The Chachnāma (Fatḥnāma-yi Sind) 34: The message of Rai Dahar.
The Chachnamah, an Ancient History of Sind 34
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The message of Rai Dahar.
34.1
Dahar, then, sent back the Syrian Ambassador, telling him: “Turn you back and tell your Amir: ‘In the matter of crossing the river, he has the choice. We are keeping ourselves ready to fight with him. Either you cross over or we will do so.’” The envoys then returned to Muhammad Kasim and communicated to him the reply of Rái Dáhar. The Arab General said: “Depending on the great and everlasting court of God I accept the choice.” He then remembered the great and glorious God, and, praying to Him for His help, he left with the whole of his army and encamped on the western side of the Mehrán opposite the fortified town of Ráor. He sent for Mékah Basáyeh, and deputed him, with some of his own trustworthy men, to choose a place from where to cross the river; and also to secure some boats for the purpose. Arrange in such a way,” said he, “that we may not have any difficulty in passing over these waters of the Mehran, or be troubled, in the passage, by the enemy sitting on the opposite side of the river. I am determined not to take the army across until I receive the orders of Hajjaj in reply to my letters.” Accordingly he halted there for some days and wrote a detailed report on the subject. He was soon favoured with a reply. Letter from the great and honourable Hajjaj son of Yusif to the great and honourable Amir, the pillar of faith, Muhammad Kasim.
34.2
‘After compliments let it be known to you with reference to what you have written about crossing the Mehran and fighting with Rai Dahar, that I indeed entertain hopes that with the Divine help you will be victorious and successful, and your enemy Dahar will be defeated and vanquished. When you stand face to face with your enemy, I pray that, by the grace of God, no bolt of evil-eye will strike any of you from the revolving skies, for at all the five times of prayer, and on every occasion, whether I am in company or alone, I regularly pray for you, and succour you with my blessings, in order that the great God may give you victory over the unbelievers and may make your enemies vanquished and put them to flight, that whatever has been ordained by destiny may favourably come to pass, and that should happen which is the best and the most desirable. With humility and supplication I always pray to the august Court of the great God, saying: ‘O Lord, you are the Sovereign, besides whom there is no other master or ruler. Grant power and grandeur to the army of Islam in every way, and give it your help and make it successful.’ So I have full hopes that, by the grace of God, you will gain your object. Cross the river in any way feasible, then supplicate the help of God, and find shelter in His kindness and mercy. The result will be that your plans will enable you to get through all difficulties.
34.3
When you array yourselves against the enemy, be steadfast in seeking the Divine pleasure that our object may be fulfilled. In any way you can, do cross the river. Show your bravery and heroism, and success and victory will attend you, and Divine power and protection will help you. With the assistance of angels, the swords of Mussalmans will naturally overpower the unbelievers. The great and glorious God will make those beings of unclean and wicked nature food for the swords and lances of the angels and the faithful. The doors of Divine wrath are open against them. They will be visited by heavy vengeance and will receive a severe flagellation. When you wish to cross the river, first examine carefully the crossing-places on the banks. Secure such places on other streams and lakes (also). Let those of the natives of the place, who live in boats, be won over by solemn promises, and recognize their services in a deserving manner. After these arrangements are made, you may cross the river, and, when you have crossed it, and the river is behind your back, be watchful lest the enemy, on the other side of the river, do you harm. When you approach their cities and towns and forts, no one will dare to stand against you or to fight with you. If any one dare to face you, he will surely bring ruin upon his own precious life.
