The Hindu Shahi of Chronicles: The Evolution of a Historical Identity in South Asia
Abstract
This paper gives a critical overview of the historical underpinning of the so-called Hindu Shahi dynasty by examining the well-known related chronicles and their consumption in its development. Hindu Shahi, a dynasty, historically known for their battles with the Ghaznavids invasions of India in early 11th Century, leading to their decline. According to Al-Biruni, a Muslim scholar of Indology (circa 1030 CE), they governed regions including the modern Kabul Valley and the Vale of Peshawar. He recorded them as “Indian Shahi”. According to a mid-12th-century account by Kalhana of Kashmir in Rajatarangini, they are referred to as the “Shahis of Udhabanda”, modern town of Hund on the Indus River in the Vale of Peshawar. There does not seem any rigorous scrutiny ever employed to the overall interpretation issues and their understanding in the this regard. These are the very concerns that could have been developed under the then theoretical concepts of archaeology and potentially needs realignment in the present understanding of the period.
Keywords: Hindu Shahi, Ghaznavid, Odi Shahi, Turki Shahi, History of Pakistan, Hund, Kalhana, Rajatarangini, Al-Biruni.
