History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c14.23

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v1.c14.23

In order to leave no unconquered territory behind before he attempted to cross the Indus, Mahomed Kasim led his army towards Siwistān. The Sibis were a warlike people and probably Kshatriyas. The ruler of the fortified town was a cousin of Dahar, named Bachchra (Vatsarāj) son of Chandra. He resolved to fight and closed the gates. But the population was Buddhist. And there was a Samāni party (Buddhist) within. It said to Bachchra "We are a priestly class; our religion is peace. According to our faith, fighting and slaughter are not allowable. You are moreover sitting in a safe place. We are afraid the Arabs will take our place and will deprive us of our life and property. So we advise you to make peace." But Bachchra did not accept their cowardly advice and fought. Mahomed Kasim who brought up his battering rams and catapults up the Indus river in boats to Nerūn and from there took them by land to Siwistān now invested the town and fort. The Samāni party in the town sent word to him: "All the people whether agriculturists, artizans, merchants, and others have left Bachchra's side and do not acknowledge allegiance to him." The result was, the town was soon taken and Bachchra finding it difficult to hold the fort, fled with his men at night towards Budhia. Mahomed Kasim entered the fort, plundered the town except the Samāni party and made arrangements for the due government of the fort and the country. He sent the usual one-fifth of the plunder to Hajjaj and gave the rest to the army. He then moved in pursuit of Bachchra to Budhia where the Arabs had to fight, but eventually all the country to the west of the Indus was reduced to subjection and Kasim came back to Nerūn, without leaving any enemy behind him, to consider the means of crossing the Indus which it must be stated here has in recent times changed its course considerably. For it is now to the west of Hyderabad the modern substitute of Nerūn but in Kasim’s days it was to the east of it.