Twin Battles of Debal
In 708 A.D Raja Dahir captured some Muslim Women sailing from Arab when Hajja came to know about it requested Raja Dahir to return the women, but Raja Dahir refused to do so. In response Hajja send Ubaidullah and Budail or Bazil to an Expedition of Sindh where they came into clash with Raja Dahir and his son Jaislah in which the arabs where defeated and both the commanders were killed.[1][2]
| Twin Battles of Debal | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Umayyad Campaigns in India | |||||||||
 Brahmin dynasty under Raja Dahir in 700 AD | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Umayyad Caliphate | Kingdom of Sindh | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Ubaidullah † Budail or Bazil † |
Raja Dahir Jaislah | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 3400 | 4000 | ||||||||
Background
changeA group of Muslim women traveled to visit the Kaabah and see the capital city of the Khalifahs. When they reached Kázrún, their boat was caught in a storm and drifted off course to Debal. There, a group of robbers from the Nagámrah tribe attacked, seized all eight boats, and took the valuable goods, including silks, jewels, and other property. They captured the people on board as well. The king's officers and the women explained that the items were meant for the Khalifah, but the robbers ignored them, saying, "If you want help, pay for your freedom." Everyone then cried out together.[1]
"O Hajjáj, O Hajjáj, hear us and help us." The woman who first uttered that cry belonged to the family of Baní Azíz. Wasat Asaadi states that when Debal was conquered he had occasion to see that woman, who was fair-skinned and of tall stature. The merchants (who were in the boats) were brought to Debal, and the people who had fled from the boats came to Hajjáj and informed him of what had happened. "The Mussalman women," said they, "are detained at Debal and they cry out: O Hajjáj, O Hajjáj, hear us, help us
— Captive Women to Hajjaj[1]
When Hajjaj heard the women's cries for help, he responded, "Here I am." According to a tradition, when the women were asked what they meant by calling Hajjaj, they explained: "We were peacefully resting when we were suddenly attacked, so we called him to rescue us from the cruel people who had captured us."[1]
Hajjaj sent a messenger to Dahir with a letter, instructing him to send a trusted officer along with the messenger. The letter contained a message for Muhammad Hárún about an incident. According to the Tárikh Massimi, Caliph Abdul Malik had sent a group of Syrian merchants on ships to India to buy female slaves and valuable items. On their return, they were attacked by pirates near the port of Debal. To punish the pirates, the Caliph ordered an army to be sent to Sind, but he died before it could be carried out. Under his successor, the mission began.
Hajjaj's letter to Dahir ordered him to release the Muslim women and return the gifts that were meant for the Caliph. He was also instructed to gather information about the women. Hajjaj signed the letter himself, adding strong threats to emphasize his command. When the letter reached Dáhar, his secretary, Wazil, read it aloud to him.[2]
That is the work of a band of robbers than whom none is more powerful. They do not even care for us.
Battle
changeHajjāj used this incident as a reason to send an army to Sindh. However, the idea that this event started the conflict between the Arabs and Sindh is not accurate. As we have seen, the hostility had existed for a long time. The event at Debal only encouraged Hajjāj to make a bigger effort to conquer a region that had long resisted Islam. Initially, the Caliph was hesitant to approve the risky campaign, but after Hajjāj strongly urged him, he finally agreed. Hajjāj then sent 'Ubaidullah to raid Debal, but he was defeated and killed. A second attack was launched under Budail, who came by sea from Oman. Budail received reinforcements and marched toward Debal. He was met by Jaisimha, the son of Dahir, and a fierce battle took place that lasted all day. In the end, the Muslim army was defeated, and Budail was killed.[1][2]
"O crier of the mosque, martyrdom reaches Hajjaj. at every time of prayer, when you call the people, remind me of Bazil's name, so that I will pray for him till I avenge him"
— Hajjaj[1]
References
change- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Kalichbeg (1900). The Chachnamah An Ancient History Of Sindh. pp. 70–72.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 R. C. Majumdar, General Editor (1970). History and Culture of the Indian People, Volume 03, The Classical Age. Public Resource. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 169–170.
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