MOHD BIN QASIM, ARABS AND THATTA

Muhammad bin Qasim belonged to the Saqqafi tribe, which had originated from Taif in Arabia. He launched a conquest of India in 712 AD; Arabs had trade with India and East Asia and the trade was carried by the sea which was unsafe due to the Pirates of Sindh. The Arab rebels also got refuge in Sindh and the Umayyad wanted to consolidate their rule so ordered Muhammad Bin Qasim to attack Sindh. He led 6000 Syrian cavalry and the Arab conquest of Sindh gave muslims a firm foothold on the subcontinent. Sindh fell without much resistance before the Muslim armies and the Arab rule brought Sindh within the orbit of Islamic civilization. This invasion is considered to be a historic marvel since it led to the spread of Islam in South Asia and the muslim communities in India where Sindh is given the nickname Bab-e-Islam, meaning the ‘Gateway of Islam’. Thatta, as the medieval capital of Sindh, its role coinsided with the Indus River Delta, where the delta stretches from the Arabian Sea to just south of Thatta, home to over 15 creeks. As a town with rich historical importance for Bin Qasims conquest of India, Thatta stands just west of the Indus River and connects to the delta, marking itself as a spot that commemorates those who passed through such rich regions.