1892 J H. G. Raverty —The Mihrdn of Sind and its Tributaries. 251 
the people of the place received their supply of water from the river 
Let us now see what history says respecting Asal Kandah, etc. 
After Ra’e CThach had attained sovereignty over Sind, he set out from Aror for 
the northern frontier of his territory, between the Ab-i-Sind and the Hakra, and 
reached the hisdr of —Babiy ah, also written —situated on the south bank 
of the Biah [the Yabiba of Elliot, page 202], which was afterwards known as Oh.och- 
pur, and captured it. Finding that the enemy had retired within the fort of 
JSAx/ cLo|—Asal Kandah or Usal Kandah, also written —Askandah, anciently 
called Talwarah, he left a garrison in Babiyah, crossed the river Biah, and appeared 
before Askandah, or Asal Kandah, which latter word, being without points, might be 
transliterated in several ways. Having gained possession of that fortified place, 
Chnch moved towards Sikah of Multan. The ruler of Multan, hearing that Ohach 
had reached the Biah, issued from that stronghold, and advanced to the banks of the 
Rawi, in order to support his nephew, who was in charge of the fortress of Sikah, 
opposite to Multan on the east side of that river. They then moved to encounter 
Ohach and oppose his crossing that river; and Ohach remained encamped near the 
fo d over the Biah [See the strange note by Mr. Dowsou to page 142 of Elliot’s 
“Historians,” Vol. 1, on the “Bias”] until the water decreased sufficiently, and 
then he effected the passage. He was then in the fork, so to say, between the Biah 
and the Rawi, which united a short distance from where he crossed, and consequentlv, 
in the Bari Do-abah. He then moved towards a place higher up, where there were 
less obstacles in crossing, and reached the kasbah of Sikah, defeated the enemy 
outside the walls, and invested the place for some days, after which it was evacuated, 
and the governor fled to his uncle at Multan. The latter, with his nephew, and all 
their available forces, then marched out of Multan to encounter Ohach on the west 
bank of the united Ohin-ab and Rawi, in case he should pass over that river. Ohach 
effected the passage, defeated the Multan chief in several encounters, and the latter 
then retired within the walls of that fortress, in which lie was closely invested by 
Ohach. The Ohin-ab then united with the Rawi north-east of Multan. 
According to the Chacli Namah, which I have said before gives a much more 
detailed account of events in the time of the ’Arabs, they followed the same route 
from Alor or Aror as Ohach had previously taken in going against Multan. Muham¬ 
mad, the son of Kasim, having disposed of the affairs of Aror, and installed a 
governor there, marched from thence towards Multan until he reached the fort of 
Babiyah, situated on the south, or left bank of the Biah (the site of “ Pubbeer walle ” 
of the maps of the present day ? See the notice of the Biah farther on), and which 
place, Mir Ma’sum of Bakhar says, was called Oh.ach.-pnr in his day. This Babiyah 
was an old place in which Kaksah, son of Ohandar, Ra’e Dahir’s brother, who had 
fled from the battle-field near the Mihran when Dahir was slain, had taken shelter. 
He, on the appearance of the ’Arab forces, came out and submitted, and was taken 
it is said, into the confidence of the’Arab leader. In another place, however it is 
said that the Hindus evacuated that place. 
After this, Muhammad, leaving a garrison in Babiyah, crossed the Biah—I wish 
to draw attention to this fact—that is to say, from the southern to the northern bank 
of that river, and appeared before the fortified town, the name of which is written 
Axx-vdj BAxS' —Askand or Iskand, ’Alah Kandah or 
’Ulah Kandah, Asal or Usal Kandah, Askandarah or Iskandarah, and in other ways, 
in different places, in as many different MSS., for we do not know for certain the 
