Friday, 18 October 2013
Thursday, 17 October 2013
Saturday, 12 October 2013
History of Sindhi's - References of Sindh in ancient literature
The Vedas (Rigveda) praises the Sindhu, the cradle of civilization.
"Sindhu in might surpasses all the streams that flow.... His roar is
lifted up to heaven above the earth; he puts forth endless vigour with
a flash of light The Veda refers to the Ganges only twice; but it
makes as many as thirty references to the Sindhu. Rama gave
Sindhu-Sauvira (the Sindh and Multan areas) to Bharata, who duly
extended his rule farther north to Gandhara, the home town of Gandhari
of Mahabharata fame, which is the modern-day Afghan city Kandahar. His
sons founded the cities of Peshawar (Pushkalavati) and Taxila
(Takshasila).This is the Great Sindhu that gave Sindh its name.
In Ramayana, Sindh was part of Dasharatha's empire.Sindh is also
mentioned in the Mahabharata. King Jayadratha of Sindh was married to
Kaurava prince Duryodhan's sister, Dushhala. He was, therefore, all
along on the side of the Kauravas and against the Pandavas.
The Bhagvad Gita is based on an earlier sermon involving Sindh. Once
upon a time, the king of Sindh had defeated young prince Sanjay of
Sauvira. Sanjay had lost heart and wanted to forget all about his
kingdom. But his brave mother Vidula had shamed him into action. She
had told him to remember his ancestry, remember his responsibilities
to his people, uphold dharma, and live nobly or die nobly. At a time
when the Pandavas were dispirited and did not want to fight, their
mother Kunti reminded Krishna of the story of Vidula and asked him to
repeat it to her sons—to move them to action. The result was the
immortal sermon of the Gita.
Since the movement of the centre of Indian civilization from the
Sindhu to the Ganges, the former had obviously become a rough frontier
tract subject to frequent invasions.
Another great Sanskrit poet, Bhasa, had created a play titled Avimarka
based on the romance of prince Avimarka with princess Kurangadi of
Sindhu-Sauvira. The Bhavishya Purana says that Shalivahana, the
grandson of Maharaja Vikramaditya of Ujjain, established law and order
in "Sindhusthana" and fixed his frontier on the Sindhu.
There is a legend that the great Buddha had graced Sindh with his
visit. Finding the climate extreme, and the area dry and dusty, he had
permitted the bhikshus to wear shoes here. He had also permitted the
use of padded clothing, forbidden elsewhere. Here Sthavirtis, the
prince of Rorik or Roruka (Aror or Alor near modern Rohri) became his
disciple.
When the Buddha went round his native Kapilavastu in a chariot, it was
mentioned that the "four auspicious horses, of lotus colour, had come
from Sindhudesha." To this day, historic Buddhist stupas are found in
Sindh. No wonder when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had become head of Pakistan,
even he adorned his office with a statue of the Buddha.
Sindh was ruled by Rai Dynasty during c. 489–632. Rai Diwaji
(Devaditya) was the greatest ruler of this dynasty, who stands out as
a great patron of Buddhism, comparable to Ashoka in this regard. The
capital of his vast empire was Al-ror. The empire was usurped later by
Brahman dynasties,
Ramesh B. Bhatia
"Sindhu in might surpasses all the streams that flow.... His roar is
lifted up to heaven above the earth; he puts forth endless vigour with
a flash of light The Veda refers to the Ganges only twice; but it
makes as many as thirty references to the Sindhu. Rama gave
Sindhu-Sauvira (the Sindh and Multan areas) to Bharata, who duly
extended his rule farther north to Gandhara, the home town of Gandhari
of Mahabharata fame, which is the modern-day Afghan city Kandahar. His
sons founded the cities of Peshawar (Pushkalavati) and Taxila
(Takshasila).This is the Great Sindhu that gave Sindh its name.
In Ramayana, Sindh was part of Dasharatha's empire.Sindh is also
mentioned in the Mahabharata. King Jayadratha of Sindh was married to
Kaurava prince Duryodhan's sister, Dushhala. He was, therefore, all
along on the side of the Kauravas and against the Pandavas.
The Bhagvad Gita is based on an earlier sermon involving Sindh. Once
upon a time, the king of Sindh had defeated young prince Sanjay of
Sauvira. Sanjay had lost heart and wanted to forget all about his
kingdom. But his brave mother Vidula had shamed him into action. She
had told him to remember his ancestry, remember his responsibilities
to his people, uphold dharma, and live nobly or die nobly. At a time
when the Pandavas were dispirited and did not want to fight, their
mother Kunti reminded Krishna of the story of Vidula and asked him to
repeat it to her sons—to move them to action. The result was the
immortal sermon of the Gita.
Since the movement of the centre of Indian civilization from the
Sindhu to the Ganges, the former had obviously become a rough frontier
tract subject to frequent invasions.
Another great Sanskrit poet, Bhasa, had created a play titled Avimarka
based on the romance of prince Avimarka with princess Kurangadi of
Sindhu-Sauvira. The Bhavishya Purana says that Shalivahana, the
grandson of Maharaja Vikramaditya of Ujjain, established law and order
in "Sindhusthana" and fixed his frontier on the Sindhu.
There is a legend that the great Buddha had graced Sindh with his
visit. Finding the climate extreme, and the area dry and dusty, he had
permitted the bhikshus to wear shoes here. He had also permitted the
use of padded clothing, forbidden elsewhere. Here Sthavirtis, the
prince of Rorik or Roruka (Aror or Alor near modern Rohri) became his
disciple.
When the Buddha went round his native Kapilavastu in a chariot, it was
mentioned that the "four auspicious horses, of lotus colour, had come
from Sindhudesha." To this day, historic Buddhist stupas are found in
Sindh. No wonder when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had become head of Pakistan,
even he adorned his office with a statue of the Buddha.
Sindh was ruled by Rai Dynasty during c. 489–632. Rai Diwaji
(Devaditya) was the greatest ruler of this dynasty, who stands out as
a great patron of Buddhism, comparable to Ashoka in this regard. The
capital of his vast empire was Al-ror. The empire was usurped later by
Brahman dynasties,
Ramesh B. Bhatia
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