The day on which they met, the Ráí of Kashmír gave fifty horses with saddles, and two hundred valuable suits of apparel to his officers. Hamím, son of Sáma the Syrian, was sent to the fief of Shákalhá. When he went a second time to see the Ráí of Kashmír, he was again received with great respect and honour, and an umbrella, a chair, and other presents were given to him. These are honours which are bestowed upon great kings. With great respect and ostentation he was re-conducted to his tenure in the plains. After staying there some time he expired in Shákalhá, and was succeeded by Hamím, son of Sáma, whose descendants remain there to this day. He founded masjids there, and obtained great honour and regard. He was much respected by the king of Kashmír. When Jaisiya* went to Jaipúr, and stayed there, he wrote letters to Fúfí, son of Dáhir, at Alor. He informed him of the cause of his leaving the country, and advised him to hold out in that part. Fúfí, son of Dáhir, received much encouragement on reading the letter, and on learning that he had gone away to Jaipúr.
When Muhammad Kásim had fought for six months at Brahman-
Muhammad Kásim granted them protection on their faithful promises, but put the soldiers to death, and took all their followers and dependants prisoners. All the captives, up to about thirty years of age, who were able to work, he made slaves, and put a price upon them.* Muhammad Kásim called all the chief officers of Hajjáj together, and related the message to them, saying that ambassadors had come from Brahmanábád, and it should be heard what they had to say, and a proper answer should be carefully prepared and given to them.
Moka Bisáya said, “O noble man! this fort is the chief of all the cities of Hind. It is the seat of the sovereign. If this be taken, the whole of Sind will come into your possession. The strongest forts will fall, and the dread of our power will increase. The people will sever themselves from the descendants of Dáhir, some will run away, and others submit to your rule.”
Muhammad Kásim informed Hajjáj of all the circumstances, and
furnished those people with his written orders. He fixed the time
with them, and they said that on the day named he should come to
the Jawetarí*
gate, from which they would sally out to fight; but
when they should come near him, and the Arab army should attack
them, they would fly away in the midst of the battle, go into the
fort, and leave the gate open. After an answer was received from
Hajjáj, to the effect that Kásim should give them protection, and
faithfully execute the compact made with them, the people of the
fort fought for a short time, and when the Arabs attacked them, and
engaged, they fled and entered the fort, leaving the gate open.*
The
Arabs thus got possession of it, and the whole army followed and
mounted the walls. The Muhammadans then loudly shouted “Alláh
Akbar,” and the people of the fort, seeing the Musulmans victorious,
opened the eastern gate, and fled with precipitation. The Muham-
It is said, on the authority of the old men of Brahmanábád, that when the fort of Brahmanábád was taken, Ládí, the wife of Dáhir Ráí, who since Dáhir's death had staid in the fort with his son,* rose up and said, “How can I leave this strong fort and my family. It is necessary that we should stop here, overcome the enemy, and preserve our homes and dwellings. If the army of the Arabs should be successful, I must pursue some other course. She then brought out all her wealth and treasures, and distributing them among the warriors of the army, she thus encouraged her brave soldiers while the fight was carried on at one of the gates. She had determined that if the fort should be lost, she would burn herself alive with all her relations and children. Suddenly the fort was taken, and the nobles came to the gate of Dáhir's palace and brought out his dependants. Ládí was taken prisoner.
When the plunder and the prisoners of war were brought before Kásim, and enquiries were made about every captive, it was found that Ládí, the wife of Dáhir, was in the fort with two daughters of his by his other wives. Veils were put on their faces, and they were delivered to a servant to keep them apart. One-fifth of all the prisoners were chosen and set aside; they were counted as amounting to twenty thousand in number, and the rest were given to the soldiers.
Protection was given to the artificers, the merchants, and the common people, and those who had been seized from those classes were all liberated. But he (Kásim) sat on the seat of cruelty, and put all those who had fought to the sword. It is said that about six thousand fighting men were slain, but, according to some, sixteen thousand were killed, and the rest were pardoned.
It is related that when none of the relations of Dáhir were found among the prisoners, the inhabitants of the city were questioned respecting them, but no one gave any information or hint about them. But the next day nearly one thousand Brahmans, with shaven heads and beards, were brought before Kásim.
When Muhammad Kásim saw them, he asked to what army they belonged, and why they had come in that manner. They replied, “O faithful noble! our king was a Brahman. You have killed him, and have taken his country; but some of us have faithfully adhered to his cause, and have laid down our lives for him; and the rest, mourning for him, have dressed themselves in yellow clothes, and have shaved their heads and beards. As now the Almighty God has given this country into your possession, we have come submissively to you, just Lord, to know what may be your orders for us.” Muhammad Kásim began to think, and said, “By my soul and head, they are good, faithful people. I give them protection, but on this condition, that they bring hither the dependents of Dáhir, wherever they may be.” Thereupon they brought out Ládí. Muhammad Kásim fixed a tax upon all the subjects, according to the laws of the Prophet. Those who embraced the Muhammadan faith were exempted from slavery, the tribute, and the poll-tax;* and from those who did not change their creed a tax was exacted according to three grades. The first grade was of great men, and each of these was to pay silver, equal to forty-eight dirams in weight, the second grade twenty-four dirams, and the lowest grade twelve dirams. It was ordered that all who should become Musulmans at once should be exempted from the payment, but those who were desirous of adhering to their old persuasion must pay the tribute and poll-tax. Some showed an inclination to abide by their creed, and some having resolved upon paying tribute, held by the faith of their forefathers,* but their lands and property were not taken from them.