The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c8.s4: The conquest of Debal

c8.s4.1

Either the Intelligence department of the Sindh government was hopeless or King Dahir was an extremely lethargic ruler and did not realize the imminent danger he was in. At any rate, he committed the fatal mistake of remaining inactive at his capital, Aror, over 150 miles away from Debal, and allowed the invader to capture a considerable portion of southern Sindh. He did not make any real attempt to check the progress of the invading army, nor did he send any reinforcement to Debal which had a slender garrison of 4,000 troops as against the mighty invading army numbering over 25,000. Muhammad besieged the town which was protected by a strong stone-wall and his *balistas* rained stones on the garrison from the side of the sea. Our troops fought bravely, but they were hopelessly out-numbered. During the course of the siege, a Brahman from the chief temple deserted to the Arabs and informed Muhammad that as long as the red flag, to the base of which a talisman was tied, remained flying at the top of the temple, the town could never be taken. Muhammad's *balista* was now directed against the flag-staff which fell after a little initial failure, encouraging the Arabs beyond measure. This must have disheartened the garrison. Yet they made a bold sortie, but were repulsed. Conscious of the vast superiority of their numbers, the Arabs now climbed the walls by means of ladders and captured Debal. The people of the town were asked to choose between Islam and death. They preferred the latter. For three days a fearful carnage continued. All the males of seventeen years and above were put to death, and their women and children were carried into slavery. Temples were destroyed and mosques built in their places. A vast amount of valuable plunder of various kinds, including human booty, fell into the hands of the victor, one-fifth of which was duly sent to the Khalifa through Hajjaj. Thus did the first important town of India fall into the hands of the Arabs, not due to any cowardice on the part of the Indian soldiers, but owing to the lethargy of an Indian ruler and the overwhelming superior force of the enemy.