The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c8.s3: Strength of the invading forces
The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c8.s3
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Strength of the invading forces
c8.s3.1
Muhammad bin Qasim started at the head of an army, fifteen thousand strong, consisting of 6,000 Syrian horse, 'the flower of the armies of the Caliphs,' 6,000 camelry and a baggage train of 3,000
c8.s3.2
Bactrian camels who, too, were trained to fight and must be reckoned as combatants. He was joined near Makran by some more troops under Muhammad Harun, while his artillery, which consisted of five catapults, was sent by sea to join him at Debal. Each of these five catapults or *balistas* was worked by 500 trained men, making the total of his artillery men 2,500. Add to this the Arab advance guard under Abul Aswad Jahan who was sent to join his chief on the border of Sindh and we have a total of about 25,000 troops which constituted the Arab army of invasion under Muhammad bin Qasim. His numbers continued to swell as the result of his initial success and reached the figure of 50,000. This (50,000)⁹ was the strength of his army when Muhammad bin Qasim proceeded to Multan after the subjugation of Sindh. These figures did not include his troops who fell in various battles during the campaign and those that were left in garrisons in the towns of Sindh.
c8.s3.3
⁹ *Elliot and Dowson*, Vol. I, p. 435.
c8.s3.4
On the other hand, Dahir’s resources and the population of his country could not afford to employ an army of his opponent’s size. All unimpeachable sources agree that Dahir’s army was far inferior in numbers and equipment to that of the Arabs under Muhammad bin Qasim.