The Chachnāma (Fatḥnāma-yi Sind) 46.3
The Chachnamah, an Ancient History of Sind 46.3
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46.3.1
Then the defenders of the fort came down from the battlements, and resolved among themselves, saying: “We are going to open the gate and stand there till Muhammad Kasim comes in. Then, if he confirms his promise, we will surrender and pay homage to him. If he, by way of kindness, receives us well and gives us pardon, well and good, if not, there must be treachery at the bottom of this affair.” Having formed this resolution, they came with the key of the fort to the gate. Some of the righteous men sent by Hajjaj, served as a medium of communication and intercession, and the garrison, eventually, opened the gate, and posted themselves near it. Muhammad Kasim then entered and all the townspeople came to the temple of Nobhar, and prostrated themselves before an idol. Muhammad Kasim enquired: “Whose house is this, in which all the people high and low are respectfully kneeling and bowing down.” They replied: “This is an idol-house called Nobhar.” Then, by Muhammad Kasim’s order, the temple was opened. Entering it with his officers he saw an equestrian statue. The body of the idol was made of marble or alabaster, and it had on its arms golden bracelets, set with jewels and rubies. Muhammad Kasim stretched his hand and took off a bracelet from one of the idol’s arms.
46.3.2
Then he asked the keeper of the Budh temple Nóbhar: “Is this your idol?” “Yes” he replied, “but it had two bracelets on, and one is missing.” “Well,” said Muhammad Kasim, “cannot your god know who has taken away his bracelet?” The keeper bent his head down. Muhammad Kasim laughed and returned the bracelet to him, and he fixed it again on the idol’s arm. Muhammad Kasim now ordered that those of the fighters who submitted should not be killed, but the rest of them should. Ladi however told him: “The people of this country are good builders and some of them are merchants. All the houses in this town have been built by them, and all the lands here are cultivated by them. The treasury has always remained full owing to their earnings and their labours. If you kill them, you lose your wealth.” Muhammad Kasim, therefore, to please Ladi spared them all. The narrators of stories and the writers of histories state that, out of the body of men handed over to the executioners for slaughter, a person stepped forth and said: “I am in possession of a wonderful thing.” The executioner told him “show it to me.” The man said “I won’t show it to you; nor to any person other than the commander himself.” Muhammad Kasim was informed of this. He sent for the man, and the man was immediately brought to him. “What wonderful thing have you got?” asked Muhammad Kasim. “A thing” replied the man, “that has never been seen before by any person.” “Bring it and show it to me,” said Muhammad Kasim.
46.3.3
“Promise” said the Brahmin, “that you will give pardon to me, my followers and my children one and all.” “I have given it,” said Muhammad Kasim. “Be pleased then” said the man “to pass a written order to that effect, under your signet as letters patent.” Muhammad Kasim thought the man had some very precious jewel or exquisite ornament to show. But when he made a solemn promise and handed over a document to that effect to the man, the latter "unwound his beard and loosed the hair of his head after uncovering it, and then rolling his breeches round his toes and standing upright, began to frisk about and dance, and to repeat the following words: 'No one has ever seen a more wonderful thing than what I have to show. My beard is so long that it reaches my feet.' Muhammad Kasim was taken aback and those who were present, said: 'what sort of wonderful thing is this on the strength of which you prayed for a pardon! Indeed you have cheated us.' But Muhammad Kasim said: 'No, a promise is a promise, after all, and a word a word. Great men never change their promises or break their word. It is said: "Do not look to the fact that a man is a possessor of learning and science; look to the man's faithfulness in keeping a promise and see how he is in that respect.
46.3.4
If a man faithfully performs his promise, he is superior to whatever you can conceive him to be." No, I shall not kill him but I shall keep him imprisoned and report the matter to Hajjaj and see what he says.' Accordingly, that Brahmin with 200 of his near relations and dependents was kept in custody, and the fact was mentioned in the letters written to Hajjaj. Hajjaj asked the learned men of Kufah and Basrah to give their opinion on the point, and wrote about it to Abdulmalik, the Khalifah of the time. He soon received replies from the Khalifah and from the learned men, who said that such a question had already been raised by the companions of the Prophet, and had been decided by the text of the Koran in which the great God says:—'Some men justly performed what they had promised unto God.' When the solution of the problem was received, the Brahmin with all his followers and dependents was set at liberty.