The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c11.39.5

v1.c11.39.5

Among other reasons which prevented the Arab armies from meeting with the same degree of success, which they met with elsewhere, was probably the steady opposition of the Gurjara-Pratīhāras of Western Hindusthān, who in the 9th century came to hold the whole of Northern India from the Karnal District in the Punjab to the Vindhyas and from North Bengal to the Kathiawar peninsula.⁴ As the dominions of these kings of "Jurz" (Gurjara) touched upon the Arab sphere of influence in Sind and as they had to bear the brunt of the Arab attacks they soon came to be regarded as "unfriendly to the Arabs," while their enemies the Balharās (Rāṣṭrakūṭa king of Mānyakheṭa), soon developed a partiality for the Arabs.⁵ The roots of this policy of forming alliances with infidels for the purpose of political conquests, as opposed to holy war, must be traced to the first conqueror of Sind, who ceased to interfere with the temples and religious life of the friendly Indians and placed the *budd* of the Hindus in the same status as the "churches of the Christians, the synagogues of the Jews and the fire temples of the Magians."¹