Rai dynasty: Difference between revisions

Rai dynasty
Rai dynasty
489–632
	South Asia; 600 CE MORIS PANDYAS LICCHAVIS CHOLAS ZHANGZHUNG CHERAS SAMATATAS GAUDA KAMARUPA VISHNU-; KUNDINAS PALLAVAS ALUPAS NEZAKS ALCHONS KALINGAS PANDUVAMSHIS SHASHANKAS SHAILODBHAVAS GONANDAS MAUKHARIS TAKKA WESTERN; TURKS TOCHARIANS MAITRAKAS PRATIHARAS LATER GUPTAS PUSHYA-; BHUTIS CHALUKYAS EARLY; KALA-; CHURIS SASANIAN; EMPIRE ◁ ▷ Map of Sindh (Rais), c. 550–600 CE.
Capital	Alor
Religion	Hinduism; Buddhism;
Government	Monarchy
King
• 489–(?)	Rai Diwaji (first)
• (?)–632	Rai Sahasi II (last)
History
• Established	489
• Disestablished	632
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Hind (Sasanian province)
Brahmin dynasty of Sindh
Today part of	Pakistan; India

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Latest revision as of 04:03, 2 March 2026

Template:History of Sind The Rai dynasty (c. 489–632 CE) was a dynasty that ruled the Sindh. All that is known about the dynasty comes from the Chachnama, a 13th-century Persian work about Sindhi history whose accuracy has been questioned.^[6] Nothing particular is known about the first three kings—Rai Diwaji, Rai Sahiras I, and Rai Sahasi I. The fourth king, Rai Sahiras II, is said to have ruled over a vast prosperous area, including the seaport of Debal.

Background[edit | edit source]

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.^[7] As attested by coinage, the region had previously been under the indirect influence of the Sasanians, at least from the reign of Shapur II.^[8]^{[lower-alpha 1]} 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.^[10]^{[lower-alpha 2]} Xuanzang visited Sindh during this period and describes the rulers as being shu-to-lo (Shudras).^[3] Hinduism and Buddhism co-existed in the realm with the Rai's recorded as building a temple dedicated to Shiva in Alor.^[3]

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.^[12] The origin of the Rais is likely to lay in this power vacuum.^[13]^{[lower-alpha 3]} However, their origins remain unknown.^{[lower-alpha 4]}

Historiography[edit | edit source]

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.^[15]^[16]^[14] Literary sources do not record Sasanian activity and details of their actions in Sindh,^[12] and no epigraphic, archaeological or numismatic evidence for the Rai dynasty exists.^[15]^[14]^{[lower-alpha 5]}

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.^[14] 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.^[19]^{[lower-alpha 6]}

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.^[23] It was cited in works authored by colonial bureaucrats, especially the British Gazetteers.^[14] 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.^[16] In modern-day historiography, the dynasty has attracted sparse scholarship except from a few numismatists.^[13]

Rulers[edit | edit source]

Rai Diwaji, Rai Sahiras I, and Rai Sahasi I[edit | edit source]

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.^[24]

Rai Sahiras II[edit | edit source]

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.^[16] The kingdom was divided into four units, each under a governor or a vassal.^[25] 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.^[25] The central unit spanned around Jankan and Rujaban to the Makran frontier; it had Sewistan as its capital.^[25] The western unit extended over a vast area—Batia, Chachpur and Dehrpur—of western Sindh; Iskalanda was the capital.^[25] The northern unit, adjoining Kashmir, was centred around Multan.^[25]

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.^[26]^[25]^[24]

Rai Sahasi II[edit | edit source]

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.^[24] He was married to Sohman Devi.^[16] 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.^[27]^[24]

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.^[16]^[28] 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,^{[lower-alpha 7]} he did acced to her request to provide companionship, and their relationship continued to blossom.^[29]^[24] Sahasi II allowed him unprecedented control in the affairs of the state until his death by natural causes; he did not have any children.^[16]

End of the dynasty[edit | edit source]

On Sahasi II's death, Devi proposed that Chach usurp the throne.^[30] 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.^[31]^{[lower-alpha 8]} Then Devi proclaimed that Sahasi II, though recovering, could not hold court and, hence, had appointed Chach as the caretaker ruler for his lifetime.^[31]^[24] The courtiers were lured into supporting the coverup, and Chach ruled as the de facto King for about six months.^[31]

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.^[31]^[24] Chach was ambiguous about the morality of taking on a legitimate successor but was coaxed by Devi to resist.^[31] In the faceoff, he secured a freak victory^{[lower-alpha 9]} and went on to organize public feasts to win the approval of the masses.^[31]^[24] 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.^[31]^[24]

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.^[31] 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.^[24]

Notes[edit | edit source]

↑ Abundant Sasanian mints but with significant variations in typology, style, and especially, denomination, have been excavated from Sind.^[9]
↑ Two series of Peroz's mints—the first crown and third crown —are observed in Sindh; only in the second does this legend appear, replacing the two attendants of the fire temple.^[11]
↑ For a parallel, see the rise of Nezak Huns in Zabulistan.
↑ Chintaman Vinayak Vaidya held the Rais to be descendants of Mauryas and hence, Shudra, by caste.^[14] This descent was proposed based on Rai Mahrit, then ruler of Chittor, claiming to be Sahasi II's brother. Rulers of pre-Sisodia Rajasthan usually claimed descent from Mauryas, and this identification aligned with Xuanzang's noting the King of Sin-tu to be a Sudra.
↑ Alexander M. Fishman and Ian Todd speculate a series of gold dinars and silver dammas found in the region — similar to the Ranaditya Satya mints, in deriving from Sassanian coinage but bearing different legends and different crown patterns — to have been minted by the Rais.^[13] The legends might be read as Sri Shahi Rasra(…), Sri Jayataka, Sri Harsharuka, and Sri Bharharsha some of which match, albeit roughly, with speculative reconstructions obtainable from the Chachnama — Diwaj > Diwaditya > Devaditya alias Ranaditya (?), Sahiras I > Shahi Rasra(…) (?), Sahsi I > ?, Sahiras II > Sri Harsha (?), and Sahsi II > ?.^[13]^[17] Pankaj Tandon does not find the attribution convincing.^[18]
↑ Manan Ahmed Asif, upon a critical reading of the text, hypothesizes it to be an original work that drew on then-extant histories to imagine a romantic-nationalist past of Sindh with little fidelity to accuracy. In contrast, Irfan Habib and Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila emphasizes on unique features of the text that would have been impossible without a literal translation and rejects Asif's doubts on the veracity of the events described in the Chachnama,^[20]^[21] as does André Wink criticizing his intensely source-critical approach.^[22]
↑ According to the Brahminical theology of caste, Brahmins ought not to engage in worldly activities and must lead a life of asceticism.^[29]
↑ The claimants were asked to meet the frail King one by one. In reality, Devi had each of them imprisoned and claimed that the King had them imprisoned out of a quarrel with some other claimant. Thus, she suggested killing the other claimant to pacify the King and regain their freedom.
↑ Chach challenged Mahrit to a one-on-one combat, claiming his Brahmin origins had precluded learning the skills of cavalry. However, in the combat, Chach mounted a horse and beheaded Mahrit. Mahrit's forces fell into disarray on receiving the news of his death.

