The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c12.65.1

v1.c12.65.1

Balādhuri tells us a story which curiously reminds us of the idol-breaking incident in the temple of Somnath. We are told that when "he got as far as the provinces of ad-Dāwar, he surrounded the enemy in the mountain of az-Zūr.¹ They soon surrendered to him. The numbers of Moslems with him was 8,000 and each man received 4,000 dirhams. Ibn-Samurah went into the temple of the Zūr, an idol of gold with two rubies for eyes, and cut off a hand and took out the rubies. Then he said to the *Satrap*, 'keep the gold and gems. I only wanted to show you that it had no power to harm or help.' "² Ibn Samurah next "obtained control over Bust and Zābul.³ He did not want to take prisoners from Zābul, saying that ‘Uthmān had made a compact (*walth*) with them. Wakī‘ says that he made an agreement (*‘aqd*) with them, which is inferior to covenant (*‘ahd*)."⁴ Ibn-Samurah was succeeded by Umair ibn Aḥmar. The people of Zaranj expelled him and closed the town. But in the reign of ‘Alī, Rib‘ī ibn al-Kās "established order in the country." In the reign of Mu‘āwiyah, Ibn Samurah again became governor of Sijistān. He was faced with a formidable task, for we are told that the people of Sijistān had apostatized, and the people of Zābulistān and Kābul had broken their treaties. By a series of campaigns he is said to have captured Kābul, in spite of the vigorous resistance of the '*polytheists*,' defeated the inhabitants of Zābulistān, and captured Bust and Rukhkhaj.