The Chachnāma (Fatḥnāma-yi Sind) 32: A tradition.
The Chachnamah, an Ancient History of Sind 32
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A tradition.
32.1
Historians have stated that when Dahar was informed of Muhammad Kasim’s arrival in the country of Raor and Jitor, he enquired as to the exact place where the Arabs had come. Upon being told that they had come within the limits of Raor and Jitor, he said “The Arabs are pressing us hard, undoubtedly fortune is in their favour.” Muhammad Kasim now sent a messenger to Mékah son of Basâyeh to tell him that the district of Jortah was granted to him as his estate, and that he was confirmed as ruler of that part of the country.
32.2
A man came to Dahar and informed him that prince Mékah Basâyeh had surrendered to Muhammad Kásim who had sent a messenger to him and concluded a treaty with him. It was said that through the messenger sent to him, Mékah had sent a reply to the Arab general, saying: “I have learnt all that you have said. I am highly obliged to you for the kindness you have shown us. Believe me, I have full trust in the promises given by you, and I am sincerely well disposed to you with all my heart, and my mind is bent upon paying you homage and submitting to you. We wish to seek your good pleasure above all and in every thing; we will never turn from the path of obedience and we consider it one of duties to be submissive (to you). But you must know that it is far from honesty and righteousness to rebel against kings, and break the promise made to them without any fault on their part, particularly when they have been treating their allies kindly. It is wicked and ungrateful to abandon all considerations of honesty and fidelity unless such a desperate peril is impending that one’s life is in danger.” Mékah son of Basâyeh continued his reply to the messengers of Muhammad Kasim as follows:—“Besides, the country of Sind is our native country and the country where we live. It is an acquisition of our fathers and grandfathers and our heritage. There is consanguinity between us and Rai Dahar. He is a king over other kings of Hind.
32.3
We are sure to derive no small pleasure and advantage from whatever harm he may cause to your exalted position, and in all matters involving his happiness or misery, it should be our duty to stand by him and to co-operate with him. We are equally affected by his pleasure and pain and we are partners in the same country. But reason and wisdom suggest, and (rays of) philosophy proves that this kingdom will ultimately go out of our hands and be transferred to others. The sages and philosophers of Hind, who are the original residents of this country, have found from their books of antiquity, by the use of their astrolabe and their astrology, that this empire will be conquered by an army of Islam and will come into its complete possession and that its leader will be prosperous, successful, sagacious and courageous. The reason is that whenever any great event happens or any misfortune overtakes him, he gathers experience at each such occurrence, and becomes wiser, so much so that if, owing to the slipping away of some favourable opportunity a calamity is likely to fall upon him, he is not at a loss to find some way of escape for himself. When you have taken me into your confidence, and have thought it becoming to show favour to us, honesty and fairness require that I should speak the truth to you, and that is, that if I surrender to you voluntarily without any show of fighting or opposing, my enemies will reproach me for it and I shall thereby bring my noble family into disgrace.
32.4
Now, I am going to Sákra on the pretext of celebrating the marriage of my daughter. General Muhammad Kásim (may his honours be permanent) may order about 1,000 horsemen to march and stand on such and such a road, and when I pass by that place they should come and capture me, and bring me to his presence. In that way I shall be free from any blame or reproach. Then people will not say that I became a renegade, and Dahar will not suspect any foul play. He will believe that I have been dragged away by force and violence.” Muhammad Kásim fully believed what Mókah son of Basáyeh said, taking his word to be true. Accordingly, on the day appointed by Mókah, Muhammad Kásim sent Banánah son of Khantalah Kilábí with 1,000 horsemen, armed cap-a-pie, on chosen steeds to the appointed place. He himself also left his quarters, and moving to the vicinity of that place, pitched his camp; and Mókah, too, taking some horsemen with him, started for the place. Banánah Khantalah with his men and an interpreter came to the road and halted there. Not long afterwards, Mókah Basáyeh was taken prisoner, together with 20 brave Thákurs and other men.
32.5
When he was brought before Muhammad Kasim, the latter received him with marked distinction. He gave him the province of Bet as his own estate, and, at his request, passed a written document to that effect with his own signature and handed it over to him. He also gave him 100,000 dirams by way of a present and a green peacock-coloured coronet, a throne and a dress of honour. To all his Thakurs also he gave robes of honour and horses, and consoled them with many other presents. The authors of histories have stated that the coronet of Ránáship, that is to say, princedom given to Mékah was the first of its kind ever given by the Arabs. And the whole province was at Mékah’s request ceded to him and his descendants as private property by letters patent. All the country within the boundaries of Bet, together with its outskirts or villages attached or annexed to it, and cultivated fields became his. On his side, Mékah promised to collect and supply boats, as desired by the Arab General.
