The Chachnāma (Fatḥnāma-yi Sind) 46.1
The Chachnamah, an Ancient History of Sind 46.1
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46.1.1
“what a villainous set of people these are. They are quite like the wild men, living in some villages of Fárs and Mount Payeh, and they should now be treated as such.” Muhammad Kásim, therefore, thought it proper to deal with them exactly in the same way, and following the rule made applicable by the commander of the faithful, Umar, son of Khattab, (may the great God be pleased with him) to the people of Syria, he ordered that if any stranger or a traveller should arrive within their limits, they were bound to entertain him with food as a guest for a day and night, and if he fell sick, for three days. When Muhammad Kasim had disposed of the work of settling the affairs of Brahmanábád and the Luhánahs, and of fixing a punitive tribute on the Jats, he wrote to Hajjáj son of Yusif of his proceedings. He said that he was writing from his camp higher up the river of Halwai near Brahmanábád, and gave him detailed information as to the subjugation of Sind. In due course of time Hajjáj sent the following reply: “O my cousin Muhammad Kasim, praise and credit is due to you for all that you have done or tried to do in maintaining your position as commander of the army, in showing favour and courtesy to the people in general, in improving their condition and in satisfactorily settling the State affairs.
46.1.2
What you have done in fixing assessments on each Mauza, and in encouraging every class of people to follow the path of law in their worldly business, cannot but conduce to the permanency of the kingdom and to the systematic administration of the country. You should not now stick to that city (Brahmanábád) any longer. The props of the kingdom of Hind and Sind are the towns of Alór and Multán. Those two cities are the capitals of kings, and, in them, lie the external and internal treasures of kings. Select that town for your residence which is the best and the most pleasant, so that, from it, you may command the entire kingdom of Hind and Sind. Whoever refuses to submit to the power of Islám, let him be killed. The great God will help you in this cause. It should be your anxiety to extend your conquests from the country of Hind to the limits of China. I have appointed Amir Katabiah son of Muslim Kuraishí, and send him to you with fresh recruits. Hand over all your hostages to his charge. Arrange in such a way, O my uncle’s son, that your name may be widely known, and your enemies be subdued and mortified. The great God’s will be done.” Muhammad Kasim perused Hajjáj’s letters, (carefully) on receiving them. He had written: “O Muhammad Kásim, be always consulting me by means of letters; that is the essence of cleverness. Owing to the long (intervening) distance I cannot know every thing so well as I should. You should try to induce the people to submit, and to obey.
46.1.3
Appoint four of the chief men of the town to carry on the administrative affairs of the country, and issue an immediate and absolute order to that effect.” Accordingly Muhammad Kasim called Widda son of Hamid Najdi, and entrusted to him the superintendence of the affairs of the town of Brahminabad, that is, Banbanwáh and asked him to appoint village tax-gatherers and local officers. He gave the management of money matters and revenue accounts to the charge of four persons from amongst the merchants of the place, with strict orders that each and every thing was to be brought to the notice of Widaa, and that they were never to do a thing or dispose of any business without first consulting him. Next he posted Nabah son of Daris to the fortified town of Raor, and asked him to look after that town and (watch the river traffic), and to collect boats. If any boat coming from the upper part of the river, and sailing down, contained any weapons or other military stores, it was to be stopped, and its contents were to be removed to the fort of Raor. The collection of boats higher up was entrusted to Ibn Ziyád Abdi. All the country ruled by Dróhar, king of Kuríj was given to Huzail son of Sulaimán Azdi, and Khanzilah son of Baanah Kilabi was made the governor of Dahlelah. Every one of these officers was ordered to make full enquiries as to the state of affairs in his charge, and to communicate the result, every month, after careful verification.
