Raja Jayapala and Janjua Rajput Dynasty of Punjab

Jayapala, was the ruler of the Kabul Shahi dynasty from 964 to 1001 CE. His kingdom stretched from Laghman to Kashmir and Sirhind to Multan, with Peshawar being in the center. He was the son of Hutpal and the father of Anandapala. Epithets from the Bari Kot inscriptions in Swat Valley record his full title as "Parama Bhattaraka Maharajadhiraja Sri Jayapaladeva"

Raja Jayapala Janjua of Kallar

Jayapala is known for his struggles in defending his kingdom against the Ghaznavids in the modern-day eastern Afghanistan and Punjab region. Jayapala saw a danger in the consolidation of the Ghaznavids and invaded their capital city of Ghazni both in the reign of Sebuktigin and in that of his son Mahmud, which initiated the Muslim Ghaznavid and Hindu Shahi skirmishes. Sebuk Tigin, however, defeated him, and he was forced to pay an indemnity. Jayapala defaulted on the payment and took to the battlefield once more. Jayapala, however, lost control of the entire region between the Kabul Valley and Indus River. The Turks were now the new masters of Kabul and the NW Frontier region. Jayapala moved his capital further south to Peshawar.

Turks in Gazni

In 962, Alp Tigin, a Turkish Ghulam or slave soldier, who rose to be the commander of the army in Khorasan in the service of the Samanids, seized Ghazna and set himself up as a ruler there. A successor Sebuk Tigin started to expand vigorously his domain, first capturing Kandahar, then began a struggle with the Hindu Shahi kingdom. The Hindu Shahi ruler Jayapala attacked Sebuk Tigin, but was defeated, then again later when his army of a reported size of over 100,000 was beaten. Lamghan was plundered, and Kabul and Jalalabad were annexed by the Ghaznavids. In 997, Mahmud ascended the throne at Ghazni, and vowed to invade India every year until the northern lands were his.[3] In 1001 he arrived at Peshawar with a select group of 15,000 cavalry, and a large corps of ghazis and Afghans.

In AD 671 when Muslim armies seized Kabul then the capital was moved to Udabhandapura, Modern day Und near modern Attock, also called Waihind by Al Biruni, where they became known as the Hindu Shahi. Udabhanda was the new capital of the Shahi dynasty.

Battle of Peshawar

In the year 1001, soon after Sultan Mahmud came to power and was occupied with the Qarakhanids north of the Hindu Kush, Jayapala attacked Ghazni once more and upon suffering yet another defeat by the powerful Ghaznavid forces, near present-day Peshawar.

Battle of Peshawar, was fought on 27 November 1001 between the Ghaznavid army of Sultan Mahmud bin Sebuktigin (Mahmud of Ghazni) and the Hindu Shahi army of Jayapala, near Peshawar. Jayapala was defeated and captured, and as a result of the humiliation of the defeat, he later immolated himself in a funeral pyre. This is the first of many major battles in the expansion of the Ghaznavid Empire into the Indian subcontinent by Mahmud of Ghazni.

An account of the battle between the invading Turkic Ghaznavids and the Shahi kingdom was given by Al-Utbi in Tarikh Yamini. According to Al-Utbi, Mahmud pitched his tent outside the city upon reaching Peshawar. Jayapala avoided action for some time waiting for reinforcements, and Mahmud then took the decision to attack with swords, arrows, spears. Jayapala moved his cavalry and elephants to engage his opponent, but his army was decisively defeated.

Last stand of Jayapala s against Turks

According to the sources, Jayapala along with members of his family were captured, and valuable personal adornments were taken off the prisoners, including a necklace of great value from Jayapala. The figures of Hindu death ranged from 5,000 to 15,000, and five hundred thousands were said to have been taken captives. Judging from the personal adornments taken off captured Hindus, Jayapala's army was not prepared for battle and thousands of children were taken captive as well.

According to Ferishta:

The two armies having met on the confines of Lumghan, Sabuktigin ascended a hill to view the forces of Jayapala, which appeared in extent like the boundless ocean, and in number like the ants or the locusts of the wilderness. But Subooktugeen considered himself as a wolf about to attack a flock of sheep: calling, therefore, his chiefs together, he encouraged them to glory, and issued to each his commands. His soldiers, though few in number, were divided into squadrons of five hundred men each, which were directed to attack successively, one particular point of the Hindoo line, so that it might continually have to encounter fresh troops.

Jayapala was bound and paraded, and a large ransom were paid for the release of members of his family.  After the Battle of Peshawar, his subjects thought he had brought disaster and disgrace to the Rajput clans. Jayapala felt the defeat to be a great humiliation, and later he built himself a funeral pyre, lit it and threw himself into the fire.

Ruins of Pharwala Fort near Rawalpindi

Anandpala

Prince Anandapala who ascended his father Jayapala's throne at Lahore (in about March/April AD 1002) already proved an able warrior and general in leading many battles prior to his ascension. According to 'Adáb al-Harb' (pp. 307–10) in about AD 990, it is written,

"the arrogant but ambitious Raja of Lahore, having put his father in confinement, marched on the country of Jayapála with the intention of conquering the districts of Nandana, Jailum (Jehlum) and Tákeshar"

(in an attempt to take advantage of Jayapala's concentrated effort with defence against the armies of Ghazni). "

Anandapala defeated Bharat of Lahore and took him prisoner in the battle of Takeshar and marched on Lahore and captured the city and established his kingdom from there.

