June 712, June 2010

“Sindh was ruled by an autocratic Hindu ruler, Raja Dahir, during the Ummayyad dynasty. Raja Dahir was known for his cruelty towards his Muslim population. Meanwhile, the Indians began to intercept the commercial vessels of the Arabs in the Indian ocean. In those days, Caliph Al’Malik ibn Abd’Al’Malik, was the ruler of the Ummayyad dynasty. It so happened that the king of the Island of Rubies, Ceylon, sent a few vessels carrying some Muslim women, who had been born in Ceylon. These vessels were also loaded with some precious gifts from the Governor of Iraq, Hajjaj bin Yousaf. There were some orphaned daughters and children of merchants who had died in Ceylon. The ship in which the women sailed was attacked by the pirates near Deabul, a sea port near Sindh and within the domain of Dahir. The pirates took away everything. The women and children were taken as prisoners and put in the jail.

One of the captured woman, a member of the tribe Banu Yarbu, cried out ‘O’ Hajjaj!’. When Hajjaj heard of this, he exclaimed ‘Here am I…’

Hajjaj bin Yousuf was a strict administrator. He sent his personal messenger to Raja Dahir, the ruler of Sindh, and asked him to set the women and children free. Raja Dahir bluntly refused and argued that he had no control over the sea pirates. He replied that if Hajjaj wanted the release of the women, he could do so himself. Hajjaj was extremely infuriated with this reply and decided to punish Raja Dahir for his scornful attitude.

Hajjaj sent several punitive expeditions against Raja Dahir which incidentally all failed when their commanders were killed in the battles against the Hindus. He then decided to send his young nephew and son-in-law, Muhammed bin Qasim, who was at that time in Faras, Iran, to head a campaign against Raja Dahir in Sindh. Hajjaj gave him a trained and well-equipped army and also reinforced him with soldiers from Syria and other places.

Muhammed bin Qasim marched towards Deabul via Makran which had already been incorporated into the Ummayyad dynasty. After conquering the adjoining areas Muhammed bin Qasim encamped on the bank of the river Mehran (Indus) near Deabul. He moved and laid a formidable siege around Deabul which was a strong fortification of the Hindu Raja. From there Muhammed bin Qasim challenged Raja Dahir for a decisive battle in 712 A.D.

The battle continued for several days and the Hindu army fought intensely to protect their fortification. They were no match to the Muslim soldiers. Raja Dahir was killed on the sixth day of the battle, June 712, while bravely fighting against the Muslim army. The captive women and children were set free and sent back to their homeland.”

[A couple of pages of history taken from, A Comprehensive Book of Pakistan Studies, by Muhammed Ikram Rabbani, Government College, Lahore, Pakistan]

How does this piece of history tarry with the history being written down post 9/11?

It was the cry of one imprisoned woman which brought even the infamous Muslim ruler, Hajjaj bin Yousaf, considered the Pharoah of his times, to his toes. Today, we have the cry of one Aafia Siddiqui, Aafia Siddiqui’s mother, Aafia Siddiqui’s sister and Aafia Siddiqui’s daughter; the collective cry of four women, resonating the cries of hundreds of men and women persecuted, imprisoned, raped and tortured since 9/11, yet our hearts remain stones. Do we beat Hajjaj bin Yousaf?