History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c14.37

v1.c14.37

Eventually a traitor showed a place where the fortress of Multān could be burrowed under and thus enabled the Arabs to gain it. 6000 warriors were put to the sword and merchants, agriculturists and artizans as usual were spared. But a heavy tribute was exacted from them. 60000 Dirhams in silver were collected by the nobility and gentry and were given to the soldiers. Kasim demanded more tribute for the Khalifa. In this extremity a Brahmin showed a temple where in the midst of a beautiful pond was a golden image in a small chamber placed on copper vessels full of gold coins: "The idol was perfectly like a man with two rubies in its eyes. It weighed 230 maunds of gold and 40 copper jars under it contained 1320 maunds of gold." These were of course seized. Does this refer to the idol of the sun for which Multān was so famous as described by Hiuen Tsang? It looks like it but Al-Beruni has stated that Mahomed Kasim conquered Multān but left the idol of the sun intact; but Jahan-Ibn-Shaiban broke the idol and killed the priest. But this must have been later on. Alberuni also describes the idol as a wooden one covered with a red coat of leather though that idol too had two rubies for its eyes. Perhaps there might have been two idols one immoveable and the other moveable made of gold to be carried in processions.