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Shahi Dynasty
This Dynasty came to power post the decline of the Kushan Empire. The period of Shahi Dynasty rule in India is divided into two eras – the Buddhist Shahi era and the Hindu Shahi era, wherein the rulers embracing Hinduism approximately during 870 AD, a prominent move to mark a shift from Buddhism followed by the early rulers in the dynasty
The Shahi rulers belonged to the Hindu Kambhoj Kshatriya caste and are distantly connected to either the Gandharas or the Ashvaka clan of the Kambhojas. They ruled with Kapisa/Kabul as their capital city with Uttarapatha as their secondary capital.
Origins
The first of the Hindu Shahi dynasty was established in 870 AD by Kallar and is mentioned in all historic evidences as belonging to a Brahmin community. Hindu Shahi is predominantly used as titular reference to the dynasty and not as a reference to the origins or clan of the rulers. The boundaries of the Hindu Shahi kingdom were defined by Hindu Kingdom of Kashmir in the north, Muslim Emirates of Multan and Mansura in the south, Rajput Kingdoms in the east and Abbasid Caliphate in the West.
The Hindu Shahi kings engaged in a face-off with the Yamini Turks of Ghazni in a move to gain power over the eastern parts of the present Afghanistan. Though they were successful in recapturing Kabul from the successors of Saffarids, however, with the growing Muslim aggression, Hindu Shahi dynasty lost all the land to the west of the Indus River. There are evidences of strong relations between the Hindu Shahis and the Kashmiri kings through various alliances – both through political efforts and marital relationships.
The Dynasty
In AD 964, Maharajadiraja Jayapala ascended to the throne upon the death of the incumbent king Bhima, a Brahmin Shahi king. The ascension of Maharajadiraja Jayapala to the throne marked the advent of the Janjua Shahi dynasty in the kingdom. Maharajadiraja Jayapala is one of the most revered kings of the dynasty and was known to have fearlessly fought the attacks from the Turkic rulers to protect his kingdom.
Maharajadiraja Anandpal, son of Maharajadiraja Jayapala, assumed the responsibilities as a king after the death of his father. Though he was a valiant warrior himself, he was not able to successfully protect the kingdom from the attacks of Ghaznavids. He was forced to sign a treaty with Ghaznavid Empire to protect the kingdom from further damage and died shortly thereafter.
Maharaja Trilochanpal, son of Anandpal, ascended to the throne after his father’s death and was able to successfully expand the kingdom’s boundaries into the Shivalik mountain ranges. He fought against the Sultan Muhamud by breaching the treaty signed by his father and later assassinated by his own troops following a mutiny. Trilochanpal’s son, Bheempal ruled for five years and is touted as the last ruler of the Shahi Dynasty. His successors later served as generals in the kingdom of Kashmir.
Art & Culture
There was no major contribution to art and culture during the Shahi dynasty rule. Most of the time, the kings were engaged in protecting the kingdom from the foreign aggression. However, there are much folklore in existence that describes the bravery and the courage of the rulers of the Shahi Dynasty.