The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c20.139

v3.c20.139

In 1226 Iltutmish recovered Ranthambhor, which, in the confusion which followed Aibak's death, had fallen into the hands of the Hindus, and in the following year took Mandāwar, a strong fortress eight miles north of Bijnor held by Rahup, an Agarwāl Baniya who had captured it from a prince of the Parihar dynasty. Having thus established his authority in Hindūstān and Bengal he decided that the time had come to deal with Qabācha, who still maintained his independence in Sind and the lower Punjab and had not abandoned his pretensions to the upper province. He marched first towards Uch, and Qabācha withdrew to Ahrāwat¹ on the Indus and moored his boats near his camp, leaving his minister to defend Uch. As Iltutmish approached Uch his lieutenant, Nāsir-ud-dīn Aiyitim, advanced from Lahore and besieged Multān, and Qabācha took to his boats and fled to the island-fortress of Bakhar, in the Indus, leaving his minister to follow him with the treasure stored at Uch. On February 9, 1228, Iltutmish arrived at Uch and opened the siege, at the same time dispatching a force under his minister, Kamāl-ud-dīn Muhammad Junaidī, entitled Nizām-ul-Mulk, in pursuit of Qabācha, who in his despair sent ‘Alā-ud-dīn Bahrām Shāh, his son by Aibak's daughter, to make terms. Bahrām was successful, and in accordance with the treaty Uch was surrendered on May 4, but Junaidī was either not informed of the treaty or wilfully disregarded it, for he continued to besiege Bakhar, and Qabācha was drowned in the Indus. The circumstances of his death are variously related; some writers say that he was accidentally drowned in attempting to escape, and others that he committed suicide by throwing himself into the river. His death ended the campaign, and his troops transferred their services to Iltutmish, who returned to Delhi in August, leaving Junaidī to complete the conquest of lower Sind. Malik Sinān-ud-dīn Chatīsar, eleventh of the Sūmra line, a Rājput dynasty the later members of which accepted Islam, submitted and was permitted to retain his territory as a vassal of Iltutmish, whose dominions were thus extended to the sea.