The Brahmin dynasty of Sindh (),
also known as the Chacha dynasty, were the
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
ruling family of the
Chacha Empire
The Brahmin dynasty of Sindh (), also known as the Chacha dynasty, were the Brahmin Hindu ruling family of the Chacha Empire. The Brahmin dynasty were successors of the Rai dynasty. The dynasty ruled on the Indian subcontinent which originated ...
. The Brahmin dynasty were successors of the
Rai dynasty
The Rai dynasty (c. 489–632 CE) was a polity of ancient Sindh.
Scholarship
Pre-Islamic Sindh has been the subject of voluminous scholarship concerning the eve of Arab conquests; otherwise, the paucity of source materials remains a severe hi ...
. The dynasty ruled on the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
which originated in the region of
Sindh
Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
, present-day
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. Most of the information about its existence comes from the ''
Chach Nama
''Chach Nama'' ( sd, چچ نامو; ur, چچ نامہ; "Story of the Chach"), also known as the ''Fateh nama Sindh'' ( sd, فتح نامه سنڌ; "Story of the conquest of Sindh"), and as ''Tareekh al-Hind wa a's-Sind'' ( ar, تاريخ اله ...
'', a historical account of the Chach-Brahmin dynasty.
After the Chacha Empire's fall in 712, though the empire had ended, its dynasty's members administered parts of Sindh under the Umayyad Caliphate's
Caliphal province of Sind
Sind () was an administrative division of the Umayyad Caliphate and later of the Abbasid Caliphate in post-classical India, from around 711 CE with the conquest of Sind by the Arab military commander Muhammad ibn Qasim, to around 854 CE with ...
.
These rulers include Hullishāh and Shishah.
History
The dynasty was founded by a
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
named Chach of Alor after he married the widow of
Rai Sahasi II
RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many terr ...
, the last ruler of the Rai dynasty. His claim was further secured by the killing of Rai Sahasi II's brother.
The rule of Sindh by a Buddhist dynasty raised hope in the
Umayyad Caliphate
The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by th ...
. Caliph
Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan
Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ibn al-Hakam ( ar, عبد الملك ابن مروان ابن الحكم, ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam; July/August 644 or June/July 647 – 9 October 705) was the fifth Umayyad caliph, ruling from April 685 ...
granted a large army to the governor
Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf
Abu Muhammad al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf ibn al-Hakam ibn Abi Aqil al-Thaqafi ( ar, أبو محمد الحجاج بن يوسف بن الحكم بن أبي عقيل الثقفي, Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf ibn al-Ḥakam ibn Abī ʿAqīl al-T ...
, but no attempt was made to annex Sindh due to the caliph's death. Under his son and successor
Al-Walid I
Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ( ar, الوليد بن عبد الملك بن مروان, al-Walīd ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān; ), commonly known as al-Walid I ( ar, الوليد الأول), was the sixth Umayyad Caliphate, Umayyad ca ...
, the general
Muhammad bin Qasim
Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim al-Thaqāfī ( ar, محمد بن القاسم الثقفي; –) was an Arab military commander in service of the Umayyad Caliphate who led the Muslim conquest of Sindh (part of modern Pakistan), inaugurating the Umayya ...
led Islamic invasion against Sindh in 712 where the last
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
king of Sindh
Raja Dahir
Raja Dahiraud (; ''Raja Dahiraud ''; 663 – 712 CE) was the last Hindu ruler of Sindh in present-day Pakistan. In 711 CE his kingdom was invaded by the Umayyad Caliphate led by Muhammad bin Qasim where Dahiraud died while defending his king ...
died while defending his kingdom.
Rulers
The known rulers of the Brahmin dynasty are:
*
Chach ()
*
Chandar ()
*
Dāhir ( from
Alor)
Under the
Umayyad Caliphate
The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by th ...
:
* Dahirsiya ( from
Brahmanabad)
* Hullishāh ()
* Shishah ()
File:Sindh. Chach of Alor. Pracandendra. Circa 632-671 CE. AR Damma (11mm, 0.64 g, 2h). Crowned head right; swastika to right Large trident.jpg, center, upright=1.5, Sindh. Chach of Alor. Pracandendra. Circa 632-671 CE. AR Damma (11mm, 0.64 g, 2h). ''Obverse'': Crowned head right; swastika to right. ''Reverse:'' Large trident
File:Sindh. Multan. ‘Śri Tapana’. Circa 675-700 CE. AR Damma (12mm, 0.62 g, 8h) Head right; śri in Brahmi on forehead Stylized fire altar surmounted by three pellets; tapan and rja in Brahmi around.jpg, Sindh. Multan. ‘Śri Tapana’. Circa 675-700 CE. AR Damma (12mm, 0.62 g, 8h) Head right; śri in Brahmi on forehead Stylized fire altar surmounted by three pellets; tapan and rja in Brahmi around
See Also
*
List of Monarchs of Sindh
This is a list of known rulers of Sindh, in present-day Sindh, Pakistan. This list starts from the establishment of the Rai dynasty around 489 AD until the conquest of the Sindh from Talpur dynasty by East India Company in 1843 AD.
Sultan ( ar, س ...
References
History of Sindh
{{Pakistan-hist-stub