Afghan Hindus and Sikhs Read online

  We have much in common with Afghanistan than we realise. The humble fruit, plum is known as Aaloo Bukhara (literally, the potato from Bukhara). The city of Bukhara was a part of greater Afghanistan which was known as Khurasan. The Punjabi idiom, Jo Sukh Chajjuu de Chaubare, Na Balkh na Bukhare means that there is no place like home. However, the literal meaning is, ‘the peace and tranquillity I find in my home at Chajju’s Inn (Lahore) cannot be found in the big prosperous cities of Balkh (Afghanistan) and Bukhara (now, Uzbekistan). Babur, the Mughal who invaded India, joined Kabul and much of Eastern Afghanistan with North India, then known as Hindustan in 1526. He also brought melons from Afghanistan to India. Sarod, the stringed musical instrument is considered to have Afghan origins2. People, especially traders regularly travelled between the provinces of these two countries in the past two thousand years and even settled there, then why are Hindus and Sikhs not treated as natives of Afghanistan?

  The Afghan Hindu community has now established Asamai Mandirs in India, Germany, England and USA, named after the famous Mandir in Kabul. Similarly, Afghan Sikhs have erected Gurdwaras in India and across Europe. The Guru Nanak Darbar in London is one such Gurdwara established by the Afghan Sikhs. The congregation in this Gurdwara had distinct Afghan facial features, especially the kids. Some of them had light-coloured eyes and even blonde eyebrows and eyelashes, one of the distinct Afghan traits that is difficult to ignore. In Afghanistan, some local Muslims refer to the Hindus and Sikhs as Lala which means elder brother. However, a significant number also discriminate against them. As a minority community in Afghanistan, the Hindus and Sikhs are considered foreigners whereas they are the original natives of the country.

  This book is an attempt to trace the lives of Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan in the past thousand years. It is an effort to apprise the current and hopefully future generations on Afghan Hindus and Sikhs and about the journey of their ancestors. This is extremely important as almost 99 percent of all Afghan Hindus and Sikhs have now left the country.

  Almost all history records, even those held by the Afghan Hindus stop at the Hindu Shahi rulers of Kabul in the 10th century and start again from the 19th century when European travellers and agents mentioned Hindus and Sikhs in the country.

  This book has used contemporary sources as far as possible. At some places, eminent historians who are considered an authority on the subject have been quoted. Contemporary Persian, English, Punjabi sources have been used to chalk out references to non-Muslim communities including Hindus and later Sikhs from the 11th century to the 21st century. The contribution of these small communities of Hindus and Sikhs to the Afghan society is brought to the readers.

  A number of theories are prevalent in Afghanistan to assert that the Hindus and Sikhs are recent emigrants to the country. Some of them are as follows:

  1) Mahmud Ghaznavi, the infamous Sultan who invaded India seventeen times over a span of twenty-five years in the early 11th century brought thousands of Hindu slaves from India.

  2) Babur joined Kabulistan with North India which led to the migration of Hindus from India to Afghanistan.

  3) Hindus and Sikhs came to Afghanistan when Ahmed Shah Durrani (1748–72) brought merchants from Shikarpur (Sindh) and Multan (West Punjab).

  4) Hindus and Sikhs came to Afghanistan in 1838 when the British and Maharaja Ranjit Singh deposed Dost Mohammed Khan and installed Shah Shuja at the throne.

  This book begins from the 10th century when Islam had become the dominant religion in the country and will make the readers contemplate the above theories. Mahmud Ghaznavi's father won Kabulistan and replaced the Hindu Shahi rulers. He also replaced them in Peshawar and brought the infidel Ghor province under Islamic rule. Mahmud and his descendants had a significant number of Hindus in their army and administration.

  Babur in his memoirs states that Kabul is Hindustan’s own market. Indian merchants were trading in Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan even before Babur captured Kabul. Prior to him, the infidel Mongols ruled Khurasan, the greater Afghanistan and Timur in the 14th century fought many battles with idol worshippers who kept on attacking his capital Samarkand, part of Khurasan.

