A tributeto unsung heroes.

There exist countless gems on earth, not known yet; beyond the light, in the
darkness, lie mysteries never solved and lost in the sands of the time are many
heroic tales of unsung heroes.
Even in the 21
st
century, Indians are lucky to worship a religion which is one of the oldest.
Its only in India that we can say religion is still alive in our hearts, and not just in any
museum. The citizens of Egypt, Greece, Rome and Central Asian cultures are not so lucky.
Todays generation in these countries can only marvel on these ancient wonders and not be
a part of it. For them, these are relics of the past. They now have a different religion and a
different God.
Well we have a common belief that the any foreigner who wished to conquer us came and
easily did so. They came, they saw and they conquered.
I do say that they came, they saw and they conqueredbut not without a tough fight.
This series of article talks about the souls who gave a tough fight. Because of such men and
efforts, we can boast not only about our past, but our present connected to one of the
greatest civilizations the world has ever seen. Though efforts have been made by
indologist and Europeans to conceal their identity, many nationalist writers have given
their details. Efforts are being made to carve a place for them in the minds of modern India.
Lets pay homage to these unsung heroes who got lost in the pages of history
In AD 632, after the death of Muhammad, the Arab Empire was limited only to the Arabian
Peninsula. The four Successors of Muhammad (Rashidun Caliphate) rapidly expanded the
Arab Empire.
Astonishing as these victories of Islamic armies were, equally amazing was the ease and
rapidity with which people of different creeds and races were assimilated within the
Islamic fold. To some, Islam did a job of liberator. But for others, it was forcibly thrust upon.
In the span of 35 years, Syrians, Persians, Berbers, Turks and others - all were rapidly
Islamized and their language and culture Arabicised.
The same Islamic armies, however, had to struggle for 69 long years to make their first
effective breach in the borders of India. In the next three centuries, they pushed forward in
several provinces of Northern and Western India. But at the end of it all, India was far from
being conquered militarily or assimilated culturally. The Arab invasion of India ended in
more or less a total failure.
The credit for it goes to the dynasties like Rais of Sind, Shahis of Kabul and brave kings like
Lalitaditya. These sons of soil put up a stiff resistance for nearly 500 years and allowed the
rest of India to blossom.
The Rai dynasty-Hindu-(c.489 AD-712 AD)
The Rai Dynasty was a Hindu dynasty of Sindh-Baluchistan.The influence of the Rai empire
extended from Kashmir in the east, Makran and Debal (Karachi) port in the west, Surat port
in south, Kandahar, Sistan, Suleyman, Ferdan and Kikanan hills in the north, ruling an area
of over 600,000 square miles.

The Emperors of this dynasty were great patrons of Hinduism and Buddhism.
Unfortunately, the history of the Rai dynasty is entirely based upon Muslim chronicles such
as the Chachnama and the Shahnameh, thereby dating them to about the 5th century. Much
of the history in these chronicles degrades these dynasties and Hindu religion. But many
important facts are also mentioned, which give a great deal of insight into these times.
Rout of 1st Caliphate (Rashidun):(632AD-661AD):
After the Arabs defeated the Sassanid allies of Persia (641 AD), they prepared for the
Islamic conquest of the Indian Subcontinent, an area where Buddhism and Hinduism
flourished.
Chach of Alor
Chach of Aloracquired the throne of Rai dynasty during this time (c. 622-AD).He was
BrahminChamberlain and Secretary to Rai Sahasi the Second of the Rai Dynasty.After the
death of Rai Sahasi, he married the queen and took powerthrough her.
The first Encounter: Failed naval expedition:
To gain control over the silk rout, Caliph Umar (AD 634-644) launched three
navalexpeditions (circa 636).
The first against Thana on the coast of Maharashtra
The second against Broach on the coast of Gujarat and
Third Debal (karachi)in Sindh
All three were repulsed and the leader of the Arab army, Mughairah, was defeated and
killed in the venture.
Reference and books
1. Voice of Dharma (http://www.voiceofdharma.org/books/hhrmi/ch2.htm)
2. Wikipedia
3. Chacnama(http://www.cristoraul.com/ENGLISH/readinghall/UniversalHistory/IN
DIA/THE_CHACHNAMAH/CHACHNAMAH-2.html)


Author
chetan shirasi