Rai dynasty · Lablypedia

Background

The Rais reigned in the Sindh region for a period of 144 years from c. 489 to 632 A.D. They allegedly had familial ties with other rulers of South Asia including Kashmir, Kabul, Rajasthan and Gujarat. As attested by coinage, the region had previously been under the indirect influence of the Sasanians, at least from the reign of Shapur II. The last Sassanian mints discovered from the region are of Peroz I (r. 459–484); they are inscribed with the name of one "Ranaditya Satya", who is assumed to be the eponymous local ruler. Xuanzang visited Sindh during this period and describes the rulers as being shu-to-lo (Shudras). Hinduism and Buddhism co-existed in the realm with the Rai's recorded as building a temple dedicated to Shiva in Alor.

In 484 C.E., as Peroz I suffered an overwhelming defeat in his war with the Hephthalites (484 C.E.), the Sassanians were no more a force to reckon with in their frontier territories and new dynasties arose in many of these places. The origin of the Rais is likely to lay in this power vacuum. However, their origins remain unknown.

Historiography

Sindh, as a region, had no extant written histories until the late-medieval era and the sole source of knowledge about the dynasty remains Chachnama, purportedly, a literal Persian translation (c. 13th-century) of an undated Arabic text that is no longer extant. Literary sources do not record Sasanian activity and details of their actions in Sindh, and no epigraphic, archaeological or numismatic evidence for the Rai dynasty exists.

The narrative in the Chachnama about the Rais has since penetrated into the regional historiography in Persian writers like Tarikh i Sind in the 17th century and Tuhfatul karaam in the 18th century. However, some scholars view the Chachnama as an original work that claimed to be a translation only for political expediency and doubt the accuracy of the historical narratives contained within the text.

After the British conquest of Sindh, as the colonial bureaucrats sought to justify their rule by highlighting how the deposed Muslim rulers had long-oppressed the Hindu natives, the Chachnama was accorded particular importance as it documented the origins of Muslim rule in the subcontinent. It was cited in works authored by colonial bureaucrats, especially the British Gazetteers. The Rai dynasty, being the penultimate non-Muslim polity in the region and forming the backdrop of the rise of Chach in the Chachnama, received some attention in contemporary scholarship. In modern-day historiography, the dynasty has attracted sparse scholarship except from a few numismatists.

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Rulers

Rai Diwaji, Rai Sahiras I, and Rai Sahasi I

Nothing particular is known about the first three kings; their names are mentioned in a single line in the Chachnama, where the Wazir Buddhiman (literarily Wise) informs Chach about the territorial expanses and administrative structure of Rais under Rai Sahiras II.

Rai Sahiras II

The Chachnama, in its opening verses, notes Rai Sahiras II to be famed for his justice and generosity; his coffers were stated to be overflowing with wealth. The kingdom was divided into four units, each under a governor or a vassal. The southern unit extended from the coasts of the Arabian Sea to Lohana and Samona, including Nerun and Debal port, and had its capital at Brahmanabad. The central unit spanned around Jankan and Rujaban to the Makran frontier; it had Sewistan as its capital. The western unit extended over a vast area—Batia, Chachpur and Dehrpur—of western Sindh; Iskalanda was the capital. The northern unit, adjoining Kashmir, was centred around Multan.

Sahiras II met his death while attempting to ward off an invasion by the Sassanian Governor of Nimroz into Kirman; he was admired for not leaving the battlefield, despite being deserted by his forces. Makran and other unknown territories were lost in the conflict.

Rai Sahasi II

Rai Sahiras II was succeeded by Sahasi II. Under his regime too, the kingdom exhibited socioeconomic prosperity; the Chachnama praises him as a benevolent ruler who always chose to abide by his counsel. He was married to Sohman Devi. During his regime, Chach, a poor, learned Brahmin, joined the imperial bureaucracy and rose through the ranks quickly, eventually becoming secretary to Rai Sahasi II.

However, as Chach gained access to the interiors of the palace, Devi, in an unfulfilling relationship with an ageing Sahasi II, began to grow enamoured of him and proposed marriage. While Chach did not consent to it, fearing incurring the King's wrath and also swerving further away from the scriptural ideals of a Brahminical life, he did acced to her request to provide companionship, and their relationship continued to blossom. Sahasi II allowed him unprecedented control in the affairs of the state until his death by natural causes; he did not have any children.

End of the dynasty

On Sahasi II's death, Devi proposed that Chach usurp the throne. According to the Chachnama, he reluctantly conceded to Devi's plan and the news of Sahasi II's death was withheld from the public; meanwhile, she incited the familial claimants to the throne in a fatal internecine conflict. Then Devi proclaimed that Sahasi II, though recovering, could not hold court and, hence, had appointed Chach as the caretaker ruler for his lifetime. The courtiers were lured into supporting the coverup, and Chach ruled as the de facto King for about six months.

However, the news of the King's death somehow made way to Sahasi II's brother, Rai Mahrit, ruler of Chittor, who claimed the throne and mounted a military offensive. Chach was ambiguous about the morality of taking on a legitimate successor but was coaxed by Devi to resist. In the faceoff, he secured a freak victory and went on to organize public feasts to win the approval of the masses. Thereafter, Devi had him declared as the heir to the throne, claiming him to be a man of unsurmountable intellect and bravery, and married him with the approval of the court.

According to Manan Ahmed Asif, the story of the fall of the Rai Dynasty and rise of the Brahman dynasty is, as portrayed in the Chachnama, shows how the new dynasty was established out of the intrigues of a femme fatale working in conjunction with a willing yet ethical apprentice. Chach would be subjected to protracted resistance from Bachhera, a relative of Sahasi II and governor and vassal of the Multan province, but was never dislodged.