236 H. G. Raverty —The Mihran of Sind and its Tributaries. [No. 4, 
of food and forage, and the consequent loss of men and horses from 
If any one will take the trouble to look at a map, it will be seen at a glance 
what nonsense this is. Gandabah is no less than four degrees of latitude farther 
north than where these operations took place, namely, in the low r er part of the delta 
of the Mihran, in the southern part of the present Haidar-abad Collectorate of Sind, 
and between the present town of Jarak and the Puranah Bhorah, and farther north. 
The bet, or delta, at that period, did not extend farther south than the Pir Patho 
hills and the present Wangah Bazar, if so far south. The object of these movements 
of Muhammad, son of Kasim, is sufficiently manifest. It was to pass the western 
branch of the Mihran just above its junction with the main stream again, as in¬ 
dicated in the “ Masalik wa Mamalik” map. We must not judge of the lower part 
of the delta by what it is now, but by what it was some twelve centuries since. See 
note 163, page 221. 
The account given in the Cliach Namali respecting Muhammad’s movements 
after his return from Siw-istan by command of Amir Hajjaj, contains so many im¬ 
portant geographical details, that I must give a short abstract of them here. 
At the period in question, one of Ra’e Dahir’s “ Maliks,” as they are styled in 
the Oliach Namah, held a Hisar or fort in the Bet or delta, on the Mihran, and ap¬ 
parently just below the junction of that branch of the river, which, about forty 
miles above Baliman-abad separated into two, and re-united w 7 ith the eastern branch 
again some distance to the south of that city, and towards the sea coast. This Bet, 
it is stated, was situated on the east side of the Mihran on the margin of a stream [a 
minor channel], an island formed by the Kunbh river. The Malik was called Basil, 
son of Sami. Muhammad was told that, if he could win him to his side, the diffi¬ 
culty of crossing the Mihran would be got over. 
Amir Hajjaj, in his letters to Muhammad, containing excellent advice for his 
guidance, impressed upon him to choose a place where a strong bridge of boats might 
be constructed, and where the cffessing place was flat and even. It was after this 
that Nirun was surrendered to him by its governor, who was continued in charge 
of it. In the mean time, some of the petty chiefs of the Bhati tribe, and others, began 
to submit to him ; and, at Nirun, an inhabitant of Debal, who was a native of Basrah, 
brought to him a Samani or Priest, who, he said, could facilitate his crossing the Ab- 
i-Sind [sic. not Mihran]. In Muliarram, 93 H. (October, 711 A. D.), Muhammad 
moved from his position—the last mentioned was the delightful place on the koh-i- 
Nirun, near the lake before referred to—and arrived near the fortress of Ash-bahar 
( ), a place of great strength, with a determined garrison, the town, which 
lay on the west side, having been brought within the area of the defences by sur¬ 
rounding it with a ditch. It was, however, reduced and a Shahnah or Commissioner 
left there. From thence Muhammad moved to the west bank of the Ab-i-Mihran, 
on the verge of the boundary of Rawar. This appears to have been one of the most 
important places in lower Sind, which Oliach had founded on the east bank of the 
great river, and near it was Jai-pur, wdiich is constantly mentioned along with it. In 
the mean time, a chief named Mokah, the Bishayah, submitted to the ’Arab leader. 
He was brother of Basil, the then chief of the Bet, above referred to, and between 
the two brothers and their father, who sided with Risil, great hostility existed. For 
this the Bet was conferred upon him (nominally), and he was directed to collect 
boats for the proposed bridge. 
Muhammad wrote an account of these matters to Hajjaj, and, soon after, moved 
