First Islamic invasion in 712 AD by Mhammad Bin Qasim


Sindh

Sindh is one of the world’s most ancient civilized countries. The Chuch Dynasty, who ruled over Sindh is also known as the Brahmin Dynasty. Raja Dahir, the younger son of Chuch, was the last Hindu ruler of Sindh. After death of Raja Chuch in 682 A.D. Raja Chandar became King of Sindh and remained for eight years. Raja Chandar was followed by Raja Dahir who ruled lasted 32 years in Sindh. Raja Dahir’s reign ended with the take-over of Sindh by Muhammad bin Kasim’s son-in-law of Hajjaj Bin Yousuf Sagfi’s, who was a commander of the imperialist Arab Banu Umaya’s army — and Sindh became a part of a foreign empire. Within one year of assuming power, Raja Dahir had taken steps to consolidate his kingdom on all sides. The capital of his kingdom was Alor. From there, he marched eastward and put his brother in-charge of a province with its centre at Brahmanabad. He then marched to Makran, where he made an alliance with the local ruler. His kingdom extended to Multan in the North. Dahir’s government was strong and his kingdom was peaceful.

Raja Dahir

Raja Dahir, who was the last Hindu ruler of Sindh(Parts of Punjab in modern day).His kingdom was conquered by Muhammad bin Qasim in 712 A.D. Raja Dahir was a Pushkarna Brahmin king and son of Chach of Alor who ascended the throne upon the death of his uncle Chandar. Eight years later his kingdom was invaded by Ramal or Kannauj. After initial losses, he allied himself with one ‘Alafi Arab. Alafi and his warriors, who were in exile from the Umayyad Caliph were recruited and led Dahirs armies in repelling the invading forces. Then they stayed on as valued members of Dahirs court. In the later war with the Caliphate however Alafi served in the capacity of a military advisor but refused to take active part in the campaign; as a result of which he later secured a pardon from the Caliph.








Muhammad bin Qasim

Muhammad bin Qasim Muhammad bin Qasim was orphaned. Hajjaj bin Yusuf was his paternal uncle and his teacher of warfare and governing. Muhammad bin Qasim was an intelligent and cultured young man who at the age of fifteen was considered by many to be one of his uncle’s greatest assets. Hajjaj’s complete trust in Muhammad’s abilities as a general became even more apparent when he appointed the young man as the commander of the all-important invasion on Sind. He was only seventeen years old. Muhammad bin Qasim proved Hajjaj right when he, without many problems, managed to win allhis military campaigns. He used both his mind and military skills in capturing places like Daibul,Raor, Uch and Multan. Hajjaj came to India with 6000 horsemen, a camel corps of equal strength and baggage train of 3000 camels marched against Debul by way of Shiras and through Makran. Hajjaj sent also bysea the siege artillery, including a huge balista , called “the bride” which was so big as to be worked by five hundred men. Even though Debul was well protected by strong stone fortifications, but ultimately the fort was captured and the Muslim flag was hoisted for the first time on the soil of the Indian subcontinent. Muhammad bin Qasim, after accepting the surrender of Nirun(near modern Hyderabad)and Sehwan, moved in 712 A.D.to the place where Dahir had mustered his army on the side of the Indus. Several months passed without decisive encounter.

In a subsequent communication, Hajjaj ingeminated that all able-bodied men were to be killed, and that their underage sons and daughters were to be imprisoned and retained as hostages. Qasim obeyed, and on his arrival at the town of Brahminabad massacred between 6,000 and 16,000 of the defending forces. The historian, Upendra Thakur says about the persecution of Hindus:

“ When Muhammad Kasim invaded Sind in 711 AD, Buddhism had no resistance to offer to their fire and steel. The rosary could not be a match for the sword and the terms Love and Peace had no meaning to them. They carried fire and sword wherever they went and obliterated all that came their way. Muhammad triumphantly marched into the country, conquering Debal, Sehwan, Nerun, Brahmanadabad, Alor and Multan one after the other in quick succession, and in less than a year and a half, the far-flung Hindu kingdom was crushed, the great civilization fell back and Sind entered the darkest period of its history. There was a fearful outbreak of religious bigotry in several places and temples were wantonly desecrated. At Debal, the Nairun and Aror temples were demolished and converted into mosques. Resistors were put to death and women made captives. The Jizya was exacted with special care. Hindus were required to feed Muslim travellers for three days and three nights.”

 Other historians and archaeologists such as J E Lohuizen-de Leeuw says regarding events preceding the sack of Debal:

“In fact, we have clear evidence that the Arabs were very tolerant towards both Buddhists and Hindus during the rest of the campaign and throughout the time they ruled Sind...Of course that does not mean that no monuments were ever destroyed, for war always means a certain amount of damage to buildings but it does prove that there was no wanton and systematic destruction of each and every religious Center of the Buddhists and Hindus in Sindh”

Perhaps one example would be sufficient to illustrate the cruel, brutal, murderous tyrant Commander Hajjaj bin Yousuf. Once thousands of people had gathered to pray at the Grand Mosque of Kufa, and the religious scholars, saints, and descendants of the Prophet were among them. While giving a sermon there, Hajjaj bin Yousuf declared “Today, seeing the fruit is ripe, I wish to pluck it.” Then he proceeded to order the massacre of those present, resulting in the slaughter of thousands of Muslims.

Moreover, another example of his tyranny is that without just cause, he attacked other free countries to loot their wealth, enslave their citizens and turn their women into concubines. He then declared the sale of these humans as the glorious deed of Islam!

Hajjaj bin Yousuf sent an army under the command of his son-in-law Mohammed bin Qasim. Before this attempt, they had made fourteen unsuccessful attempts to conquer Sindh.

Victory of Islam

Raja Dahar fought with great courage against the army of Mohammed bin Qasim’s in order to defend Sindh’s territory and honor but the Raja was killed and the country captured by the Arab. The conquest netted the Arabs millions worth of property and thousands of Sindhi men and women were taken and sold in slavery.

Online souces : http://www.pkhope.com/true-history-of-raja-dahir/