34.4
If the enemy take shelter in some fort, considering themselves quite safe therein, the great and glorious God will, when you come in sight, give you help and victory, and you will take it. Your sword will cause so much fright and terror in their hearts, that their weapons will be of no avail to them, and you will completely overpower them, and gain victory over them. When they run away, take possession of their kit and treasures, but be on your guard against their plots and artful tricks, and be not self-conceited and self-sufficient. If any one of them is inclined to the path of Islam and receives the honour of Islam, treat him kindly and teach him the principles of the Faith. Behave in such a way that no enemy of the true faith is left in that country. You will not be held responsible by God for shedding their blood. Make a habit of reciting the following prayer which is acceptable to God:—‘In the name of God, the most merciful and gracious. O God we ask thy help, because thou art God, the living and the self-subsisting. Neither slumber nor sleep seizeth thee. To thee belongeth whatsoever is in heaven and on earth. Who is he that can intercede with thee, but through thy good pleasure! Thou knoweth that which is past and that which is to come to us. And we cannot comprehend anything of thy knowledge, but so far as thou pleasest. Thy throne is extended over heaven and earth, and the preservation of both is no burden unto thee.
34.5
Thou art the high, the mighty, and we ask thy help because thou art the only God, the eternal God. Thou begettest not, neither art thou begotten; and there is no one like unto thee. Through thy favour, who art the beneficent, the maintainer of men, the creator of men, the conqueror of men, the powerful over men, and from thee, is to be expected goodness and kindness. Thy words are perfect. We shall enjoy thy favour only when we feel grateful for thy kindness, acquire the knowledge of thy truth and act up to thy pleasure and satisfaction.’ Now peace be on you, and God’s mercy and His blessings. Written in the year 93.”
34.6
Muhammad Kasim went through the above letter, and read it out to his friends in a public meeting. Preparations were being made to find out the crossing-points to cross the river and to fight with Dahar, when another letter was received. It ran as follows:—“In the name of God, the most merciful and gracious. This is a letter from the high council (majlis) to Muhammad Kasim. After the communication of compliments, let it be known to you that your enemies have vanity in their heads. Never fear them, for victory is reserved for you. I give you discretion to make peace if an amicable settlement is made on favourable terms after solemn promises, and tribute is sent to the treasury of the Khalifah. As for the permission to cross the river and to fight with Dahar, you have already been informed that you may cross it from that point where you expect the least trouble and loss to your men. Or rather draw a sketch map on paper showing the length and breadth of the portion of the river within about 4 leagues above and below the (various) crossing-points, which should also be marked on the bank on which they are situated. I may then select one point and you must cross the river from there, so that no harm may be done to the troops.” On getting this letter, Muhammad Kasim called Mékah Basayeh and asked him to arrange for crossing the river.
34.7
The learned men of Hind who have given a narrative of the war have stated, on the authority of a Brahmin, who said that he had heard it from Madds son of Hubiyeh Tamimi (a man then in Raor), that, when Dahar heard of Muhammad Kasims encamping at Jitor, he ordered a litter to be placed on his elephant and he forthwith got into it, rode to the bank of the river, and stood opposite the army of Islam. The waters of the Mehran flowed between the two adversaries. Muhammad Kasim marshalled his army. One of the Syrian soldiers, who was a clever hand at arrow-shooting wanted to plunge his horse into the river and discharge an arrow at the enemy. But his horse shied at the sight of water and would not go near it. Meanwhile Rai Dahar took up his bow, which was so strong and stiff and large that no one but himself could string it. He pulled the string on it tightly, fixed an arrow on it, and discharged it with all his force. Straight went the arrow and hit the horseman, passing through his coat of mail and piercing his navel, and he fell down dead from his horse. Dahar then went back and ordered Jéhin Budh to post himself at the ferry landing, on the bank of the Mehran, opposite the fort of Bet, and to watch the enemy lest they should cross the river from there. "Let them" said he "come down to the river from another place where the water may be deep and where there may be plenty of mud and slough.
