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.

After the death of Mujja’, Hajjaj appointed in his place Muhammad, son of Harun, son of Zara al Namari. Under the government of Muhammad, the king of the Isle of Rubies [Ceylon] sent as a present to Hajjaj, certain Muhammadan girls who had been born in his country, the orphan daughters of merchants who had died there. The king hoped by this measure to ingratiate himself with Hajjaj; but the ship in which he had embarked these girls was attacked and taken by some barks (bawarij) belonging to the Meds of Debal. One of the women of the tribe of Yarbu exclaimed, ‘Oh Hajjaj!’ When this news reached Hajjaj, he replied, ‘I am here.’ He then sent an ambassador to Dahir to demand their release, but Dahir replied, “They are pirates who have captured these women, and over them I have no authority.” Then Hajjaj sent Ubaidullah, son of Nabhan, against Debal. Ubaidullah being killed, Hajjaj wrote to Budail, son of Tahfa, of the tribe of Bajali, who was at ’Uman, directing him to proceed to Debal. When he arrived there his horse took fright (and threw him), and the enemy surrounded him and killed him. Some authors say he was killed by the Jats of Budha…

‘Umar, son of Hafs, son of ‘Usman Hazarmard, was then appointed governor of Sind, and after him Daud, son of Valid, son of Hatim. There was with him Abu-1 Samma, who had been a slave of the tribe of Kanda, and who is now governor. The affairs of the frontier went on prosperously until Bashar, son of Daud, was appointed under the Khalifat of Mamun.19 He rebelled, and set up in opposition. Ghassan, son of ‘Abbad, who was a native of the neighbourhood of Kufa, was sent against him. Bashar proceeded to meet Ghassan under a safe conduct, and they both proceeded to the Muhammadan capital (Baghdad). Ghassan deputed Musa, son of Yahya, son of Khalid, son of Barmak, to the charge of the frontier. Musa killed Bala, king of Ash-sharki, although the latter had given him five hundred thousand dirhams to preserve his life. Bala was faithful to Ghassan, and wrote to him in the presence of his army, through the princes who were with him, but his request was rejected. Musa died in 221 A.H. (836 A.D.),20 leaving a high reputation, and he appointed his son ‘Amran as his successor. The Khalif M’utasim bi-llah wrote to him confirming him in the government of the frontier. He marched to Kikan against the Jats, whom he defeated and subjugated. He built a city there, which he called Al Baiza, “the white,”21 and he posted a military force there. Then he proceeded to Multan, and from thence to Kandabil, which city stands upon a hill. Muhammad, son of [p. 30] Khalil, was reigning there, but ‘Amran slew him, conquered the town, and carried away its inhabitants to Kusdar. Then he made war upon the Meds, and killed three thousand of them. There he constructed a band which is called “Sakru-l Med,” Band of the Meds. He encamped on the river at Alrur. There he summoned the Jats, who came to his presence, when he sealed22 their hands, took from them the jizya (capitation tax), and he ordered that every man of them should bring a dog with him when he came to wait upon him,-hence the price of a dog rose to fifty dirhams. He again attacked the Meds, having with him the chief men of the Jats. He dug a canal from the sea to their tank, so their water became salt; and he sent out several marauding expeditions against them.

Meanwhile, Walid, son of Abdu-l malik, died, and was succeeded by (his brother) Sulaiman, who appointed Salih, son of Abdu-r-Rahman, to collect the tribute of ‘Irak. Yalid, son of Abu kabsha as-Saksaki, was made governor of Sind, and Muhammad, son of Kasim, was sent back a prisoner with Mu’awiya, son of Muhallab. The people of Hind wept for Muhammad, and preserved his likeness at Kiraj. He was imprisoned by Salih at Wasit. Salih put him to torture, together with other persons of the family of Abu ‘Ukail, until they expired: for Hajjaj – (Muhammad’s cousin) had put to death Adam, Salih’s brother, who professed the creed of the Kharijis. Hamza, the son of Bail Hanafi, says:
Verily, courage, and generosity, and liberality,
Belonged to Muhammad, son of Kasim, son of Muhammad.
He led armies at the age of seventeen years,
He seemed destined for command from the day of his birth.
Yazid, son of Abu Kabsha, died eighteen days after his arrival in Sind. Sulaiman then appointed Habib, son of al Muhallab, to carry on the war in Sind, and he departed for that purpose. Meanwhile the princes of Hind had returned to their states, and Jaishiya,8 son of Dahir, had [p. 26] come back to Brahmanabad. Habib proceeded to the banks of the Mihran, where the people of Alrur made their submission; but he warred against a certain tribe and reduced them.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In the reign of the same Mu’awiya, the Chief Ziyad, son of Abu Sufian, appointed Sinan, son of Salama, son of al Muhabbik the Huzaili (to the command). He was a good, and godly man, and the first who made his troops take an oath of divorce. He proceeded to the frontier and having subdued Makran and its cities by force, he staid there, and established his power in the country. According to Ibn al Kalbi, it was Hakim bin Jabala al ‘Abdi who conquered Makran.