  There were Hindu and Sikh merchants from Shikarpur and Multan in 18th and 19th century Afghanistan but in addition to them, the British accounts refer to local Hindus (and Sikhs) with families who lived in the different parts of the towns compared to merchants who lived among themselves without families in caravanserais.

  British accounts of 1783 and 1808 refer to Hindu traders and shopkeepers in Kabul. Also, the Afghan Hindus and Sikhs are almost all from the Khatri and Arora castes that are renowned for their business acumen. The Jats form the majority in rural East Punjab and would have formed the bulk of armed forces under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. However, there is a complete absence of Jats among Afghan Sikhs (and Hindus) and same is the case with Sikhs in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan which borders Afghanistan and shares socio-cultural and tribal ties with each other.

  Medieval Afghanistan was known as Khurasan, this was a greater Afghanistan as it included parts of present-day Uzbekistan, Iran, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan among others. However, during a major period in the medieval age especially from 1220 to 1748, the country was ruled by non-Afghan dynasties and was part of great empires (Mongols, Timurids, Mughals and Safavid) whose capitals were based outside present Afghanistan. Hence in this work, in some chapters especially for the above period (1220–1748), references are made to other major cities which were part of Khurasan but now fall outside Afghanistan. The provinces of Pakistan, namely Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which share the border with Afghanistan have substantial Pashtun/Pathan population and also share major social, cultural and tribal ties with each other. Interestingly, the Hindus and Sikhs in these provinces have a number of similarities with Afghan Hindus and Sikhs. A separate chapter elaborates on these Pathan Sikhs of Pakistan.

  Geographic location and major cities

  Afghanistan is a landlocked country located in south-central Asia. Historically, it lay within the major trade routes and had its fair share of invasions mainly from western and northern Asia. Afghanistan borders six different nations and shares the longest border with Pakistan, almost the entire eastern and southern part, which is known as Durand Line drawn by the British regime in India. Afghanistan rejected the Durand Line when Pakistan was created in 1947 as Pashtun tribes lived across both sides of the border. Professor Ganda Singh who visited Afghanistan in 1951 reported a vibrant support for Pashtunistan (Land of Pashtuns). This issue is no longer emotive on that level, but it never died out much to the chagrin of Pakistan which has hosted millions of Afghan refugees since the 1980s.

  Towards the west, Afghanistan borders the Shia-majority country of Iran. The Iran-based dynasties ruled major parts of Afghanistan in the medieval times until 1748 when Ahmed Shah Durrani created modern Afghanistan. In an ultra-conservative Sunni country with an almost 99.99 percent Muslim population, the Hazaras who are Shia and have partial Mongolian features are at the bottom of the class hierarchy.

  Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan share their borders with the country in the north. The shortest border is with China in far north-east which is just 76 kilometres long. The following cities and towns have been mentioned frequently in the book:

  Kabul is the capital and largest city located in the eastern part of the country. It was the capital of Hindu Shahi rulers before rulers of the Ghaznavi dynasty won it in the 10th century. It became the capital of the country during the reign of Timur Shah Durrani in 1776. The city hosts more than half of the 1,000 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs still in the country and has a number of old and historical Gurdwaras and Mandirs.

  Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan. It was a leading centre of trade activity and is less than 100 miles away from Peshawar (Pakistan). The province had an appreciable number of Hindus and Sikhs. There were more than fifteen Gurdwaras in the province before 1992. In addition to
Kabul, Jalalabad still has some Afghan Hindu and Sikh population who continue to look after the historical Gurdwaras and old Mandirs.

  Ghazni in central Afghanistan rose to prominence when Sabuktigin made it the capital of the Ghaznavid Empire in the 10th century. The city was destroyed by the Ghurid dynasty that replaced the Ghaznavis as the rulers but was later rebuilt. Some would say that it never really regained the same prominence. A handful of Afghan Hindus and Sikhs live in the city presently.

