Al-Baladhuri Quotes

Muhammad sought the means of crossing the Mihran, and effected the passage in a place which adjoined the dominions of Rasil, chief of Kassa, in Hind, upon a bridge which he had caused to be constructed. Dahir had neglected every precaution, not believing that the Musulmans would dare to advance so far. Muhammad and his Musulmans encountered Dahir mounted on his elephant, and surrounded by many of these animals, and his Takakaras [Thakurs] were near his person. A dreadful conflict ensued, such as had never been heard of. Dahir dismounted and fought valiantly, but he was killed towards the evening, when the idolaters fled, and the Musulmans glutted themselves with massacre. According to Al Madaini, [p. 23] the slayer of Dahir was a man of the tribe of Kalab, who composed some verses upon the occasion.

In the year 44 H. (664. A.D.), and in the days of the Khalif Mu’awiya, Muhallab, son of Abu Safra made war upon the same frontier, and advanced as far as Banna and Alahwar, which lie between Multan and Kabul. The enemy opposed him and killed him and his followers. In the land of Kikan, Muhallab encountered eighteen Turki horsemen, riding crop-tailed horses. They fought well but were all slain. Muhallab said, “How much more active than we those barbarians were.” So he docked the tails of his horses, and was the first among the Musulmans who did so.

Mansur, son of Hatim, related to me that Fazl, son of Mahan, formerly a slave of the sons of Sama, got into Sindan and subdued it. He then sent an elephant to the Khalif Mamun, and wrote to him and offered up prayers for him in the Jami’ masjid, which he built there. When he died he was succeeded by Muhammad, son of Fazl, son of Mahan. He proceeded with seventy vessels against the Meds of Hind. He killed a great number of them, captured Kallari25(?) and then returned towards Sindan. But his brother, named Mahan, had made himself master of Sindan, and wrote to the Khalif Mu’tasim bi-llah, and had sent to him as a present the largest and longest saj26, that [p. 31] had been seen. But the Indians were under the control of his brother whom they liked. So they slew Mahan and crucified him. The Indians afterwards made themselves masters of Sindan, but they spared the mosque, and the Muhammadans used to meet in it on Friday and pray for the Khalif.

The governors who succeeded continued to kill the enemy, taking whatever they could acquire and subduing the people who rebelled. When the fortunate dynasty (that of ‘Abbasides) was established, Abu Muslim appointed ‘Abdu-r Rahman, son of Abu Muslim Mughallisa-l ‘Abdi, to the frontier of Sind. ‘Abdu-r Rahman went by way of Tukharistan, and proceeded against Mansur, son of Jamhur al Kalbi, who was in Sind. But he was met by Mansur and slain, and his forces were put to flight. When Muslim heard this he appointed Musa, son of Ka’bu-t Tamini, and sent him to Sind. When he arrived, the river Mihran lay between him and Mansur, son of Jamhur.17 Still he came up with Mansur, put him and his forces to flight, and slew his brother Manzur. Mansur fled in wretched plight to the sands, where he died of thirst. Musa ruled in Sind, repaired the city of Mansura, and enlarged its mosque. He was victorious in his campaigns.

Then Muhammad, son of Kasim went to Makran, and remained there some time. He then went to Kannazbur and took it, and then to Armail, which he also took. Muhammad, son of Harun, son of Zara, went to meet him, and joined him, but he died near Armail at Kasim’s side, and was buried at Kambal [Kambali?].

Ziyad then appointed Rashid son of Umru-l Judaidi of the tribe of Azd to the frontier. He proceeded to Makran and was victorious in warring against Kikan; but he was slain fighting against the Meds. Sinan, son of Salama, then succeeded to the command and was confirmed therein by Ziyad. He remained there two years.

Afterwards, Hajjaj, during the Khilafat of Walid, son of ‘Abdul malik appointed Muhammad, son of Kasim, son of Muhammail, son of Hakim, son of Abu ‘Ukail to command on the Sindian frontier. Muhammad was in Fars when the order arrived, and had previously received instructions to go to Rai [south of the Caspian Sea]. Abu-l Aswad Jahm, son of Zahru-l Ju’fi, was at the head of the advanced guard, and he was ordered to return to Muhammad, and he joined him on the orders of Sind. Hajjaj ordered six thousand Syrian warriors to attend Muhammad, and others besides. He was provided with all he could require, without omitting even thread and needles. He had leave to remain at Shiraz until all the men who were to accompany him had assembled, and all the preparations had been duly made. Hajjaj had some dressed cotton saturated with strong vinegar, and then dried it in the shade, and said, “When you arrive in Sind, if you find the vinegar scarce, soak the cotton in water, and with the water you can cook your food and season your dishes as you wish.” Some authors say, that when Muhammad arrived on the frontiers, he wrote to complain of the scarcity of vinegar, and this was the reason which induced Hajjaj to send cotton soaked in vinegar.