References[edit | edit source]

↑ Schwartzberg 1978, p. 26, 145 map XIV.1 (i).
↑ Balfour, Edward (1885). The Cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia, Commercial Industrial, and Scientific: Products of the Mineral, Vegetable, and Animal Kingdoms, Useful Arts and Manufactures (3rd ed.). London: B. Quaritch.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 Pal, Sayantani. "Rai dynasty of Sind". Wiley Online Library. Wiley.
↑ Avari, Burjor (July 2016). India: The Ancient Past: A History of the Indian Subcontinent from c. 7000 BCE to CE 1200. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-23673-3.
↑ Khuhro, Hamida (1981). Sind Through the Centuries: Proceedings of an International Seminar Held in Karachi in Spring 1975. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-577250-0.
↑ Andre Wink (2002), Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World: Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam 7th-11th Centuries, Brill Academic, ISBN 978-0391041738, pages 192-196
↑ Wink 1996, p. 153.
↑ Schindel 2016, p. 127-128.
↑ Schindel 2016, p. 127.
↑ Schindel 2016, p. 128, 130.
↑ Schindel 2016, p. 129.
↑ ^12.0 ^12.1 Schindel 2016, p. 130.
↑ ^13.0 ^13.1 ^13.2 ^13.3 Fishman, Todd & Pieper 2021.
↑ ^14.0 ^14.1 ^14.2 ^14.3 ^14.4 Mirchandani 1985.
↑ ^15.0 ^15.1 Wink 1996, p. 151-152.
↑ ^16.0 ^16.1 ^16.2 ^16.3 ^16.4 ^16.5 Asif 2016.
↑ Habib 2012.
↑ Tandon 2022, p. 28.
↑ Asif 2016, p. 15, 20.
↑ Habib 2017.
↑ Hämeen-Anttila 2018.
↑ Wink 2017.
↑ Asif 2016, p. 21.
↑ ^24.00 ^24.01 ^24.02 ^24.03 ^24.04 ^24.05 ^24.06 ^24.07 ^24.08 ^24.09 Baloch 1983.
↑ ^25.0 ^25.1 ^25.2 ^25.3 ^25.4 ^25.5 Siddiqi 2013, p. 31.
↑ Wink 1996, p. 133.
↑ Asif 2016, p. 131.
↑ Baloch 1983, p. 131-132.
↑ ^29.0 ^29.1 Asif 2016, p. 132.
↑ Asif 2016, p. 132-133.
↑ ^31.0 ^31.1 ^31.2 ^31.3 ^31.4 ^31.5 ^31.6 ^31.7 Asif 2016, p. 133.

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

Asif, Manan Ahmed (2016). A Book of Conquest: The Chachnama and Muslim Origins in South Asia. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-67466-011-3.
Baloch, N. A., ed. (1983). Fathnamah I-Sind: Being the Original Record of the Arab Conquest of The Sind. Islamabad, Pakistan: Institute of Islamic History, Culture and Civilization: Islamic University. OCLC 13788034.
Fishman, A. M.; Todd, I. J.; Pieper, W. (2021). "Recently Discovered Gold, Silver and Copper Coins of pre-Islamic Sindh and the Yashaditya Series". Numismatische Zeitschrift. 127: 389–392.
Habib, Irfan (2012). "Linguistic Materials from Eighth-century Sind: An Exploration of the Chachnama". In Jafri, S.Z.H (ed.). Recording the Progress of Indian History: Symposia Papers of the Indian History Congress, 1992–2010. Delhi: Primus Books. ISBN 978-9-38060-728-3.
Habib, Irfan (June 2017). "Book Review: Manan Ahmad Asif, A Book of Conquest: The Chachnåma and Muslim Origins in South Asia". Studies in People's History. 4 (1): 105–109. doi:10.1177/2348448917694235. ISSN 2348-4489. S2CID 165517641.
Hämeen-Anttila, Jaakko (2018-10-02). "A Book of Conquest: The Chachnama and Muslim Origins in South Asia". Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations. 29 (4): 536–538. doi:10.1080/09596410.2018.1522158. hdl:20.500.11820/0c6e731b-6baf-4caa-a86b-d6b626bc2f1c. ISSN 0959-6410. S2CID 150269490.
Mirchandani, B. D. (1985). Glimpses of Ancient Sind: A Collection of Historical Papers. Sindh: Saraswati M. Gulrajani. OCLC 14356173.
Schindel, Nikolaus (2016). "The Coinages of Paradan and Sind in the Context of Kushan and Kushano-Sasanian Numismatics". In Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh; Pendleton, Elizabeth; Alram, Michael; Daryaee, Touraj (eds.). The Parthian and Early Sasanian Empires: adaptation and expansion. Oxbow Books. ISBN 978-1-78570-210-5.
Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978). A Historical atlas of South Asia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-22674-221-2. Archived from the original on 2021-02-24. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
Siddiqi, Iqtidar Husain (2013). "Chachnama and its Significance". Indo-Persian Historiography Up to the Thirteenth Century. Primus Books. ISBN 978-9-38408-218-5.
Tandon, Pankaj (2022). "Research on the Guptas and (Iranian) Huns, 2014–2020" (PDF). In Alram, Michael; Bodzek, Jaroslaw; Bursche, Aleksander (eds.). The Survey of Numismatic Research 2014–2020. Vol. II. International Numismatic Council.
Wink, Andre (1996). Al Hind: The Making of the Indo-Islamic World. BRILL. ISBN 978-9-00409-249-5.
Wink, Andre (May 2017). "Review of A Book of Conquest: The Chachnama and Muslim Origins in South Asia". H-Asia, H-Net Reviews.

