until claimants to the throne were killed. Following the purge, Chach declared himself ruler of Sindh and later married Suhandi. This ended the Rai Dynasty and thus began the Chach (Brahman) Dynasty in 632 AD.
> 
> * ~ Brahman (Chach) Dynasty ~*
> Rana Maharath , who was not present during the purge, challenged Chach’s claim to the throne in 640 AD. According to Chach Nama, Maharath, seeing that his army was making little headway, devised a sly strategy of challenging Chach to a one-on-one duel. Maharath took advantage of the fact that as a trained warrior and would naturally have a decisive advantage over Chach, who was a court administrator with very little combat training. Chach, knowing he could not refuse a duel without appearing weak, realized that he could only win by tricking Maharath. Chach claimed that he could not fight on horseback as he was not a trained horseman and suggested that they both fight on foot. Maharath readily agreed knowing that he would have the overwhelming advantage at close quarters. The two dismounted to engage in a duel, but Chach remounted upon his horse and killed Maharath by chopping his head off with a sword. With Maharath now out of the picture, Chach was in complete control of Sindh,
> 
> * ~~ Public Perception of Chach ~~*
> Not much is known about how Chach was viewed by the general population; however, it is known that several regions in the dynasty attempted to secede following the rise of Chach to the throne. The Chach was a Brahmin Hindu, yet the majority of the populations were Buddhists, which may have played a part in the distrust. Furthermore, the purge of loyal followers of Rai Sahasi II and the killing of his brother, did not help matters further for the Chach, who was increasingly viewed as a tyrant, rather than a King.
> 
> * ~~ Secession Threats ~~*
> Chach viewed the threat of secession as an insult and enlisted the help of his brother Chandar. He launched a campaign against the revolting autonomous regions along the River Beas in Punjab at Iskandah and Sikkah. It was a decisive victory for the Chach - 5000 men were killed, while the remainder became prisoners of war, of which a significant number of these captives would be enslaved. After his victory, he appointed a Thakur to govern from Multan, and used his army to settle boundary disputes in Kashmir. Chach also conquered Siwistan, but allowed its chief, Mutta, to remain as its king.
> 
> * ~~ Suppression of Buddhists ~~*
> Later, he established the writ of his power in Buddhist majority region within Sindh, which were resisting Chach – these efforts culminated in a battle at Brahmanabad, in which the region's Buddhist governor, Agham Lohana, was killed. Chach remained in Brahmanabad for a year to cement his authority. In order to prevent any future mutiny against his reign, Chach equaled the social status of the ruling family of Lohana to Shidr, the lowest class of society. They were prohibited to wear silk, ride horses or worship at any temples. Chach also took Agham's widow as his second wife.
> 
> Not only were the Lohana family targeted but also the Jat tribe. Jat’s were originally farmers from Sindh and held the status of “Vish”, which was above the “Shidr” class. Following the rise of Chach, these Jat farmers were declared “Shidr”. They were also prohibited from entering temples and heavy taxes were imposed on them. The extent of cruelty towards Jats is not fully understood – it is possible that the Jats were one of the largest resistance to the Chach’s initial rise to power, which may have led to the cruel treatment.
> 
> * ~~ Dynasty Expansion ~~*
> From Brahmanabad, Chach invaded Sassanid territory through the town of Armanbelah, marching from Turan to Kandahar. He exacted tributes from the latter before returning. Chach died in 671, and his brother Chandar took the throne until 679 temporarily, while Dahir was being groomed. In 679, Dahir (son of Chach) took the throne.
> 
> Chach (632 – 671 AD )
> Chandar (671 – 679 AD )
> Dahir (679 – 712 AD – from Alor)
> 
> * ~~ Declining Law & Order ~~*
> During this transition period from Chach to Dahir, law and order in the dynasty appears to have eroded away. This had several consequences both domestically and internationally by 680 AD. Domestically, the peripheral territories, which Chach had captured, were again threatening to secede and made the dynasty vulnerable to attack from foreign powers.
> 
> * ~~ Piracy in the Arabian Sea ~~*
> Internationally, piracy was becoming huge issue. Pirated raids off the coast of Debal (Karachi) resulted in gifts to the Umayyad caliph from the king of Serendib (Sri Lanka) being stolen. The coast of Sindh has always been a major shipping route (and still is today). The Meds, a tribe of Scythians living in Sindh, had pirated earlier upon Sassanid shipping in the past, from the mouth of the Tigris to the Sri Lankan coast, and now were able to prey on Arab shipping from their bases at Kutch and Debal (Karachi) with ease. This led to Arabs putting Raja Dahir on “notice”.
> 
> * ~~ Muhammad Haris Allafi Betrayal ~~*
> During this same period, Muhammad Haris Allafi (possibly a general) had killed the governor of Makran, which at that time was under Umayyad control. Dahir allied himself with Muhammad Haris Allafi, and granted refuge to Allafi and his troops as they had become self-exiled from Makran. Coupled with the piracy occurring in the Arabian Sea and refuge to Allafi, the governor of Basra, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, tasked an expedition to eliminate Raja Dahir, as be was becoming a nuisance to them.
> 
> * ~~ Siharas of Kannauj Invasion ~~*
> Prior to the Arab invasion however, another invasion took place in 687 AD. The Siharas of Kannauj (King Ramal) of a Rajput dynasty based in the Ganges plain, attacked Raja Dahir for reasons not fully understood. Some claim the Siharas of Kannauj was attempting to take control of valuble Indus territory, while others claim it was done to repel the declining law and order situation from spreading into Kannauj’s territory. Regardless, Dahir was able to defend his territory – Dahir’s army along with Muhammad Haris Allafi and his soldiers fought against the Siharas of Kannauj and repelled the invading forces.
> 
> * ~~ Muhammad bin Qasim ~~*
> Muhammad bin Qasim was an orphan and the governor of Basra, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, was his paternal uncle and his teacher of warfare and governing. Muhammad bin Qasim was highly intelligent who at the age of 15 was considered by many to be one of his uncle’s greatest assets. Hajjaj’s complete trust in Muhammad’s abilities as a general became even more apparent when he appointed the young man as the commander of the all-important invasion on Sindh.
