The Conquest of India
At the time south asia was controlled by small Rajao (kings), who were also known to be pirates. The region was so divided up their was no one that could bring all of south asia united. These pirates started creating problems for the Muslim traders and ships.
In 91 hijri (710 AD) a group of these pirates robbed a Muslim ship and kidnapping a Muslim women. The ship was traveling from modern day Sri Lanka back to Arabia.
The news eventually reaches the governor of Baghdad, Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf. It later on turned out that the pirates were sent by the King of Sindh, Raja Dahir. When Al-Hajjaj found this out he demanded Raja Dahir to return the traders and pay for the damages. But Raja Dahir refused. Instead he went to the kidnapped Muslim women and tried to make her his concubine, but she refused. Raja Dahir gets angry with her and throws her in prison. She told the Raja to take a message for her to Baghdad's governor and surprisingly he agreed. When the message reached Al-Hajjaj he plans to invade Sindh.
In 91 hijri (710 AD) a group of these pirates robbed a Muslim ship and kidnapping a Muslim women. The ship was traveling from modern day Sri Lanka back to Arabia.
The news eventually reaches the governor of Baghdad, Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf. It later on turned out that the pirates were sent by the King of Sindh, Raja Dahir. When Al-Hajjaj found this out he demanded Raja Dahir to return the traders and pay for the damages. But Raja Dahir refused. Instead he went to the kidnapped Muslim women and tried to make her his concubine, but she refused. Raja Dahir gets angry with her and throws her in prison. She told the Raja to take a message for her to Baghdad's governor and surprisingly he agreed. When the message reached Al-Hajjaj he plans to invade Sindh.
The expansion of Islam in south asia is quite a unique and early story. The expansion of Islam came into India during the Umayyad Khilafa (caliphate). The Umayyads appointed a 17-year old man by the name of Imaduddin Muhammad bin Qasim Athaqafi most commonly known as Muhammad bin Qasim, a man from Taif to extend the Khilafa upto Sindh (modern day Pakistan). Muhammad bin Qasim's army of only 6,000 men went east.
The original Dynasty to have set foot upon India has not really been historically accurate, mainly because Historians still argue about it. However we do know for a fact that the earliest inhabitants were mainly Arabs, Persians, Afghans, Asians and Sub-Continental members, both Muslim and Non-Muslim. When the Muslims captured the Dibba region , the natives saw how nicely Muslim treated them, the news spread amongst the people. The reason being was that the Muslims would take care of the orphans, widows, and poor. The people were treated with respect. |
After capturing the Dibba region the Muslims moved through Hyderabad. Again the Muslim treated them with kindness, the people were so impressed that some of the natives started to join their army. Which in turned made the Muslim army stronger and more developed. This demoralized Raja Dahir's army to a great extent.
Muhammad bin Qasim encountered only a little resistance as he was going through Sindh. When he arrived at the city of Nerun, he was actually welcomed by Buddhist monks. Majority of the cities came voluntarily under the Muslim Khilafa. In fact most Buddhists asked the Muslims to protect them from the Hindus.
Raja Dahir later on himself came to fight the Muslims near the Nawabshah region instead of sending his commanders like before. Raja Dahir had about 100,000 soldier, while Muhammad bin Qasim only had roughly 12,000. Raja Dahir also had huge elephants, and this was about to be the biggest war the Muslims were about to face in Sindh.
The battle was ferocious and lasted long, but in the end Muhammad bin Qasim's army was victorious. The kidnapped women was also rescued, and the Umayyad Khilafah in turn gained a huge reward.
The Muslims kept moving towards Aror and Multan, the ruler of Multan was a close relative of Raja Dahir and tried to fight the Muslims, and refused to surrender. So the Muslims laid siege on their fortress, the siege continued on for along time, until the citizens themselves started helping Muhammad bin Qasim. The citizens informed him that the Multan water was coming from a river through a tunnel. They advised him to block this tunnel and stop the Multan's water supply. When this was done the Multan ruler surrendered, and due to this the entire kingdom was under Muhammad bin Qasim's control. The Muslims started consolidating all these captured lands.
