ARAB CONQUEST OF SINDH

ARAB CONQUEST OF SINDH

As early as AD 637 Arabs started sending expeditions the western coast of India. In the opening years of the e\ century AD, the King of Ceylon had sent some ships t< Khalifa (Caliph) Walid. These ships were plundere< pirates near Debal, a port in Sindh. At that time, one D. a Hindu raja, ruled over Sindh. AI-Hajjaj, the govern< Basra, demanded compensation, but Dahir refused to it. Hajjaj sent an expedition against Dahir. After expeditions failed, in AD 712 he sent another expedition.. time under his nephew and son-in-law, Muhammad­Qasim. Muhammad-bin-Qasim in a very short time, quered Debal by slaying Dahir. He then conqw Brahmanabad. After this he conquered Multan. This p tically made him the ruler of the whole of Sindh. But brilliant career came to a sad end when he was put to dl by the Khalifa. Sindh was under the Arabs for 200 YE An efficient administration was provided by them. It divided into a number of districts (iqtas) which were over to the Arab military officers on condition of milij service. The Arabs followed a tolerant religious p,\ Those who paid the poll-tax or jaziya were exempted fJ embracing Islam and were known as zimmis.