Chimaji Appa
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Prelude:
The Arab empires emerged in around 640 with the rise of a new religion, named Islam,. After winning several battles with the Eastern Romans and the Sassanids of Persia(Iran), they had reached the frontiers Indian Subcontinent at around 640 after destroying the Sassanid Empire. The Rai kingdom of Sindh clashed with the Arabs first, but were defeated in the Battle of Rasil, and lost the entire Balochistan to them.
At around 712, Sindh was captured by Muhammad Bin Qasim, a young general of the Iraq Governor, due to getting lucky in the Battle of Raor against the Brahman king of Sindh, Raja Dahir. His rule as the new governor of Sindh lasted few years, before being called back and executed by the new Caliph(main ruler) for being “too tolerant”.
First Invasion:
His successor, Junayd ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Murri, attempted to make inroads into India via Rajasthan, while he sent a contingent north towards the Kashmir- Kangra. The army sent north was defeated by Lalitaditya Muktapida of Kashmir and Yashovarman of Kannauj (Kanyakubja), while the Arabs under Junayd who went west made significant inroads into Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. This was a full scale invasion with the purpose of adding another province to the Empire. However, upon entering Malwa (Madhya Pradesh) they were crushed by the Gurjara- Pratihara King, Nagabhata 1 as well as his feudatory Bappa Rawal (founder of the Guhilots of Mewar). The Gurjara king successfully expanded his power throughout Rajasthan.
Second Invasion:
The next Arab invasion happened about 10 years when later when
the next governor of Sindh, Al-Hakam ibn Awana, took a different approach. He went south via Gujrat up to the Navarasi River, overrunning every little kingdom in its way from Rann of Kutch to Surat. However, south of the Navarsi laid the powerful Kannadiga Chalukya Dynasty which annihlated this army. The general of the Chalukyan army even received the title of “Repeller of the Unrepellable” as shown in his copper plate inscription. Al-Hakam ibn Awana is said to have died fighting a smaller kingdom, most probably the Maitrikas of Gujurat, on his way back.
Aftermath:
Following the losses on 3 different fronts, no other major Arab expedition was taken into India. Several minor expeditions were taken into India, but they were successfully stopped by the Gurjara Pratihara Kings Nagabhata 2 and his son Mihira Bhoja. In India, a 200 year long struggle commenced between the Pratiharas of Rajasthan/Gujurat, the Rashtrakutas of Karnataka, and the Palas of Bengal for the Kannauj Kingdom.
Sources:
Majumdar, R. C. (1977). Ancient India (Eighth ed.). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass
Richards, J.F. (1974). "The Islamic frontier in the east: Expansion into South Asia". Journal of South Asian Studies.
Majumdar, R. C., ed. (1955). History and Culture of Indian People. Bombay
Puri, Baij Nath (1986). The History of the Gurjara-Pratiharas. Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal.
The Arab empires emerged in around 640 with the rise of a new religion, named Islam,. After winning several battles with the Eastern Romans and the Sassanids of Persia(Iran), they had reached the frontiers Indian Subcontinent at around 640 after destroying the Sassanid Empire. The Rai kingdom of Sindh clashed with the Arabs first, but were defeated in the Battle of Rasil, and lost the entire Balochistan to them.
At around 712, Sindh was captured by Muhammad Bin Qasim, a young general of the Iraq Governor, due to getting lucky in the Battle of Raor against the Brahman king of Sindh, Raja Dahir. His rule as the new governor of Sindh lasted few years, before being called back and executed by the new Caliph(main ruler) for being “too tolerant”.
First Invasion:
His successor, Junayd ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Murri, attempted to make inroads into India via Rajasthan, while he sent a contingent north towards the Kashmir- Kangra. The army sent north was defeated by Lalitaditya Muktapida of Kashmir and Yashovarman of Kannauj (Kanyakubja), while the Arabs under Junayd who went west made significant inroads into Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. This was a full scale invasion with the purpose of adding another province to the Empire. However, upon entering Malwa (Madhya Pradesh) they were crushed by the Gurjara- Pratihara King, Nagabhata 1 as well as his feudatory Bappa Rawal (founder of the Guhilots of Mewar). The Gurjara king successfully expanded his power throughout Rajasthan.
Second Invasion:
The next Arab invasion happened about 10 years when later when
the next governor of Sindh, Al-Hakam ibn Awana, took a different approach. He went south via Gujrat up to the Navarasi River, overrunning every little kingdom in its way from Rann of Kutch to Surat. However, south of the Navarsi laid the powerful Kannadiga Chalukya Dynasty which annihlated this army. The general of the Chalukyan army even received the title of “Repeller of the Unrepellable” as shown in his copper plate inscription. Al-Hakam ibn Awana is said to have died fighting a smaller kingdom, most probably the Maitrikas of Gujurat, on his way back.
Aftermath:
Following the losses on 3 different fronts, no other major Arab expedition was taken into India. Several minor expeditions were taken into India, but they were successfully stopped by the Gurjara Pratihara Kings Nagabhata 2 and his son Mihira Bhoja. In India, a 200 year long struggle commenced between the Pratiharas of Rajasthan/Gujurat, the Rashtrakutas of Karnataka, and the Palas of Bengal for the Kannauj Kingdom.
Sources:
Majumdar, R. C. (1977). Ancient India (Eighth ed.). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass
Richards, J.F. (1974). "The Islamic frontier in the east: Expansion into South Asia". Journal of South Asian Studies.
Majumdar, R. C., ed. (1955). History and Culture of Indian People. Bombay
Puri, Baij Nath (1986). The History of the Gurjara-Pratiharas. Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal.
