Hindu Shahi rulers of Kabul and Gandhara were Brahmans

The Arab geographer Al-Masudi (896-956) writes that from “Al-Qandahar” comes one of the five rivers which forms the Mihran (Indus river). The Al-Qandahar of Al-Masudi was most likely Gandhara region (Peshawar valley and surroundings), not the modern Kandahar (which is referred to as “Rukhaj” or “Rakhaj” الرخج by Masudi and other Arabs). There is no … Read more

Correcting Bharadwaj (aka True Indology) on the “temple gate” of Kandahar city

The famous Indian tweep Bharadwaj (aka True Indology) has shared a British map of Kandahar city dated to 1880, in which one of the four gates of the city is named “temple gate”. He assumes that it is temple of Shiva and states that it is “a testament to the durability and continuity of Hindu … Read more

Pir Sabir Shah (the spiritual pir of Ahmad Shah Durrani)

Pir Sabir Shah was a dervish and Ahmad Shah Abdali’s spiritual pir. The Bayan-i-Waqai refers to Pir Sabir Shah as the son of a farrier from Lahore and describes Lahore as ‘his country.’ Meanwhile, the Siyar al-Mutakherin describes him as the grandson of a famous farrier from Kabul. It appears that his family was originally … Read more