A.D. 714.
terror and plunged with him into the river. The occurrence completely dis- concerted the Indians; and though Dahir mounted a horse, and displayed both skill and courage in endeavouring to rally them, it was too late. The fortune of the day was decided, and his gallant effort to retrieve it only cost him his life.
Heroic influence of Brahmanabad.
The remains of the Indian army took refuge in the city of Brahmanabad. Casim advanced against it, and met a resistance which probably he had not anticipated. The rajah's widow heroically assumed the defence, and made it good while provisions lasted. When they failed, and resistance in consequence became hopeless, she erected a funeral pile, and committed herself and children to the flames. Many of thie garrison, equally prepared for death, met it by throwing open the gates and rushing out to perish by the swords of the besiegers. Those who remained had no better fate. On the assault, all in arms were slaughtered; the rest were carried into bondage. Casim, in pursuing his conquests, took Mooltan without resistance, and became master of all the territories which had belonged to Rajah Dahii-.
Singular revenge It would seem that, beside the children who perished with their mother in Brahmanabad, the rajah had two daughters possessed of great personal attractions. They were among the captives; and seeming fit to grace the caliph's harem, were accordingly conveyed to Damascus, which was at this time the capital of the caliphate. On their arrival, Walid, the caliph, whose curiosity had been excited, ordered the elder to be brought to him. On entering, she burst into tears, exclaiming, "How can I be worthy of your notice, after having been dishonoured by Casim?" Walid, consulting only his indignation, sent orders forthwith to sew up Casim in a raw hide, and send him forward. When the body arrived, it was produced to the rajah's daughter, who, overjoyed, exclaimed, "Now I am satisfied; Casim was innocent of the crime I imputed to him, but he was the ruin of my family, and I have had my revenge."
After Casim's death in 714, the Arabs made no new conquests in India. Even those which he had effected were maintained only till the downfall of the Ommeiad dynasty in 75O, when the Hindoos rose in insurrection, and recovered all that had been wrested from them.
Arab conquest of Transoxiana
Reference has been made to the Arab conquest of the territory between the Oxus and the Jaxartes. From its position it is usually called by classical writers Transoxiana, and by Arab writers Mawar ul Nahr, words literally meaning beyond the river. Its inhabitants were mostly Persians, living in fixed habitations, and nomadic Tartars, the latter forming apparently the great majority. This territory, which the Arabs first entered in 706, and overran in the course of the eight following years, became finally dissevered from their empire about 820, and was ruled successively by the Tahirites till 872, the Sofarides till 892, and the Somanis till 1004. The last dynasty becomes interesting, because during it, and owing to one of its princes, the house of
Vol. I.
