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Muhammad bin Qasim first captured Daibul. He then turned towards Nirun, near
modern Hyderabad, where he easily overwhelmed the inhabitants. Dahir decided to
oppose the Arabs at Raor. After a fierce struggle, Dahir was overpowered and
killed. Raor fell into the hands of the Muslims. The Arab forces then occupied
Alor and proceeded towards Multan. Along the way, the Sikka (Uch) fortress,
situated on the bank of the Ravi, was also occupied. The Hindu ruler of Multan
offered resistance for two months after which the Hindus were overpowered and
defeated. Prior to this, Muhammad bin Qasim had taken Brahmanabad and a few
other important towns of Sindh. Muhammad bin Qasim was planning to proceed
forward when the new Caliph Suleman bin Abdul Malik recalled him. After the
departure of Muhammad bin Qasim, different Muslim generals declared their
independence at different areas.
The Muslim conquest of Sindh brought peace and prosperity to the region. Law and
order was restored. The sea pirates of Sindh, who were protected by Raja Dahir,
were crushed. As a result of this, sea trade flourished. The port of Daibul
became a very busy and prosperous commercial center.
When Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh, the local people, who had been living a
life of misery, breathed a sigh of relief. Qasim followed a lenient policy and
treated the local population generously. Everyone had full religious freedom and
even the spiritual leaders of local religions were given salaries from the
government fund. No changes were made in the local administration and local
people were allowed to hold offices - particularly in the revenue department.
All taxes were abolished and Jazia was imposed. Everyone was treated equally.
Poor people, especially Buddhists, were very impressed by his policies and many
of them embraced Islam. A number of Mosques and Madrasas were constructed in
important towns. In a short period of time Sindh became a center of Islamic
learning. A number of religious scholars, writers and poets were emerged and
they spread their knowledge. The Muslims learned Indian sciences like medicine,
astronomy and mathematics. Sanskrit books on various subjects were translated
into Arabic. During the reign of Haroon al Rasheed, a number of Hindu scholars
were even invited to Baghdad.
The establishment of Muslim rule also paved way for future propagation of Islam
in Sindh and the adjoining regions. Later Sindh also attracted Ismaili
missionaries who were so successful that Sindh passed under Ismaili rule. With
the conquest of Lahore by Mahmud of Ghazni, missionary activity began again
under the aegis of Sufis who were the main agents in the Islamization of the
entire region.
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