The Chachnāma (Fatḥnāma-yi Sind) 39: The division of the army of Islám into the right and left wings and the centre.
The Chachnamah, an Ancient History of Sind 39
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The division of the army of Islám into the right and left wings and the centre.
39.1
When Muhammad Kásim on seeing the enemy approaching issued forth, he appointed Khanzalah Kilábí to the charge of the right wing, and Zakwán son of Alwán Bahkrí to that of the left and directed Abú Fiddah Hamadání to take up his position with the standards in front of the elephants (of the enemy.) (At the same time) Hudail son of Salmán Azdí and Zaid son of Jolaidí Azdí with a number of horsemen from Numailah and Masúd son of Shaarí Kalbí and Muhárik son of Kaab Rástí were posted in front of the centre. The van was to come into action, Muhammad son of Zaid Abdi and Bashar son of Atiyah with their companions joining it on one side and Maasab son of Abdurrahman Sakifi and Hazim son of Urwah Madani on the other. Muhammad Kasim divided his select cavalry (also) into the centre, the right wing, and the left. Those who remained, stood behind the army. He ordered the naphtha-shooters to have their weapons and appliances ready and to light their torches and set up their fires. They were 900 men in all and these he divided into 3 parties; 300 men were put in the centre, 300 in the right wing and as many in the left. All of them fixed their arrows of naphtha to their bows. It was the hour of morning prayer when the five lines stood arrayed with their colours flying. One line was formed by the men of the family of Aliyah; another by the children of Tamim; a third by Bikr Rail and his men; a fourth by Abdul Kais with his tribesmen; and a fifth by the people of the Azdi tribe.
39.2
All these five lines turned their faces to Muhammad Kasim in order to hear his orders. Muhammad Kasim now addressed his troops in the following words—"O men of Arabia, these crowds of kafirs have come prepared to fight with us. You must exert yourselves as much as possible, for they will fight furiously for the sake of their wealth, families, houses, domestics and property. Ride against them with the assistance of the Great God. Under the divine protection and with the divine help we hope to make them all the food of our sharp and well-tempered swords, and to defeat and subdue them, dispossess them of their property and families, and obtain large spoils. Be steadfast and waver not. Deck yourselves with silent perseverance. Stick to your posts, and keep your respective positions in the ranks, and see to it that none of you goes from the centre to the right wing or from the right wing to the left wing to render individual help. Stand in your proper places, and remember that the Great and glorious God makes the end of the pious happy. Be always repeating the holy word of God (the Koran) and be saying 'There is no protection or power, but with God, the Great, the Powerful’? He then ordered the water-bearers to fill their leather bags, and go along every line giving water to the men, that they might not move from their places in search of it.
39.3
At this juncture Abú Bakr, son of Wail and the men of the Bani Tamím family came up to him and said:—“The army of the infidels appears to be a veritable calamity, so numerous is it. It has already its weapons and instruments of war in perfect order, and being quite ready for battle, it is quite jubilant, and is pressing forward to meet you and to fight.” Hearing this, Muhammad Kásim turned his face to them and said:—“O children of Tamím, O dear friends, the enemy has come forth and is facing us. He is ready for the battle. Do you now exert yourselves with your whole might and your utmost energy, and you will not fail.” He thus encouraged them, and they stood ready to fight, and brave warriors and martial heroes in every line shouted to one another, and proceeded to battle.
39.4
The authors of history have related on the authority of Farkad that, on that day Muhammad Kásim addressed his men thus:—“O Mussalmans, be constantly asking pardon of God for your sins. The great and glorious God has sent two gifts to the followers of Muhammad, the chosen one, (on whom and on whose descendants and friends be peace and the blessing of God); one is repeating blessings on his holiness Muhammad the chosen one (may God’s blessings and peace rest on him, his children and his associates) and the other is asking pardon of God for sins. If you take heart, the great and mighty God will make you victorious over the enemy.” It is related that when Muhammad Kásim came to the battle-field he asked Abú Fiddah Kishairí, the emancipated slave of Kandhal to take 200 picked horsemen and act as advance guard. Accordingly Abú Fiddah marched on till he came face to face with Dáhar and his Thákurs and warriors. Then a column of the infidels which had come out for battle, engaged him, but a large number of them was sent to hell, and the rest fled and joined Dáhar. Dáhar then sent another column to oppose him but Abú Fiddah remembered the name of the great God, and made an assault on the enemy, whom he again defeated. A third time Dáhar nominated some of his Thákurs to fight with the Arab vanguard. Abú Fiddah, once more praying to God for his pardon, attacked the enemy and put them all to flight. He went on slaughtering them till he drove them to Dáhar’s camp.
39.5
The narraters of historical tales have related, that when Muhammad Kásim moved his rank and file, a few men of the infidels came out all of a sudden and asked for mercy. On Muhammad Kásim promising it, they said: “O just governor we have renounced our own faith, and have come into the fold of Islám. Give us a select detachment of your cavalry, that we may take it behind the army of Dáhar unawares, and seeing your men coming suddenly from that side, they will be frightened and will disperse. When you find them wavering, order the forces of Islám to press the attack from all sides; and our mind suggests that thereby your sword will overawe these infidels and they will be over-powered.” Without loss of time, Muhammad Kásim selected a party of cavaliers and appointed Marwán son of Ashham Yamani and Tamím son of Zaid Kaisi their leaders, and ordered them, with two standards, to the rear of the Sind forces. The infidels had no knowledge whatever of this move. As soon as the army of Islám raised their war-cry of “God is great,” as was their custom in religious wars, some of the káfirs lost their hearts and turned their faces in order to run away. Terror and awe struck the whole army of Dáhar, and in the confusion that followed, their ranks wavered.
39.6
Muhammad Kásim then called out to his men in a loud voice, and said: “Hark, O Arab host, make an onset at once as there is division in the camp of the káfirs now,” and forthwith the army of Islám poured in upon them from the front and the rear, from the right and the left. Muhammad Kásim continued to incite his men to fight bravely. “To-day”, said he, “is the day to kill and to be killed; so try your best,” and the battle went on, till there were heaps of infidels killed. It was then that Dáhar took up his shield on his white elephant, and taking with him 400 men, armed cap-a-pie and bearing swords and iron shields and half lances with iron handles called sel in the Hindi language, came forth—and fought with such unceasing vigour that the skin of his men's hands cracked. Now and then Dáhar made his elephant rush upon the enemy. He himself carried a circular disc in the form of a mirror with sharp knives. He threw it as men throw a noose at every one whether a horse, man, or a foot-soldier who approached, and severed his head from his body. (As already stated), he had two maid-servants with him in the litter, one of whom was giving him betel-leaf and the other arrows, one by one. Thus the battle went on till the evening prayer hour, and the infidels lost a large number in killed.