The Chachnāma (Fatḥnāma-yi Sind) 23: Appointment of Imaduddin Muhammad Kasim son of Ukail Sakifi as agent.
The Chachnamah, an Ancient History of Sind 23
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Appointment of Imaduddin Muhammad Kasim son of Ukail Sakifi as agent.
23.1
The recorders of events and the relaters of news have stated that when the administration of the affairs of Hind and Sind was entrusted to Hajjáj son of Yúsif by the Khalifah, Hajjáj appointed Muhammad Kásim who was his nephew and son-in-law, (Hajjáj’s daughter being his wife) as agent for Hind. Muhammad Kásim was then a youth of seventeen. Congratulating him on his nomination to the high post of governor, Hamzah Hanafi uttered the following verses:— Verses.—O people of Sád—Sád his birth place—verily Muhammad bin Kásim is brave and generous and wise. And on the 17th of Zulhaj he has been appointed the leader of our army.
23.2
It is related by Abdul Hasan Hazli, on the authority of Bashar son of Khalid, that after Bazil was killed, Hajjáj wrote to Walid the reigning Khalifah, asking permission to conquer Hind. The Khalifah wrote in reply:—“The people (of that country) are cunning and the country itself is very distant. It will cost us very large sums of money to provide a sufficient number of men and arms and instruments of war, and will require unusual skill and might to carry on the war, not to mention enormous provisions. This affair will be a source of great anxiety, and so we must put it off; for, every time the army goes (on such an expedition) (vast) numbers of Mussalmans are killed. So think no more of such a design.” Hajjáj then wrote another letter in which he stated: “O, Commander of the Faithful, the Mussalmans of Hind are prisoners in the hands of infidels, who have on one occasion put to flight the army of Islam. That (defeat) must be avenged, and the prisoners released. As for the distance of the country, and the cost of the expedition, to which you refer in your letter, we have men and arms and instruments of war, and other things all ready to hand; nothing more is required. I undertake (God willing) to pay back into the royal treasury (may God make it last long) double the amount spent on provisions and other items of expenditure for the army here.”
23.3
When the Khalifah read this letter, he wrote an order sanctioning the undertaking. (On receipt of this order) Hajjáj wrote a reply, in which he made the following request: “When you have honoured me by granting your permission, you will kindly order 6,000 men out of the chiefs of Shám (Syria) to come to this camp fully prepared, with all their arms and instruments of war and in all their pomp and glory, so that I may know the name of each when the engagement takes place. They should co-operate with me, and should never turn their face from battle.” Abdul Hasan states on the authority of Ishák son of Yaakúb, that Hajjáj wrote a letter directing that 6,000 men out of the descendants of the chiefs of Syria should join him—men who had both their parents living—men who were celebrated, and who were likely—for the sake of their name and fame—to give a good account of themselves when the actual fighting took place, and who were likely to prove loyal to Muhammad Kásim.
23.4
Abdul Hasan relates that the men, whose names were celebrated, did come. (But) one of these men came into the presence of Hajjáj and said: “I do not wish to go with this expedition.” Hajjáj roared out to him angrily: “Be off from my presence or else I shall kill you.” The Syrian (at once) ran away from before Hajjáj. He met some other horsemen who were coming by the same way. They asked him “Whither are you going so fast?” His reply was: “I did not wish to go, and Hajjáj has threatened to punish me.” They brought the man back with themselves, and seeing a suitable opportunity they took him to Hajjáj, and said: “When we have received your order, how dare we stay behind? Here we are ready to serve you.”
23.5
On a Friday, Hajjáj delivered the following address to the assembled people:—“Verily, time is changeful, and resembles a double-edged sword. One day it is with us, and another day it is against us. On the day on which it is with us, we ought to put our armies in order, and be prepared to meet and avert the calamity (likely to overtake us on the day on which time is against us). We should feel thankful to God, our great and glorified Lord, to whom there is no equal. We must recite his praise, and have full trust in his liberal kindness, in order that he may vouchsafe favours to us, and may not close any door upon us, and may make us recipients of merits and virtues in return for our thanksgiving.” (In conclusion he said), “Owing to excessive grief consequent on my separation from Bazil, every moment, the ear of my mind catches a cry (for revenge), and I give a ready response to it. I swear by God that I am determined to spend the wealth of the whole of Irak, that is in my possession, on this expedition, and the flame of my fire will never go down until I take this revenge, and remove the blot from my name.” Then Hajjáj helped Muhammad Kásim to his horse, and gave offerings, and distributed vast sums of money among the troops, and sent them off to carry on the holy war in Hind and Sind. At their departure Hajjáj recited these verses:— Hajjáj returned an answering shout to the cavalier Bazil at the time when the enemy fell upon Bazil.
23.6
He (Hajjáj) girt up his loins (literally lifted up his skirt) when he returned the answering shout. (My brave soldiers!) do you also gird up your loins. I have sacrificed treasure tenfold—treasure which cannot be counted or measured. Hajjáj further instructed Muhammad Kásim to march viâ Shiraz, and to go by easy stages, so that all the forces might join him and not be left behind.