According to Prof. Dr. Abdur Rehman, nothing is known about the ethnological background of the Shahis. The local sources known so far do not provide us enough clues and whatever is known from foreign sources is too little to give a reliably true picture. The extant literature dealing with the historical geography of the lands of the Shahis is very meager. The Shahi dynasty, governed the Kabul valley and the old province of Gandhara from the decline of the Kushan Empire in the 3rd century AD.
The dynasty probably descended from the Kushans, or Turks (Tarushkas). Nothing is recorded until the last king, Lagaturman, who reigned at the end of the 9th century and who was thrown in prison by his minister, named Kallar. Kallar then assumed the throne and founded a new dynasty, the Hindu Shahi. Which ruled the area till the time of Mahmud's invasion of India from Ghazna in 1001 AD. The Shahis maintained a hopeless resistance against Mahmud's forces but fell in 1021 AD. Their kingdom was known as Kabul-Shahan or Ratbel-Shahan, when they had their capital in Kapisa and Kabul, later, Udabhandapura (modern Hund in Swabi district of Khyber Pakhton Khwa) for its new capital.
In ancient time, the title Shahi appears to be a quite popular royal title in Afghanistan and North-Western province of Indo-Pakistan. It has been used by Achaemenids, Sakas, Kushanas, Huns, Bactrians, as also by the rulers of Kabul as well as of Gilgit etc. However, the title has been used by several rulers irrespective of any racial connection and this may refute the above speculation. When the boundaries of the Turki Shahi kingdom of Kabul were extended from the border of Sistan to northern Punjab, in the middle of the 7th century AD, the Turkey Shahi kingdom of Kabul was overthrown by Yaqub bin Lais in 870 AD. The Hindu Shahi dynasty established its rule after the downfall of the Turk Shahis, and with the passage of time extended boundaries of its kingdom.
According to Al-Biruni, the Turk Shahis were succeeded by a dynasty known as the Hindu Shahis. The term 'Hindu Shahis' was first coined by Al-Biruni for the purpose of distinguishing the two dynasties.' Al-Biruni gives the names of few kings, of whom the last three are known to have covered 25 years of that period. The exact date of the origin of this dynasty is not recorded however; the duration of this dynasty was about 183 years. Al-Biruni viewed origin of the Hindu Shahis about 843 AD, and end of their rule in 1026 AD.
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