Page images
PDF
EPUB

HISTORY

OF THE

MAHOMEDAN POWER IN INDIA.

INTRODUCTION.

[ocr errors]

[ocr errors]

The Arabians proceed towards Persia. - Progress through Kirman, Seestan, Kohistan, and Nyshapoor. Settlement in Khorassan, Murv, Badghees, and Joorjistan.- Attempt by Karoon, a Persian chieftain, to recover Khorassan, defeated by Abdoolla Bin Jazim. Abdoolla Bin Zeead enters Transoxania is recalled, and succeeded by his brother Sulim Bin Zeead. Sulim is accompanied by Mohalib Bin Aby Sufra. - Kabul revolts from the Moslems, who are expelled. — Sulim recovers Kabul, and appoints one Abdoolla to the government. — Abdoolla superseded, and retires among the Afghans of the Soolimany mountains - becomes the father of Lody and Soor, from whom two Afghan tribes derive their name. The Afghans make war on the Hindoo Prince of Lahore. The Gukkurs form a treaty with the Afghans. - The Raja of Lahore cedes country to the Gukkurs to defend his territory from the invasions of the Afghans.

THE first chieftain who spread the banners of the true faith on the plains of Hind was Mohalib* Bin Aby Sufra.

A. H. 28.
A.D. 648.

In the 28th year of the Hijra, shortly after the accession of the Caliph Oothman, that prince deputed Abdoolla Bin Amir, governor of Bussora, to reduce the province of Fars, which had revolted since the death of the Caliph Oomur. Abdoolla having succeeded in quelling the insurrection, returned to Bussora.

Two years after this event, the Caliph Oothman removed Wuleed Bin Atiba from the government of Koofa on account of his licentious excesses, and appointed Syeed Bin Aby-ool-Aas governor in his stead. Syeed shortly after led an army through Persia as far as Tubristan; on which occasion he was accompanied by Hussun and Hoossein, the two sons of Ally, and by their exertions he reduced the province of Joorjan, the capital of which is Astrabad, on the borders of the Caspian Sea, and received from the inhabitants, whom he converted to the true faith, a contribution of two hundred thousand deenars.

* The Mohalibees were a race of princes descended from this chieftain, which ruled over Laristan and Ormuz, in the caliphat of the Omyades of Syria. They at last revolted from Yezeed II., were defeated, and lost their government.

Bin Shanah, an Arabian poet, has celebrated the valour and munificence of the Mohalibees, and both Abool Furrah of Isfahan and Abool Fida mention one Mahomed Mohaliby in their works. Vide D'Herbelot, Bib. Ori. art. Mohaleb.

A. H. 31.

A. D. 651.

assan.

On the following year, Abdoolla Bin Amir was again deputed to lead an army into Kirman, and eventually into KhorHis advanced guard, under the command of Huneef Bin Keis, subdued the provinces of Seestan, Kohistan, and Nyshapoor. At the latter place, Abdoolla was joined by the Prince of Toos, and from thence proceeded to reduce Surukhsh, Hirat, Badghees, Ghoor, Joorjistan, Murv, Talikhan, and Bulkh.

After these successes Abdoolla quitted the army and proceeded to Mecca, making the following distribution of the conquered provinces amongst his respective generals:

To Keis, the son of Hashem,

Khorassan.

To Huneef, the son of Keis, Murv, Talikhan, and Nyshapoor.

To Khalid, the son of Abdoolla, - Badghees, Goor, and Joorjistan.

A.H. 32.
A. D. 652.

In the year 32, Abdool Rahman Bin Rubeea was deputed from Bagdad to Persia to propagate the true faith; but being overpowered by numbers, he was slain and his army dispersed; many of his followers sought protection in Joorjan and Geelan. In the same year, Karoon, one of the nobles of the Persian government, having learned that Abdoolla had gone to Mecca, and had divided his army over the several conquered provinces, collected a body of forty thousand men composed of the inhabitants of Tubus, Herat, Badghees, Ghoor, and Kohistan, and marched against the Moslem forces. Karoon was, however, defeated by Abdoolla Bin Jazim,

one of the officers of Huneef, in Nyshapoor, with an inconsiderable body of four thousand men, for which service Abdoolla received the charge of the government of Khorassan.

A. D. 664.

In the year 44, the Caliph Moavia Bin A.H. 44. Aby Soofian nominated Zeead, the son of Oomya, to the government of Bussora, Seestan, and Khorassan. In the same year also Abdool Ruhman Bin Shimur, another Arab Ameer of distinction, marched from Murv to Kabul, where he made converts of upwards of twelve thousand persons. At the same time, also, Mohalib Bin AbySuffra, proceeding with a detachment from thence, in the direction of India, penetrated as far as Mooltan ; when, having plundered the country, he returned to the head-quarters of the army at Khorassan, bringing with him many prisoners, who were compelled to become converts to the faith.

A. H. 53.
A. D. 672.

In the year 53, Zeead, the son of Oomyah, died at Bussorah of the plague, which now made its appearance in that city. Before that Moavia, however, had heard of his death, he nominated Abdoolla, the son of Zeead, to the government of Koofa, who, proceeding with an army through Persia to Mawur-oolnuhr, partly reduced it. Being now recalled from his conquests to fill the stations lately held by his father as governor of Bussorah, Abdoolla proceeded thither, leaving his relative Salim Bin Zoora in the government of Khorassan.

A.H.56.

A. D. 678.

Three years after this, Salim was superseded by Saad, Bin Oothman Bin Iffan now appointed governor of Khorassan by

A. H. 59.

the Caliph Moavia. Saad was recalled in the year 59, and Abdool Ruhman, the son of A. D.681. Zeead, who formerly invaded Kabul, was nominated ruler of Khorassan. He was, subsequently, removed to make room for Sulim BinZeead, in the year 62, by Yezeed, the A. D. 683. son of Moavia, who had then succeeded

A. H. 62.

to the Caliphate. Among the persons who accompanied Sulim to his new government was Mohalib, the son of Aby-Suffra. Shortly after his arrival in Khorassan, Sulim deputed his brother, Yezeed Bin Zeead, to Seestan. Not long after, Yezeed, having learned that the Prince of Kabul, throwing off his allegiance, had attacked and taken prisoner Aby Oobeyda, the son of Zeead, the late governor of Seestan, he marched with a force to recover that province, but was defeated in a pitched battle. When Sulim heard this news, he sent Tilla Bin Abdoolla, an officer of his court, as envoy to the court of Kabul, to ransom Aby Oobeyda; to obtain which object he paid 500,000 dirhems. Tilla afterwards received the government of Seestan as a reward for his services on this occasion, where, having collected a large force, he subdued Kabul, and Khalid Bin Abdoolla (said by some to be the son of Khalid Bin Wuleed, and by others the son of Aboo Jehl) was nominated to its government. Khalid being subsequently superseded, became apprehensive of returning to Arabia by the route of Persia, on account of the enemies he had in that country, and equally so of remaining in Kabul, under his sucHe retired, therefore, with his family,

cessor.

« PreviousContinue »