1892.] H. G. Raverty —The Mihrdn of Sind and its Tributaries. 489 
of tlie Sind is), only thirty-seven miles to the north-eastwards of these 
places, which was captured by Abu-1-Hasan, the general of Sultan Mau- 
diid in 440 H. (1047-48 A.D.), appears to have been the strongest, and 
most important place in that immediate locality. If Bakhar had been 
in existence, the importance of its position must have been such as to 
render it impossible to pass it by without notice of any kind. 567 But 
these places — Bakhar and Rurhl — are never mentioned, even up to 
573 H. (1177-78 A.D.), when Sultan Mu’izz-ud-Dm, Muhammad-i-Sam, 
sovereign of Ghaznih invaded Guzarat by way of Uehehli, nor even in 
578 H. (1182-83 A.D.), when he marched into Lower Sind from Multan, 
and annexed Debal and the territory on the sea coast. If these places 
existed at the time, which I do not believe they did, they were of no 
account. In fact, Bakhar is not mentioned in history until the time of 
Malik Nasir-ud-Din, Kaba-jah, 602—625 H. (1205-6-1227 A.D.), at which 
time it had grown into a strong fortress, but it was on a peninsula west 
of the river, and not an island, as I shall show. It may have been 
fortified by the Malik, Nasir-ud-Din, Aetamur (Ai-Timur,) who held 
ITchchh and its dependencies, which included Sind, under the above named 
Sultan, and was the first feudatory of that territory after its subjugation 
by him. This Malik was killed at the time of the Sultan’s defeat at 
Andkhud in 601 H. (1204 A.D.), and Malik (afterwards Sultan) Nasir- 
ud-Din Kaba-jali, was made feudatory in his stead. 
The fortress of Bakhar and its town continued to be situated on a 
It will be noticed that this ancient place, as well as Mathilah, 1/bar ah, Bhati 
Wa-han, Ma’uh, Jachch Wa-han, Rain-kali, Ghaus-pur, and several others, all lie 
between the great depression in which the waters forming the Narah now flow, 
which, in ancient times, was the channel of the Sindliu or Ab-i-Sind, and the Rud-i- 
Sind wo Hind of the Muhammadan travellers, and the channel of the Hakra of 
which they were tributaries. The whole of this tract contains, or did contain, 
numerous vestiges of the remains of ancient fortified towns ; and every here and 
there the soil was strewed over with the fragments of kiln-burnt bricks and other 
pottery. 
See the amusing piece of “ history ” contained in the “ Gazetteer of Sind,” 
respecting this part “ 1400 years ago,” page 677. 
Siw-ra’i or Siw-rahi has been “identified” by Cunningham in his “ Ancient 
India.” He says (page 254): “The Sogdi or Sodrge, I would identify with the 
people of Seorai,” the actual position of which, he says “ is unknown ! ” See also 
note 361, page 366. 
667 If it did exist, the new channel flowing past it tended to make it a place 
of importance. 
Burton (“Scinde” Vol. II, p. 250) says, “The channel [present] could not 
have existed in Alexander’s day without attracting the attention of his historians. 
The Moslems connect the change, by tradition, with a time subsequent to their 
conquest of Scinde.” 
K. 3 
