Mangol Invasion of Sindh

Mongol invasion of Sindh - An Analysis

Contact between India and Arabia started in the 7th century itself. But political relations were established during the invasion of Sindh in 712 AD. The arrival of Arabs in India is not as politically important as the other sides. Arab invaders could not build the kind of empire in India as they had in different parts of Asia, Africa and Europe. Even in Sindh, his power did not last long. But the long-term results seem to indicate that the Arabs greatly affected Indian life and were also affected.

If seen from the immediate political point of view, it can be said that the Arabs presented a challenge that emerged to face such powers, which remained in India for the next three hundred years. The reputation of Gurjara-Pratihara, Rashtrakuta, Chalukyas was established due to their opposition to the Arabs. The long-standing importance of the Arabs was that they demonstrated religious tolerance by not establishing religion in India. However, Zajia was done.

The economic importance of the Arabs' arrival to India can be seen in the field of trade. Indian merchants aligned with the maritime monopoly of Arab merchants and kept their trading activities dynamic in the western world and African territories. This was not the Arabs' first contact with India. The Arabs used to visit the Malabar Coast earlier in terms of trade and commerce. This time it was new that he entered Sindh with the goal of trade and commerce as well as religion and political expansion.

The first invasion of India by the Arabs took place at the police station of Bombay in 636 AD during the reign of Khalifa Omar, which was unsuccessful. Then in the first decade of the 8th century, Ibn Alhari Al Bahitt won the Makran of Sindh, which paved the way for the Sindh conquest.

• The first successful campaign of the Arabs on India took place in 742 AD under the leadership of Muhammad-bin-Qasim.
• Muhammad-bin-Qasim defeated "Dahir" and captured "Sindh".
• Qasim also captured 'Multan' and named it the City of Gold.
• Muhammad bin Qasim first introduced jizya tax in India.
• Jaziya tax was collected from non-Muslims who did not accept Islam.
• Muhammad-bin-Qasim built canals (4370) for irrigation.
• The Abbasid Caliphs declared Baghdad (Iraq) as the capital of the Arab world.
• The Abbasi Caliphs Mansu and Aaron Rashid gave patronage to Indian scholars, craftsmen, doctors and astrologers.
• Khalifa Mansur got the Arabic translation of the Brahma Siddhanta.
• Khalifa Aaron Rashid got the Arabic translation of Charaka Samhita.
• The Arabs learned the principles of numerals, darshamalavas and mathematics.

Immediate reason

In Sindh this time was ruled by Brahmin dynasty, whose founder was Chach. Chach's son was Dahir. At the time of Dahir, some Arab ships from Lanka were looted by the pirates of Deval. This incident became the immediate cause of the Arabs invasion of Sindh. At the same time, some historians believe that the primary reason for the invasion was the spread of Islam.

Hajjaj, the Subedar of Iraq, demanded compensation for loot from Dahir, which Dahir rejected. So Hajjaj obtained permission from the Khalifa Wahid and sent three generals respectively. Firstly, Ubaidullah then Verdul attacked Sindh. Both these attacks were unsuccessful. Hajjaj eventually sent 17-year-old Muhammad bin Qasim to Sindh Vijay.

In 711–12 AD, Qasim invaded India through the Makran route. Qasim's army consisted of Manjanik or Magnal and Nauphatha throwing camels, cavalry and shilla (stones). And Qasim was assisted by Jats, rams and rebellious Buddhists.

Major campaigns of Muhammad bin-Qasim

Debal or Daol - This is where Qasim first put Jaziya. After Deval, Qasim successfully attacked Neerun, Sehwan and Sisam. Qasim won Rabar after winning Sisam. Dahir was killed fighting in Rabar. After his death, his wife Ranibai took the front against the Arabs. But, seeing himself losing he committed Jauhar.

Aror - After Brahmanism, Alor was conquered by the capital of Dahir. Aror Vijay gives complete victory to Sindh Vijay. Qasim won Sikka and Multan after the Multan-Alor victory. The merchants of the coinage place collectively accepted Muhammad bin Qasim as their master. Multan was the last victory of Qasim. From here he got so much gold Mitra that Multan was named Sone Ka Nagar (Swarna Nagar).

After the Sindh conquest, Qasim appointed Brahmins to higher positions. After Multan Vijay, Qasim sent an army under Abu-Hakim to conquer Kannauj. However, the Arab invaders could not advance to Sindh because Lalitaditya of Kashmir defeated them and stopped their spread further. When the Arabs tried to move beyond Sindh in 725 AD, the Gurjara-Pratiharas and the Chalukyas of Badami defeated them. This is why the Arab traveler Suleman described the Pratihara ruler Mihirbhoja as the Arabs (the greatest enemy of the Muslims).

It is true that Arabs should be politically confined to Sindh, but it is not logical for a scholarly historian to say that this was a consequential victory. Because, its social, religious, economic and cultural consequences are visible which are as follows -

• The Arabs had the most impact on the economic sector. The Arabs had a monopoly on maritime trade at this time. Indian traders reached Europe and Africa by joining with Arabs.
• Indian scientists like Malr, Manak, Bazigar, Sindbad reached the court of Baghdad.
• Amir Khusro tells us that Arab astrologer Abmashar came to Benares and studied astrology for 40 years.
• A medical practitioner named Manak treated Khalifa Aaron.
• Arabs were introduced to Indian numerals such as square root, cube root, zero, decimal etc.
• "The Arabs spread Indian knowledge in Europe and the main reason for the spread of knowledge in Europe from 8th and 9th century was the contact of Arabs with India.
• Article of Indian Constitution It has been said in 343 that only the international forms of Indian numerals will be used for the official purposes of the Union. Therefore, it is the same Indian numbers that have gained international form today.
• According to some historians chess came to India from Arabia. But, according to Amir Khusro, the game originated in India, which was called Chaturanga in ancient times.
• Ibnal Mukaffa translated the Indian novel Panchatantra (Ethics) into Arabic under the names Kalil and Dimmana. Brahmagupta's book of mathematics 'Brahmasiddhanta' and 'Khand Khandayak' were translated into Arabic by Alhazari and Ibrahim Pinjari.
• The religion of Islam entered Sindh and Muslim settlements were established in Multan and Mansura. Mansura city became the capital of the Arabs in Sindh. The Arabs settled the city of Almafuja to protect themselves from the attacks of the Pratiharas.
• The Caliphs of Baghdad provided patronage to Indian scholars. During the time of Khalifa Mansoor, Arab scholars went to Baghdad with 'Brahm-Siddhant' and 'Khandkhaday' composed by Brahmagupta and Alrafzari, in collaboration with Indian scholars, translated these texts into Arabic.