[Reader-list] Hindu Kush means Hindu Slaughter

[Pawan Durani]

Hindu Kush means Hindu Slaughter

By Shrinandan Vyas

________________________________
All the Encyclopedias and National Geographic agree that Hindu Kush
region is a place of Hindu genocide (similar to Dakau and Auschwitz).
All the references are given. Please feel free to verify them.
________________________________
ABSTRACT
All Standard reference books agree that the name 'Hindu Kush' of the
mountain range in Eastern Afganistan means 'Hindu Slaughter' or 'Hindu
Killer'. History also reveals that until 1000 A.D. the area of Hindu
Kush was a full part of Hindu cradle. More likely, the mountain range
was deliberately named as 'Hindu Slaughter' by the Moslem conquerors,
as a lesson to the future generations of Indians. However Indians in
general, and Hindus in particular are completely oblivious to this
tragic genocide. This article also looks into the reasons behind this
ignorance.
21 References - (Mainly Encyclopedia Britannica & other reference
books, National Geographic Magazines and standard history books).
________________________________
INTRODUCTION
The Hindu Kush is a mountain system nearly 1000 miles long and 200
miles wide, running northeast to southwest, and dividing the Amu Darya
River Valley and Indus River Valley. It stretches from the Pamir
Plateau near Gilgit, to Iran. The Hindu Kush ranges mainly run thru
Afganistan and Pakistan. It has over two dozen summits of more than
23,000 ft in height. Below the snowy peaks the mountains of Hindu Kush
appear bare, stony and poor in vegetation. Historically, the passes
across the Hindu Kush have been of great military significance,
providing access to the northern plains of India. The Khyber Pass
constitutes an important strategic gateway and offers a comparatively
easy route to the plains of Punjab. Most foreign invaders, starting
from Alexander the Great in 327 BC, to Timur Lane in 1398 AD, and from
Mahmud of Ghazni, in 1001 AD, to Nader Shah in 1739 AD attacked
Hindustan via the Khyber Pass and other passes in the Hindu Kush
(1,2,3). The Greek chroniclers of Alexander the Great called Hindu
Kush as Parapamisos or Paropanisos (4). The Hindu name of the Hindu
Kush mountains was 'Paariyaatra Parvat'(5).
________________________________
EARLY HISTORY OF HINDU KUSH REGION (UP TO 1000 AD)
History of Hindu Kush and Punjab shows that two major kingdoms of
Gandhaar & Vaahic Pradesh (Balkh of Bactria) had their borders
extending far beyond the Hindu Kush. Legend has it that the kingdom of
Gandhaar was established by Taksha, grandson of Bharat of Ayodhya (6).
Gandhaar's borders extended from Takshashila to Tashkent (corruption
of 'Taksha Khand') in the present day Uzbekistan. In the later period,
Mahabharat relates Gaandhaari as a princess of Gandhaar and her
brother, Shakuni as a prince and later as Gandhaar's ruler.
In the well documented history, Emperor Chandragupt Maurya took charge
of Vaahic Pradesh around 325 BC and then took over Magadh. Emperor
Ashok's stone tablets with inscriptions in Greek and Aramaic are still
found at Qandahar (corruption of Gandhaar?) and Laghman in eastern
Afganistan(3). One such stone tablet, is shown in the PBS TV series
'Legacy with Mark Woods' in episode 3 titled 'India: The Spiritual
Empire'. After the fall of Mauryan empire, Gandhaar was ruled by
Greeks. However some of these Greek rulers had converted to Buddhism,
such as Menander, known to Indian historians as Milinda, while some
other Greeks became followers of Vishnav sects (Hinduism)(7). Recent
excavations in Bactria have revealed a golden hoard which has among
other things a figurine of a Greek goddess with a Hindu mark on its
forehead (Bindi) showing the confluence of Hindu-Greek art (8). Later
Shaka and KushaaN ruled Gandhaar and Vaahic Pradesh. KushaaN emperor
Kanishka's empire stretched from Mathura to the Aral Sea (beyond the
present day Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Krygzystan)(9).