However, during his reign as emperor many losses were inflicted on his kingdom by the Ghaznavids. During the battle of Chach between Mahmud and Anandapala, it is stated that "a body of 30,000 Gakhars fought alongside as soldiers for the Shahi Emperor and incurred huge losses for the Ghaznavids". However, despite the heavy losses of the enemy, he lost the battle and suffered much financial and territorial loss.

Battle of Chach between Anandpal and Mehmud Gazni

This was Anandapala's last stand against Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. He eventually signed a treaty with the Ghaznavid Empire in AD 1010 and shortly a year later died a peaceful death. R.C Majumdar (D.V. Potdar Commemoration Volume, Poona 1950, p. 351) compared him ironically to ancient  "King Porus, who bravely opposed Alexander but later submitted and helped in subduing other Indian rulers". And Tahqíq Má li'l-Hind (p. 351) finally revered him in his legacy as "noble and
courageous"

Nandana or Nandna was a fort built at strategic location on a hilly range on the eastern flanks of the Salt Range in Punjab Pakistan. Its ruins, including those of a town and a temple, are present. It was ruled by the Hindu Shahi kings until, in the early 11th century, Mahmud of Ghazni expelled them from Nandana. Anandapala, the son of Jayapala of the Hindu Shahi dynasty, had erected the Shiva temple in Nandana.

Trilochanpala

Prince Trilochanpála, the son of Anandapala, ascended the imperial throne in about AD 1011. Inheriting a reduced kingdom, he immediately set about expanding his kingdom into the Sivalik Hills, the domain of the Rai of Sharwa. His kingdom now extended from the River Indus to the upper Jamuna. According to Al-Biruni, Tirlochanpála "was well inclined towards the Muslims (Ghaznavids)" and was honorable in his loyalty to his father's peace treaty to the Ghaznavids. He eventually rebelled against Sultan Mahmud and was later assassinated by some of his own mutinous troops in AD 1021–22, an assassination which was believed to have been instigated by the Rai of Sharwa who became his arch-enemy due to Tirlochanpala's expansion into the Siwalik ranges.

Bheempala

Prince Bhímapála, son of Tirlochanpala, succeeded his father in AD 1021–22. He was referred to by Utbí as "Bhīm, the Fearless" due to his courage and valour. Considering his kingdom was at its lowest point, possibly only in control of Nandana, he admirably earned the title of "fearless" from his enemy's own chronicle writer. He is known to have commanded at the battle of Nandana personally and seriously wounded the commander of the Ghaznavid army Muhammad bin Ibrahim at-Tāī ('Utbi, vil.ii, p. 151.). He ruled only five years before meeting his death in AD 1026. He was final Shahi Emperor of the famed dynasty.

Kalhana, a 12th-century Kashmiri Brahmin, wrote of one campaign in the process that led to this collapse.

End of Dynasty

Bheempala's sons Rudrapal, Diddapal, Kshempala, and Anangpala served as generals in Kashmir. They gained prominence in the Kashmiri royal court where they occupied influential positions and intermarried with the royal family. Hindu Kashmir had aided the Hindus Shahis against Mahmud of Ghazni. As a result after barely defeating the Hindu Shahis, Mahmud marched his men to Hindu Kashmir to take revenge for Kashmir's support of the Hindu Shahis. Al-Biruni was with Mahmud on these campaigns. They are mentioned frequently in Rajatarangini of Kalhana written during AD 1147–49. Rudrapal was mentioned by the writer Kalhana as a valiant general in the campaigns he led to quell resistance to the Kashmiri kings whom they served whilst in exile.

Hindu Temple at Malot Fort

His descendant Raja Sukhpala later embraced Islam after he failed to get support from the Hindu Raja of Kashmir. It is said that he later switched back to his native religion. The location of the Malot fort is about 15 kilometers westward form Katas. Here, on a hilltop is the ancient fort, which was built around 980 AD. It is said that over here the last Hindu Shahi Raja Mal embraced Islam.

Kusak Fort of Shai Dynasy

The Muslim descendant of Raja Jayapala supported the Sikh Sardar Maha Singh of Sukarchakia Misl agains Ahmad Shah Abdali,   Kusak fort lies on the narrow top of a hillock in southern part of the Salt Range about 10 kilometers from Choa Sadien Shah. Maharaja Ranjit Singh is said to have besieged this fort till the Janjua Sardar, Sultan Fateh Muhammad Khan surrendered to him. The Janjua Sultan of Watli, Sultan Fateh Muhammad Khan (descendant of Raja Jodh through Raja Sukhpal) opposed the Sikhs, holding them off for over 6 months in Kusuk Fort, Watli, for which Ranjit Singh gave the salt mines of Khewra and 40 villages to the Sultan as compensation.

Raja Liaqat Ali Hayat of Pakistan

His descendant, Sultan Raja Azmat Hayat served as a Member of the Provincial Assembly of Pakistan.