Template:Medieval India Template:History of Sindh

[10] Abundant Sasanian mints but with significant variations in typology, style, and especially, denomination, have been excavated from Sind.^[9]

[13] Two series of Peroz's mints—the first crown and third crown —are observed in Sindh; only in the second does this legend appear, replacing the two attendants of the fire temple.^[11]

[16] For a parallel, see the rise of Nezak Huns in Zabulistan.

[18] Chintaman Vinayak Vaidya held the Rais to be descendants of Mauryas and hence, Shudra, by caste.^[14] This descent was proposed based on Rai Mahrit, then ruler of Chittor, claiming to be Sahasi II's brother. Rulers of pre-Sisodia Rajasthan usually claimed descent from Mauryas, and this identification aligned with Xuanzang's noting the King of Sin-tu to be a Sudra.

[23] Alexander M. Fishman and Ian Todd speculate a series of gold dinars and silver dammas found in the region — similar to the Ranaditya Satya mints, in deriving from Sassanian coinage but bearing different legends and different crown patterns — to have been minted by the Rais.^[13] The legends might be read as Sri Shahi Rasra(…), Sri Jayataka, Sri Harsharuka, and Sri Bharharsha some of which match, albeit roughly, with speculative reconstructions obtainable from the Chachnama — Diwaj > Diwaditya > Devaditya alias Ranaditya (?), Sahiras I > Shahi Rasra(…) (?), Sahsi I > ?, Sahiras II > Sri Harsha (?), and Sahsi II > ?.^[13]^[17] Pankaj Tandon does not find the attribution convincing.^[18]

[28] Manan Ahmed Asif, upon a critical reading of the text, hypothesizes it to be an original work that drew on then-extant histories to imagine a romantic-nationalist past of Sindh with little fidelity to accuracy. In contrast, Irfan Habib and Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila emphasizes on unique features of the text that would have been impossible without a literal translation and rejects Asif's doubts on the veracity of the events described in the Chachnama,^[20]^[21] as does André Wink criticizing his intensely source-critical approach.^[22]

[36] According to the Brahminical theology of caste, Brahmins ought not to engage in worldly activities and must lead a life of asceticism.^[29]

[39] The claimants were asked to meet the frail King one by one. In reality, Devi had each of them imprisoned and claimed that the King had them imprisoned out of a quarrel with some other claimant. Thus, she suggested killing the other claimant to pacify the King and regain their freedom.

[40] Chach challenged Mahrit to a one-on-one combat, claiming his Brahmin origins had precluded learning the skills of cavalry. However, in the combat, Chach mounted a horse and beheaded Mahrit. Mahrit's forces fell into disarray on receiving the news of his death.

[FOOTNOTESchwartzberg197826,_145_map_XIV.1_(i)-1] Schwartzberg 1978, p. 26, 145 map XIV.1 (i).

[2] Balfour, Edward (1885). The Cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia, Commercial Industrial, and Scientific: Products of the Mineral, Vegetable, and Animal Kingdoms, Useful Arts and Manufactures (3rd ed.). London: B. Quaritch.

[Pal2016-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 Pal, Sayantani. "Rai dynasty of Sind". Wiley Online Library. Wiley.

[4] Avari, Burjor (July 2016). India: The Ancient Past: A History of the Indian Subcontinent from c. 7000 BCE to CE 1200. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-23673-3.

[5] Khuhro, Hamida (1981). Sind Through the Centuries: Proceedings of an International Seminar Held in Karachi in Spring 1975. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-577250-0.

[6] Andre Wink (2002), Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World: Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam 7th-11th Centuries, Brill Academic, ISBN 978-0391041738, pages 192-196

[FOOTNOTEWink1996153-7] Wink 1996, p. 153.

[FOOTNOTESchindel2016127-128-8] Schindel 2016, p. 127-128.

[FOOTNOTESchindel2016127-9] Schindel 2016, p. 127.

[FOOTNOTESchindel2016128,_130-11] Schindel 2016, p. 128, 130.

[FOOTNOTESchindel2016129-12] Schindel 2016, p. 129.

[FOOTNOTESchindel2016130-14] 12.0 ^12.1 Schindel 2016, p. 130.

[FOOTNOTEFishmanToddPieper2021-15] 13.0 ^13.1 ^13.2 ^13.3 Fishman, Todd & Pieper 2021.

[FOOTNOTEMirchandani1985-17] 14.0 ^14.1 ^14.2 ^14.3 ^14.4 Mirchandani 1985.

[FOOTNOTEWink1996151-152-19] 15.0 ^15.1 Wink 1996, p. 151-152.

[FOOTNOTEAsif2016-20] 16.0 ^16.1 ^16.2 ^16.3 ^16.4 ^16.5 Asif 2016.

[FOOTNOTEHabib2012-21] Habib 2012.

[FOOTNOTETandon202228-22] Tandon 2022, p. 28.

[FOOTNOTEAsif201615,_20-24] Asif 2016, p. 15, 20.

[FOOTNOTEHabib2017-25] Habib 2017.

[FOOTNOTEHämeen-Anttila2018-26] Hämeen-Anttila 2018.