46.1.4
He also advised all of them to assist one another, in case an enemy’s army invaded the country, or caused disaffection or revolt among the people. They were further instructed to keep an eye on the unruly and the mischievous, and to chastise them. He gave them 2,000 infantry for the purpose. He also nominated Kais Abdul Malik, son of Kais Déni and Khalid Ansári to the charge of Siwistán; and deputed Masúd Tamími son of Shaibah Jadidi, Farasat Atki, Sahir Lashkari, Abdul Malik son of Abdullah Khazai, Mahni son of Akkah, and Wafd son of Abdurrahman to Dahlelah and Nerin to settle that part of the country. Among the emancipated slaves, there was one by name Malik, who was very enterprising. Him, he sent as his officer to Kardail. Alwan Bahkri and Kais son of Saalabah with 300 followers of theirs chose to become permanent residents. They married and begot children, and completely subjugated and tamed the Jats.
46.1.5
It is related that when Muhammad Kasim satisfactorily settled the affairs of Brahmanabad, and put on a firm footing his power in the Eastern and the Western Districts and the country round about the town (of Banbanwah), he marched out on Thursday, the third of the month of Muharram of the year 94, and alighted at a town called Musthal, in the vicinity of Sawandi and close to a beautiful lake with a pleasant meadow, called Dhandh Wikarbha, and on the bank of this Dhandh (lake) he made his camp. The residents of the place and its surrounding country were Samanis, Bahzams and merchants. All these men came forward to pay respect to Muhammad Kasim, and he pardoned them all, (as he had orders from Hajjaj to that effect,) and allowed them to live happy and safe in the place of their birth and to regularly send the tribute fixed on them to the public treasury. He appointed two of them to be their headmen,—one a Samani by name Bawad and another a Buddhist, by name Zaman (or Baman) Dhal. All the rustics of the Jat tribe living about the place put their heads in the yoke of submission, and to all of them he gave pardon in accordance with the written orders of Hajjaj. He sent a report of all these matters, and when Hajjaj came to know of the smooth working of the administration he wrote a reply as follows:
46.1.6
“My distinct orders are that all those who are fighting men (ahl harb) should be assassinated, and their sons and daughters imprisoned and retained as hostages. Spare those whose submission will be useful in the end, and those in whose lands streams of fresh and limpid water flow. Let tributes and taxes be fixed on them. As for the merchants and artizans, let them have light burdens. Those who know the work of building houses and cultivating land, let them carry on their callings freely and diligently. Show kindness and leniency to them, in revenue matters. Take only one-tenth on the property and land-produce of those who receive the honour of Islám; while those who remain in their own religion should be required to pay to the officers the usual tax from the income of their handicraft or cultivation.” Muhammad Kásim then marched from the said place and came to Bahrówar. There, he called Sulaiman son of Bahtan, and Abú Fiddah Kishérí, an emancipated slave of Kand, and, after adjuring them in the name of God and of Kand’s children, asked them to carefully carry on the local administration; which he left in their charge. At the same time he called upon the people to show due regard to Juned son of Amrú and Baní Tamím. Next he sent Muhammad to the people of Bharj, to live among them, and Amrú son of Mukhtár Hanafí was appointed governor of the place, with a band of brilliant soldiers for its protection.
46.1.7
Muhammad Kásim then proceeded to that part of the country where the Sammahs lived. When he approached them, the people came forward dancing to the music of drums and pipes. Muhammad Kásim enquired as to the cause of their boisterous assembly, and he was informed that there was an old custom among them to come forward playing and dancing, and make merry to receive a new king on his arrival. Házam son of Amrú then instantly walked up to Muhammad Kásim and said: “It is incumbent on us that we should glorify and praise the great and the Omnipotent God, and offer thanks to Him, who has made these people submit to us, and has caused our command to be obeyed throughout this country.’ This Házam was a very sensible and intelligent man, and was honest and religious. Muhammad Kásim smiled and said: “I appoint you these people’s governor,” and he ordered the men to dance and play before him. Házam, immediately, gave them 20 dinárs of western gold as a present, and said: “This seems to be a royal ceremony, performed at the approach of a ruler, to express joy and thanks to God. May this happy rule remain permanent over them.”