In the days of Yazid, son of ‘Abdu-l Malik, the son of Al Muhallib10 fled to Sind, and Hilal, son of Ahwaz al Tamimi was sent after them. He fell in with them and killed Mudrak, son of Muhallab, at Kandabil. He also slew Mufalzal, ‘Abdu-l Malik, Ziyad, Marun, and Mu’awiya, sons of Muhallab; last of all he killed Mu’awiya, son of Yazid.

On the receipt of this letter, Hijaj obtained the consent of Wuleed, the son of Abdool Mullik, to invade India, for the purpose of propagating the faith and at the same time deputed a chief of the name of Budmeen, with three hundred cavalry, to join Haroon in Mikran, who was directed to reinforce the party with one thousand good soldiers more to attack Deebul. Budmeen failed in his expedition, and lost his life in the first action. Hijaj, not deterred by this defeat, resolved to follow up the enterprise by another. In consequence, in the year AH 93 (AD 711) he deputed his cousin and son-in-law, Imad-ood-Deen Mahomed Kasim, the son of Akil Shukhfy, then only seventeen years of age, with six thousand soldiers, chiefly Assyrians, with the necessary implements for taking forts, to attack Deebul…"On reaching this place, he made preparations to besiege it, but the approach was covered by a fortified temple, surrounded by strong wall, built of hewn stone and mortar, one hundred and twenty feet in height. After some time a bramin, belonging to the temple, being taken, and brought before Kasim, stated, that four thousand Rajpoots defended the place, in which were from two to three thousand bramins, with shorn heads, and that all his efforts would be vain; for the standard of the temple was sacred; and while it remained entire no profane foot dared to step beyond the threshold of the holy edifice. Mahomed Kasim having caused the catapults to be directed against the magic flag-staff, succeeded, on the third discharge, in striking the standard, and broke it down… Mahomed Kasim levelled the temple and its walls with the ground and circumcised the brahmins. The infidels highly resented this treatment, by invectives against him and the true faith. On which Mahomed Kasim caused every brahmin, from the age of seventeen and upwards, to be put to death; the young women and children of both sexes were retained in bondage and the old women being released, were permitted to go whithersoever they chose.

In the correspondence which ensued, Muhammad informed Hajjaj of what he had done, and solicited advice respecting the future. Letters were written every three days. One day a reply was received to this effect: -“Fix the manjanik and shorten its foot, and place it on the east; you will then call the manjanik-master, and tell him to aim at the flag-staff, of which you have given a description.” So he brought down the flag-staff, and it was broken; at which the infidels were sore afflicted. The idolaters advanced to the combat, but were put to flight; ladders were then brought and the Musulmans escaladed the wall. The first who gained the summit was a man of Kufa, of the tribe of Murad. The town was thus taken by assault, and the carnage endured for three days. The governor of the town, appointed by Dahir, fled, and the priests of the temple were massacred. Muhammad marked out a place for the Musulmans to dwell in, built a mosque, and left four thousand Musulmans to garrison the place.

‘Amru, son of Muhammad son of Kasim was with Hakim, and the latter advised with him, trusted him with many important matters, and sent him out of Al Mahfuz on a warlike expedition. He was victorious in his commission, and was made an amir. He founded a city on this side of the lake, which he called Mansura, in which city the governors now dwell. Hakim recovered from the hands of the enemy those places which they had subjugated, and gave satisfaction to the people in his country. Khalid said, “It is very surprising, – I gave the charge of the country to the most generous of Arabs, that is, to Tamim, and they were disgusted. I gave it to the most niggardly of men and they were satisfied.” Hakim was killed there.

Ziyad next appointed Al Manzar, son of Al Jarud al Abdi, to the frontiers of India. He was known by the name of Abu-l Ash’as. He attacked and conquered Nukan and Kikan. The Musulmans obtained great plunder, and their forces spread over all the country. He captured Kusdar and took prisoners there. Sinan had previously taken it, but its inhabitants had been guilty of defection. He died there (in Kuzdar).