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" "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.
Aḥmad Ibn Yaḥyā al-Balādhurī (Arabic: أحمد بن يحيى بن جابر البلاذري) was a 9th-century Muslim historian. One of the eminent Middle Eastern historians of his age, he spent most of his life in Baghdad and enjoyed great influence at the court of the caliph al-Mutawakkil. He traveled in Syria and Iraq, compiling information for his major works.
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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.