[FOOTNOTEWink2017-27] Wink 2017.

[FOOTNOTEAsif201621-29] Asif 2016, p. 21.

[FOOTNOTEBaloch1983-30] 24.00 ^24.01 ^24.02 ^24.03 ^24.04 ^24.05 ^24.06 ^24.07 ^24.08 ^24.09 Baloch 1983.

[FOOTNOTESiddiqi201331-31] 25.0 ^25.1 ^25.2 ^25.3 ^25.4 ^25.5 Siddiqi 2013, p. 31.

[FOOTNOTEWink1996133-32] Wink 1996, p. 133.

[FOOTNOTEAsif2016131-33] Asif 2016, p. 131.

[FOOTNOTEBaloch1983131-132-34] Baloch 1983, p. 131-132.

[FOOTNOTEAsif2016132-35] 29.0 ^29.1 Asif 2016, p. 132.

[FOOTNOTEAsif2016132-133-37] Asif 2016, p. 132-133.

[FOOTNOTEAsif2016133-38] 31.0 ^31.1 ^31.2 ^31.3 ^31.4 ^31.5 ^31.6 ^31.7 Asif 2016, p. 133.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[lower-alpha 1]

[10]

[lower-alpha 2]

[12]

[13]

[lower-alpha 3]

[lower-alpha 4]

[15]

[16]

[14]

[lower-alpha 5]

[19]

[lower-alpha 6]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[lower-alpha 7]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[lower-alpha 8]

[lower-alpha 9]

[9]

[11]

[17]

[18]