> 
> * ~~ Invasion ~~*
> Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan granted a large army of 6000 troops, 3000 camels and a sea artillery of equal strength to the governor Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf for his invasion of Sindh. The argument for the invasion was not because Raja Dahir was a “Hindu” but rather the tyranny Raja Dahir was implementing around the region – the pirated raids of Arab sea merchants, the refuge of Muhammad Haris Allafi and the general resentment of Raja Dahir from the Buddhist majority in Sindh seemed to have tempted the Arabs to make a move as soon as possible. Seventeen-year-old Muhammad bin Qasim was put in charge as general of the campaign.
> 
> Muhammad bin Qasim, as mentioned, was intelligent, under understood that many within the Chach dynasty were not in favour of Raja Dahir – hence the policy was generally one of enlisting and co-opting support from defectors and defeated lords and forces.
> 
> In 711 AD, Muhammad bin Qasim marched upon Debal by way of Shiras via Makran. On orders of Hajjaj, he freed earlier captives and prisoners from the previous failed campaign against Raja Dahir. From Debal, his troops, along with freed prisoners and local tribes of Debal moved on to Nerun (near Hyderabad). The city's Buddhist governor supported the Caliphate’s campaign against Raja Dahir and offered to support Muhammad bin Qasim’s campaign to remove Dahir from power. Qasim's army and allied supporters and defectors then moved on to Siwistan (Sehwan), where again he was received warmly and received allegiances from several tribal chiefs. After securing the surrounding regions, Muhammad bin Qasim’s combined forces captured the fort at Sisam, and secured the region west of the Indus River in Sindh.
> 
> Muhammad bin Qasim was very well aware of the need to enlist the support of local tribes, as the campaign would not be successful without them. With the Meds tribe and Buddhist rulers of Nerun, Bajhra, Kaka Kolak and Siwistan as infantry to his predominantly-mounted army.
> 
> Dahir then tried to prevent Qasim from crossing the Indus River to his eastern domain, moving his forces to its eastern banks. Muhammad Harris Alafi served in the capacity of a military advisor to Raja Dahir, but refused to take active part in the campaign against Muhammad bin Qasim. Eventually, however, Qasim crossed and defeated forces at Jitor led by Jaisiah (Dahir's son). Qasim fought Dahir at Raor (near modern day Nawabshah) in 712 AD, killing him. After Dahar was killed in the Battle of Aror on the banks of the Indus River, his head was sent to Hajjaj bin Yousuf. Muhammad Harris Alafi was also captured, however, since he refused to take part in a campaign against Qasim, he would later secure a pardon from the Caliph.
> 
> * ~~ Post Raja Dahir ~~*
> Conflicting theories begin after the fall of Raja Dahir and this is where identity and religious politics really take off. Indian historian Upendra Thakur says that the Muslims persecuted Hindus after the fall of Raja Dahir. In a subsequent communication, Hajjaj ingeminated that all able-bodied men were to be killed, and that their underage sons and daughters were to be imprisoned and retained as hostages. Qasim obeyed, and on his arrival to Brahminabad killed between 6000 and 16,000 of the defending forces.
> 
> Thakur writes “When Muhammad Kasim invaded Sind in 711 AD, Hinduism had no resistance to offer to their fire and steel. The rosary could not be a match for the sword and the terms Love and Peace had no meaning to them. They carried fire and sword wherever they went and obliterated all that came their way. Muhammad triumphantly marched into the country, conquering Debal, Sehwan, Nerun, Brahmanadabad, Alor and Multan one after the other in quick succession, and in less than a year and a half, the far-flung Hindu kingdom was crushed, the great civilization fell back and Sind entered the darkest period of its history. There was a fearful outbreak of religious bigotry in several places and temples were wantonly desecrated. At Debal, the Nairun and Aror temples were demolished and converted into mosques. Resistors were put to death and women made captives. The Jizya was exacted with special care. Hindus were required to feed Muslim travelers for three days and three nights.”
> 
> Other historians and archaeologists such as J E Lohuizen-de Leeuw offers another explanation.
> 
> He writes “In fact, we have clear evidence that the Arabs were very tolerant towards the Hindus during the rest of the campaign and throughout the time they ruled Sind...Of course that does not mean that no monuments were ever destroyed, for war always means a certain amount of damage to buildings but it does prove that there was no wanton and systematic destruction of each and every religious Center of the Hindus in Sindh”
> 
> * ~ Conclusion ~*
> The purpose of this post was not to blame one particular person or religion either, but rather to clear up misconceptions of both Raja Dahir and Muhammad bin Qasim. Both were brave leaders who fought valiantly.
> 
> Raja Dahir seems to have inherited a lot of trouble from his father Chach. Instead of learning from previous mistakes, he seemed to have learned from his father, and continued making mistakes. This not only alienated the Buddhist majority, but also caught the ire of Rajpur King Ramal of Kannauj and eventually the Arabs, which eventually led to his demise in 712 AD.
> 
> Muhammad bin Qasim's on the other hand is not this brave "Islamic hero" as he is being portrayed in Pakistan. His purpose of invading Sindh was not to "spread Islam" but rather protecting shipping routes used by Arab sea merchants and establishing a friendly regime in SIndh. The removal of Raja Dahir was seen necessary to fulfill these requirements.
> 
> War is a messy business, and tragedy is bound to strike. The battle between Raja Dahir and Muhammad bin Qasim was indeed no different. There is no doubt that following the fall of Raja Dahir, the Hindu minority may have been persecuted by not only the new Muslim rulers, but also the Buddhist majority. However, this is no different than what occurred following the fall of the Buddhist Rai dynasty of Sindh and the subsequent persecution of Buddhists (in particular the Jat tribe) from Raja Dahir and his Hindu minority. The sad fact is, this is how war was conducted back then…the victors usually suppressed and tormented the defeated. One could argue this still occurs today as well (ie. Treaty of Versailles).
> 
> I look forward to your feedback...






