Habib's Sind, the Kings' Conversion, and the Muhallabids' End

حبيب بن المهلب بالسند وإسلام ملوكها ومقتل بني المهلب

Sulayman sent Habib ibn al-Muhallab to the Sind war as India's kings regained their thrones — Dahir's son Habsha back at Brahmanabadh — and Habib took obedience on Mihran's shore. When Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz followed, he wrote the kings inviting them to Islam with kingship kept and Muslims' rights and duties — his reputation had reached them — and Habsha and the kings converted, taking Arab names; Amr ibn Muslim al-Bahili raided Hind and won. Under Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik the Banu al-Muhallab fled to Sind; Hilal ibn Ahwaz al-Tamimi cut them down at Tandabil — Mudrik, al-Mufaddal, Abd al-Malik, Ziyad, Marwan and Mu'awiya, with Mu'awiya ibn Yazid among others.

Overview

Al-Baladhuri, in "Futuh al-Buldan", reports that Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik appointed Habib ibn al-Muhallab over the war in Sind. The kings of India had returned to their kingdoms, among them Habsha ibn Dahir in Brahmanabad. Habib came down on the shore of Mihran, and its people gave him obedience. ¹

Calling the kings

In the caliphate of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz he wrote to the kings inviting them to Islam and obedience, on the terms that they remain kings with what the Muslims have and bearing what they bear. His conduct had reached them, so Habsha and the kings became Muslims and took Arab names. Amr ibn Muslim al-Bahili was his governor over the frontier, and he raided part of India and was victorious. ¹

The Muhallabids

In the days of Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik the Banu al-Muhallab fled to Sind, and he sent Hilal ibn Ahwaz al-Tamimi after them. Mudrik ibn al-Muhallab was killed at Tandabil, and al-Mufaddal, Abd al-Malik, Ziyad, Marwan and Mu'awiya, the sons of al-Muhallab, were killed, and Mu'awiya ibn Yazid among others. ¹

The Building of the Fortress of Masisa

In al-Baladhuri from al-Waqidi and others: in year 84 Abdullah ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan led the summer raid, entering by the pass of Antioch and coming to Masisa, where he built its fortress on the ancient foundation and settled garrison troops among them three hundred picked men of known valour and stoutness — the Muslims had never dwelt there before — and built a mosque atop the fortress hill; Abu al-Khattab al-Azdi says the first to build its fortress in Islam was Abd al-Malik through his son Abdullah in year 84, its building and garrisoning complete in year 85; the fortress held a church called Herya which the summer columns from Antioch would reach and winter at yearly, numbering a thousand five hundred to two thousand; Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz went out to Herya-Masisa meaning to demolish it and the forts between it and Antioch, saying 'I hate for the Byzantines to besiege its people', until the people showed him it was populated only to shield Antioch and that razing it would leave the enemy no barrier before it, so he held back and built them a congregational mosque by Kafarbayya with a cistern bearing his name — called the fortress mosque, ruined in al-Mu'tasim's caliphate; then Hisham built the rabad, Marwan ibn Muhammad built the suburb east of the Jayhan with a wall, timber gate and moat, and Abu al-Abbas set four hundred more men at Masisa, granting them estates.

Habib's Sind, the Kings' Conversion, and the Muhallabids' End

At a glance

Overview

Calling the kings

The Muhallabids

Connections

People and things also explored

Sources

Time

The Building of the Fortress of Masisa