32.6
Muhammad Kasim then encamped on the bank of the Mehran. From there he despatched an embassy under one of the Syrian noblemen, and a native of Debal who having been at first a prisoner had subsequently received the honour of Islam at the hands of Muhammad Kásim. This native gentleman was called upon to serve as an interpreter to the Syrian, and explain the Syrian’s speech to Dahar, and Dahar’s to the Syrian. “When you commence delivering the message,” said Muhammad Kásim to the Debalese convert, “do it in a meeting of respectable men and nobles of the place, and call for a decisive reply, as is ordered by Hajjáj in his letter.” Accordingly when the Syrian and Maoláná Islámí, as the Debalese convert was called, went into the presence of Dahar, the latter of the two entered without making a bow, or paying any respect to Dahar. Dahar recognised him, and asked him: “Why do you not observe the Court etiquette usual on such occasions? Is it that you are under some pressure and are prevented from doing so?” The Debalese convert replied:—“Formerly I professed your religion and it was obligatory on me to make the obeisance due from a servant to his master. But now I have been honoured with the glory of Islam and I am attached to the king of Islám. It is therefore unbecoming in me to bend my head before a káfir.”
32.7
Hearing this, Dáhar said to the native envoy: “If you had not been an envoy, I would have punished you by ordering you to be killed.” The Debalese convert said: “If you are determined to kill me, I have nothing to say in my defence. There are some retaliators, who will avenge my death. They will return you like for like.” Then the Syrian commenced his speech. “We are the envoys of the Amír,” said he, “and have been sent to you, in order to deliver his message to you in the presence of princes and chiefs.” “Speak,” said Dáhar, “for a messenger is merely the deliverer of a message; he merely does his duty in obeying the command of his master.” The Syrian said: “Amír Muhammad Kásim has said: ‘make your choice, either cross the river to us and in that case the passage will be left open to you and you will not be prevented or checked, or else keep the way open for us, so that the Arab army may cross the river and march against you.’ ”
32.8
Dáhar consulted his Wazir Siyákar as to what should be done in the matter. Wazír Siyákar said:—“On several occasions, I have given such counsels to the king, in important affairs, as I considered to be proper and necessary for the well-being of the king. What followed these counsels is already known to Your Majesty. When I gave my opinion advising that a place be fixed for crossing the river and the army be sent in advance, you paid no attention to it and would not accept it. To-day when a crucial stage is reached, you are preparing to advance to give battle, and (are likely to) put yourself into trouble. Now, let their whole army cross over to this side and let the two armies engage in fight. The sovereignty of this state is yours. You have absolute dominion over cities and treasuries. You have provisions and arms and materials of war ready with you. Every kind of help will be cut off from him (Muhammad Kásim). When once the waters of the Mehrán are behind their backs, no one can come at their call to assist them. They will be helpless like prisoners in your hands; all the doors of escape by machination or stratagem will be closed on them, and all the followers, attendants, door-keepers, horses and materiels of war will fall into your hands. That is what my reason deliberately suggests.”
32.9
Now there was a man of the family of the Aláfis, who belonged to the army of Syria. He had fled for some fault that he had committed, before the arrival of the Arab army in Sind, and had entered the service of Rai Dáhar, attaching himself to him. Dáhar now called this man and asked his advice in this affair. “O Muhammad,” said he, “Wazír Siyákar counsels in this way; what do you think to be the best plan?” “O king,” replied Muhammad Aláfi:— Verse.—‘Do not let them cast their lines in these pleasant places for here are broad acres and here plenty prevails.’ It is not a right step to allow their forces to cross over. All of us are against it; because the Arab army consists of a very large number of warlike cavaliers and brave soldiers, who will make a firm stand to maintain their prestige and fame, and sacrifice their dear lives in the ‘ways’ and for the pleasure of God. They will earnestly pray to God, the great and glorious One, for His kindness, expecting to go to the everlasting gardens of paradise, by means of this religious war and martyrdom. They will not let themselves be killed till they have wreaked vengeance on us. When they come prepared to fight, they will never retreat or turn back till they one and all become the food of the blood-thirsty sword. If they cross over to this side, they will catch hold of the skirt of your majesty and become partners in the kingdom. A great calamity and catastrophe will then ensue.
32.10
Every day their power and grandeur will go on increasing, and under your very eyes your subjects will, out of fear, beg for mercy from the Arabs, and to save their lives and property they will be obliged to find some other shelter. So it is best for you to let them be on the western side of the river, and let the Mehrán serve as a screen between us and them. We must not in any way consider their coming over to this side of the river as a good thing. You should order the boatmen on the river and Jats and other country tribes on the plains to watch them, and to stop the roads by which they get supplies of provisions for the army, like grass and grain and firewood; and to seize these articles wherever they find them, and to molest the stragglers of their army, who may separate themselves from the main body. In this way their ranks will be thinned. Some of them may die of hunger, and some of want of clothes and other necessaries of life. Their horses will have no grass, and their horsemen no money, and so they will be reduced to straits and be dispersed, and they will no more trespass on your kingdom. When their hordes are scattered and dispersed, your country need have no fear and you yourself will be safe.”