Many people mistakenly believe that the all Afghan Hindus must be migrants from India, who went to Afghanistan for business/entrepreneurship. While this is true for some Afghan Hindus, others are in fact indigenous Afghans, whose ancestors have dwelt there since time immemorial.

The land that is now called Afghanistan was once an important part of Hindu or Vedic world. For example, it is quite well known that “Gandhar” of Mahabharata fame, the kingdom of Shakuni (the wily uncle of Duryodhan) is modern day “Kandahar” (the second largest city of Afghanistan). Several historians believe that the Vedas may have been at least partly composed in what is now Afghanistan. The Hindu Shahi dynasty ruled Afghanistan until the 10th century AD, when they were finally conquered by Muslim invaders who they had been fending off for around three centuries.At this time, the predominant religions of the Afghan people were Hinduism (with strong Buddhist elements) and Zoroastrianism.

Over the sands of time, the country’s non-Muslim populations dwindled, although the non-Muslim communities still played a part in the country’s life and culture. In the more peaceful times of the last two centuries, some Hindus and Sikhs even migrated to Afghanistan for business opportunities. Today it is not known how many Hindus remain in Afghanistan. It has been estimated that there are 200,000 Afghan Hindus around the world, but the majority do not live in Afghanistan. There may be 30,000 or so Hindus still in Afghanistan, but it is reported that this figure falls by the month, as the majority try to flee the daily discrimination they face. The lowest point of the ordeal of Hindus in Afghanistan was when the Taliban were in power. The Taliban made them wear yellow armbands to distinguish them from Muslims, which greatly increased discrimination against them. A number of Hindu organizations around the world protested the introduction of this discriminatory measure.

There are promising signs that Afghan Hindus who have fled to other parts of the world are trying to organize themselves to ensure the survival of their historical culture and traditions onto future generations. As example of this is the Afghan Hindu Association, an association of Hindus who live in the USA, who according to the website number approximately 7,500. They have set up a community center to where functions and educational and welfare activities are conducted.

One can only hope for better days where the remnants of Hindu culture in Afghanistan – the artifacts, temples and of course the people are restored and given a respectable place of in the country’s cultural landscape. Don’t count on that happening any time soon though.

 

Yes. True Story!!

Everyone Modifies with respect to changing times , in certain cases it keeps detoriating rather than improving.

Latest news is that now its legal to Brutally Hit Wives in Afghanistan. #Shame

An Untold story of Prithviraj’s Grave
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The Great Prithviraj Chauhan, the last ruler of Chauhan dynasty to sit on the throne of Delhi, was born in 1168 as the son of Someshwar Chauhan, the king of Ajmer.

The brave emperor was buried near the tomb of Mohammad Ghori. It is now a part of the tradition in Afghanistan that those who pay visit to the tomb Mohammad Ghori first disrespect the place where the Indian emperor’s mortal remains are buried. 

The inscription on the tomb reads: “Here lies the Kafer king of Delhi.”
Even today Afghans vent their anger on Prithviraj’s Grave by stabbing on it through a rope & then pay accolades to their defeated king Ghori. It’s a pity that the Indian Government who is engaged in the construction work of a war ravaged country has no time to pay honour or renovate the grave of a Valiant King.

Our honourable Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi had time to visit Babur’s grave and pay ‘homage’ (if I may add, to please a section of society) and not to our very own Indian. 

Some part of Indian tax payer’s income goes into the resurrection of Afghanistan and we have the moral right to question the dilapidated state of the grave. People who beat up the grave should come and see Humayun’s tomb in India – a contrast in the treatment meted out and maintenance. 

Sher Singh Rana, a member of Rajput community, visited Afghanistan to trace grave of Prithviraj Chauhan, he dug Chauhan’s “grave” and collected sand from it. This incident created sensation in Indian news and public media – as he said he did it to get back India’s pride & respect

“Char bans, chaubis gaj, angul ashta praman, Ta upar sultan hai, Chuke mat Chauhan.” This was the poem recited by Chandbardai for Prithviraj Chauhan to kill Muhammad Gori. .
Meaning: Four Bamboo lengths in front, then twenty four hands and eight fingers in height, the sultan is sitting. Dont miss him Chauhan.(Prithviraj was blinded then so Chandrabardai gave him the hint about Sultans’s location through his poem)

PS:Muhammad ghori could never kill “the great Prithviraj”.Prithviraj defeated him several times. At the battle of Tarain in 1191 he defeated and captured ghori. Ghori was shown mercy by Prithviraj as he begged for it and promised to leave his evil ways. 

Next year he again attacked prithvi “cowardly” during night(as Rajputs didn’t fight in night as per chivalry) and hence rajputs were defeated and prithvi was captured and taken to Afghanistan. 

Prithvi was tortured and red hot iron rods were inserted in his eyes at the orders of ghori. To this he and his friend Chand Bardai planned to take revenge at an archery tournament where to ghori’s surprize – a blind prithvi was hitting the target, to this he said “shabash” and prithvi shot him dead.

In order to avoid further humiliation at the hands of afghans Prithvi and Chand stabbed each other. Hence Indian history lost a great warrior .