The Chachnāma (Fatḥnāma-yi Sind) 35.3
The Chachnamah, an Ancient History of Sind 35.3
- Language
- English
35.3.1
It is related by the writers of this history that when Alafi thus spoke, Dahar replied: "I have retained you with me for a day like this. If you cannot be of any use to me in this emergency, and you consider it proper not to follow my orders, then better leave us and go away." So Muhammad Alafi left him and went to the country ruled by Sulaiman, better known by the name of his grandfather, Batayer son of Hurr. He remained under Sulaiman’s protection till the time of Dahar’s death. After that event, Muhammad Kasim gave him pardon, and delivered to him Hajjaj’s letter promising him a governorship. Thenceforth he used to go to different rulers of Hindustan to induce them to accept the faith of Islam, and to give tribute. In this way, by giving them excellent hopes and promises, he made them submit, and pay allegiance to Muhammad Kasim. If any of them wanted written covenants, he procured the same for them. Thus all of them were completely won over by him. Tatars son of Bajar Salman, Sarband, king of Kaniij, Mokah, the ruler of Katab, and Kabaiz son of Tahar, had already received the honour of Islam and become tributaries before Muhammad Alafi went to Multan.
35.3.2
There is (however) a tradition from Muhammad Hasan, that on the first day when Muhammad Alafi wanted to excuse himself and stand aloof from fighting with the Mussalmans, Dahar told him “If you wish to be excused from fighting with the Arabs, remain with us to do only the reconnoitring work, so that we may become acquainted with their stratagems and take proper steps to defeat their designs. At any rate do not deprive us of the benefit of your counsel.” Accordingly Alafi (with his men) went with Dahar as the head of a reconnoitring party in order to make enquiries about the Arabs. When however Alafi’s party approached the Arab camp, the latter reproached them and so Alafi fled in haste and came back.
35.3.3
Muhammad Kasim now wrote a letter to Hajjaj about the state of affairs (in Sind) informing him that the army of Islam had crossed the Mehran and had met Dahar, the infidel, on a battle field and that the unbelievers had been put to flight. He ended his letter with (the usual) compliments. (The following reply was received):— “My dear son Imáduddín Muhammad Kásim. I have acquainted myself with the contents of your letter. What you have done is radically thoroughgoing. it is wholly in harmony with the commandment of God and the grace of the Merciful, being for you, in this enterprise and (specially) in all your difficulties, to carefully offer your prayers at the 5 stated times, to the august court of God, the great and the glorious, and every time you praise God’s greatness (at the commencement of your orisons) or read passages from the Koran during them, and in every posture, whether standing or bending or touching the ground with your forehead or sitting, you must ask His help with humility and contrition. Keep your tongue regularly trained in the remembrance of God, that your affairs may be settled satisfactorily. Because without the divine kindness no person can possibly secure power and glory, and when you repose trust and confidence in the grace and goodness of the Great One, your hopes will be fulfilled and success and victory will come to you and help you. May the Great God’s will be done. In the writing of Humran.”
35.3.4
The writers of traditions have related that when Muhammad Aláfí returned from the reconnoitring excursion, Dahar despatched his son Jaisiah with a large number of men and elephants, and Jaisiah, seated on an elephant, opposed the army of Islam and gave them battle. After a hard fight, in which many infidels were killed, Jaisiah’s army had recourse to flight, and Jaisiah himself with a number of his brave armed men and with his body guard, was hemmed in and pressed on all sides. The Arab army made an onslaught on Jaisiah, and sent the majority of his followers to hell. Jaisiah’s elephant driver wishing then to know the mind of the royal rider as to whether he was inclined to carry on the fight, or to retreat and be safe from danger, thus addressed his elephant. ‘O elephant do you wish to fight on or to be safe. King Dahar is anxious for the life of Jaisiah, what is your anxiety? Turn back that you may be saved.” (Hearing this) Jaisiah said: “How can we be saved, when we are standing face to face with the enemy and have been pressed hard? We are hemmed in on every side and have no way of escape. All is over with us.’ The elephant-driver thus gathered that Jaisiah preferred retreating from the fight and saving his life, and had repented him of the engagement. So the Mahout drove the elephant against the Arab horsemen and foot soldiers fighting around, and these could not check the attack of the elephant and gave way.
