History of Hinduism in Afghanistan

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Medieval Kabul Shahi 565–879 Principality of Chaghaniyan 7th–8th centuries Rashidun Caliphate 652–661 Umayyads 661–750 Abbasids 750–821 Tahirids 821–873 Saffarids 863–900 Samanids 875–999 Ghaznavids 963–1187 Ghurids before 879–1215 Seljuks 1037–1194 Khwarezmids 1215–1231 Mongol Invasion 1219–1226 Chagatai Khanate 1226–1245 Qarlughids 1224–1266 Ilkhanate 1256–1335 Kartids 1245–1381 Timurids 1370–1507 Arghuns 1520–1591
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The history of Hinduism in Afghanistan can be traced from the Ancient times, earlier than 34,000 years old.^[1] Hinduism has been said to have begun to flourish in the region during the Bronze Age and Indus Valley Civilisation, when the Gandhara was a mahajanapada.^[2] The religion has seen a further expansion during the Aryan expansion into Mesopotamia and the Medean rule from 1500–551 BCE. They includes notably the Gandhari people.^[A] After that Zoroastrianism and Buddhism also flourished in the region due to the influence of Maurya and Achaemenid Empire.^[4] Under the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, the Greco and Gandharan Buddhism also influenced the Afghan region.^[5] Since then, many empires have risen from Afghanistan, including the Kushans, Hephthalites, Saffarids, Samanids and Hindu Shahi have been seen to be made on Hindu culture of the land.^[6]

After the muslim conquests of Afghanistan and defeat on Jayapala by Turk Shahis and annexation of land under the Rashidun Caliphate, the rise of Islam in Afghanistan has been at the expense of Hindus and Buddhists in the region.^[7] There were several invasion of Mongols and Ghaznavids were seen. Hinduism in Afghanistan was revived after the Battle of Nowshera and annexation of the land under the Sikh Empire by Hari Singh Nalwa, along with the Sikhism.^[8]

After the 17th-century after the establishment of Afghanistan by the Hotak dynasty, most of the Hindus were indulge in the upper positions and business works.^[9] The main ethnic groups in Afghanistan which practice Hinduism today are the Punjabis and Sindhis who are believed to have come along with Sikhs as merchants to Afghanistan in the 19th century. Till the collapse of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, there were several thousand Hindus living in the country but today their number is only about 1,000. Most of the others immigrated to India, the European Union, North America or elsewhere.^[10]

Ancient history[]

Pre-historic era[]

There are no official sources for correct dates of flourishment of Hinduism in Afghanistan, though it is believed that earlier before the introduction of modern form of Hinduism the Afghans used to follow the Surya worship, and Paganism that was influenced by the Hinduism. They were used to be the farmers and animal herders.^[B]

Indus Valley civilization[]

According to the archaeologists, the Indus Valley civilisation was the time when the Hindu religion flourished in the Afghanistan and was mainly followed by the people living in the Hindu Kush and the modern-day Afghania. An Indus Valley site has been found on the Oxus River at Shortugai in northern Afghanistan.^[12] The early form of Hinduism was mainly followed by the Nuristanis.^[A] The Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex became prominent between 2200 and 1700 BCE (approximately). The city of Balkh (Bactra) was founded about this time (c. 2000–1500 BCE) and was believed that through this Hinduism spread to middle east with minor and small colonies there.^[13]

Indo-Aryan migration[]

Mahajanapadas, c. 500 BCE.

Between 2000–1200 BCE, a branch of Indo-European-speaking tribes known as the Aryans began migrating into the region. This is part of a dispute in regards to the Indo-Aryan migration.^[A] The Avesta is believed to have been composed possibly as early as 1800 BCE and written in ancient Ariana (Aryana), the earliest name of Afghanistan which indicates an early link with today's Iranian tribes to the west, or adjacent regions in Central Asia or northeastern Iran in the 6th-century BCE. The Indo-Aryan tribes were known to have Rigvedic tribe and have followed the Rigvedic religion.^[14] The Indo-Aryan inhabitants of the region including Pashayi and Nuristanis were known to be followers of the Hinduism.^[C] The Pashtuns were also considered to have the Vedic ancestors of the Pakthas,^[D] though there have been claims of Pashtuns to be the ancestors of 10 lost tribes of Israelites.

Gandhara Empire[]

The Gandhāran Buddhist texts have been found as a source of existence of Hinduism and was also found in the Rigveda.^[17] The Buddhism was also seen flourished and most of the Buddhists were converted from Hinduism.^{[citation needed]} The Mahabharata characters of Shakuni and Gandhari were known to be from the Gandhara Empire.^[18] The inhabitants of the empire were called as the Gandharvas and were described as Gandharis having their lineage from Hindu text, Rig Vedas.^[19] Gandharvas were well versed in music and art. This explains why there is much Gandhara influence in Indian Classical Music.^[20] The Yadava chief Bala Rama (brother of Krishna) also describes the interaction between the Gandharva and people of Indus valley.^[21]

Maurya Empire[]

The Maurya Empire contributed significantly in the art in the nation which was mainly based on the Hindu and Buddhist art. The wars of Alexander and Seleucus I Nicator with the Seleucid–Mauryan war have significantly contributed in the religious and cultural diversity of the nation.^[22][23]

Classical period[]

Vishnu Nicolo Seal representing Vishnu with a worshipper (probably Mihirakula), 4th–6th century CE.

