Arab and Turkish Invasions
Prophet Muhammad (570-632 A.D)
- He is the founder of Islam.
- He grew up in the deserts of Arabia.
- His first converts were the Arabs.
- Sind and Multan were conquered by the Arabs by 712 A.D.
Arab Invasion in India
Muhammad-bin-Qasim
- Al-Hajjajj, the Governor of Iraq sent Muhammad-bin-Qasim to India
- He Conquered Sind with the permission of Caliph Walid
Battle of Rewar
- Fought between Muhammad-bin-Qasim and Dahir the ruler of Sind
- Dahir was defeated. Sind and Multan was captured.
- Muhammad-bin-Qasim called Multan as ‘The City of Gold’
Administrative System
- Sind and Multan were divided into number of Iqtas or districts by Muhammad-bin-Qasim and Arab military officers headed the Iqtas.
- The sub-divisions of the districts were administered by the local Hindu Officers.
- Jizya was imposed on non-Muslims.
Muhammad bin Qasim’s Army
- 25,000 troops with 6000 Camels, 6000 Syrian horses, 3000 Bactrian Camels and an artillery force with 2000 men, advanced guards, and five catapults.
End of Muhammad-bin-Qasim
- Caliph Walid was succeeded by Caliph Sulaiman.
- He was an enemy of Al-Hajjaj, the Governor of Iraq.
- Muhammad-bin Qasim was the son-in-law of Al-Hajjaj, so he dismissed him and sent to Mesopotamia as a prisoner where he was tortured to death.
- For more than 150 years, Sind and Multan continued to remain as the part of the Caliph’s Empire.
Effects of Arab Conquest
- The subjugation of Sind made way for Islam into India.
- The art of administration, astronomy, music, painting, medicine and architecture were learnt by Arabs from our land and they spread astronomy, Indian Philosophy, and numerals to Europe.