what is a brave leader who has no honor or morality? Who protects or turns a blind eye to pirates operating within his domain?
If there is no depth of light within, the outer bravado is just for the satisfaction of ones ego and nothing but extreme weakness and shallowness which the person tries to hide, but keeps feeling insecure about.

If he was a "man" he would have done what was right and taken care of his own back yard by taking responsibility of what is under his domain.

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## DESERT FIGHTER

El Sidd said:


> He must be your hero then


To the Sindhis he is a hero.

@Indus Priest King there is Dahri tribe in Sindh.. are they somehow related to Dahir?

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## lastofthepatriots

DESERT FIGHTER said:


> To the Sindhis he is a hero.
> 
> @Indus Priest King there is Dahri tribe in Sindh.. are they somehow related to Dahir?



He was an asshole. Local Jats and Rajputs were with Bin Qasim to take his *** out. Real politik as these nerds on this forum say.

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## DESERT FIGHTER

lastofthepatriots said:


> He was an asshole. Local Jats and Rajputs were with Bin Qasim to take his *** out. Real politik as these nerds on this forum say.



Being an asshol3 come with the territory.

Sindh has a glorious history of thousands of years as an independent state... and it’s own beautiful culture.

I’ve driven all around the province .. and found Sindhis to be very proud of it..

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## lastofthepatriots

DESERT FIGHTER said:


> Being an asshol3 come with the territory.
> 
> Sindh has a glorious history of thousands of years as an independent state... and it’s own beautiful culture.



You can rule without injustice. What do you think?

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## DESERT FIGHTER

lastofthepatriots said:


> You can rule without injustice. What do you think?


Depends ...

Adina Baig, (an Arian from peasant roots) become the most powerful man of Panjab in his time.. more powerful than the Mughal emperor ... tricking all .. Mughals,Sikhs and even paying the marathas to fight ... he got them all killed all for his benefit.

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## lastofthepatriots

DESERT FIGHTER said:


> Depends ...
> 
> Adina Baig, (an Arian from peasant roots) become the most powerful man of Panjab in his time.. more powerful than the Mughal emperor ... tricking all .. Mughals,Sikhs and even paying the marathas to fight ... he got them all killed all for his benefit.



What did he get out of it? Honestly?

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## DESERT FIGHTER

lastofthepatriots said:


> What did he get out of it? Honestly?



What does a monarch get ?

Philosophically.. nothing.. everybody goes to a fukin grave... with nothing but soil and maggots.

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## lastofthepatriots

DESERT FIGHTER said:


> What does a monarch get ?
> 
> Philosophically.. nothing.. everybody goes to a fukin grave... with nothing but soil and maggots.



Hooo. Apki paunch itni door jaa ri he? Chalo khair. I can discuss with you about this personally. I don't want to discuss in front of Indians. So if you think I am a retard, I don't mind bro. Take care and Khuda Hafez.

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## Signalian

Indus Priest King said:


> His purpose of invading Sindh was not to "*spread Islam*" but rather protecting shipping routes used by Arab sea merchants and establishing a friendly regime in SIndh. The removal of Raja Dahir was seen necessary to fulfill these requirements.


Auliya Allah, sent from different places, did a marvelous job of spreading Islam in sub-continent very conveniently.

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## DESERT FIGHTER

Signalian said:


> Auliya Allah, sent from different places, did a marvelous job of spreading Islam in sub-continent very conveniently.


That’s why you got Sufism and qawali.

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## Signalian

DESERT FIGHTER said:


> That’s why you got Sufism and qawali.


Sufism based on divine love was already from hazrat Owais Qarni R.A and Hazrat Bilal R.A, the music from beats of duff turned into qawali, and the essence of ishq remained.

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## Mamluk

Aditya Sahai said:


> Bin Qasim was later executed by caliph for failing to annexe Rajasthan



Blind nationalism.

Many close to Bin Qasim got killed who were not even remotely related to invasion of Sindh (or Rajasthan). It was purely internal political struggle.

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## fitpOsitive

Aditya Sahai said:


> Bin Qasim was later executed by caliph for failing to annexe Rajasthan


No sir. He was called back by the new caliph who was the enemy of his Uncle(chacha, who was also Muhammad bin Qasim's father in law).