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[22]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
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+{{Short description|Dynasty of Sindh (489–632)}}
 {{Infobox country
-|native_name = '''کیستھا خاندان'''
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+{{Annotation|text-align=center|125|185|[[Pallava dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">PALLAVAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-|religion          =  [[Hinduism]]<br/>[[Buddhism]]<ref name=harsha>[https://books.google.com/books?id=m68BAAAAMAAJ& ''Harsha and His Times: A Glimpse of Political History During the Seventh Century A.D. , Page 78''] by Bireshwar Nath Srivastava (Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 1976)</ref>
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|105|195|[[Alupa dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">ALUPAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
-|government_type   = [[Absolute Monarchy]]
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|70|34|[[Nezak Huns|<span style="color:#006400FF">NEZAKS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-|leader1           = [[Rai Diwa]]
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|75|48|[[Alchon Huns|<span style="color:#006400FF">'''ALCHONS'''</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-|year_leader1      =
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|155|155|[[Eastern Ganga dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">KALINGAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-|leader2           = [[Rai Sahiras]]
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|155|130|[[Panduvamshis of Dakshina Kosala|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">PANDUVAMSHIS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
-|year_leader2      =
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|180|118|[[Gauda Kingdom|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">SHASHANKAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
-|leader3           = [[Rai Sahasi I]]
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|165|143|[[Shailodbhava dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">SHAILODBHAVAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
-|year_leader3      =
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|102|40|[[Gonanda dynasty (II)|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">GONANDAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
-|leader4           = [[Rai Sahasi II]]
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|130|92|[[Maukhari dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">MAUKHARIS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-|year_leader4      =
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|90|60|[[Takka Kingdom|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">TAKKA</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
-|title_leader      = [[Emperor]]
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|5|5|[[Western Turks|<span style="color:#006400FF">WESTERN<br/>TURKS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=8.5|color=#000000}}
-|legislature       =
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|160|3|[[Tocharians|<span style="color:#006400FF">TOCHARIANS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-|stat_year1       = {{circa|600}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|60|125|'''[[Maitraka dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">MAITRAKAS</span>]]'''|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-|stat_area1       = 1553993
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|80|97|[[Pratiharas of Mandavyapura|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">PRATIHARAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
-|demonym=|area_km2=|area_rank=|GDP_PPP=|GDP_PPP_year=|HDI=|HDI_year=|today=}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|145|108|[[Later Gupta dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">LATER GUPTAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|110|70|[[Pushyabhuti dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">PUSHYA-<br/>BHUTIS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|100|160|[[Chalukya dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">CHALUKYAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|110|125|[[Kalachuris of Mahishmati|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">EARLY<br/>KALA-<br/>CHURIS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|5|55|[[Sasanian Empire|<span style="color:#006400FF">SASANIAN<br/>EMPIRE</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=8.5|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|265|238|[[Template:Continental Asia in 625 CE|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">&nbsp;</span>]]|text-align=center|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=12|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|262|250|[[Template:South Asia in 500 CE|<span style="color:#4F311CFF"> ◁  </span>]] [[Template:South Asia in 800 CE|<span style="color:#4F311CFF"> ▷ </span>]]|text-align=center|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=12|color=#000000}}
+|caption=
+}}
+| image_map_caption      = {{center|Map of Sindh (Rais), {{Circa|550}}–600 CE.{{sfn|Schwartzberg|1978|p=26, 145 map XIV.1 (i)}}}}
+| capital                = [[Aror|Alor]]<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vlsIAAAAQAAJ&dq=buddhist+rai+dynasty&pg=PA653 | title=The Cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia, Commercial Industrial, and Scientific: Products of the Mineral, Vegetable, and Animal Kingdoms, Useful Arts and Manufactures | last1=Balfour | first1=Edward |author-link=Edward Balfour|date = 1885 |edition=3rd|publisher = B. Quaritch |location = London}}</ref>
+| government_type        = [[Monarchy]]
+| religion               = {{plainlist|
+*[[Hinduism]]<ref name=Pal2016>{{cite web |last1=Pal |first1=Sayantani |title=Rai dynasty of Sind |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781118455074.wbeoe051 |website=Wiley Online Library |publisher=Wiley}}</ref>
+*[[Buddhism]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Avari |first1=Burjor |author-link=Burjor Avari |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WTaTDAAAQBAJ&dq=Rai+dynasty+buddhist&pg=PA233 |title=India: The Ancient Past: A History of the Indian Subcontinent from c. 7000 BCE to CE 1200 |date=July 2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-23673-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Khuhro |first1=Hamida |author-link=Hamida Khuhro |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k-Y8AAAAMAAJ&q=buddhist+rai+dynasty |title=Sind Through the Centuries: Proceedings of an International Seminar Held in Karachi in Spring 1975 |date=1981 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-577250-0}}</ref>
+}}
+| title_leader           = [[#Rulers|King]]
+| leader1                = [[#Rai Diwaji, Rai Sahiras I, and Rai Sahasi I|Rai Diwaji]] (first)
+| year_leader1           = 489–(?)
+| leader2                = [[#Rai Sahasi II|Rai Sahasi II]] (last)
+| year_leader2           = (?)–632
+| footnotes              =
+| status                 =
+| year_end               = 632
+| year_start             = 489
+| map_width              = 280px
+| p1                     = Hind (Sasanian province)
+| s1                     = Brahmin dynasty of Sindh
+| today                  = {{plainlist|[[Pakistan]]<br/>[[India]]
+}}
+}}
 {{History of Sind}}