Kanishaka was a Buddhist and under KushaaN influence Buddhism
flourished in Gandhaar. Two giant sandstone Buddhas carved into the
cliffs of Bamian (west of Kabul) date from the Kushan period. The
larger Buddha (although defaced in later centuries by Moslem invaders)
is about 175 ft tall (10,11). The Kushan empire declined by 450 AD.
The Chinese traveller Hsuan-Tsang (Xuan-zang) travelled thru the
region in 7 th century AD and visited many Buddhist religious centers
(3) including Hadda, Ghazni, Qonduz, Bamian (3,10,11), Shotorak and
Bagram. From the 5 th thru 9 th cenury AD Persian Sasanians and
Hepthalites ruled Gandhaar. During their rule Gandhaar region was
again influenced by Hinduism. The Hindu kings (Shahiya) were
concentrated in the Kabul and Ghazni areas. The last Hindu Shahiya
king of Kabul, Bhimapal was killed in 1026 AD. The heroic efforts of
the Hindu Shahiya Kings to defend the northwestern gates of India
against the invaders are described by even al-Biruni, the court
historian of Mahmud of Ghazni (12). Some excavated sites of the period
include a major Hindu Shahiya temple north of Kabul and a chapel that
contains both Buddhist and Hindu images, indicating that there was a
mingling of two religions (3).
Islamic invasions on Afganistan started in 642 AD, but over the next
several centuries their effect was marginal and lasted only a short
time after each raid. Cities surrendered only to rise in revolt and
the hastily converted returned to their old religion (Hinduism or
Buddhism) once the Moslem armies had passed (3).
THUS TILL THE YEAR 1000 AD AFGANISTAN WAS A FULL PART OF HINDU CRADLE.
________________________________
HINDU KUSH AND THE HINDU GENOCIDE
Now Afganistan is a Moslem country. Logically, this means either one
or more of the following must have happened:
a) original residents of Hindu Kush converted to Islam, or
b) they were slaughtered and the conquerors took over, or
c) they were driven out.
Encyclopedia Britannica (3) already informs us above about the
resistance to conversion and frequent revolt against to the Moslem
conqueror's rule from 8 th thru 11 th Century AD. The name 'Hindu
Kush' itself tells us about the fate of the original residents of
Gandhaar and Vaahic Pradesh during the later period of Moslem
conquests, because HINDU KUSH in Persian MEANS HINDU SLAUGHTER (13)
(as per Koenraad Elst in his book 'Ayodhya and After'). Let us look
into what other standard references say about Hindu Kush.
Persian-English dictionary (14) indicates that the word 'Kush' is
derived from the verb Kushtar - to slaughter or carnage. Kush is
probably also related to the verb Koshtan meaning to kill. In Urdu,
the word Khud-kushi means act of killing oneself (khud - self, Kushi-
act of killing). Encyclopedia Americana comments on the Hindu Kush as
follows: The name Hindu Kush means literally 'Kills the Hindu', a
reminder of the days when (Hindu) SLAVES from Indian subcontinent died
in harsh Afgan mountains while being transported to Moslem courts of
Central Asia (15). The National Geographic Article 'West of Khyber
Pass' informs that 'Generations of raiders brought captive Hindus past
these peaks of perpetual snow. Such bitter journeys gave the range its
name Hindu Kush - "Killer of Hindus"'(10). The World Book Encyclopedia
informs that the name Kush, .. means Death ..(16). While Encyclopedia
Britannica says 'The name Hindu Kush first appears in 1333 AD in the
writings of Ibn Battutah, the medieval Berber traveller, who said the
name meant 'Hindu Killer', a meaning still given by Afgan mountain
dwellers who are traditional enemies of Indian plainsmen (i.e.
Hindus)(2). However, later the Encyclopedia Britannica gives a
negationist twist by adding that 'more likely the name is a corruption
of Hindu-Koh meaning Hindu mountains'. This is unlikely, since the
term Koh is used in its proper, uncorrupted form for the western
portion of Hindu Kush, viz. Koh-i-Baba, for the region Swat Kohistan,
and in the names of the three peaks of this range, viz. Koh-i-Langer,
Koh-i-Bandakor, and Koh-i-Mondi. Thus to say that corruption of term
Koh to Kush occurred only in case of Hindu Kush is merely an effort to
fit in a deviant observation to a theory already proposed. In science,
a theory is rejected if it does not agree with the observations, and
not the other way around. Hence the latter negationist statement in
the Encyclopedia Britannica must be rejected.
