Zunbil dynasty

The Zunbīl — "Rutbīl" and "Watbīl" in the manuscripts of al-Balādhurī — was the king of Sijistān and Kabul in the first Islamic century, a settled regional power that treated and fought with the Arab governors of Sijistan and Khorasan without its state breaking. Al-Balādhurī opens his reports with the Zunbil overrunning Dhābilistān and al-Rukhkhaj as far as Bust, until al-Rabīʿ b. Ziyād fought and routed him ¹.

Long chapters of siege and settlement follow in al-Balādhurī: ʿUbayd Allāh b. Abī Bakra made peace with the Zunbil for two million dirhams, then the army was destroyed in the defiles of Bust by thirst and hunger after the enemy seized the passes ². In al-Ḥajjāj's days the Zunbil "gave himself up for fear of al-Ḥajjāj" when the letter of threat reached him, and made peace on seven years' immunity and a yearly tribute of nine hundred thousand dirhams in goods thereafter ³. When Qutayba b. Muslim governed Khorasan and Sijistan the Zunbil sent word: "we have not withdrawn our hand from obedience — you parted with us over trade-goods, so do not wrong us" ⁴.

• Text from the harvested Futūḥ al-Buldān of al-Balādhurī (Maʿārif 1407 edition): the Sijistan conquest chapter pp. 571–577. The name wavers in the scan (Rutbīl/Watbīl/al-Zunbadī in places); the modern printed form is "al-Zunbīl". No clear succession of personal names appears in the text — the title covers the dynasty — so the page describes the state rather than listing rulers.