  Kandahar located in the south of the country is the second largest city. It was ruled by an ‘infidel’ dynasty known by the name of Zunbils until the late ninth century when it was conquered by Yaqub, the ruler of Persia. The Kandahar-based Hotak dynasty replaced the Persian Safavids in 1709 and ruled Persia, Afghanistan and the surrounding areas until 1738 when Nadir Shah defeated them. Within a decade the city was the capital of Ahmed Shah Durrani. It has been a stronghold of the Taliban in recent times.

  Herat located in the western part of the country is the third largest city. In the medieval times, it was an important city of Khurasan, the region encompassing Persia, Afghanistan and Central Asia. Another important city of Khurasan which is now in northern Afghanistan was Balkh, known as Bactria in ancient times. It was an important seat of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom. The largest city of Balkh province is Mazar-i-Sharif. Within this region, Kunduz is another city which has gained importance in modern times.

  Other major cities of Khurasan were Mashhad and Nishapur, now in north-eastern Iran and Bukhara and Samarkand, now in Uzbekistan. These cities were centres of trade but were destroyed by the Mongols and later devastated by Timur. Compared to the regions in Khurasan which embraced Islam in the seventh century, the south and eastern parts of modern Afghanistan took to the Muslim faith only from 9–11th centuries.

  The semi-academic style of presentation in this book allows readers to enjoy the plain and free-flowing language without compromising on the references. The friends, Afghan Hindus and Sikhs who have helped in this venture have been mentioned throughout the book.

  The book is dedicated to the resilience of the Afghan Hindus and Sikhs who are still living in Afghanistan and looking after the historical shrines which commemorate the visit of Guru Nanak in the country. It is a humble effort to make them and everyone else aware of their rich history, and hopes that some fellow Afghan Muslims will not consider Afghan Sikhs and Hindus as outsiders and treat them as natives of Afghanistan.

  References

  Sikh boys cover their heads and tie a patka which shows their joora (refers to a bun, or topknot, of hair wound around and secured at the top of the head). The joora is referred derogatorily as khachalu by Muslim boys which means potato in Afghan languages.

  Kahn Singh Nabha. (1930). Gur Shabad Ratn Mahan Kosh. Patiala.

  2.

  Afghan Hindus under Ghaznavi Rulers in 11th and 12th Centuries

  Sabuktigin (ruled 977–97) conquered Kabul and neighbouring areas from Jayapal, the Hindu Shahi ruler in 986 and later his son Mahmud of Ghazni (ruled 998–1030) won Peshawar in 1001. In the 11th century, Afghanistan ushered in the rule of the Ghaznavi rulers and a sea change in the social and religious dynamics of the provinces.

  Mahmud of Ghazni (971–1030) was an infamous iconoclast who destroyed temples and idols, but he also had political motives for doing so in addition to the religious reasons. The Hindu temples were full of gold and jewels; hence, there were economic reasons to invade India frequently. It is said that he forcibly converted a lot of Hindus but like most other Muslim rulers he also allowed Hindus to live within his empire as Dhimmi (protected people) with some restriction and obligatory payment of Jizya tax. In addition to being employed in administration, Hindus also served in Mahmud’s army and he used them very cleverly against his opponents.

  Jabir Raza1 quotes a contemporary work Siyasat Namah which states that Mahmud had Turks, Hindus, Khurasanis, Arabs, Ghurids and Daylamities (people who lived in Daylam Mountains in North Persia). These groups had their own regiments.

  A contemporary source Hudud Al Alam gives us an indication of the extent of Islam in Eastern Afghanistan at this stage. This anonymous geographical work which means ‘Regions of the World’ was compiled in 372 AH or 982-83 ad and dedicated to Amir Abul Marith Mohd Bin Ahmed, the local ruler of Guzganan which is now part of Northern Afghanistan. The Russian Orientalist, Vladimir Minorsky translated it in 1937. The author was in the middle of revising the book when he died in 1966 and it was completed by renowned historian C.E. Bosworth and the second edition was published in 19702.

  The work refers to a number of cities of Afghanistan, some of which had a non-Muslim majority at the time of writing have been put under Hindustan. The work corresponds with the reign of Sabuktigin (977–97), the founder of the Ghaznavid dynasty.