IT IS SIGNIFICANT THAT ONE OF THE FEW PLACE NAMES ON EARTH THAT
REMINDS US NOT OF THE VICTORY OF THE WINNERS BUT RATHER THE SLAUGHTER
OF THE LOSERS, CONCERNS A GENOCIDE OF HINDUS BY THE MOSLEMS (13).
Unlike the Jewish holocaust, the exact toll of the Hindu genocide
suggested by the name Hindu Kush is not available. However the number
is easily likely to be in millions. Few known historical figures can
be used to justify this estimate. Encyclopedia Britannica informs that
in December 1398 AD, Timur Lane ordered the execution of at least
50,000 captives before the battle for Delhi, .. and after the battle
those inhabitants (of Delhi) not killed were removed (as slaves) (17),
while other reference says that the number of captives butchered by
Timur Lane's army was about 100,000 (18). Later on Encyclopedia
Britannica mentions that the (secular?) Mughal emperor Akbar 'ordered
the massacre of about 30,000 (captured) Rajput Hindus on February 24,
1568 AD, after the battle for Chitod' (19). Another reference
indicates that this massacre of 30,000 Hindu peasants at Chitod is
recorded by Abul Fazl, Akbar's court historian himself (20). These two
'one day' massacres are sufficient to provide a reference point for
estimating the scale of Hindu genocide. The Afgan historian Khondamir
records that during one of the many repeated invasions on the city of
Herat in western Afganistan, 1,500,000 residents perished (11).
Since some of the Moslem conquerors took Indian plainsmen as slaves, a
question comes : whatever happened to this slave population? The
startling answer comes from New York Times (May-June 1993 issues). The
Gypsies are wandering peoples in Europe. They have been persecuted in
almost every country. Nazis killed 300,000 gypsies in the gas
chambers. These Gypsies have been wandering around Central Asia and
Europe since around the 12 th Century AD. Until now their country of
origin could not be identified. Also their Language has had very
little in common with the other European languages. Recent studies
however show that their language is similar to Punjabi and to a lesser
degree to Sanskrit. Thus the Gypsies most likely originated from the
greater Punjab. The time frame of Gypsy wanderings also coincides
early Islamic conquests hence most likely their ancestors were driven
out of their homes in Punjab and taken as slaves over the Hindu Kush.
The theory of Gypsie origins in India was first proposed over two
centuries ago. It is only recently theta linguistic and other proofs
have been verified. Even the Gypsie leadership now accepts India as
the country of their origin.
Thus it is evident that the mountain range was named as Hindu Kush as
a reminder to the future Hindu generations of the slaughter and
slavery of Hindus during the Moslem conquests.
________________________________
DELIBERATE IGNORANCE ABOUT HINDU KUSH
If the name Hindu Kush relates such a horrible genocide of Hindus, why
are Hindus ignorant about it? and why the Government of India does not
teach them about Hindu Kush? The history and geography curriculums in
Indian Schools barely even mention Hindu Kush. The horrors of the
Jewish holocaust are taught not only in schools in Israel and USA, but
also in Germany. Because both Germany and Israel consider the Jewish
holocaust a 'dark chapter' in the history. The Indian Government
instead of giving details of this 'dark chapter' in Indian history is
busy in whitewash of Moslem atrocities and the Hindu holocaust. In
1982, the National Council of Educational Research and Training issued
a directive for the rewriting of school texts. Among other things it
stipulated that: 'Characterization of the medieval period as a time of
conflict between Hindus and Moslems is forbidden'. Thus denial of
history or Negationism has become India's official 'educational'
policy (21).
Often the official governmental historians brush aside questions such
as those that Hindu Kush raises. They argue that the British version
is the product of their 'divide and rule' policy' hence their version
is not necessarily true. However it must be remembered that the
earliest reference of the name Hindu Kush and its literal meaning
'Hindu Killer' comes from Ibn Battutah in 1333 AD, and at that time
British were nowhere on the Indian scene. Secondly, if the name indeed
was a misnomer then the Afgans should have protested against such a
barbaric name and the last 660 plus years should have been adequate
for a change of name to a more 'civil' name. There has been no effort
for such a change of name by the Afgans. On the contrary, when the
Islamic fundamentalist regime of the Mujahadeens came to power in
1992, tens of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs from Kabul, became
refugees, and had to pay steep ransom to enter into Pakistan without a
visa.
