HISTORIANS OF SIND.
governor of Sind, and after him Daúd, son of Yazíd, son of Hátim. There was with him Abú-l Samma, who had been a slave of the tribe of Kanda, and who is now governor. The affairs of the frontier went on prosperously until Bashar, son of Daúd, was appointed under the Khalifat of Mámún.[1] He rebelled, and set up in opposition. Ghassán, son of ’Abbad, who was a native of the neighbourhood of Kúfa, was sent against him. Bashar proceeded to meet Ghassán under a safe conduct, and they both proceeded to the Muhammadan capital (Baghdád). Ghassán deputed Músa, son of Yahya, son of Khálid, son of Barmak, to the charge of the frontier. Músa killed Bála, king of Ash-sharkí, although the latter had given him five hundred thousand dirhams to preserve his life. Bála was faithful to Ghassán, and wrote to him in the presence of his army, through the princes who were with him, but his request was rejected. Músa died in 221[2] A.H. (836 A.D.), leaving a high reputation, and he appointed his son ’Amrán as his successor. The Khalif M’utasim bi-llah wrote to him confirming him in the government of the frontier. He marched to Kíkán against the Jats, whom he defeated and subjugated. He built a city there, which he called Al Baizá, “the white,”[3] and he posted a military force there. Then he proceeded to Multán, and from thence to Kandábíl, winch city stands upon a hill. Muhammad, son of Khalíl, was reigning there, but ’Amrán slew him, conquered the town, and carried away its inhabitants to Kusdár. Then he made war upon the Meds, and killed three thousand of them. There he constructed a band, which is called “Sakru-l Med,” Band of the Meds. He encamped en the river at Alrúr.[4] There he summoned the Jats, who came to his presence, when he sealed[5] their hands, took from them the jizya (capitation tax), and he ordered that every man of them should bring a dog with him when he came to wait upon him,—hence the price of a dog rose to fifty dirhams. He again attacked the Meds, having with him the chief men of the Jats. He dug a canal from the sea to their tank, so their water became salt; and he sent out several marauding expeditions against them.