-The '''Rai dynasty''' (c. 489&ndash;632 CE)<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bCVyhH5VDjAC&pg=PA152|title=Al- Hind: The slave kings and the Islamic conquest, Volume I|year=1991|publisher=Brill|page=152|isbn=9004095098}}</ref> was a kingdom<ref>{{Cite book|last=Elliot, H. M. (Henry Miers), Sir, 1808-1853, author.|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1136335945|title=The History of India, as Told by its Own Historians : The Muhammadan Period.|isbn=978-1-139-50713-4|oclc=1136335945}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=india|first=Ancient geography of|title=alexander cunningham|publisher=Alexander Cunningham}}</ref> during the [[Classical India|Classical period]] on the [[Indian subcontinent]], which originated in the region of [[Sindh]], later part of [[Pakistan]].<ref name="harsha">[https://books.google.com/books?id=m68BAAAAMAAJ& ''Harsha and His Times: A Glimpse of Political History During the Seventh Century A.D. , Page 78''] by Bireshwar Nath Srivastava (Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 1976)</ref> The dynasty at its height ruled much of the Northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent. The influence of the Rai's extended from [[Kashmir]] in the east, [[Makran]] and [[Debal]] port (modern [[Karachi]]) in the west, [[Surat]] port in the south, and the [[Kandahar]], [[Sulaiman Mountains|Sulaiman]], Ferdan and Kikanan hills in the north.<ref name="harsha">[https://books.google.com/books?id=m68BAAAAMAAJ& ''Harsha and His Times: A Glimpse of Political History During the Seventh Century A.D. , Page 78''] by Bireshwar Nath Srivastava (Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 1976)</ref> It ruled an area of over {{convert|600,000 |mi2|km2|0}}, and the dynasty reigned a period of 143 years.<ref name="harsha">[https://books.google.com/books?id=m68BAAAAMAAJ& ''Harsha and His Times: A Glimpse of Political History During the Seventh Century A.D. , Page 78''] by Bireshwar Nath Srivastava (Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 1976)</ref>
+<span lang="Hindi" dir="ltr">The</span> '''Rai dynasty''' ({{Circa|489}}–632 CE) was a dynasty that ruled the [[Sindh]]. All that is known about the dynasty comes from the ''[[Chachnama]]'', a 13th-century [[Persian language|Persian]] work about [[History of Sindh|Sindhi history]] whose accuracy has been questioned.<ref>Andre Wink (2002), Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World: Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam 7th-11th Centuries, Brill Academic, {{ISBN|978-0391041738}}, pages 192-196</ref> Nothing particular is known about the first three kings—Rai Diwaji, Rai Sahiras I, and Rai Sahasi I. The fourth king, Rai Sahiras II, is said to have ruled over a vast prosperous area, including the seaport of [[Debal]].
+== Background ==
+{{see also|Sasanian coinage of Sindh|Hind (Sasanian province)}}
+The Rais reigned in the [[Sindh]] region for a period of 144 years from {{Circa|489}} to 632 A.D. They allegedly had familial ties with other rulers of South Asia including Kashmir, Kabul, Rajasthan and Gujarat.{{sfn|Wink|1996|p=153}} As attested by coinage, the region had previously been under the indirect influence of the [[Sasanian Empire|Sasanians]], at least from the reign of [[Shapur II]].{{sfn|Schindel|2016|p=127-128}}{{efn|Abundant Sasanian mints but with significant variations in typology, style, and especially, denomination, have been excavated from Sind.{{sfn|Schindel|2016|p=127}}}} 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.{{sfn|Schindel|2016|p=128, 130}}{{Efn|Two series of Peroz's mints—the first crown and third crown —are observed in Sindh; only in the second does this legend appear, replacing the two attendants of the fire temple.{{sfn|Schindel|2016|p=129}}}} [[Xuanzang]] visited Sindh during this period and describes the rulers as being ''shu-to-lo'' ([[Shudra]]s).<ref name= Pal2016 /> Hinduism and Buddhism co-existed in the realm with the Rai's recorded as building a temple dedicated to [[Shiva]] in [[Aror|Alor]].<ref name= Pal2016 />
+In 484 C.E., as [[Peroz I]] suffered an overwhelming defeat in his [[Hephthalite–Sasanian War of 484|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.{{sfn|Schindel|2016|p=130}} The origin of the Rais is likely to lay in this power vacuum.{{sfn|Fishman|Todd|Pieper|2021|p=}}{{Efn|For a parallel, see the rise of [[Nezak Huns]] in Zabulistan.}} However, their origins remain unknown.{{efn|[[Chintaman Vinayak Vaidya]] held the Rais to be descendants of [[Maurya Empire|Mauryas]] and hence, [[Shudra]], by caste.{{sfn|Mirchandani|1985|p=}} This descent was proposed based on Rai Mahrit, then ruler of [[Chittor]], claiming to be Sahasi II's brother. Rulers of pre-Sisodia Rajasthan usually claimed descent from Mauryas, and this identification aligned with [[Xuanzang]]'s noting the King of Sin-tu to be a Sudra.}}
+=== 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.{{sfn|Wink|1996|p=151-152}}{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=}}{{sfn|Mirchandani|1985|p=}} Literary sources do not record Sasanian activity and details of their actions in Sindh,{{sfn|Schindel|2016|p=130}} and no epigraphic, archaeological or numismatic evidence for the Rai dynasty exists.{{sfn|Wink|1996|p=151-152}}{{sfn|Mirchandani|1985|p=}}{{efn|Alexander M. Fishman and Ian Todd speculate a series of gold dinars and silver dammas found in the region — similar to the Ranaditya Satya mints, in deriving from Sassanian coinage but bearing different legends and different crown patterns — to have been minted by the Rais.{{sfn|Fishman|Todd|Pieper|2021|p=}} The legends might be read as Sri Shahi Rasra(…), Sri Jayataka, Sri Harsharuka, and Sri Bharharsha some of which match, albeit roughly, with speculative reconstructions obtainable from the ''Chachnama'' — Diwaj > Diwaditya > Devaditya ''alias'' Ranaditya (?), Sahiras I > Shahi Rasra(…) (?), Sahsi I > ?, Sahiras II > Sri Harsha (?), and Sahsi II > ?.{{sfn|Fishman|Todd|Pieper|2021|p=}}{{sfn|Habib|2012|p=}} Pankaj Tandon does not find the attribution convincing.{{sfn|Tandon|2022|p=28}}}}
-The [[Battle of Rasil]] in 632 played a crucial role in their decline. The battle resulted in the [[Rashidun Caliphate]] annexing the [[Makran|Makran coast]] .<ref>Peter Crawford, ''The War of the Three Gods: Romans, Persians and the Rise of Islam'', (Pen & Sword, 2013), 192.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZPAHBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA192&dq=raja+rasil&hl=en&sa=X&ei=aOwYVd23ONWhugS-_IHIDg&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAQ]</ref><ref>André Wink, ''Al-hind: The Making of the Indo-islamic World'', Vol. I, (E.J. Brill, 1990), 133.[https://books.google.com/books?id=U7Q3AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA133&lpg=PA133&focus=viewport&vq=Chach&output=html_text]</ref> The book ''[[Chach Nama]]'' chronicles the final demise of the Rai dynasty and the ascent of [[Hindu]] [[Chach of Alor]] to the throne.
+The narrative in the ''Chachnama'' about the Rais has since penetrated into the regional historiography in Persian writers like [[Masum Shah|Tarikh i Sind]] in the 17th century and [[Mir Ali Sher Qaune Thattvi|Tuhfatul karaam]] in the 18th century.{{sfn|Mirchandani|1985|p=}} 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.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=15, 20}}{{efn|[[Manan Ahmed Asif]], upon a critical reading of the text, hypothesizes it to be an original work that drew on then-extant histories to imagine a romantic-nationalist past of Sindh with little fidelity to accuracy. In contrast, [[Irfan Habib]] and [[Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila]] emphasizes on unique features of the text that would have been impossible without a literal translation and rejects Asif's doubts on the veracity of the events described in the ''Chachnama'',{{sfn|Habib|2017|p=}}{{sfn|Hämeen-Anttila|2018|p=}} as does [[André Wink]] criticizing his intensely source-critical approach.{{sfn|Wink|2017|p=}}}}