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## Signalian

DESERT FIGHTER said:


> everybody goes to a fukin grave... with nothing but soil and maggots.



Assaaaan marna na hi Buleya
Gor piya koi horr


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## Tea addict

Crystal-Clear said:


> arabs want plains of punjab not the deserts of rajistan . they already had lots of deserts
> . their goal was punjab.


But they did sent some sort of force which was defeated by mihir bhoj or Gurjara Pratihara Dynasty.


lastofthepatriots said:


> He was an asshole. Local Jats and Rajputs were with Bin Qasim to take his *** out. Real politik as these nerds on this forum say.


Jats have always been anti Brahman as they can't accept any human to be superior than them. That's why most jats are either Sikhs or Muslims. Even hindu jata of Haryana, Rajasthan and west UP are of arya samaj sect or just don't accept brahmin superiority.
And there we're no Rajputs back then, Rajputs we're the group which became the strongest during collapse of gurjara pratiharas. That's why Gurjara and Rajputs have ethnic similarities.

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## Mamluk

Tea addict said:


> they can't accept any human to be superior than them



You just defined Brahmins.


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## newb3e

Aditya Sahai said:


> That was an excuse to cover up their failures.


khud bin qasim qasim na bataya?


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## Tea addict

[USER=25628]@xxx[/USER][{::::::::::::::::::> said:


> You just defined Brahmins.


No, Brahmins have always considered themselves superior and preached the same as they were the teachers, cleargy, diplomats and all.. Jats never considered Brahmins to be superior than themselves.

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## El Sidd

DESERT FIGHTER said:


> To the Sindhis he is a hero.
> 
> @Indus Priest King there is Dahri tribe in Sindh.. are they somehow related to Dahir?



Nobody knows man

History in These parts cant be trusted for more than 300 years

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## Qutb-ud-din Aybak

Aditya Sahai said:


> That was an excuse to cover up their failures.


muslims of that time never eecuted muslims for such reasons.
it was just internal politics. Even tariq bin zayad faced such consequences when he got involved in such politics.

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## Crystal-Clear

Tea addict said:


> But they did sent some sort of force which was defeated by mihir bhoj or Gurjara Pratihara Dynasty.
> .


may be it was a tinny part of massive campaign .


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## Arsalan 345

Muhammad bin qasim annexed Sindh just to protect shipping routes but you can't rule out his bravery.he was brave,he was smart and he established mosques.he is praised in muslim world because indirectly,he served the purpose and during his era,Islam was preached that's why we still called Sindh as the gate of islam.

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## dexter

Whatever the real truth was, to me from Muhammad bin Qasim to Mughals they are the reason behind Islam in this region and most of all they were muslims first than anything else.
We Pakistanis should be proud of them and promote and build monuments of them like anyother nation who praises their national heroes.Pakistan was made on basis of Islam not for any ethnic or racial superiorty which I usually see on this forum.
Muslim ummah may be died for you but not for me.By following the way of Our Prophet (S.A.W.) is it doesnt mean that we are following Arabs or obsessed with them, kindly get that stupid thought out of your minds.

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## Talwar e Pakistan

Taimoor Khan said:


> LOL where did you hear this trash? He was killed because of a woman.


That was false.



Indus Priest King said:


> ~ Raja Dahir vs Muhammad bin Qasim: The true story ~
> By Ancient Pakistan Facebook Page
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A lot has been written about Raja Dahir and Muhammad bin Qasim in Pakistan, yet most has come from the extreme fringes of the right and left wings, who seem to purposely skew, hide or blow facts out of proportion to fit their own political and religious narrative. To the right wing conservative extremists, Muhammad bin Qasim is a hero who defeated the evil Hindu tyrant Raja Dahir. To the left wing liberal extremists, Raja Dahir was a hero who attempted to defend his people from the evil rampaging Islamic warlord Muhammad bin Qasim. Fortunately, both these narratives are completely wrong.
> 
> Both Raja Dahir and Muhammad bin Qasim should be viewed equally from a correct historical perspective, and not from the damaged lenses of the extreme right and extreme left. So let's begin – we first need to understand the entire history of Sindh in a timeline. The Rai Dynasty and Chach Dynasty are intricately connected to one another and should be discussed. This timeline also should tell you that Raja Dahir was not the first ruler of Sindh…he was just a handful of rulers spread over a period of 3000 years.
> 
> * ~ Timeline of Sindh ~*
> Early Harappan Period c. 3300 – c. 2600 BCE
> Mature Harappan Period c. 2600 – c. 1900 BCE
> Late Harappan Period c. 1900 – c. 1500 BCE
> Vedic Sindhu Kingdom c. 1500 – c. 500 BCE
> Sattagydia (Persian Achaemenid Empire) c. 516 – c. 330 BCE
> Ror Dynasty, c. 489 – c. 450 BCE
> Gedrosia (Macedonian Empire) c. 323 – c. 312 BCE
> Mauryan Empire, c. 322 – c. 200 BCE
> Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, c. 190 – c. 140 BCE
> Indo-Greek Kingdom, c. 170 – c. 50 BCE
> Indo-Scythian Kingdom, c. 110 BCE – c. 95 CE
> Indo-Parthian Kingdom, c. 25 – c. 80 CE
> Kushan Empire, c. 60 – 345 CE
> Makuran (Sasanian Empire), c. 250 – 655 CE
> * > Rai Dynasty, c. 415 – 644 CE <
> > Chach (Brahman) Dynasty c. 641 - 725 CE <*
> Umayyad Caliphate c. 670 - 860 CE
> Habbari Dynasty c. 841 - 1024 CE
> Samma Dynasty c. 1351 - 1524 CE
> Arghun Dynasty c. 1520 - 1554 CE
> Tarkhan Dynasty c. 1554 - 1591 CE
> Thatta Subah (Mughal Empire) c. 1627 - c. 1707 CE
> Kalhora Dynasty c. 1701 - c. 1783 CE
> Talpur Dynasty c. 1783 - c. 1843 CE
> Sind (British Raj) c. 1843 - c. 1947 CE
> Sindh (Pakistan) c. 1947 - present
> 
> * ~ Rai Dynasty ~*
> The Rai Dynasty was a Buddhist kingdom that ruled Sindh from 524 to 632 AD (CE). This was the first Sindhi kingdom to be established in over 800 years – the last being the Ror dynasty. Their rise to power came at a time of shifting political scenes in the Indus Valley, with the wane of Sassanian influence in the wake of the Hepthalite (White Hun) invasions. During this period, five emperors would rise to power, who were said to be great patrons of Buddhism. They included
> 
> Rai Diwa
> Rai Sahiras
> Rai Sahasi
> Rai Sahiras II – died battling the King of Nimroz
> Rai Sahasi II – died of unknown illness
> 
> The influence of the Rai's extended from Kashmir in the north, Makran and Debal (Karachi) in the south and the Kandahar, Sulaiman, Ferdan and Kikanan hills in the west. Buddhism was the main religion of this dynasty and of the Indus Valley for over 500 years up until this point, while Hinduism was a minority. The Battle of Rasil in 644 played a crucial role in their decline, which resulted in the Makran coast being annexed by the Rashidun Caliphate. The chronicle of Chach Nama describes the final demise of the Rai dynasty and the ascent of Chach of Alor to the throne. Chach, a Brahmin Hindu, rose to a position of influence under Rai Sahiras II and reportedly may have served as a “Vice Minister” of the dynasty. When Rai Sahasi II died, Suhandi (widow of the Rai) confided to Chach that the throne would pass to other relatives of the dying King in absence of any direct heir to the kingdom – and hence Rana Maharath, the king of Chittor and younger brother of Rai Sahasi II, would be next in line. However, unbeknownst to all, both Suhandi and Chach were supposedly "secret lovers". Suhandi had declared her love for the Chach years earlier, but the Chach refused to betray Rai Sahasi II as long as he was alive. They consequently kept secret the news of the king's death until claimants to the throne were killed. Following the purge, Chach declared himself ruler of Sindh and later married Suhandi. This ended the Rai Dynasty and thus began the Chach (Brahman) Dynasty in 632 AD.
> 
> * ~ Brahman (Chach) Dynasty ~*
> Rana Maharath , who was not present during the purge, challenged Chach’s claim to the throne in 640 AD. According to Chach Nama, Maharath, seeing that his army was making little headway, devised a sly strategy of challenging Chach to a one-on-one duel. Maharath took advantage of the fact that as a trained warrior and would naturally have a decisive advantage over Chach, who was a court administrator with very little combat training. Chach, knowing he could not refuse a duel without appearing weak, realized that he could only win by tricking Maharath. Chach claimed that he could not fight on horseback as he was not a trained horseman and suggested that they both fight on foot. Maharath readily agreed knowing that he would have the overwhelming advantage at close quarters. The two dismounted to engage in a duel, but Chach remounted upon his horse and killed Maharath by chopping his head off with a sword. With Maharath now out of the picture, Chach was in complete control of Sindh,
> 
> * ~~ Public Perception of Chach ~~*
> Not much is known about how Chach was viewed by the general population; however, it is known that several regions in the dynasty attempted to secede following the rise of Chach to the throne. The Chach was a Brahmin Hindu, yet the majority of the populations were Buddhists, which may have played a part in the distrust. Furthermore, the purge of loyal followers of Rai Sahasi II and the killing of his brother, did not help matters further for the Chach, who was increasingly viewed as a tyrant, rather than a King.
> 
> * ~~ Secession Threats ~~*
> Chach viewed the threat of secession as an insult and enlisted the help of his brother Chandar. He launched a campaign against the revolting autonomous regions along the River Beas in Punjab at Iskandah and Sikkah. It was a decisive victory for the Chach - 5000 men were killed, while the remainder became prisoners of war, of which a significant number of these captives would be enslaved. After his victory, he appointed a Thakur to govern from Multan, and used his army to settle boundary disputes in Kashmir. Chach also conquered Siwistan, but allowed its chief, Mutta, to remain as its king.
> 
> * ~~ Suppression of Buddhists ~~*
> Later, he established the writ of his power in Buddhist majority region within Sindh, which were resisting Chach – these efforts culminated in a battle at Brahmanabad, in which the region's Buddhist governor, Agham Lohana, was killed. Chach remained in Brahmanabad for a year to cement his authority. In order to prevent any future mutiny against his reign, Chach equaled the social status of the ruling family of Lohana to Shidr, the lowest class of society. They were prohibited to wear silk, ride horses or worship at any temples. Chach also took Agham's widow as his second wife.
> 
> Not only were the Lohana family targeted but also the Jat tribe. Jat’s were originally farmers from Sindh and held the status of “Vish”, which was above the “Shidr” class. Following the rise of Chach, these Jat farmers were declared “Shidr”. They were also prohibited from entering temples and heavy taxes were imposed on them. The extent of cruelty towards Jats is not fully understood – it is possible that the Jats were one of the largest resistance to the Chach’s initial rise to power, which may have led to the cruel treatment.
> 
> * ~~ Dynasty Expansion ~~*
> From Brahmanabad, Chach invaded Sassanid territory through the town of Armanbelah, marching from Turan to Kandahar. He exacted tributes from the latter before returning. Chach died in 671, and his brother Chandar took the throne until 679 temporarily, while Dahir was being groomed. In 679, Dahir (son of Chach) took the throne.
> 
> Chach (632 – 671 AD )
> Chandar (671 – 679 AD )
> Dahir (679 – 712 AD – from Alor)
> 
> * ~~ Declining Law & Order ~~*
> During this transition period from Chach to Dahir, law and order in the dynasty appears to have eroded away. This had several consequences both domestically and internationally by 680 AD. Domestically, the peripheral territories, which Chach had captured, were again threatening to secede and made the dynasty vulnerable to attack from foreign powers.
> 
> * ~~ Piracy in the Arabian Sea ~~*