Other authorities say that Kutaibah granted peace for 700,000 dirhams and entertainment for the Moslems for three days. The terms of surrender included also the houses of the idols and the fire temples. The idols were thrown out, plundered of their ornaments and burned, although the Persians used to say that among them was an idol with which whoever trifled would perish. But when Kutaibah set fire to it with his own hand, many of them accepted Islãm.

We are told that Hajjaj caused a calculation to be made of the sums expended in fitting out this expedition of Muhammad Kasim, and the riches which resulted from it. He had spent sixty millions (of dirhams) and that which had been sent to him amounted to one hundred and twenty millions. He said “We have appeased our anger, and avenged our injuries, and we have gained sixty millions of dirhams, as well as the head of Dahir.” Hajjaj then died.5 Upon learning this, Muhammad left Multan and returned to Alrur and Baghrur, which had been previously captured. He made donations to his men, and sent an [p. 25] army towards al-Bailaman, the inhabitants of which place surrendered without any resistance. He made peace with the inhabitants of Surast, with whom the men of Basea6 are now at war. They are Meds, seafarers, and pirates. Then he went against the town of Kiraj. Duhar advanced to oppose him, but the enemy was put to flight. Duhar fled, but some say he was killed. The inhabitants surrendered. Muhammad slew (all those capable of bearing arms) and reduced the rest to slavery.

Abu Bakr, Who had been a slave of the Karizis, related to me that the country called Al ‘Usaifan between Kashmir and Multan and Kabul, was governed by a wise king. The people of this Country worshipped an idol for which they had built a temple. The Son of the king fell sick, and he desired the ministers of the temple to pray to the idol for the recovery of his son. They retired for a short time, and then returned and said, “We have prayed and our supplications have been accepted.” But no long time passed before the youth died. Then the king attacked the temple, destroyed and broke in pieces the idol, and slew its ministers. He afterwards invited a party of Muhammadan traders who made known to him the unity of God. Hereupon he believed in the unity and became a Musulman. This happened in the Khalifat of Mu’tasim bi-llah, -may God have mercy on him!

Various authors concur in saying that Muhammad took the village of Rawar by assault, in which city there was a wife of Dahir, who, afraid of being captured, burned herself along with her handmaids and all that she possessed.

Hajjaj then appointed Mujja’, son of S’ir al Tamimi to the frontier. He made war upon, plundered and defeated the tribes about Kanda-bil, and this conquest was subsequently completed by Muhammad, son of al Kasim. Mujja’ died in Makran after being there a year.

At the end of the year 38, or the beginning of the year 39 H. (659 A.D.) in the Khalifat of Ali, son of Abu Salib, Haras, the son of Marra-I Abdi went with the sanction of the Khalif to the same frontier, as a volunteer. He was victorious, got plunder, made captives, and distributed in one day a thousand heads. He and those who were with him, saving a few, were slain in the land of Kikan in the year 42 H. (662 A.D.) Kikan is in Sind near the frontiers of Khurasan.

The people of Nukan are now Muhammadans. Amran, son of Musa, son of Yahya, son of Khalid the Barmakide, built a city there in the Khalifat of M’utasim bi-llah which he called Al Baiza (the white). When al Hajjaj, son of Yusuf, son of al Hakim, son of Abu ’Akail al Sakifi, was governor of Irak, Said, son of Aslam, son of Zura’a al Kalabi was appointed to Makran and its frontiers. He was opposed and slain there by Mu’awiya and Muhammad, sons of al Haras al ‘Alafi.

‘Abbad, son of Ziyad, then made war on the frontier of Hind by way of Sijistan. He went to Sanaruz, from whence he proceeded by way of Khaz to Ruzbar in Sijistan on the banks of the Hind-mand. Then he descended to Kish, and crossing the desert came to Kandahar. He fought the inhabitants, routed them, put them to flight and subdued the country; but many Musulmans perished. ‘Abbad observed the high caps of the people of that country, and had some made like them, which he called Abbadiya.