Al-Baladhuri Quotes

[During Caliph Hasham bin Abdul Malik (r. 724–43), Sindh military chief Junaid bin Abdur Rahman engaged in a number of victorious campaigns. In his attack of Kiraj, he] ‘stormed the place, slaying, plundering, and making captives.’ ... [After the orthodox Abbasid dynasty was founded in 750, Caliph al-Mansur (r. 755–74) sent Hasham bin Amru for waging holy war against Hindu territories. He] ‘subdued Kashmir and took many prisoners and slaves…’ He then went to Kandahar in boats, and conquered it. He destroyed the budd there, and built in its place a mosque.

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.

Hakim, son of ‘Awana al Kalbi, succeeded Tamim. The people of India had returned to idolatry excepting those of Kassa, and the Musulmans had no place of security in which they could take refuge, so he built a town on the other side of the lake facing India, and called it Al Mahfuza, “The secure,” and this he made a place of refuge and security for them, and their chief town. He asked the [p. 28] elders of the tribe of Kalb, who were of Syrian descent, what name he should give the town. Some said Dimash [Damascus], others, Hims [Emessa], and others Tadmur [Palmyra]. Hakim said (to the latter), “May God destroy16 you, O fool.” He gave it the name of Al Mahfuza, and dwelt there.

Muhammad, son of Kasim, left Armail, accompanied by [p. 21] Jahm, the son of Zahru-l Ju’fi, and arrived at Debal on Friday, where ships brought to him a supply of men, arms, and warlike machines. He dug an entrenchment which he defended with spearmen, and unfurled his standards; each body of warriors was arrayed under its own banner, and he fixed the manjanik, which was called “the bride,” and required five hundred men to work it. There was at Debal a lofty temple (budd) surmounted by a long pole, and on the pole was fixed a red flag, which when the breeze blew was unfurled over the city. The budd is a high steeple, below which the idol or idols are deposited, as in this instance. The Indians give in general the name of budd to anything connected with their worship or which forms the object of their veneration. So, an idol is called budd.

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.

Muhammad advanced to Alsaka, a town on this side of the Biyas, which was captured by him, and is now in ruins. He then crossed the Biyas, and went towards Multan, where, in the action which ensued, Zaida, the son of ‘Umur, of the tribe of Tai, covered himself with glory. The infidels retreated in disorder into the town, and Muhammad commenced the siege, but the provisions being exhausted, the Musulmans were reduced to eat [p. 24] asses. Then came there forward a man who sued for quarter, and pointed out to them an aqueduct, by which the inhabitants were supplied with drinking water from the river of Basmad. It flowed within the city into a reservoir like a well, which they call talah. Muhammad destroyed the water-course; upon which the inhabitants, oppressed with thirst, surrendered at discretion. He massacred the men capable of bearing arms, but the children were taken captive, as well as the ministers of the temple, to the number of six thousand. The Musulmans found I there much gold in a chamber ten cubits long by eight broad, and there was an aperture above, through which the gold was poured into the chamber. Hence they call Multan “the Frontier of the House of Gold,” for farj means “a frontier.”4 The temple (budd) of Multan received rich presents and offerings, and to it the people of Sind resorted as a place of pilgrimage. They circumambulated it, and shaved their heads and beards. They conceived that the image was that of the prophet Job, God’s peace be on him!

The governor Ubaidullah, son of Ziyad, then appointed Ibn Harri al Bahali. God, by his hands, subdued these countries, for he waged fierce war on them and conquered and plundered them. Some writers say that it was Sinan, son of Salama, who was appointed to the (chief) command by Ubaidullah and that Harri led the forces.

The successor of Junaid was Tamim, son of Zaid al ‘Utbi. He was feeble and imbecile, and died near Debal in a water called the “Buffalo-water.” This water was so called because buffalos took refuge there from the bears which infested the banks of the Mihran. Tamim was one of the most generous of Arabs, he found in the treasury of Sind eighteen million Tatariya dirhams, which he soon spent. In the days of Tamim, the M usulmans retired from several parts of India and left some of their positions, nor have they up to the present time advanced so far as in days gone by.

Junaid, son of ‘Abdu-r-Rahman al Marri, was appointed to the frontier of Sind under the authority of ‘Umar, son of Hubaira al Fazari, and was confirmed in the government by (the Khalif) Hasham, son of ‘Abdu-l Malik.11 When Khalid, son of ‘Abdu-Ilah al Kasri was sent to ‘Irak (as governor) Hasham wrote to Junaid directing him to keep up a correspondence with Khalid. Junaid went to Debal and from thence to the banks of the Mihran, but Jaishiya (son of Dahir) forbade him to cross, and sent to him, saying, “I have become a Musulman, and an excellent man confirmed me in my states, but I have no faith in thee.” But (Junaid) gave him pledges and took pledges from him, together with the tribute due from his territories. They thus exchanged guarantees, but Jaishiya acted like an infidel and took up arms. But some say, on the contrary, that he did not begin the attack, but that Junaid dealt unjustly with him. Jaishiya assembled his troops, fitted out ships and prepared for war. [p. 27] Junaid proceeded against him in ships and they fought in the lake of Ash Sharki. Jaishiya’s ship was destroyed, and he himself was taken prisoner and slain. Sasa son of Dahir fled and proceeded towards ‘Irak to complain of the treachery of Junaid, but the latter did not cease to conciliate him until they had shaken hands, and then he slew him. Junaid made war against Kiraj, the people of which had rebelled. He made use of battering-rams, and battered the walls of the town with them until they were breached, and then he stormed the place, slaying, plundering, and making captives. He then sent his officers to Marmad Mandal, Dhanaj, and Barus [Broach]. Junaid used to say, “It is better to die with bravado than with resignation.” He sent a force against Uzain12 and he also sent Habid, son of Marra, with an army against the country of Maliba.13 They made incursions against Uzain, and they attacked Baharimad14 and burnt its suburbs. Junaid conquered al Bailaman and Jurz,15 and he received at his abode, in addition to what his visitors presented to him, forty millions, and he himself carried off a similar sum.

Muhammad then marched towards Alrur and Baghrur. The people of Sawandari came out to meet him and sued for peace, which was granted them, on the condition that they should entertain the Muhammadans and furnish guides. At this time they profess the Muhammadan creed. After that he went to Basmad, where the inhabitants obtained peace on the same terms as those accorded to the Sawandrians. At last he reached Alrur, one of the cities of Sind. It is situated on a hill. Muhammad besieged it for several months, and compelled it to surrender promising to spare the lives of the inhabitants and not touch the temples (budd). “The temples,” he said, “shall be unto us, like as the churches of the Christians, the syna-gogues of the Jews, and the fire temples of the Magians.” He imposed, however, the tribute upon the inhabitants, and built a mosque in the city.

Muhammad, son of Yahya, says that Mansur, the son of Hatim, the grammarian, a freeman of the family of Khalid, son of Assaid, relates that he had seen the pole broken into fragments which had been placed on the steeple of the temple. ‘Ambissa, son of Ishak Az Zabbi, the governor of Sind, in the Khalifat of Mu’tasim billah, knocked down the upper part of the minaret of the temple and converted it into a prison. At the same time he began to repair the ruined town with the stones of the minaret; but before [p. 22] he had completed his labours, he was deprived of his employment, and was succeeded by Harun, son of Abi Khalid- al Maruruzi, and he was slain there.

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.

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.

…Their idol of Zur was of gold, and its eyes were two rubies. The zealous Musalmans cut off its hands and plucked out its eyes, and then remarked to the Marzaban how powerless was his idol to do either good or evil…

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.