> Internationally, piracy was becoming huge issue. Pirated raids off the coast of Debal (Karachi) resulted in gifts to the Umayyad caliph from the king of Serendib (Sri Lanka) being stolen. The coast of Sindh has always been a major shipping route (and still is today). The Meds, a tribe of Scythians living in Sindh, had pirated earlier upon Sassanid shipping in the past, from the mouth of the Tigris to the Sri Lankan coast, and now were able to prey on Arab shipping from their bases at Kutch and Debal (Karachi) with ease. This led to Arabs putting Raja Dahir on “notice”.
> 
> * ~~ Muhammad Haris Allafi Betrayal ~~*
> During this same period, Muhammad Haris Allafi (possibly a general) had killed the governor of Makran, which at that time was under Umayyad control. Dahir allied himself with Muhammad Haris Allafi, and granted refuge to Allafi and his troops as they had become self-exiled from Makran. Coupled with the piracy occurring in the Arabian Sea and refuge to Allafi, the governor of Basra, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, tasked an expedition to eliminate Raja Dahir, as be was becoming a nuisance to them.
> 
> * ~~ Siharas of Kannauj Invasion ~~*
> Prior to the Arab invasion however, another invasion took place in 687 AD. The Siharas of Kannauj (King Ramal) of a Rajput dynasty based in the Ganges plain, attacked Raja Dahir for reasons not fully understood. Some claim the Siharas of Kannauj was attempting to take control of valuble Indus territory, while others claim it was done to repel the declining law and order situation from spreading into Kannauj’s territory. Regardless, Dahir was able to defend his territory – Dahir’s army along with Muhammad Haris Allafi and his soldiers fought against the Siharas of Kannauj and repelled the invading forces.
> 
> * ~~ Muhammad bin Qasim ~~*
> Muhammad bin Qasim was an orphan and the governor of Basra, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, was his paternal uncle and his teacher of warfare and governing. Muhammad bin Qasim was highly intelligent who at the age of 15 was considered by many to be one of his uncle’s greatest assets. Hajjaj’s complete trust in Muhammad’s abilities as a general became even more apparent when he appointed the young man as the commander of the all-important invasion on Sindh.
> 
> * ~~ Invasion ~~*
> Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan granted a large army of 6000 troops, 3000 camels and a sea artillery of equal strength to the governor Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf for his invasion of Sindh. The argument for the invasion was not because Raja Dahir was a “Hindu” but rather the tyranny Raja Dahir was implementing around the region – the pirated raids of Arab sea merchants, the refuge of Muhammad Haris Allafi and the general resentment of Raja Dahir from the Buddhist majority in Sindh seemed to have tempted the Arabs to make a move as soon as possible. Seventeen-year-old Muhammad bin Qasim was put in charge as general of the campaign.
> 
> Muhammad bin Qasim, as mentioned, was intelligent, under understood that many within the Chach dynasty were not in favour of Raja Dahir – hence the policy was generally one of enlisting and co-opting support from defectors and defeated lords and forces.
> 
> In 711 AD, Muhammad bin Qasim marched upon Debal by way of Shiras via Makran. On orders of Hajjaj, he freed earlier captives and prisoners from the previous failed campaign against Raja Dahir. From Debal, his troops, along with freed prisoners and local tribes of Debal moved on to Nerun (near Hyderabad). The city's Buddhist governor supported the Caliphate’s campaign against Raja Dahir and offered to support Muhammad bin Qasim’s campaign to remove Dahir from power. Qasim's army and allied supporters and defectors then moved on to Siwistan (Sehwan), where again he was received warmly and received allegiances from several tribal chiefs. After securing the surrounding regions, Muhammad bin Qasim’s combined forces captured the fort at Sisam, and secured the region west of the Indus River in Sindh.
> 
> Muhammad bin Qasim was very well aware of the need to enlist the support of local tribes, as the campaign would not be successful without them. With the Meds tribe and Buddhist rulers of Nerun, Bajhra, Kaka Kolak and Siwistan as infantry to his predominantly-mounted army.
> 
> Dahir then tried to prevent Qasim from crossing the Indus River to his eastern domain, moving his forces to its eastern banks. Muhammad Harris Alafi served in the capacity of a military advisor to Raja Dahir, but refused to take active part in the campaign against Muhammad bin Qasim. Eventually, however, Qasim crossed and defeated forces at Jitor led by Jaisiah (Dahir's son). Qasim fought Dahir at Raor (near modern day Nawabshah) in 712 AD, killing him. After Dahar was killed in the Battle of Aror on the banks of the Indus River, his head was sent to Hajjaj bin Yousuf. Muhammad Harris Alafi was also captured, however, since he refused to take part in a campaign against Qasim, he would later secure a pardon from the Caliph.
> 
> * ~~ Post Raja Dahir ~~*
> Conflicting theories begin after the fall of Raja Dahir and this is where identity and religious politics really take off. Indian historian Upendra Thakur says that the Muslims persecuted Hindus after the fall of Raja Dahir. In a subsequent communication, Hajjaj ingeminated that all able-bodied men were to be killed, and that their underage sons and daughters were to be imprisoned and retained as hostages. Qasim obeyed, and on his arrival to Brahminabad killed between 6000 and 16,000 of the defending forces.
> 
> Thakur writes “When Muhammad Kasim invaded Sind in 711 AD, Hinduism had no resistance to offer to their fire and steel. The rosary could not be a match for the sword and the terms Love and Peace had no meaning to them. They carried fire and sword wherever they went and obliterated all that came their way. Muhammad triumphantly marched into the country, conquering Debal, Sehwan, Nerun, Brahmanadabad, Alor and Multan one after the other in quick succession, and in less than a year and a half, the far-flung Hindu kingdom was crushed, the great civilization fell back and Sind entered the darkest period of its history. There was a fearful outbreak of religious bigotry in several places and temples were wantonly desecrated. At Debal, the Nairun and Aror temples were demolished and converted into mosques. Resistors were put to death and women made captives. The Jizya was exacted with special care. Hindus were required to feed Muslim travelers for three days and three nights.”
> 
> Other historians and archaeologists such as J E Lohuizen-de Leeuw offers another explanation.
> 
> He writes “In fact, we have clear evidence that the Arabs were very tolerant towards the Hindus during the rest of the campaign and throughout the time they ruled Sind...Of course that does not mean that no monuments were ever destroyed, for war always means a certain amount of damage to buildings but it does prove that there was no wanton and systematic destruction of each and every religious Center of the Hindus in Sindh”
> 
> * ~ Conclusion ~*
> The purpose of this post was not to blame one particular person or religion either, but rather to clear up misconceptions of both Raja Dahir and Muhammad bin Qasim. Both were brave leaders who fought valiantly.
> 
> Raja Dahir seems to have inherited a lot of trouble from his father Chach. Instead of learning from previous mistakes, he seemed to have learned from his father, and continued making mistakes. This not only alienated the Buddhist majority, but also caught the ire of Rajpur King Ramal of Kannauj and eventually the Arabs, which eventually led to his demise in 712 AD.
> 
> Muhammad bin Qasim's on the other hand is not this brave "Islamic hero" as he is being portrayed in Pakistan. His purpose of invading Sindh was not to "spread Islam" but rather protecting shipping routes used by Arab sea merchants and establishing a friendly regime in SIndh. The removal of Raja Dahir was seen necessary to fulfill these requirements.
> 
> War is a messy business, and tragedy is bound to strike. The battle between Raja Dahir and Muhammad bin Qasim was indeed no different. There is no doubt that following the fall of Raja Dahir, the Hindu minority may have been persecuted by not only the new Muslim rulers, but also the Buddhist majority. However, this is no different than what occurred following the fall of the Buddhist Rai dynasty of Sindh and the subsequent persecution of Buddhists (in particular the Jat tribe) from Raja Dahir and his Hindu minority. The sad fact is, this is how war was conducted back then…the victors usually suppressed and tormented the defeated. One could argue this still occurs today as well (ie. Treaty of Versailles).
> 
> I look forward to your feedback...


