304 Description of Sindh [April, 



to his encampment, but was shortly after attacked with small-pox, from 

 the violence of which malady he died after an illness of four days. 

 Da'hir's sorrow on hearing of the death of his brother was very great, 

 and after dispatching messengers to ascertain the truth of the report, 

 he himself with his head and feet bare, proceeded to his brother's resi- 

 dence ; he helped to bear the body to the pile, and assisted in the funeral 

 ceremonies. Da'hjr afterwards proceeded to Burhamanabad, where he 

 appointed a governor in the place of his deceased brother*, he then 

 returned to Alor, and for some years governed the country in peace and 

 prosperity. 



Reason of sending the army of the faithful to Sindh. 



In the history of Sindh it is related, that during the Khalifat of 

 Abdul Mallik, the king of Sirundip (Ceylon J, sent some of his 

 servants with presents of female slaves and other merchandize, to the 

 Khalif at Bagdad. The boat which conveyed these people was attacked 

 near the port of Dibul, (which to this day is called Tattah and Lahou- 

 ry) by a band of robbers, who killed the greater part of the messen- 

 gers, seized the property, and made many of the people prisoners : some 

 few escaped, and reported what had occurred to the Khalif. 



The Khalif was incensed at the outrages, and immediately ordered 

 a force to be prepared to attack Sindh. In the meantime the Khalif died, 

 and the marching of this force was delayed. After the death of Abdul 

 Mallik, his son Walli'd (Bin Abdul Mallik) succeeded to 

 the throne, and Hijjaj Bin Yusuf was to settle the affairs of the 

 countries of UraMn, Kirman, Khorassan, and Siostan ; he also made 

 himself acquainted with the state of affairs in Sindh, and wrote to the 

 Khalif, representing, that the servants of the king of Sirundip, who 

 had been dispatched with presents to his father, were still prisoners in 

 the fort of Dibul, that it had been the intention of the former Khalif, 

 to punish the committers of the outrage, and release these people ; but 

 that his death interfered to prevent the measure. Hijjaj urged the 

 Khalif to give the necessary orders for the dispatch of a force, and as 

 he considered it an office of some importance, wrote himself to the raja of 

 Sindh, (D'ahir Bin Chach,) stating what had occurred, and demand- 

 ing an explanation. This letter Hijjaj entrusted to two messengers 

 directing them at the same time to act as spies, and give him every in- 

 formation respecting the state of the country of Sindh. When Hijjaj's 

 letter reached Da'hir, he received it with all respect, but replied, that 

 as the outrage complained of had been committed by a band of lawless 

 people, over whom he had no control ; he had neither the power to 



