Muhammad bin Qasim Al-Thaqafi

Among the most brilliant sons of Islam, the name of a youth in his teens occupies a very high position. Upon the youthful shoulders of this youth fell the responsibility of leading an expeditionary force in a foreign land. His name was Muhammad bin Qasim. His age was seventeen.

In 71 1 A. C. an Arab ship carrying pilgrims from the island of Ceylon was looted off the coast of western India and some pilgrims were made prisoners. To rescue them and to demand reparations from the ruler of Sind who captured the pilgrims, Muhammad bin Qasim was sent by Hujjaj bin Yousuf, the Viceroy of Iraq, on orders of the Khalifa.

Muhammad bin Qasim travelled overland and reached Debal the coastal town of Sind, near Karachi, and presented his demands to Raja Dahir. The Raja resisted the demand and was defeated by the Muslims and his kingdom captured.

Muhammad bin Qasim followed up his initial success with further encounters and penetrated as far as Multan. Within three years, by 714 A.C., the whole of Sind and lower Panjab were brought under Muslim rule.

Muhammad bin Qasim would have added to his conquests but there was a change in the Khilafat and the new Khalifa, who was not favourably disposed towards Hujjaj bin Yousuf, recalled the young conqueror and imprisoned him.

In his conquest of the north-western part of the subcontinent of India, Muhammad bin Qasim did not allow his men to harass the public. His administration made no distinction between Muslims and non-Muslims. In the conquered territories he reinstated non-Muslim officials to their former positions and some were even appointed as ministers.

"Deal honestly between people and the State. Fix taxes according to the ability of the people to pay," were the permanent instructions he issued to his administrators.

Muhammad bin Qasim was a brave, able and conscientious leader of the Muslim Arabs who discharged his duties with selfless devotion which brought glory to Islam and the Muslims.

It was indeed, a pity that such brilliant and young life should have come to an end in prison in 715 A.C. at the height of his career.

Seldom if ever, history has produced a general so young and yet so able, dignified and disciplined as Muhammad bin Qasim. Still in his teens, he swept like a whirlwind over the whole of Sind and part of Punjab, carrying everything with him.

Indeed, this young man was the pioneer of the Muslim conquest of that part of the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent, which is known to-day as Pakistan.