Raja Dahir was not even supported by his own people, his father was a Usurper who murdered the Buddhist King. He persecuted various tribes who were hostile to Brahminism such as the Jatts. That is why his own people turned against him when the time came.



Tea addict said:


> No, Brahmins have always considered themselves superior and preached the same as they were the teachers, cleargy, diplomats and all.. Jats never considered Brahmins to be superior than themselves.


Not only Jatts, almost all of the tribes in Punjab and Sindh. This tradition goes back to thousands and thousands of years.

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## Indus Priest King

^^ That's what I've written in my story.

Also, Chachnama tells the story of why bin Qasim died. He wasn't killed, but was ordered to wrap himself in leather and return to Damasuc upon the Caliph's orders. This was presumably done because the daughters of Raja Dahir (who were captured and taken to Damascus accused bin Qasim of raping them).


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## Talwar e Pakistan

Indus Priest King said:


> ^^ That's what I've written in my story.
> 
> Also, Chachnama tells the story of why bin Qasim died. He wasn't killed, but was ordered to wrap himself in leather and return to Damasuc upon the Caliph's orders. This was presumably done because the daughters of Raja Dahir (who were captured and taken to Damascus accused bin Qasim of raping them).


Chachnama is not really accurate on many things, the story of him being killed for supposed rape is not true.

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## Indus Priest King

Talwar e Pakistan said:


> Chachnama is not really accurate on many things, the story of him being killed for supposed rape is not true.



