For students of BA Sem I BHU

1. BA I Sem
History of Sindh
By
Prachi Virag Sontakke

3. Introduction
• Western India: Saurashtra, Gujrat, Sindh
• Location: economic benefits + vulnerable to
foreign attacks.
• Referred to as Sindhu-Sauveer in ancient texts.
• Mahabharata: Jayadratha king of Sind, is said to
be lord of Sind, Sauvira, and Sibi
• Xuan-Zang: Refers to Sindu-Sauveer
• Geographical boundaries of ancient Sindh not
known.
• Al Biladuri: Sindh was an extensive region &
included Multan.
• Conquest of Sind by the Arabs, an epoch making
event in the history of India.

5. Sources
1. Accounts of Xuang-Zang
2. Chachnama (1216 CE).
3. Muslim writers: Al-Biladuri

6. Sindh before 7th cent CE.
• Under Rai dynasty.
• 5 Rulers: 137 years of rule
• Rai Diwaji
• Rai Simharas
• Rai Sahasi
• Rai Simharas II
• Rai Sahasi II
• Xuan-Zang (641 CE): The king of Sindh was a Sudra and not a Brahmin

7. King Chach’s accession on Sindh’s throne
• 7th cent CE: Sindh ruled by King Sahasi of Rai family.
• Sahasi fell ill and died without issue.
• His kingdom seized by Sahasi's minister Chacha, an ambitious, energetic Brahman
• Chacha-nama: He did so with the assistance & instigation of Sahasi's queen who had fallen
in love with him.
• He strengthened his position further by marrying the queen of Sahasi and thus established
his own dynasty in the kingdom on a firm basis.
• Chachnama: Accession in 602 CE
• R.C.Majumdar: After 640 CE.
• The dynasty which Chacha subverted had ruled in Sind for about 150 years.

8. Conquests
• Provincial governors of Sindh refused to accept
suzerainty of Chach.
• Chach subdued them.
• Defeated the king of Chittor who was a relative of
Sahasi and who came to lay claim to the crown and to
dethrone the usurping minister.
• Conquered northern subject states of Sind and took
Multan.
• Took control of Sibi kingdom.
• Boundary conterminous with Kashmir: Marched
towards Kashmir.
• Conquered parts of Makran.
• Forced Kandabil (Kalat)to pay taxes.
• Defeated king of Brahmanabad: Married his widow.

9. First Arab attack
• Chachnama: Arab raided & attacked the naval port of Deval in 643 CE.
• Arab historians: Arab victorious
• Unacceptable.
• Chachnama: Muslims were defeated and their leader was killed by
governor of Chach.
• As a result of this defeat, Arabs stayed away from further attacks on Sindh
for quite some time.

10. Next Arab attack
• Kikan = A province of Sind near Bolan pass.
• Chachnama: Arab attack on Kikan in 663 CE.
• Leader of Muslim attack was defeated & killed.
• During next 20 years, 6 different attacks on Kikan by Arabs.
• But Arabs failed to have any permanent impression.
• Only able to get control of Makran.

12. Succession after Chach
• Chacha died in 672 CE after a rule of about 22 years.
• After death of Chacha, Throne occupied by his brother Chandar.
• Death of Chandar.
• Fight for claim to throne of Sindh.
• Sons of Chacha Vs. Sons of Chander: Sons of Chacha victorious.
• Kingdom divided between 2 sons- Daharsiah and Dahar.
• Sons of Chandra: in charge of subordinate provinces or states
• Dahar ascended Sindh throne in c.700 CE

13. Dahar
• Dahar ruled in Alor the capital of Sind, and Brahamanabad.
• Most important event of his reign: Arab attack.
• Chachnama: Arabs made several abortive attempts to conquer Sind but were defeated.
• Pretext for attack on Sindh: Ship carrying Muslim pilgrims and gifts from Ceylon to Arab
imprisoned & looted by pirates/robbers in Deval.
• Provoked Governor of Iran made official complaint regarding this to Dahar.
• Dahar replied " That is the work of a band of robbers than whom none is more powerful.
They do not even care for us”.
• Such a reply induced the governor of Iran to declare war against Sind

14. Arab attack on Sindh
• Great preparations made at Kufa the capital of Iran.
• Military expedition under the command of Muhammad-
bin- Kasim.
• 6000 men from Syria also joined the expedition.
• Battering rams and catapults also taken to assail fortified
towns and these were put on board ships.
• Dahar did nothing to save Deval.
• Subjugation of Sindh by the Arabs may particularly be
attributed to better weapons of destruction.

15. Aftermath
• The male population massacred, the town plundered, many willing and unwilling people
converted & beautiful females carried away into captivity.
• The people stood aghast and prayed for mercy.
• Muhammad Kasim said he had no orders to show mercy.
• Probably he wanted to make an example by inflicting a terrible lesson.
• Proceeded towards Nerun, on the west bank of Indus, near Hyderabad.
• The city submitted without fighting.
• Samani the Buddhist governor of Nerun tendered his allegiance to Muhammad Kasim.
• Next Kasim conquered the kingdom of Sibi.

16. Further descent of Arab armies
• Help & advice of some local chiefs:
Muhammad Kasim crossed Indus.
• Chachnama: In ensuing battle, Dahar
fought with valour.
• Dahar killed by an arrow during the battle.
• Death of their king = Sindh army fled.
• Kasim reached Raor.
• Dahar’s queen performed Johar at Raor.
• Dahar’s son Jaisimha fled to
Brahamanabad.
• Kasim reached Brahamanabad (Mansura):
Defeated Jaisimha by support of some
locals & some ministers of Jaisimha.
• Conquered Capital of Sindh and also
Multan.

18. Jaisimha
• Muhammad Kasim went back to Arab where he was tortured to death.
• With his death, the local chiefs of Sindh, threw off Muslim yoke.
• Jaisimha, S/O Dahar, recaptured Brahmanabad.
• Arab army sent, capital conquered.
• Next Calipha offered virtual independence under his suzerainty to Sindh
chiefs with the condition of accepting Islam.
• Many chiefs including Jaisimha accepted.
• Later Jaisimha declared war against governor of Sindh Junnaid: But he was
defeated and taken as a prisoner.
• With him, the line of Hindu royal dynasty in Sindh came to an end.

19. Consequence of Arab victory in Sindh
• Whole of Sindh went under the Sovereignty of Arabs.
• First time Muslim rule in India.
• Decline of other religions in Sindh.
• Arabs became aware of Indian culture: acculturation
• Learned mathematics, astrology from Indians.
• Arab scholars residing in India.
• Rise of Sufism in Sindh.

20. Remarks
• Lenpol: Arab control over Sindh was just like touching the tip of India.
Arabs did not benefitted from this victory.
• Majumdar: when we compare Arab conquests in India with that of other
parts of world, we find Arab conquest of India insignificant.