-They established a formidable temple of [[Shiva]] in present-day [[Sukkur]], [[Pakistan]], close to their capital in [[Aror]]. This is consistent with the historical accounts from the times of [[Harsha]], as numerous monarchs from the subcontinent never sponsored a state religion and typically patronized all [[Dharma|Dharmic]] religions.<ref name="Wink pg.152">{{cite book |title=Al Hind: The Making of the Indo-Islamic World |publisher=BRILL |year=1996 |last=Wink |first=Andre |isbn=90-04-09249-8 |page=152}}</ref>
+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.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=21}} It was cited in works authored by colonial bureaucrats, especially the British Gazetteers.{{sfn|Mirchandani|1985|p=}} 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.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=}} In modern-day historiography, the dynasty has attracted sparse scholarship except from a few [[numismatist]]s.{{sfn|Fishman|Todd|Pieper|2021|p=}}
-==History==
+== Rulers ==
-B. D. Mirchandani stated, "Our knowledge of the Rai dynasty, which is not a great deal, is derived entirely from three Muslim chronicles of Sind."<ref>Mirchandani, B. D.; ''Glimpses of Ancient Sind''{{page needed|date=April 2013}}</ref> The history of the Rai and Brahman dynasties is almost entirely derived from the Muslim chronicles, especially the ''[[Chachnama]]'' and ''[[Shahnama]]''.<ref name="Wink pg.152" /> The dynasty was launched by Adi Rai in the year 3044 of the ''[[Kali Yuga]]'' era, i.e., 58 B.C.  His son Dev Rai succeeded him after 48 years.<ref>A Short History of Jammu Raj: From Earliest Times to 1846 A.D.p.44.Ajaya Prakashan,
+=== Rai Diwaji, Rai Sahiras I, and Rai Sahasi I ===
-.</ref> Sukh Dev Singh Charak rose to power in the shifting political scene with the wane of the [[Sassanid]] influence in the wake of the [[Hepthalite]] ([[White Hun]]/[[Huna people|Huna]]) invasions. Rulers issued silver coins bearing their likeness by the 7th century.<ref name="Wink pg.152" />
+Nothing particular is known about the first three kings; their names are mentioned in a single line in the ''Chachnama'', where the [[Vizier|Wazir]] Buddhiman (literarily Wise) informs Chach about the territorial expanses and administrative structure of Rais under Rai Sahiras II.{{sfn|Baloch|1983|p=}}
-The ''Chachnama'' describes the Rai dynasty as a significant power of the time, as well as the extent of Rai Sahiras' domain: {{quote|The limits of his dominions extended on the east to the boundary of Kashmir, on the west to Makran, on the south to the coast of the sea and Debal, and on the north to the mountains of Kurdan and Kíkánán. He had appointed four Governors (Maliks) in his kingdom: one at Brahminabad; and the fort of Nerun and Debal, Luhánah, Lákhah. Sammah and the river were left under his management. Another at the town of Siwis-tán; and Ladhia, Chingán, the skirts of the hills of Rojhán up to the boundary of Makrán, were given into his charge. The third at the fort of Iskandah; and Báhíah, Stwárah, Jajhór, and the supplementary territories of Dhanód were given in his possession; and the fourth at the town of Multan; and the towns of Sikkah, Karnd, Ishthar, and Kíh up to the boundary of Kashmir were en¬trusted to him. The king himself had his headquarters in the city of Aror, retaining Kurdán, Kíkánán, and Bar-Hamas directly under his sway.<ref>''The Chachnamah: ancient history of Sind''. Translated from the Persian by Mirza Kalichbeg Fredunbeg. Commissioner's Press (1900).{{page needed|date=April 2013}}</ref>}}
+=== 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.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=}} The kingdom was divided into four units, each under a governor or a vassal.{{sfn|Siddiqi|2013|p=31}} The southern unit extended from the coasts of the Arabian Sea to Lohana and Samona, including [[Hyderabad, Sindh#Founding|Nerun]] and [[Debal|Debal port]], and had its capital at [[Brahmanabad]].{{sfn|Siddiqi|2013|p=31}} The central unit spanned around Jankan and Rujaban to the [[Makran|Makran frontier]]; it had [[Sehwan Sharif|Sewistan]] as its capital.{{sfn|Siddiqi|2013|p=31}} The western unit extended over a vast area—Batia, Chachpur and Dehrpur—of western Sindh; Iskalanda was the capital.{{sfn|Siddiqi|2013|p=31}} The northern unit, adjoining Kashmir, was centred around [[Multan]].{{sfn|Siddiqi|2013|p=31}}
-===Demise===
+Sahiras II met his death while attempting to ward off an invasion by the Sassanian Governor of [[Nimruz Province|Nimroz]] into [[Kirman (Sasanian province)|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.{{sfn|Wink|1996|p=133}}{{sfn|Siddiqi|2013|p=31}}{{sfn|Baloch|1983|p=}}
-According to the ''Chachnama'', the last Rai emperor, Rai Sahasi II, died through illness without issue. By that time, Chach was in complete control of the affairs of the kingdom. When Rai Sahasi II was near death, Suhanadi explained to Chach that the kingdom would pass to other relatives of the dying king in the absence of any direct heir. Consequently, they hid the news of the king's death until claimants to the throne were killed through conspiracy. Following this, Chach declared himself a ruler and later married Suhandi. This ended the Rai Dynasty and began the dynasty of a Brahmin dynasty called Chach dynasty.<ref name=chachnama>[http://persian.packhum.org/persian/pf?file=12701030&ct=8 "Chach Nama - The queen falls in love with Chach who becomes the Ruler through her love"], Packhum.org</ref>
-Six months after death of Rai Sahasi, his brother Rana Maharath ruler of [[Chittor]], challenged Chach in combat, claiming to be rightful ruler of the Rai Dynasty. Chachnama states that Maharath was killed as the two engaged in a duel, in which it was forbidden to mount a horse or any other animal. During the duel Chach mounted a horse in order to kill his rival.<ref name=chachnama/><ref>[http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D12701030%26ct%3D8 "Chach fights with Maha-rat and kills him by a strategem"], Packhum.org</ref>
+=== 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.{{sfn|Baloch|1983|p=}} He was married to Sohman Devi.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=}} 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.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=131}}{{sfn|Baloch|1983|p=}}
-==Rulers==
+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.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=}}{{sfn|Baloch|1983|p=131-132}} 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,{{efn|According to the Brahminical theology of [[Caste system in India|caste]], Brahmins ought not to engage in worldly activities and must lead a life of asceticism.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=132}}}} he did acced to her request to provide companionship, and their relationship continued to blossom.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=132}}{{sfn|Baloch|1983|p=}} Sahasi II allowed him unprecedented control in the affairs of the state until his death by natural causes; he did not have any children.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=}}
-Andre Wink reports on the possibility of the corruption of the [[Sanskrit]] names and renders them as related in parenthesis in the following chronology of the Rai rulers of Sindh:<ref name="Wink pg.152" />
