THE%20SINDH%20STORY

threatened “not to leave a single kafir alive up to the frontiers of China”. And on
the basis of his astrologers’ predictions, he appointed Mohammed Bin Qasim, his
nephew and son-in-law, as the new invader of Sindh. So, astrologers were
heeded not only by Dahirs but also by Hajjajs!
However, Khalifa Walid was in no mood for another bloody attempt on Sindh.
He wrote to Hajjaj: “The people (of that country) are cunning and the country
itself is very distant. It will cost us very large sums of money to provide a
sufficient number of men and arms and instruments of war. This affair will be a
source of great anxiety, and so we must put it off; for every time the army goes
(on such an expedition) vast numbers of Muslims are killed. So think no more of
such a design.” But Hajjaj invoked the “honour of Islam” and vowed to “spend
the wealth of the whole of Iraq” to “avenge the death of Bazil”.
On an “auspicious day” in A.D. 711 --- fixed by astrologers --- Mohammed Bin
Qasim started for Sindh at the head of the Iraqi, Syrian, and other Arab soldiers
of fortune. His horses and camels were given coats of mail to look like lions and
elephants, respectively!
When the Arab army besieged Debal (meaning “Deval” or “Devalaya”, ‘place of
god’ temple) the battle raged for ten days even though it was not a major town of
Sindh like Alor, Sehwan Nerunkot (Hyderabad), or Brahmanabad. The fortified
temple fell when a frightened Brahmin crept out and told the Arabs to knock off
the tall flagpole flying the huge red flag, to demoralise the defenders. At this
stage, Jahin Budh, the incharge of Debal, surrendered. Carnage followed. And so
did general collapse.
At a time when the Arabs were short of both food and fodder, Bhandarkan
Samani, the man incharge of Nerunkot, surrendered that town. The Samanis or
Shamans --- the Buddhist counterparts of Brahmins --- took the line that, as
Buddhists, they were men of peace and not interested in who ruled the country.
They would not let Bachehra, the governor of Sehwan, to continue the defence of
the town after one week. At a time when the Arabs did not know how to cross
the Sindhu, one Mokah, the son of Besayeh, a princeling, made boats and
provisions available in return for crown and estate. The astrologers now began to
predict the “inevitable victory of the Arabs”. But Dahir still continued to be overconfident.
Contrary to the Arab Alafi’s advice, he allowed the Arabs to cross the
river to be able to fight, “lest it be imagined by them that we are in perplexity
and have become very weak and powerless.”
As the battle raged between the Sindhis and the Arabs, Ubaid, a lieutenant of
Alafi, went over to the Arabs and told them of Dahir’s plans. Even so, the Sindhi
army fought so well that, says the Chachnama, on the eleventh and last day, “the
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