298 Description ofSindh [April, 



by, the Muhammadans under the Khalif Wall id ; — they may perhaps 

 be considered of some interest. 



Description of Sindh. 



Si?idh is one of the sixty-one divisions of the world, situated in the 

 five first climates, belonging chiefly to the second, and is in the same 

 region as the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The river of Sindh 

 rises in the mountains of Cashmere ; another joins it from the mountains 

 of Cabul, in Multdn it is met by the river Sihun, and thus proceeds to 

 the sea. Its water is clear and very cool, in the language of the coun- 

 try it is called Mihran. All the rivers of Sindh flow towards the south, 

 where they empty themselves into the sea, such as the waters of Pilab, 

 Chinab, Lahore, Sultanpur, and Bajiwarrah. The climate of Sindh 

 is delightful, its mornings and evenings invariably cool ; the country 

 to the north hotter than that to the south, its inhabitants intelligent, 

 and of large stature. 



Sifidh is so called from Sindh, the brother of Hindh, the son of 

 Noah, whose descendants for many generations ruled in that country. 

 From these also sprang numerous tribes, such as the Nabeteh, the men 

 of Tak, and the tribe of Nomid who governed and possessed it by 

 turns. No record remains of these, and its history commences with the 

 last of the dynasty of the Rahis (or rajas), whose capital city and seat 

 of government was A lor. Alor was a large, flourishing, and populous 

 city, situated on the bank of the river Mihran, possessing magnificent 

 edifices, highly cultivated gardens, producing every description of tree 

 and fruit : " travellers found all their wants supplied." 



The territory of the raja of Sindh extended to the east, as far as 

 Cashmere and Kunniij ; west, to Mihran and the sea ; south, to the ter- 

 ritories of the ports of Surat and Deo, and to the north, to Kandahar, 

 Secustan, and the mountains of Suliman and Kynakan. 



At the time this history commences*, Rahi Sahir Sin, Bin 

 Saiiirsi, governed the country of Sindh ; he was a good and just man, 

 whose authority being universally acknowledged, extended to the ter- 

 ritories abovementioned. The peace which for a long period had 

 reigned in all parts of his dominions, was suddenly interrupted by an 

 incursion of a large army from Persia, under the king Nim Roz, into 

 Mukran and Ki'ch, which countries that prince laid waste, and taking 

 with him many prisoners, returned to Persia. When the news of this 

 foray reached Sahir Sin, he was highly incensed, and having pre- 

 pared a large force, marched to Mukran, whence he dispatched mes- 



* That is, about the year 2 of the Hejira. 



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