The Siege of Multan and the House of Gold

Al-Baladhuri relates that Muhammad ibn al-Qasim crossed the river Bayas to Multan, and its people fought him. Zaida ibn Umayr al-Ta'i distinguished himself, the polytheists were routed and entered the city, and Muhammad besieged them. ¹

The Muslims' provisions ran out and they ate donkeys. Then a man who had sought safe conduct showed them the channel of water that the people of the city drank from, and they cut it off. When they were thirsty they came down under his judgement. He killed the fighting men, enslaved the families, and enslaved the guardians of "al-Bud", six thousand of them. ¹

They found a great deal of gold, collected in a room ten cubits long and eight wide. For this reason Multan was called "the gate of the treasure house"; a gate is a frontier. Gifts of money were brought to the idol of Multan and vows were made to it, and people of Sind would come to it on pilgrimage to shave their heads and beards there. The source says they claimed the idol inside was the Prophet ﷺ Ayyub. ¹