The Fitting-out of Muhammad ibn al-Qasim

Al-Baladhuri relates that al-Hajjaj appointed Muhammad ibn al-Qasim over the frontier of Sind in the days of al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik. Muhammad was in Fars, and al-Hajjaj had ordered him to march to al-Rayy. ¹

Al-Hajjaj gave him the command of the frontier of Sind, added six thousand men of the army of Syria and people from elsewhere, and equipped him with everything he needed, down to thread and tallow. He ordered him to stay in Shiraz until his companions were complete. Jahm ibn Zahr led his vanguard. ¹

Al-Hajjaj ordered carded cotton soaked in vinegar and dried in the shade, and told them: when you reach Sind and vinegar is scarce, soak the cotton in water and boil with it. ¹

Muhammad marched to Makran and stayed there for some days, then took Qanzabur and Armaʾil. Muhammad ibn Harun joined him and marched with him, then died near Armaʾil and was buried at Qanbal. ¹