In the last 46 years the Indian Government also has not even once
demanded that the Afgan Government change such an insulting and
barbaric name. But in July 1993, the Government of India asked the
visiting Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra to change its name because the
word Jerusalem in its name is offensive to Moslem Fundamentalists.
________________________________
CONCLUSION
It is evident that Hindus from ancient India's (Hindustan's) border
states such as Gandhaar and Vaahic Pradesh were massacred or taken as
slaves by the Moslem invaders who named the region as Hindu Kush (or
Hindu Slaughter,or Hindu Killer) to teach a lesson to the future Hindu
generations of India. Unfortunately Hindus are not aware of this
tragic history. The Indian government does not want the true history
of Hindu Moslem conflicts during the medieval ages to be taught in
schools. This policy of negationism is the cause behind the ignorance
of Hindus about the Hindu Kush and the Hindu genocide.
________________________________
COMMENTS & FUTURE WORK
Although in this article Hindu Kush has been referred to as Hindu
slaughter, it is quite possible that it was really a Hindu and
Buddhist slaughter. Since prior to Moslem invasions influence of
Buddhism in Gandhaar and Vaahic Pradesh was considerable. Also as the
huge 175 ft stone Buddhas of Bamian show, Buddhists were idol
worshipers par excellence. Hence for Moslem invaders the Buddhists
idol worshipers were equally deserving of punishment. It is also
likely that Buddhism was considered an integral part of the Hindu
pantheon and hence was not identified separately.
This article barely scratches the surface of the Hindu genocide, the
true depth of which is as yet unknown. Readers are encouraged to find
out the truth for themselves . Only when many readers search for the
truth, the real magnitude of the Hindu genocide will be discovered.
________________________________
REFERENCES

Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 th Ed, Vol.5, p.935, 1987
Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 th Ed, Vol.14, pp.238-240, 1987
Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 th Ed, Vol.13, pp.35-36, 1987
The Invasion of India by Alexander the Great (as described by Arrian,
Q.Curtius, Diodoros, Plutarch & Justin), By J.W.McCrindle, Methuen &
Co., London, p.38, 1969
Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History, by Veer Savarkar, Savarkar
Prakashan, Bombay, 2nd Ed, p.206, 1985
Chanakya - a TV series by Doordarshan, India
Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 th Ed, Vol.21, pp.36-41, 1987
V.Sarianidi, National Geographic Magazine, Vol.177, No.3, p.57, March 1990
Hammond Historical Atlas of the World, pp. H4 & H10, 1993
W.O.Douglas, National Geographic Magazine, vol.114, No.1, pp.13-23, July 1958
T.J.Abercrombie, National Geographic Magazine, Vol.134, No.3,
pp.318-325, Sept.1968
An Advanced History of India, by R.C.Majumdar, H.C.Raychaudhuri,
K.Datta, 2nd Ed., MacMillan and Co, London, pp.182-83, 1965
Ayodhya and After, By Koenraad Elst, Voice of India Publication, p.278, 1991
A Practical Dictionary of the Persian Language, by J.A.Boyle, Luzac &
Co., p.129, 1949
Encyclopedia Americana, Vol.14, p.206, 1993
The World Book Encyclopedia, Vol.19, p.237, 1990
Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 th Ed, Vol.21, pp. 54-55, 1987
An Advanced History of India, by R.C.Majumdar, H.C.Raychaudhuri,
K.Datta, 2nd Ed., MacMillan and Co, London, pp.336-37, 1965
Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 th Ed, Vol.21, p.65, 1987
The Cambridge History of India, Vol.IV - The Mughul Period, by W.Haig
& R.Burn, S.Chand & Co., New Delhi, pp. 98-99, 1963
Negationism in India, by Koenraad Elst, Voice of India Publ, 2nd Ed,
pp.57-58, 1993