34.8
You must keep your boats ready to harass them, and subject them to losses when they attempt to cross the river." Accordingly Jahin took up his position on the bank of the river in order to check-mate them. Meanwhile some horsemen belonging to the army of Islam, who had been left in charge of Siwistan arrived, and reported to Muhammad Kasim that Chandram-Halah, who some time ago, had been the ruler of Siwistan had, in conspiracy with some Thakurs and native officers of the place, caused a revolt, taken possession of the fort and driven away the Arab soldiers. On receiving this information, Muhammad Kasim despatched a detachment of 200 foot and 1000 horse under the command of Maasab son of Abdurrahman, in that direction. When this force arrived in the vicinity of the fortified town of Siwistan, Chandram issued forth and gave them battle. When the army of Islam made an attack upon the rebellious band, Chandram’s force fled and he himself wanted to throw himself into the fort, but the people in the fort closed the gates against him and would not let him in, and he went to Hell. The next day Maasab came to the town, and priests and merchants and artisans and other men of respectability flocked to him and began to excuse themselves, saying :—"It is no fault of ours; a robber chief came here and suddenly threw himself into the fort." When Maasab was satisfied on this point, he made peace with them. Then they opened the gates to him, and handed over the fort to him.
34.9
When the news of this victory was carried to Muhammad Kasim, he was much delighted. As for giving pardon to the residents of Siwistan about which Maasab had written to him, Muhammad Kasim said :—"It would have been better not to have spared them. Now, you must appoint honest and trustworthy men and try your best to protect the fort. Take good hostages from the priests and merchants and other notables. Bring along with you 4,000 warlike men from Siwistan.” Following this behest, Maasab son of Abdurrahman, after appointing officers and confidential agents and taking 4,000 armed men with him, arrived in the Arab camp, and that same day Mokah Basayeh joined Muhammad Kasim opposite the fort of Bet.
34.10
When Dahar came to know for certain that Mokah Basayeh had surrendered to Muhammad Kasim and had joined his camp, he sent for his son Jaisiah, and Jaisiah came to the bank of the river with a large number of men and instruments of war, and weapons, in boats by the small river of Kétak. Muhammad Kasim had encamped on the opposite bank at Jhim and Kéhal, where he had halted for nearly 40 days during which period grain and grass had begun to fail, the supply of provisions for men had been nearly consumed, and the army had become perplexed and anxious. Diseases broke out among the horses on account of their using different kinds of fodder, and every horse that was attacked by disease was killed and eaten. The enemy were meditating to lay every kind of plot to bring the Arabs into trouble, and when Dahar got this news he became overjoyed. He sent a man to Muhammad Kasim advising him not to seek a miserable end.
34.11
“It is quite clear,” said Dahar to the messenger sent to the Arab General, “it is quite clear that the end of the whole of your enterprise has after all proved miserable and ignoble, and through your indiscreet behaviour the relations between you and us have become very much strained. Provisions are scarce in your camp, now. If you repent and come to terms, I may send you (the necessary) supplies, so that your companions may not die of hunger and want. Look now. Whom have you, to stand against us and fight with us? And what of your military appliances now?” Muhammad Kasim replied: “I am not one of those leaders who would turn back on this account. I can only come to terms and make peace with you, when you send to the Treasury of the Khalifah the tribute of the many years that you have been so long obdurately withholding and and stubbornly evading. Otherwise, with the help of the great God, I shall take your head to Irak.”
34.12
Muhammad Kásim then wrote a full report to Hajjáj son of Yusif, informing him of the mortality among the horses, the scarcity of fodder and other provisions and the absence of boats for crossing the river. In order to know the real state of things in the Arab camp, Hajjáj ordered a man by name Tayyár to go and make secret enquiries, and to communicate to him the result. Accordingly, Tayyár started and came to Makran where he saw a person coming from the Arab camp. He asked him whence he was coming. He replied that he was coming from the camp of Muhammad Kásim. He then asked him the news of the place. The man said that the Arab army had suffered much and was still suffering badly from scarcity of grain and fodder for horses, and from the disease that had broken out among the animals and was carrying off large numbers of them. He gave him a very vivid account, and assured him that owing to these discouraging circumstances, the Arab army was very much perplexed, and ill at ease.