The Persian work "Chachnama" is an important historical source that records the history of which group’s conquest of Sindh in the early eighth century?

Introduction / Context:
For early medieval Indian history, Persian and Arabic chronicles provide valuable information about invasions and political change. One such work, the Chachnama, has become a key source for historians studying the first successful conquest of parts of north western India by forces from West Asia. Understanding which group and which region this text is about is essential for mapping the early stages of Islamic expansion into the subcontinent.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The text in question is the Chachnama. - It records the history of a specific conquest. - The options are Kushanas, Hunas, Arabs and Greeks. - We assume standard descriptions of Arab expansion and early contacts with India.

Concept / Approach:
The Chachnama is a Persian adaptation of an earlier Arabic account of the Arab conquest of Sindh, led by Muhammad bin Qasim in the early eighth century CE. It describes the fall of the local ruler Dahir and the establishment of Arab rule in Sindh. The Kushanas, Hunas and Greeks were linked with earlier waves of Central Asian and Hellenistic influence on India, not with the eighth century Arab incursion. Therefore, the group whose conquest is detailed in the Chachnama is the Arabs.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh around 712 CE. Step 2: Recognise that Chachnama narrates the history of Sindh and the events leading to its conquest by Arab forces. Step 3: Understand that the Kushanas and Greeks belong to the early centuries of the Common Era, centuries before the Arab conquest. Step 4: The Hunas were Central Asian nomadic groups who invaded north western India around the fifth and sixth centuries, again in a different period. Step 5: Since Chachnama focuses on Sindh and its capture in the eighth century, it must be about the Arabs, not the older Kushana, Huna or Greek invasions. Step 6: Therefore, the correct answer is Arabs.

Verification / Alternative check:
Historical literature on Sindh often cites Chachnama as a primary narrative source, explaining how the text combines earlier traditions and chronicles of the Arab conquest. It describes the campaigns of Muhammad bin Qasim and the political and social conditions of Sindh at that time. There is no comparable connection of this text with the Kushanas or Greeks, whose histories are reconstructed from other sources such as inscriptions and classical accounts. This confirms that Chachnama deals with the Arab conquest.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Kushanas: Rulers of a Central Asian origin who established a kingdom in north western India and Central Asia in the first centuries CE; their history is not recorded in Chachnama.
Hunas: Later Central Asian invaders known from different sources; they are not the focus of this Persian narrative about Sindh.
Greeks: Hellenistic rulers such as those under Alexander and later Indo Greek kings predated the Arab conquest and are discussed in other texts, not in Chachnama.

Common Pitfalls:
Because all the options refer to foreign groups that interacted with India, some students may confuse time periods and pick the wrong invader. Another pitfall is not remembering that Chachnama is relatively late and specifically about Sindh. Keeping in mind the pairing of Arab conquest of Sindh and the Chachnama source helps keep this topic clear.

Final Answer:
Chachnama records the history of the Arab conquest of Sindh.