  Wakhan (Badakhshan province): Several towns of Wakhan are listed and ‘the last place in the limits of Transoxiana’3 was a large village by name of Samarqandaq (Little Samarkand) where Hindus, Tibetans, Wakhanians and Muslims lived.

  Ninhar (modern Nangarhar province): The work states that the king of Ninhar ‘makes show of Islam’ and had over thirty wives that included Muslims, Afghans and Hindus. The people were idolaters and there were three large idols in Ninhar.

  Kandahar: Kandahar is described as a large town with numerous idols of gold and silver where hermits and Brahmins resided. It is described as a pleasant town of a special province.

  Gardez: Gardez is described as a frontier town between Ghazni and Hindustan which was situated on the summit of a mound. The town had a strong fortress with three walls. The people were Kharijite Muslims.

  Laghman: It is a town situated on the middle course of the river. We are told that it was an ‘Emporium of Hindustan’ and residence for merchants. The town had idol temples.

  Parwan: It is narrated as a pleasant town and as the ‘Gate of Hindustan’. The town was a ‘resort of merchants’.

  Wahind (KPK province, Pakistan): It was the capital city of Jaypala, the Hindu Shahi ruler, and the town had few Muslims. Merchandise from Hindustan such as musk and other precious things regularly came to this country.

  Kabul: The city had a solid fort which was known for its strength. The inhabitants were Muslims and Indians4 and there were temples with idols in the city. We are told that the ruler of Kannauj (Uttar Pradesh, India) made a pilgrimage to the temples of Kabul. Unlike the above towns and cities which are listed under Hindustan, Kabul is listed under Khurasan.

  According to one of the theories denying native origin to Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, it is said that Mahmud brought a lot of Hindu slaves from mainland India marking their first entry into the country. However, it is highly likely that some of the Hindus who served under his administration and army were the natives of Khurasan and Kabulistan as these places had a substantial number of Hindus. The Tarikh-e-Sabuktgin by Abul Fazl al Baihaki refers to Hindus working in responsible positions under the Ghaznavi rulers5.

  Baihaki writes that fifty days after the death of Sultan Mahmud, his son and successor Masud dispatched Sewand Rai, a Hindu chief with a large Hindu cavalry to pursue the nobles who were supporting his rebel brother for the throne of Ghazni. In the subsequent battle, Sewand Rai and the majority of his troops perished but managed to inflict heavy losses upon their opponents.

  The book then mentions that five years later, Tilak, son of Jai Sen, was the commander of Hindu troops in the service of Sultan Masud. He was sent to chastise the rebel chief Ahmad Nialtigin. Tilak chased the rebels and managed to capture thousands of them. Ahmad was killed while he was trying to cross the river by Jats (Hindu) at the behest of Tilak. To quote another contemporary source, the book Tabakát-i Akbari refers to Tilak as Malik bin Jai Sen6.

  Baihaki mentions another Hindu general by the name of Biji Rai who served under Mahmud but later left for Kashmir due to political dissensions. During the reign of Masud’s successor, Abu Ali, the Kotwal (similar to the police chief or magistrate) of Ghazni, later commanded a
n army and maintained conquests in Hindustan (the Ghaznavi Empire to the east extended approximately to present-day Pakistan) wrote to Biji Rai and invited him to return to Ghazni.

  Baihaki further states that Sultan Masud was drinking wine in the royal garden when he ordered a dispatcher to be sent to Tilak and ask him to advance against the rebel Ahmad Nialtigin. We are told that Tilak arrived at Lahore and took ‘several Muslim prisoners who were the friends of Ahmad’. The right hands of the prisoners were cut off at the orders of Tilak which terrified them, and they pleaded for mercy and deserted Ahmad. Tilak then pursued Ahmad with a large number of troops, the majority of whom were Hindus, defeated Ahmad in a number of skirmishes and one full-fledged battle but Ahmad was able to escape each time. Tilak then wrote a letter to the Hindu Jat leaders that whosoever brought back Ahmad or his head would receive a reward of 500,000 dirhams.