Zunbils
State | Defunct
600 CE to 870 CE
Zunbil, also written as Zhunbil, is a dynasty south of the Hindu Kush in southern Afghanistan.
They rule from the early 7th century until the Islamic conquest of Afghanistan in 870.
The Zunbils are believed to be an offspring of the southern-Hephthalite rulers of Zabulistan and culturally connected to Greater India.
The dynasty is related to the Kabul Shahis of the northeast in Kabul.
The Zunbils worship a god named Zun (Zoon) from which they derive their name.
Their territory includes the area between what is now the city of Zaranj in southwestern Afghanistan and Kabulistan in the northeast, with Zamindawar and Ghazni serving as their capitals.
Although the rulers of the Zunbil dynasty are worshippers of the sun, many inhabitants south of the Hindu Kush practice Buddhism and other ancient religions before the Islamization of the region.
The title Zunbil can be traced back to the Middle-Persian original Zūn-dātbar, 'Zun the Justice-giver'.
The geographical name Zamindawar would also reflect this, from Middle Persian 'Zamin-i dātbar' (Land of the Justice-giver).
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Aal-Hajjaj, later in 711, orders Qutayba to march against the Hephthalite kingdom of Zabulistan, whose ruler, titled Zunbil, has long remained an indomitable thorn in the Arabs' side and menaced their province of Sistan.
Repeated expeditions against him have failed, and a truce has been agreed in exchange for tribute.
In addition, the existence of a free Zabulite kingdom is a threat to the security of Muslim control over the Hephthalite principalities of Tokhristan, who might be encouraged to seek support from it.
Thus Qutayba leads a large army south, but the Zunbil readily offers his submission and the payment of tribute.
Satisfied with this easy success, and unwilling to hazard a campaign in the mountains of Zabulistan, Qutayba departs.
No garrisons are installed, and as soon as the Arab army has departed, the Zunbil ceases the payment of tribute.
The Saffarid dynasty begins with Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar (Ya'qub, son of Layth, the Coppersmith), a coppersmith who had moved to the city of Zaranj.
He had left work to become an Ayyar (literally, ‘vagabond”, eferring to a person associated with a class of warriors in Iraq and Iran) and eventually gathers the power to act as an independent ruler.
From his capital Zaranj, …
…he moves east into al-Rukhkhadj and Zamindawar, followed by …
…Zunbil and …
…Kabul by 865.
Ya'qub next invades Bamian, …
…Balkh, …
…Badghis, and …
…Ghor.
Conquering these territories, which are ruled mostly by Buddhist tribal chiefs, in the name of Islam, Ya'qub takes vast amounts of plunder and slaves from this campaign.
Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar captures the Tahirid city of Herat in 870.
His campaign in the Badghis region had led to the capture of Kharijites who will later form the Djash al-Shurat contingent in his army.
Ya'qub now turns his focus to the west and began attacks on Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kerman and Fars.
These attacks forces the Abbasid caliphate to recognize him as governor of Kerman.