ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

AI-assisted Knowledge Update: This article was automatically consolidated to provide you with the most up-to-date data instantly.

The Islamic Conquest of Sindh

The Islamic conquest of Sindh, or the Ghazwa-e-Sindh (Urdu: غزواہ سندھ), is a series of military campaigns conducted by Muslims to conquer and subjugate the region of Sindh under the rule of the Rashidun Caliphate initially, and later under the Umayyad Caliphate. The first attempts to conquer Sindh took place during the reign of Caliph Umar ibn Al-Khattab, with Uthman bin Abi al-As, a Thaqafi leader, being the first Muslim commander to attempt to conquer Sindh. However, these early campaigns were more like reconnaissance missions and did not result in a lasting conquest.

The Muslim armies' initial forays into Sindh were carried out through land-based expeditions, with no naval operations taking place due to the prohibition by Caliph Umar on his commanders and soldiers from crossing the sea, considering it a high-risk endeavor. The Muslims lacked experience in naval warfare at that time.

The conquest of this region shares similarities with the conquests of lands beyond the Euphrates River in several aspects: the Muslim armies began their sustained conquests in Sindh in 89 AH (708 CE), two years after Qutayba bin Muslim had started his conquests of lands beyond the Euphrates. However, the Muslims' interest in conquering India dates back to the era of the Rashidun Caliphate.

The conquests of both the region beyond the Euphrates and Sindh took place under the unity of the Islamic world achieved by Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik bin Marwan. The overall command for these military campaigns was unified, with Hajjaj bin Yusuf being in charge. Qutayba bin Muslim was tasked with conquering lands beyond the Euphrates, while his son-in-law and cousin Muhammad bin al-Qasim was entrusted with conquering Sindh.

Muhammad bin al-Qasim was only 20 years old when he was appointed as the governor of Sindh and given the task of conquering it. He established himself in Makran and used it as a base for his operations, launching expeditions from there to the Debal port on the coast of the Arabian Sea. During these campaigns, he conquered several forts.

Upon reaching Debal, Muhammad bin al-Qasim besieged and captured it after three days, then reorganized its layout and settled 4,000 Muslim soldiers in it, turning it into a naval base.

The conquest of this city had a significant impact on the internal situation of the surrounding cities and towns, as their inhabitants quickly offered surrender to the Muslims.

Muhammad bin al-Qasim then proceeded to Biroon, located on the western bank of the Indus River. He made peace with its inhabitants, as well as those of Sarpids, Sahaban, and Sadusan, which are cities situated on the eastern bank of the river. He then encountered Raja Dahir bin Chach in Mahran and defeated him.

Following this military activity, the Muslims gained control over the entire region of Sindh and then marched northwards towards the northeast until they reached the city of Brahmanabad. The army of Raja Dahir, led by his son Jaisi, had retreated to this city, but the Muslim forces attacked them and conquered it.

Jaisi fled to the north and took refuge in Rawar, the capital of Sindh. The Muslims pursued him and besieged the city for four months before capturing it. Muhammad bin al-Qasim continued his conquests until he crossed the river Biyas, one of the tributaries of the Indus River, and reached Multan. He besieged and captured it by force.

He then sent a military detachment to the Bilman region.