Raja Dahir

Raja Dahir
Raja
Full name	Dahir Sen
Born	661 AD
Died	712 AD
Predecessor	Chandra
Successor	Muhammad Bin Qasim
Dynasty	Brahmin Dynasty
Father	Chach of Alor
Mother	Rani Suhanadi (Former wife of Rai Sahasi)
Religious beliefs	Hinduism

 

Reign in the Chach Nama

The Chach Nama is the oldest chronicles of the Arab conquest of Sindh. It was translated in Persian by Muhammad Ali bin Hamid bin Abu Bakr Kufi in 1216 CE^[2] from an earlier Arabic text believed to have been written by the Thaqafi family (relatives of Muhammad bin Qasim). It is considered a romance until Mountstuart Elphinstone's observations of its historical accuracy.

The Chach Nama describes Raja Dahir as a Pushkarna Brahmin king, son of Chach of Aror, who ascended the throne at the death of his uncle Chandar. Dahir's sister, Dahar, grew up in Aror with their elder brother Dahar-Sena (who arranged her marriage to King Sohan of Bhatia). She then moved to the capital, Aror, with Dahir before her marriage. However, to avoid a prophecy that his husband would rule a strong kingdom from his capital at Aror, Dahir is reported to have married her; the marriage resulted in severe criticism and a conflict with their brother, Dahar-Sena.^[3] Dahar-Sena assembled an army and marched on Dahir, because died of sunstroke while besieging Dahir at Aror. Dahir then subdued the area, consolidating his base of support base by executing his nephew Chach (Dahar-Sena's son). He married his brother widow, who was the sister of Sarhand Lohanah (a chieftain who commanded the allegiance of several Jat tribes).

Eight years later, Dahir's kingdom was invaded by Ramal at Kannauj. After initial lose, the enemy advanced on Aror and he allied himself with Alafi, an Arab. Alafi and his warriors (who were exiled from the Umayyad caliph) were recruited; they led Dahir's armies in repelling the invading forces, remaining as valued members of Dahir's court. In are later war with the caliphate, however, Alafi served as a military advisor but refused to take an active part in the campaign; as a result, he later obtained a pardon from the caliph.

War with the Umayyads

The primary reason cited in the Chach Nama for the expedition by the governor of Basra, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, against Raja Dahir was a pirate raid off the coast of Debal resulting in gifts to the caliph from the king of Serendib (modern Sri Lanka) being stolen.^[4] The chronicles reports that when he heard about the matter, Hajjaj write a letter to Dahir and launched a military expedition when no resolution could be reached. Other reasons for the Umayyad interest in a foothold in the Makran,Balochistan and Sindh regions were the participation of Sindhi's armies with the Persians in battles (such as those atNahawand, Salasal and Qādisiyyah) and granting refuge to fleeing rebel chieftains.

First campaign

The first force was led by Badil bin Tuhfa and landed at Nerun Kot (modern Hyderabad), where it was supported by Abdullah bin Nahban (governor of Makran). It was, however, defeated at Debal (modern Karachi).

Second campaign

Hajaj's next campaign was launched under the aegis of Muhammad bin Qasim. In 711 bin Qasim attacked at Debal and, on orders of Al-Hajjaj, freed the earlier captives and prisoners from the previous (failed) campaign. Other than this instance, the policy was generally one of enlisting and co-opting support from defectors and defeated lords and forces. From Debal Hajaj moved on to Nerun for supplies; the city's Buddhist governor had acknowledged it as a tributary of the Caliphate after the first campaign, and capitulated to the second. Qasim's armies then captured Siwistan (Sehwan) received allegiance from several tribal chiefs and secured the surrounding regions. His combined forces captured the fort at Sisam, and secured the region west of the Indus River.

The Chach Nama describes rule by successors of the Rai Dynasty as characterized by persecution of Buddhists, Jats andMeds from the time of Chach; a prophecy of Raja Dahir's fall encouraged defections to bin Qasim's army. Sociologist U.T. Thakur suggested a more complex dynamic: Hinduism (the religion of the dominant castes), Buddhism (the religion of the lower castes) and high Buddhists were descended from Bactrian migrants. The king was a Brahmin, and the majority of his advisers were from his family. The ruler of Alor (a Jat) professed Buddhism. Nonetheless, there was a sense of "ideological dualism" between them; Thakur considered this the inherent weakness exploited by the Arabs when they invaded the region.^[5]

By enlisting the support of local tribes (such as the Jats, Meds and Bhuttos) and Buddhist rulers of Nerun, Bajhra, Kaka Kolak and Siwistan as infantry to his predominantly-mounted army, Muhammad bin Qasim defeated Dahir and captured his eastern territories for the Umayyad Caliphate.

Dahir then tried to prevent Qasim from crossing the Indus River, moving his forces to its eastern banks. Eventually, however, Qasim crossed and defeated forces at Jitor led by Jaisiah (Dahir's son). Qasim fought Dahir at Raor (near modern Nawabshah) in 712, killing him; Dahir's wife immolated herself (with other women in her household) in accordance with the Hindu tradition ofJauhar.

After the death of Caliph Walid I, Muhammed bin Qasim end was more tragic than that of general Musa bin Nusayr. Muhammed bin Qasim was a nephew of Hajjaj bin Yusuf, governor of Iraq. The new caliph, Sulaiman, disliked Hajjaj; however, the latter died before Sulaiman could punish him. The caliph then turned against Hajjaj’s relatives, and Muhammed bin Qasim was dismissed and sent back to Iraq. The new governor of Iraq, Saleh bin Abdur Rahman, hated Hajjaj because the latter had killed Saleh’s brother. Saleh also turned against Hajjaj’s relatives; Muhammed bin Qasim was arrested and imprisoned because of his relationship to Hajjaj. In prison, he was blinded, tortured and murdered.