35.3.5
On their dispersing Jaisiah found a path open for escape, and he turned his face from the field and fled. He alone arrived safely at his father’s camp, but his whole army was cut to pieces. Rai Dahar had encamped to the east of the lake, and when he saw Jaisiah, he offered thanks to his deity and Dahar wherever he may be, and whithersoever he may go, and be assured that with the grace of God victory is yours and the infidels are destined to be defeated and vanquished.” It is related by Muhammad son of Abil Hasan Madani that when Jaisiah son of Dahar fled and went back (to Dahar) and his troops were killed, Rasil sent a messenger to Muhammad Kasim proposing to submit to him. His wazir had advised him not to do so, saying: “Rai Dahar is on friendly terms with you and has much confidence in you. It will be quite unbecoming on your part to act against him at such a time as this. Besides, it cannot be known for certain whether the Arabs will be victorious in the end or not. Your brother Mékah, was on bad terms with Dahar, and so he went and joined the army of Islam. But you have no such excuse for deserting him.” Notwithstanding this advice, Rasil sent a confidential servant to Muhammad Kasim, without the knowledge of the wazir, with the following message: “I must keep the word that has once passed my tongue, and at the same time, it is a matter of shame and reproach to quietly submit to Muhammad Kasim.
35.3.6
I am, however, anxious to give a colour to what I mean to do in order to be free from the taunts of my enemies. I shall give out that I am going to join Rai Dahar by such and such a road. Send a party of your horsemen to overtake me on that road and to capture me. In this way I shall not be a subject of reproach and our respective objects will also be gained.” According to this arrangement, Rasil issued from the fort of Bet and appointed (his father) Basayeh in his place, telling him: “Should the Arab army come, do not fight with them. Go to them submissively, and, as far as possible try to please them, for, that step seems now most reasonable and expedient, since this country is destined to fall into the hands of the Arabs.” Having made this resolution, Rasil started thence on his journey. Muhammad Kasim had despatched 500 horsemen to the appointed place and they waited till Rasil, true to his word, arrived. The men who accompanied him, thinking that their master was determined to make a firm stand against the enemy, engaged them at a place called Jéi Nitri, which was about 5 leagues from the fort of Kanhab. Rasil would not run away and at the same time he was avoiding the fight. Some of his party were killed. As Muhammad Kasim had instructed his men to capture him and not to kill him, they did not hurt him, but took him and his surviving men prisoners and brought them into the presence of Muhammad Kasim.
35.3.7
Muhammad Kasim called him and said: “O Rasil, do you wish that I should pardon you for the sake of your brother Mékah? I had called on you, long before this, to submit, but after all you determined to stand against us and became a prisoner. Now you are free from the reproach, which you were so anxious to avoid. Now co-operate with us that I may bestow substantial favours on you and give you that part of the country to govern which you may have a liking for.” Rasil paid his homage to the Arab general, and was presented with a robe of honour. When Rasil went through the ceremony of rendering allegiance and promised solemnly to remain faithful, he said: “No one can avert or prevent (the operation of) the command of the Great God. As you have so much obliged me I shall henceforth remain firm in your service and never deviate from your will and pleasure, and shall loyally carry out your orders. Shortly afterwards (however) Rasil died, leaving the management of his estate to Mékah. When Rasil and Mékah were united they advised Muhammad Kasim to move his camp to a place called Nardi. Dahar’s camp was then at Kaji Jak. They had seen that there was a big lake between the Arab army and Dahar, which was difficult to pass over. So Rasil said to the Arab General: “May the just Amir Imaduddin live long. This lake must any how be passed over.” And forthwith Rasil secured a boat for the purpose. Thirty men at a time were taken over, till the whole army was on the other side of the lake.
35.3.8
But there was still a ravine to be crossed, Rasil then said (to Muhammad Kasim) “You should go one stage higher up, and encamp at Jitér on the stream of Doharah, which is in the suburbs of that town. From that position you can easily carry on war with Dahar and command his front and rear. You will at the same time be able to fall upon his baggage and bring it entirely into your possession.” Muhammad Kasim relied fully on this advice and going to Jitér, encamped on the stream of Doharah. Rai Dahar soon came to know that Muhammad Kasim with the Arab army had come to Jitér. When Wazir Siakar heard this, an exclamation burst from his mouth. “O” said he “(have they come to) the town called Jitor which means the place of victory. When the army has arrived there, certainly victory is theirs.” Rai Dahar on hearing this turned back, and the fire of jealousy dominated his brain and he said in anger: “He has alighted at Hab Bari It is a place where the bones of all of them will kiss the ground.” Dahar then rose and fled to the fort of Raor, within the walls of which he left his retinue and baggage while he himself took up a position in a village, where he was about a league distant from the Arab army. Here Dahar consulted an astrologer: “To-day,” said he, “I intend engaging the enemy. Where is the planet Venus? Find out from your books which of these two armies will be victorious and which vanquished.
35.3.9
Inform me as to what the end would be.” The astrologer, after looking into his books, said: “According to a scientific calculation, victory is in store for the army of Islam, because Venus is behind its back and in front of you.” When Dahar heard this he became very angry. The astrologer said: “The king should not lose his self-control; let him order that a figure of Venus be made of gold.” This was done and the image was tied to the saddle straps of his horse, that Venus might be behind his back and the victory be his. Muhammad Kásim now approached nearer, so that there was only half a league between the two armies.