Mazar-i-Sharif Inscription: An unexplored chapter of Hindu history of Afghanistan

In the 20th century, an inscription was recovered from city of Mazar-i-Sharif of northern Afghanistan. This inscription unearthed an unknown chapter of the Hindu history of Afghanistan. The inscription has been written in Sharada script, its writing style is Sarasa and language is Sanskrit. This inscription was deciphered by a Pakistani archaeologist Ahmad Hasan Dani in 2001. The ‘Mazar-i-Sharif’ inscription dates back to 10th century. The inscription alludes to the rule of Hindu Shahi king Veka. The inscription mentions the installation of a idol of Shiva Bhattaraka and Uma.

Mazar-i-Sharif Inscription

According to the Quad-i-Azam University professor, Ahmad Hasan Dani, the idol was “built by Parimaha Maitya for his own and his son Maitasya’s benefit.” The inscription comprising eleven lines had several spelling mistakes. “As the stone is slightly broken at the top left corner, the first letter `OM’ is missing”, Dani said. "The inscription gives the name of the ruler as Shahi Veka Raja and bestows on him the qualification of "Iryatumatu Ksanginanka," according to Dani. "And (he) appears to be the same king who bears the name of Khingila or Khinkhila who should be regarded as a Shahi ruler," Dani continued. It is notable that Uma is another name for Hindu goddess Parvati.

The Veka inscription, also known as the Mazar-i-Sharif inscription, documents the Great Maitya's noble offering to the Lord Siva-Uma, which was the establishment of the Siva-Uma image in a temple. In order to secure a place in paradise for his guru, mother, and father, the payment was paid with the "eight sacred ceremonies" that were performed in their honour. During Sri Sahi Veka's rule in 959 CE, when his empire was supposed to have been built above the eight powers of the goddess Durga, this event occurred.

Hindu Shahi ruler Veka

According to Dani, Sri Shahi Vekaraja/Veka/Vakkadeva was the independent ruler of Afghanistan in the mid of the 10th century CE. Dani noted that during the rule of Bhimapala, the Hindu Shahi dynasty was divided into two branches, one of which was led by Jayapala in Lamghan and Punjab and the other by King Shahi Veka in northern Afghanistan. Moreover, the latter was successful in overthrowing the Arab rulers in southern Afghanistan. Several historians have noted that the last Turk Shahi ruler Lagaturman was overthrown by his minister named Kallar, who established the Hindu Shahi or Kabul Shahi, a Hindu dynasty which ruled the Kabul Valley (eastern Afghanistan), Gandhara (modern-day northwest Pakistan), and present-day northwestern India from 850-1026 CE.

Persian polymath Al-Beruni in his book Kitab-ul-Hind also known as Tarikh-al-Hind describes about the fall of Lagaturman and rise of the Hindu Shahi dynasty. Describing about Lagaturman, Al-Beruni wrote, “Lagaturman had bad manners and a worse behaviour, on account of which people complained greatly to the Vazir. (Al-Beruni’s India translated into English by Edward Sachau)

Although protecting the kingdom for nearly two centuries, Zabulistan was conquered by an Arab named Yaqub ibn Lais, who established the Saffrid dynasty between 867-870 CE. In 871 CE, he even took the fort of Kabul from Lalliya. He apparently also laid Ghazni's foundation. But Hindu Shahis continued to rule over the Kabul valley. Vakkadeva, Kamalavarman, Bhimadeva, Jayapaladeva (964 to 1001 CE), Anandapala (1001 to 1010 CE), Trilochanapala (1010 to 1021 CE) and Bhimpala (1021 to 1026 CE) were the prominent rulers of the Hindu Shahi dynasty. Noted historian Jagannath Agarwal in his book Inscriptions of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Kashmir And Adjoining Hilly Tracts states that during the reign of the Hindu Shahi ruler Jayapala who was the son of King Bhimadeva, a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva was constructed by “Cangula, of the Kayastha family, at Udabhandapura.”

Hund Inscription

The Hund Inscription of Kamaleshwari (159 CE) discovered by Captain E.H Cobb as mentioned in Epigraphia Indica, the official publication of the Archaeological survey of India (1882 to 1977), records the construction of a Devakula (temple) dedicated to Sun god by a queen named Kamaleshwari. The inscription comprises of eight lines and is written in the Sharada script. It is notable that the ancient name of Hund was Udbhandpura and was the last capital of Gandhara under the Hindu Shahi rulers. The inscription names the architect Jayataraja, son of Upendra from Avanti (Malwa region), who is qualified as a Suryadvija and probably referred to a brahmin who practises the cult of the Sun, the Brahmin Pillaka, who holds the title of pacakula, the son of Vrditya, the writer Bhogika, and the son of Vinhenda. This temple was also constructed during the reign of the Hindu Shahi ruler Trilochanpala, as mentioned by several historians including Jagannath Agarwal in Inscriptions Of Haryana Himachal Pradesh Punjab Kashmir And Adjoining Hilly Tracts.

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