Conquest·Umayyad
Muhammad ibn Qasim Conquers Sindh
- Date
- 711 CE93 AH1,315 years ago
- Place
- Sindh (modern Pakistan)
- People
- Muhammad ibn Qasim, Raja Dahir, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf
In 711 CE, Muhammad ibn Qasim, a young Umayyad commander, invaded Sindh with a force from Basra, on orders from the governor al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. He captured the port city of Debal and then defeated Raja Dahir of Sindh near the Indus in 712 CE. The conquest brought the lower Indus valley under Umayyad rule. Sources differ on details, and some early accounts are legendary.
Why it matters
Sindh became the first major region of the Indian subcontinent under Muslim rule and a base for a lasting Islamic presence in South Asia.