The Hinduism has seen many changes and religious expansions and changes during the Classical history period of Afghanistan from c. 250 BCE–565 CE and had seen a good relationship.^[24] The reason for this is that both Hinduism and Buddhism have common roots, and over most of their history have not been seen as separate communions, but rather rival tendencies within a shared religious tradition.^[25] There had several kingdom in the land during that period including the Hellenistic kingdom including the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, Indo-Greek Kingdom and other including the Indian empire, Indo-Parthians and other regional including the Hephthalite Empire and Hun Empire.^[26] The Hinduism seen a revival in Afghanistan after the Kushan Empire and mainly after the Gupta Empire leading to Greater India and the Indianisation of the Afghan Hindus.^[27]

There were several Hindu Temples and seals were created and used by the emperors and kings depicting Hindu deities and there are also seen a lot of art and heritage of Hindus mainly in Gandhara and Ghazni region.^[28]

Middle Ages[]

Hindu deity, Ganesha, in Gardez, Afghanistan.

From the Middle Ages to around 1750, Afghanistan was part of Iran.^[E] This was the times of increase in Hindus in the country and the time when country came in its existence of modern form.^[30] During this time the Hinduism was at the peak under the Kabul Shahis and Hindu Shahi, before the Islamic conquest of India and Afghanistan.^[31]

Islamic conquest[]

In 642 CE, the Rashidun Caliphate made conquest in Afghanistan as an early part of Muslim conquest.^[32] The Turk Shahis under Rashidun Caliphate made Afghanistan, a vessal territory under which the Hindus and Buddhist have to pay the "Jizya". Buddhist and Zoroastrians were considered as the "people of book" (or 'kitabi'), while Hindus were known to be idol-worshipper.^[33] Then after the conquest the population of Hindus and Buddhists start declining very quickly, accompanied by a sharp increase in the population of Muslims.

Kabul Shahi[]

The Kabul Shahi dynasties ruled the Kabul Valley and Gandhara from the decline of the Kushan Empire in the 3rd century to the early 9th century.^[34] The Kabul Shahis were the Turkic migration to the Afghanistan, who were Muslims and were succeeded by the Hindu Shahi, who were Hindus.^[35]

King Jayapala of Hindu Shahi was known to be the last Hindu king of Afghanistan and was known for his struggle against the Ghaznavids, though he was lost despite having good army strength and was also accompanied by the Rajput and Punjabi Hindus.^[36]

After the lost to Hindu forces against Mahmud Ghaznavi, Hindus remained minority in Afghanistan and lead to end of Hindu and Buddhist rule in Afghanistan.^[37]

Ghaznavids[]

Under the Ghaznavids, the Islam was flourished in the region was accompanied by the total decline of Hindus and other non-Muslim communities in Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,^[38] though Nuristan was only place where the Hindus were found significantly and ruled the province. The region was termed as the Kafiristan (lit. 'Land of kaffir'). The region was also attacked by the Ghaznavids and was described as:

Another crusade against idolatry was at length resolved on; and Mahmud led the seventh one against Nardain, the then boundary of India, or the eastern part of the Hindu Kush; separating, as Ferishta says, the countries of Hindustan and Turkistan and remarkable for its excellent fruit. The country into which the army of Ghazni marched appears to have been the same as that now called Kafirstan, where the inhabitants were and still are, idolaters and are named the Siah-Posh, or black-vested, by the Muslims of later times. In Nardain there was a temple, which the army of Ghazni destroyed; and brought from thence a stone covered with certain inscriptions, which were according to the Hindus, of great antiquity.^[39]

Further decline[]

Afghanistan was repeatedly raided and had many battles against the Turkics, Arabs and others due to its ideal position connecting Central Asia and Indian subcontinent.^[40] Several Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent through Afghanistan have led to further decline in Hindus population.^[41]

Mughal Empire[]

After the repeated conquest and war in Afghanistan, the Hindus population dwindled, though many of them remained in the nation when the region came under the Mughal Empire for trade and military purposes, notably after Babur conquered the Kabul and named it as "Hindustan Bazar" (transl. Hindustan's own market).^[42] Under the reign of Akbar as he appointed many Hindus in the upper positions in the empire.^[43]

Sikh Empire[]

After the Battle of Nowshera and Saidu, when the Sikh Empire came into prominence under the leadership of Ranjit Singh and the expanded their territories up to the Kabul River, there was a re-introduction of Hinduism and Sikhism in Afghanistan due to the Khalsa Empire. Under the leadership of Hari Singh Nalwa many laws were introduced in the Sikh territories to protect Hindus and their religious sentiments, including capital punishment for cow slaughter.^[44] Many Hindus were appointed in the administration and bureacracy in the Kabul, after the defeat of Dost Mohammad Khan in the Battle of Jamrud, which lead to re-introduction and prominence of Hindus in the Afghanistan, along with Sikhs and many Hindu temples were also re-constructed in the Kabul and other Sikh territories.^[45] Most of the Hindus were either Punjabis and Sindhis.^[46]

Modern Ages[]

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See also[]

• Hinduism in Afghanistan
• Pre-Islamic history of Afghanistan
• Hindu and Buddhist heritage of Afghanistan
• Hindu temples of Kabul

Notes[]

References[]

Citations[]

Bibliography[]

• Wirk, Andre (1991). Al-Hind: Making of Indo-Islamic world.
• Ancient Pakistan. Vol. 3. University of Peshawar. Dept. of Archaeology. 1967.
• Malleson, George Bruce (2005) [1878]. History of Afghanistan, from the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. Adamant Media Corporation. Elibron Classic Replica Edition.

External links[]

• The Hindu history of Afghanistan, The Speaking Tree