Qutayba's Conquest of Samarqand

Qutayba ibn Muslim raided Samarqand and besieged it, then its king Ghurak made peace with him. Al-Baladhuri gives the details of the peace, and al-Salabi adds the account of the breach of the peace by Tarkhun in 90 AH. ^{1 2}

Al-Baladhuri says that the kings of Soghd used to live in Samarqand in former times, and later lived in Ishtighan. Qutayba besieged them and they met several times. The king of Soghd wrote to the king of al-Shash, who came with his fighters, and they fought fiercely; then Qutayba fell upon them and defeated them. ¹

Ghurak made peace with him for two thousand two hundred thousand dirhams a year, and that he should pray in the city. He entered it and ate some food Ghurak had prepared, prayed, and built a mosque. He left a group of Muslims in it, among them al-Dahhak ibn Muzahim. ¹

The source gives another account that he made peace for seven hundred thousand dirhams and the hospitality of the Muslims for three days. In the peace were the houses of idols and fires; the idols were taken out, their ornaments stripped, and they were burned. ¹

Al-Baladhuri quotes Abu Ubayda that Qutayba conquered Samarqand by force, and that Sa'id ibn Uthman had made peace with its people before him. ¹

Al-Salabi says that Tarkhun, lord of Samarqand, broke the peace in 90 AH, and Qutayba besieged it. Its people called on the kings of al-Shash and Farghana for help, and he defeated them. Then the people of the city made peace with him on payment of the poll tax and on the condition that the city be free of fighting men. ²