Ali's Eastern Campaigns
| Ali's Eastern Campaigns | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Military career of Ali | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Rashidun Caliphate |
Rebels of Zaranj Bandits of Sindh Jats | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Ali ibn Abi Talib Al-Harith ibn Murra al-Abdi Abd al-Rahman al-Ta’i † Rab’i bin al-Kahhas al-Anbari |
Hasaka ibn Atab al-Habati † Imran ibn al-Fadl | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 4,000+ | Unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | 1,000 killed | ||||||||
Ali's Eastern Campaigns were military expeditions sent by the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib to the eastern borders of the Caliphate in order to subjugate rebels and suppress bandits across the Indus Valley region in the midst of the First Fitna. The campaigns resulted in the victory of Ali's forces, and the Caliphate reasserting its authority over its eastern provinces.
Background
According to Derry N. Maclean, Hakim ibn Jabalah al Abd, a companion of the Prophet who had travelled to Makran in 649 to report to the Caliph about the region was amongst the first proto-Shi'ites or supporters of Ali who died alongside other Jats during the Battle of the Camel. Hakim was a poet and a few couplets composed by him in praise of Ali can be found in the Chach Nama. During the Caliphate of Ali, Jats had came under the influence of Islam. In 658, Harith ibn Murrah al-Abdi and Sayfi ibn Fil' al Shaybani attacked the bandits in Sindh. They were amongst the seven Shi'ites who were executed in Damascus in 660 alongside Hujr ibn Adi.[3]
Expeditions
Expedition of Sindh
Al-Harith ibn Murra al-Abdi volunteered for the Sindh campaign after Ali gave them the permission to invade Sindh. Al-Harith ibn Murra al-Abdi raided the outskirts of Sindh and took captives. The Muslim Arab army emerged victorious and gained a lot of spoils.[4] During the Caliphate of Ali, two expeditions to Sindh which took place, which were led by Saghir ibn Zu'r in 659 and Al-Harith ibn Murra al-Abdi in 660.[5]
Advance on Qayqan
During the Caliphate of Ali, a military expedition was launched towards the region of Qayqan which lay along the Bolan Pass. The Muslims advanced up to the Bolan Pass without any resistance.[6]
Battle of Qayqan (658)
In 658, the army under Al-Harith ibn Murra al-Abdi met the people of Qayqan and fought them near the Qayqan pass which is present in modern-day Kalat. The Muslim Arab army emerged victorious[7] and killed 1000 people in one day.[8] Al-Harith ibn Murra al-Abdi was killed while making raids four years later during the rule of the first Umayyad Caliph Mu'awiya I, despite his success in the first raid.[9][10][11] In 662, according to Chach Nama, the region of Qayqan was under the direct administrative control of the Chach rai which was inhabited by the Jats and the Medes. The inhabitants put up a strong struggle against the Arab army and defeated them. The Chachnama mentions the Qayqanese to have been overpowered.[12]
Battle of Zaranj
After the assassination of the third Rashidun Caliph Uthman ibn Affan, the rebels in Zaranj under Hasaka ibn Atab al-Habati and Imran ibn al-Fadl rose up and expelled Uthman's governor of the region. Ali sent Abd al-Rahman al-Ta’i who was killed by Hasaka. Ali then wrote to Abdullah ibn Abbas to send 40,000 men to Sistan. Abdullah sent Rab’i bin al-Kahhas al-Anbari with 4,000 troops to take control of Zaranj. When Rab'i reached the city, Imran and Hasaka fought fiercely with Rab'i where Hasaka was killed and Rab'i captured the city.[13]
Naval campaigns in India
During the Caliphate of Ali, a few naval raids were conducted on Thane, Bharuch and Debal.[14]
References
- ^ Zakeri, Mohsen (1995). Sāsānid Soldiers in Early Muslim Society: The Origins of ʻAyyārān and Futuwwa. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. ISBN 978-3-447-03652-8.
- ^ Ramsey, Syed (2017-02-01). Balochistan: In Quest of Freedom. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. ISBN 978-93-86834-39-3.
- ^ Padalkar, Ravindra (2024-09-12). Muslims - Around the World. Notion Press. ISBN 979-8-89519-539-0.
- ^ عالم, صهيب (2024-01-01). تاريخ اللغة العربية وواقعها في الهند (in Arabic). مجمع الملك سلمان العالمي للغة العربية. p. 17. ISBN 978-603-8444-13-9.
- ^ Stepanov, Tsvetelin; Karatay, Osman (2024-01-01). Mass Conversions to Christianity and Islam, 800–1100. Springer Nature. p. 306. ISBN 978-3-031-34429-9.
- ^ Hedayetullah, Muhammad (2009-01-01). Kabir: The Apostle of Hindu-Muslim Unity. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 31. ISBN 978-81-208-3373-9.
- ^ عالم, صهيب (2024-01-01). تاريخ اللغة العربية وواقعها في الهند (in Arabic). مجمع الملك سلمان العالمي للغة العربية. p. 17. ISBN 978-603-8444-13-9.
- ^ Allâh (al-Ḥamawî.), Yâḳût b ʿAbd (1866). Jacut's geographisches Wörterbuch herausg. von F. Wüstenfeld (in Arabic). p. 28.
- ^ Ross (C.I.E.), David (1883). The land of the five rivers and Sindh. Chapman and Hall. p. 93.
- ^ IslamKotob. أطلس تاريخ الإسلام - حسين مؤنس (in Arabic). IslamKotob.
- ^ حموده, عبد الحميد حسين (2006). تاريخ الدولة العربية الإسلامية (in Arabic). Kotobarabia.com.
- ^ Ahmad, Dr Aijaz (2022-03-06). New Dimensions of Indian Historiography : Historical Facts and Hindutva Interpretation. K.K. Publications. pp. 131–132.
- ^ الثقافي, دار الكتاب. الفتح الاسلامي في العراق (in Arabic). دار الكتاب الثقافي. p. 193.
- ^ Rishi, Weer Rajendra (1976). Roma: The Panjabi Emigrants in Europe, Central and Middle Asia, the USSR, and the Americas. Punjabi University.