The Chachnāma (Fatḥnāma-yi Sind) 34.12

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.