Mohammad Bin Qasim

Mohammad Bin Qasim was a general of the Umayyad Caliphate who was sent by the Caliph Walid I to conquer India. This was time of fanatic Muslim rulers in Arab whose sole aim was to strengthen Islam and punish those who don’t accept Islam. This was the time when religious fanatics dominated in Arab.

Mohammad Bin Qasim entered Sindh with a force of 4000 Camels, 6000 Soldiers. He reached Debal, an ancient port city ^{(near modern Karachi)} and defeated the nephew of Raja Dahir, in-charge of the port city. The city was plundered and all the people who refused to accept Islam were killed. After Debal he crossed the river Indus and confronted with Raja Dahir. Dahir was defeated and killed. Enormous wealth was looted from Brahmanabad and this was the end of Hindu Kingdom of Sindh. After Sindh he conquered Multan and sent Abu Hakim to win Kannauj.

The Presence of Qasim was short. For the Umayyads , this was first alien land brought under their territory which was inhabitated by the non-Muslims. After Qasim was recalled, the next governor of Arab died on arrival. Dahir’s son Jaysimha recaptured Brahmanabad but converted to Islam later, thus remaining as a tributary of Arabs. The Arab rule continued for 3 centuries in Sindh. It was later under the Ghaznavid Empire and finally came under the Delhi Sultanate and Mughals. In 1747 Sindh became a vassal state of the Durrani Empire of Afghanistan. In 1839, Sindh was occupied by British.