As we live in an ‘Age of Enforced Piety’, the history of Pakistan taught in our schools starts with the Arab invader Muhammad bin Qasim in 716 AD, followed 300 years later by the Turko-Afghan invader Mahmud of Ghazni.

What is missing is the earlier history of our land. So in this piece let us explore the ruling family of the Punjab, more so Lahore, before Mahmud flattened our city. When Mahmud looted and flattened Lahore, the then rulers were the last of the Hindu Shahi dynasty. This dynasty had its origins in the last of the Chach, or Haj, dynasty, of whom Bhandara is known as the wise ruler who rehabilitated a destroyed Lahore by earlier invaders.

We know for a fact that at the place where today stands the Paniwala Talab (waterworks) at Chuna Mandi, once stood the Temple of the Sun built by Bhandara. There is a school of historians who suggest that he was a Zoroastrian of Persian origin. This wise ruler reigned for over 75 years. The descendant of Bhandara, by the name of Bharat, ascended the Lahore throne and was exceptionally cruel. He had imprisoned his father. Then his son also did the same till Chandrat Bhandara became the ruler.

At this stage we know that the Hindu Shahi ruler, known in some descriptions as the Kabul Hindu Shahi, ruled over the lands that stretched from Kabul to Ghandara right up to the Salt Ranges. The ruler was Raja Jayapala who was a wise and powerful ruler. On hearing the cruelty of the Chach’s of Lahore, he instructed his son Anandpala to conquer Lahore and bring the cruel ruler to him. But he managed to escape. So it was in the year 999 AD that Lahore became the eastern capital of Jayapala’s Hindu Shahi dynasty.

At this stage the Hindu Shahi had three capital cities, the others being Peshawar and Waihind to the north in the Upper Indus region. By the year 999 AD when the once Kabul Hindu Shahi were defeated by Subaktigin in the Battle of Laghman near Kabul, the Hindu Shahi established their capital at Peshawar. Later on his son Mahmud defeated Jayapala in the Battle of Peshawar in the year 1001. Hence the territory of the Ghazni Dynasty started stretching eastwards. Also the Hindu Shahi territory started shrinking and they were also moving eastwards.

When Jayapala reached Lahore after his defeat, the Kshatriya Rajputs of Lahore felt that their ruler needed to pay for the humiliation at the hands of Mahmud. So a proud Rajput Jayapala walked out of Lahore’s Mori Darwaza in the year 1002 and stood by the bank of the River Ravi and after pouring ‘ghee’ on himself and on the sandal wood around him, set himself alight. The exact spot is where today stands an ancient ‘pipal’ tree.

His son Anandpal took over the reins of power of Lahore in 1002. He immediately increased his military strength, and according to one account by Firishta (book I, page 24), within a few years Mahmud again wanted to march through the Punjab and Lahore to loot the wealth of middle India. In 1006, he requested passage, which Anandpal refused. So a battle ensued at Sodhra on the Chenab, where Mahmud defeated Anandpal, who escaped northwards towards Kashmir. Instead of pursuing him Mahmud moved southwards towards Multan. He was on a campaign of butchering the Ismaili Muslims because they owed allegiance to the Ismaili Imamate.

The victories of Mahmud began to disturb Anandpal, who decided to advance towards Peshawar. Mahmud immediately set off and met the forces under Anandpal and on the 31stof December 1008 at Waihind a battle ended in confusion. Mahmud returned to Ghazni and Anandpal returned to Lahore, with Nandna being a Salt Range headquarter.

In 1013, Anandpal died and there is considerable confusion on the reasons. Most scholars claim he died a natural death, while Al-Biruni hints at another ‘Johar’. Where that took place is not mentioned by anyone. Most likely at Lahore, if that was the case. As this another Alexander-Raja Porus situation with both sides claiming victory, this needs research. These days it seems some of the best scholars claim Porus won, no wonder Alexander agreed to return home. Here we see Mahmud returning to Ghazni instead of consolidating.

Then the death of Anandpal led Mahmud to reconsider after the new Raja of the Hindu Shahi dynasty, the Raja Trilochanpal, took over power in 1013. Immediately Mahmud set off to avenge the stalemate, only to return to Ghazni and again come back in 1014. The raja empowered his son Bhimpal to check |Mahmud at Nandna, where a long battle ensued. In the end Mahmud overwhelmed the fortress. He then set off to meet Trilochanpal, who was defeated. For years these battles continued, until Trilochanpal was assassinated by his own troops in 1021. Bhimsal took off to live in Kashmir.

So it was that an angry Mahmud, after years of fierce battles and setbacks against the Hindu Shahi of Lahore, returned and in 1021 completely flattened the city. Kalhana, the famous Kashmiri author of ‘Rajatarangini’ (written 1148-49 AD) claims that he took back the entire wealth of Lahore, as also over 200,000 slaves to sell in the numerous slave markets of Central Asia. Al-Biruni was to write: “There is no trace left of this most noble of rulers of the Hindu Shahi dynasty”.

Hence the Muslim rule of Lahore started in 1021 “after unprecedented bloodshed and loot and rape and theft of wealth and even cookery pots”, says ‘Tarikh-e-Baihaqi, which mentions the ‘salars’ appointed as being Abdullah Qiratigin, Abul Fat’h and Abul Farj. Just to point out that Mahmud’s famous Georgian pet slave Ayaz never came to Lahore during his lifetime. When he came after Mahmud’s death in 1030, the three ‘salars’ were fighting among themselves. Ayaz came to Lahore in 1040 and aligned himself with the new ruler Sultan Majdud.

On the 5thof August 1041 was Eidul Fitr, Majdud was found poisoned in bed. On the 8thof August 1041 Ayaz was also found dead in bed. He was buried outside the city walls as they then stood. So in this Sicilian manner Muslim rule over Lahore started. The Hindu Shahi rulers - all defeated in intense battles - opted for death with honour. The Afghan way was otherwise.

The pre-Islamic history of Lahore and its people and rulers do not have many scholars dealing with that period. In these columns an attempt will be made to explore earlier times, one step at a time. After all the pre-Islamic period is many times longer.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2021