For this reason Sindh and Debal (modern day karachi) are called اسلام کے دروازے (The doors of Islam) thanks to Muhammad bin Qasim.
Muhammad bin Qasim encountered only a little resistance as he was going through Sindh. When he arrived at the city of Nerun, he was actually welcomed by Buddhist monks. Majority of the cities came voluntarily under the Muslim Khilafa. In fact most Buddhists asked the Muslims to protect them from the Hindus.
Raja Dahir later on himself came to fight the Muslims near the Nawabshah region instead of sending his commanders like before. Raja Dahir had about 100,000 soldier, while Muhammad bin Qasim only had roughly 12,000. Raja Dahir also had huge elephants, and this was about to be the biggest war the Muslims were about to face in Sindh.
The battle was ferocious and lasted long, but in the end Muhammad bin Qasim's army was victorious. The kidnapped women was also rescued, and the Umayyad Khilafah in turn gained a huge reward.
The Muslims kept moving towards Aror and Multan, the ruler of Multan was a close relative of Raja Dahir and tried to fight the Muslims, and refused to surrender. So the Muslims laid siege on their fortress, the siege continued on for along time, until the citizens themselves started helping Muhammad bin Qasim. The citizens informed him that the Multan water was coming from a river through a tunnel. They advised him to block this tunnel and stop the Multan's water supply. When this was done the Multan ruler surrendered, and due to this the entire kingdom was under Muhammad bin Qasim's control. The Muslims started consolidating all these captured lands.
For this reason Sindh and Debal (modern day karachi) are called اسلام کے دروازے (The doors of Islam) thanks to Muhammad bin Qasim.
Tolerance towards to Non-Muslims
Unfortunately many biased hindu and western historians claim that Muhammad bin Qasim was intolerant towards non-muslims during his rule. But the reality is far from this absurd claim.
Muhammad bin Qasim had promised the natives protection and freedom to practice their religion. The destruction of Hindu and Buddhist temples were strictly forbidden. In fact many hindu rulers were not just oppressive to Buddhist, but to their own hindus just because they were a caste lower then them. |
The locals were mostly non-muslims, so sharia (islamic law) could not be established. So the Muslims became the rulers, but the citizens were allowed to live according to their religion. The non-muslims who had the financial capabilities would pay a small jizya (tax) and were allowed to live under freedom. Muhammad bin Qasim establised beautiful governance and justice, also respected the people to the extented that the Hindus thought they were gods.
Letters were sent to all the kings to come accept Islam or if they chose not to they would have to pay a small jizya and be offered protection. Muhammad bin Qasim would always try to conquer the cities peacfully through peace treaties, and through this many cities were conquered peacefully.
Letters were sent to all the kings to come accept Islam or if they chose not to they would have to pay a small jizya and be offered protection. Muhammad bin Qasim would always try to conquer the cities peacfully through peace treaties, and through this many cities were conquered peacefully.
"Your elders, youth and children are still safe. We respect your women just like we respect our own mothers and daughters. Today I annoce the end of this cruel tradition; that from now on no woman will be sacrificed for gods. Those who are here should listen and remember this, and those who are not here.... that everyone's life, and places of worhip will be protected.... We will be your best guardians.... Go! We have opened the doors of a new life for you..."
----Muhammad bin Qasim
Conversions
It is important to understand that Muhammad bin Qasim did not force the natives to convert to Islam. They were given the option to choose Islam or remain the same. The reason why a lot of Hindus and Buddhist converted to Islam was because of the caste system. The caste system broke society into different levels and was a very racial system. In order to escape this cruel system the hindus would convert to Islam and were offered protection. Often times an entire caste level would convert to Islam to escape the degenerating system.