Well then what is true? There's conflicting details about what happened after the fall of Raja Dahir. Anyone of them could be true.


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## Taimur Khurram

Jaanbaz said:


> "I am going to meet the Arabs in the open battle, and fight them as best as I can. If I crush them, my kingdom will then be put on a firm footing. But if I am killed honourably, the event will be recorded in the books of Arabia and India, and will be talked about by great men. It will be heard by other kings in the world, and it will be said that Raja Dahir of Sindh sacrificed his precious life for the sake of his country, in fighting with the enemy."
> 
> Raja Dahir



Jokes on him, we all loathe him and love Qasim.

Islam zindabad!



Aditya Sahai said:


> Bin Qasim was later executed by caliph for failing to annexe Rajasthan



No, he was executed during the Abbasid revolution because his uncle was a terrible person, and they didn't want Qasim exacting revenge. 

Please, don't try to tell us Muslims about our history.



lastofthepatriots said:


> He was an asshole. Local Jats and Rajputs were with Bin Qasim to take his *** out. Real politik as these nerds on this forum say.



Asalamu Alaikum

Plenty of Baluchis, Gujjars and defectors from Dahirs side also tagged along, to the point where his army was literally swelling with them. 

But apparently supporting the Ummayads makes you an Arab slave, as per the liberals on this forum.



Tea addict said:


> But they did sent some sort of force which was defeated by mihir bhoj or Gurjara Pratihara Dynasty.



And then the Ghaznavids came and screwed them up.

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## Jaanbaz

dsr478 said:


> Jokes on him, we all loathe him and love Qasim.



He wasn't a great King, he alienated local Buddhists who joined with Muhammad Bin Qasim. But Mohammad Bin Qasim was no hero either, he massacred town full of Hindus and took their women as slave, I guess that must be why you love him so much. Not much difference between him and ISIS.


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## Taimur Khurram

Jaanbaz said:


> He wasn't a great King, he alienated local Buddhists who joined with Muhammad Bin Qasim. But Mohammad Bin Qasim was no hero either, he massacred town full of Hindus and took their women as slave, I guess that must be why you love him so much. Not much difference between him and ISIS.



Typical Pakistani liberal, when all else fails, pull the ISIS card even if it's not at all relevant to the subject at hand.

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## Reichsmarschall

Jaanbaz said:


> "I am going to meet the Arabs in the open battle, and fight them as best as I can. If I crush them, my kingdom will then be put on a firm footing. But if I am killed honourably, the event will be recorded in the books of Arabia and India, and will be talked about by great men. It will be heard by other kings in the world, and it will be said that Raja Dahir of Sindh sacrificed his precious life for the sake of his country, in fighting with the enemy."
> 
> Raja Dahir



other than afew dozen desi liberals suffering from identity crisis you are not hero of anybody 
you were an oppressor and will be remembered as such

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## Indus Priest King

Jaanbaz said:


> He wasn't a great King, he alienated local Buddhists who joined with Muhammad Bin Qasim. But Mohammad Bin Qasim was no hero either, he massacred town full of Hindus and took their women as slave, I guess that must be why you love him so much. Not much difference between him and ISIS.



_“In fact, we have clear evidence that the Arabs were very tolerant towards the Hindus during the rest of the campaign and throughout the time they ruled Sind...Of course that does not mean that no monuments were ever destroyed, for war always means a certain amount of damage to buildings but it does prove that there was no wanton and systematic destruction of each and every religious Center of the Hindus in Sindh” _- J E Lohuizen-de Leeuw, Historian

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## Lucky Breeze

Raja Dahir was a true desi liberal "Meri behan, meri marzi".

MBQ was a conservative extremist " Ghairat ky naam py larny aa gya".

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## khanmubashir

Aditya Sahai said:


> It was because they attacked again and failed with a few decades.


Qasim attacked sindh at age of 17-18 and the conquest and securing of sindh took few years and right after that due to change of caliphate he was executed on basis of some woman a tool to malign and degrade political opponents still today he didn't had time nor attacked rajhishtan 

And even so conquest of such large land of sindh by 17 year kid is admirable By any measure of military history 



Indus Priest King said:


> Well then what is true? There's conflicting details about what happened after the fall of Raja Dahir. Anyone of them could be true.


A smart guy like Qasim won't be stupid to. Send damaged merchandise to the new caliph who is very against his family
Obviously the daughters were used as a ploy to kill him


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## Lucky Breeze




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## El Sidd

Raja Dahir statue should be bigger and air conditioned than Ranjeet Singh. 

Statue wars !!


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## MayaBazar

El Sidd said:


> Raja Dahir statue should be bigger and air conditioned than Ranjeet Singh.
> 
> Statue wars !!



Punjabhis should be have Ranjeet Singh's statues

Sindhi's should have Raja Dahir's statues

Pushtuns should have Ahmad Shah Durrani's statues


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## El Sidd

MayaBazar said:


> Punjabhis should be have Ranjeet Singh's statues
> 
> Sindhi's should have Raja Dahir's statues
> 
> Pushtuns should have Ahmad Shah Durrani's statues



You still know very little about Balochistan do you now. Shame that you go faking them online


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## W.11

Indus Priest King said:


> Makuran (Sasanian Empire), c. 250 – 655 CE



Sasanians never controlled sindh, it was infact gupta empire which controlled it.

regards


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## El Sidd

Saint Dahir Day should be a holiday in Sindh


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