-*Rai Diwa ji (Devaditya), a powerful chief who forged alliance and extended his rule east of [[Makran]] and west of [[Kashmir]], south to the port of [[Karachi]] and north to [[Kandahar]]{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}
+== End of the dynasty ==
-*Rai Sahiras (Shri Harsha)
+On Sahasi II's death, Devi proposed that Chach usurp the throne.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=132-133}} 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.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=133}}{{Efn|The claimants were asked to meet the frail King one by one. In reality, Devi had each of them imprisoned and claimed that the King had them imprisoned out of a quarrel with some other claimant. Thus, she suggested killing the other claimant to pacify the King and regain their freedom.}} Then Devi proclaimed that Sahasi II, though recovering, could not hold court and, hence, had appointed Chach as the caretaker ruler for his lifetime.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=133}}{{sfn|Baloch|1983|p=}} The courtiers were lured into supporting the coverup, and Chach ruled as the ''de facto'' King for about six months.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=133}}
-*Rai Sahasi (Sinhasena)
-*[[Rai Sahiras II]], died battling the King of [[Nimroz]]
-*[[Rai Sahasi II]], the last of the line
-==See also==
+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.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=133}}{{sfn|Baloch|1983|p=}} Chach was ambiguous about the morality of taking on a legitimate successor but was coaxed by Devi to resist.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=133}} In the faceoff, he secured a freak victory{{Efn|Chach challenged Mahrit to a one-on-one combat, claiming his Brahmin origins had precluded learning the skills of cavalry. However, in the combat, Chach mounted a horse and beheaded Mahrit. Mahrit's forces fell into disarray on receiving the news of his death.}} and went on to organize public feasts to win the approval of the masses.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=133}}{{sfn|Baloch|1983|p=}} 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.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=133}}{{sfn|Baloch|1983|p=}}
-*[[Mukrand Rai]]
-*[[List of Hindu Empires and Dynasties]]
+According to [[Manan Ahmed Asif]], the story of the fall of the Rai Dynasty and rise of the [[Brahman dynasty of Sindh|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.{{sfn|Asif|2016|p=133}} 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.{{sfn|Baloch|1983|p=}}
 ==Notes==
+{{notelist}}
+==References==
 {{Reflist|2}}
-{{s-start}}
+===Bibliography===
-{{succession box
+* {{Cite book |last=Asif |first=Manan Ahmed |title=A Book of Conquest: The Chachnama and Muslim Origins in South Asia |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-67466-011-3}}
-  | title = Rai Dynasty
+* {{Cite book|editor-last=Baloch|editor-first=N. A.|title=Fathnamah I-Sind: Being the Original Record of the Arab Conquest of The Sind|publisher=Institute of Islamic History, Culture and Civilization: [[International Islamic University, Islamabad|Islamic University]]|year=1983|editor-link=Nabi Bakhsh Baloch|location=Islamabad, Pakistan |oclc=13788034}}
-  | years = 489&ndash;690 AD
+* {{Cite journal |last1=Fishman |first1=A. M. |last2=Todd |first2=I. J. |last3=Pieper |first3=W. |date=2021 |title=Recently Discovered Gold, Silver and Copper Coins of pre-Islamic Sindh and the Yashaditya Series|url=https://www.academia.edu/81499320  |journal=Numismatische Zeitschrift |volume=127 |pages=389–392}}
-  | before = [[Ror Dynasty]]
+* {{Cite book |last=Habib |first=Irfan |title=Recording the Progress of Indian History: Symposia Papers of the Indian History Congress, 1992–2010 |publisher=Primus Books |year=2012 |editor-last=Jafri |editor-first=S.Z.H |location=Delhi |chapter=Linguistic Materials from Eighth-century Sind: An Exploration of the Chachnama |isbn=978-9-38060-728-3}}
-  | after =  Islamic Invasion / [[Chach of Alor]]
+* {{Cite journal |last=Habib |first=Irfan |date=June 2017 |title=Book Review: Manan Ahmad Asif, A Book of Conquest: The Chachnåma and Muslim Origins in South Asia |journal=Studies in People's History |language=en |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=105–109 |doi=10.1177/2348448917694235 |s2cid=165517641 |issn=2348-4489}}
-}}
+* {{Cite journal |last=Hämeen-Anttila |first=Jaakko |date=2018-10-02 |title=A Book of Conquest: The Chachnama and Muslim Origins in South Asia |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/09596410.2018.1522158 |journal=Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations |volume=29 |issue=4 |pages=536–538 |doi=10.1080/09596410.2018.1522158 |hdl=20.500.11820/0c6e731b-6baf-4caa-a86b-d6b626bc2f1c |s2cid=150269490 |issn=0959-6410|hdl-access=free |url-access=subscription }}
-{{s-end}}
+* {{Cite book |last=Mirchandani |first=B. D. |title=Glimpses of Ancient Sind: A Collection of Historical Papers |publisher=Saraswati M. Gulrajani |year=1985 |location=Sindh |oclc=14356173}}
+* {{cite book |last1=Schindel |first1=Nikolaus |title=The Parthian and Early Sasanian Empires: adaptation and expansion |editor-last=Curtis |editor-first=Vesta Sarkhosh |editor-last2=Pendleton |editor-first2=Elizabeth |editor-last3=Alram |editor-first3=Michael |editor-last4=Daryaee |editor-first4=Touraj |publisher=Oxbow Books |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-78570-210-5 |language=en |chapter=The Coinages of Paradan and Sind in the Context of Kushan and Kushano-Sasanian Numismatics}}
+* {{cite book |last1=Schwartzberg |first1=Joseph E. |title=A Historical atlas of South Asia |date=1978 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |isbn=978-0-22674-221-2 |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=182 |archive-date=2021-02-24 |access-date=2022-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224162023/https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=182 |url-status=dead }}
+* {{Cite book|last=Siddiqi|first=Iqtidar Husain|title=Indo-Persian Historiography Up to the Thirteenth Century|publisher=Primus Books|year=2013|chapter=Chachnama and its Significance |isbn=978-9-38408-218-5}}
+* {{Cite book |last=Tandon |first=Pankaj |title=The Survey of Numismatic Research 2014–2020 |publisher=International Numismatic Council |year=2022 |editor-last=Alram |editor-first=Michael |volume=II |chapter=Research on the Guptas and (Iranian) Huns, 2014–2020 |editor-last2=Bodzek |editor-first2=Jaroslaw |editor-last3=Bursche |editor-first3=Aleksander |chapter-url=http://coinindia.com/INC%20-%20Guptas%20and%20Huns.pdf}}
+* {{cite book|last=Wink|first=Andre|title=Al Hind: The Making of the Indo-Islamic World|publisher=BRILL|year=1996|isbn=978-9-00409-249-5}}
+* {{Cite journal |last=Wink |first=Andre |title=Review of ''A Book of Conquest: The Chachnama and Muslim Origins in South Asia'' |url=http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=47738 |journal=H-Asia, H-Net Reviews |date=May 2017 }}
+{{Medieval India}}
 {{History of Sindh}}
 {{Authority control}}
+[[Category:Dynasties of India]]
+[[Category:Dynasties of Pakistan]]
 [[Category:History of Sindh]]
-[[Category:History of Balochistan]]
+[[Category:Medieval Indian dynasties]]
-[[Category:Dynasties of Pakistan]]
-[[Category:History of Pakistan]]
-[[Category:Medieval India]]
-[[Category:Dynasties of India]]
-[[Category:Chach Nama]]
-[[Category:History of Gujarat]]
 [[Category:Rajput clans of Sindh]]
+[[Category:Buddhist dynasties of India]]