Muslim conquest of Sistan
| Muslim conquest of Sistan | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Muslim conquests of Afghanistan | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
|
Rashidun Caliphate Umayyad Caliphate |
Sasanian Empire Nezak Huns | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Abd Allah ibn Amir Abd al-Rahman ibn Samura |
Aparviz of Sakastan Ghar-ilchi | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||||
The Muslim conquest of Sistan, or the Arab conquest of Sistan, was the military campaign that led to the conquest of the Sasanian-controlled region of Sistan by the Rashidun Caliphate and the succeeding Umayyad Caliphate under the Arab Muslim forces of Abd Allah ibn Amir and Abd al-Rahman ibn Samura.
The Persian Empire's province of Sistan in the 7th century extended from the modern Iranian province of Sistan to central Afghanistan and Baluchistan province of Pakistan.
Sistan was raided by Muslim forces from Kirman, during the reign of Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab: in 643-644 CE, Asim ibn Amr and Abd Allah ibn Umar made inroads into Sistan and besieged its capital Zaranj.[1][2] A treaty was concluded, forcing the Sistanis to pay the Kharaj.[1] From that point onwards, there were many conflicts with the Turks, who resided in the area from Kandahar to Kabul.[1][2]
Like other provinces of the Persian Empire, Sistan broke into revolt during Uthman's reign in 649 CE. Uthman directed the governor of Busra, Abd Allah ibn Amir to re-conquer the province. A column was sent to Sistan under the command of Rabeah ibn Ziyad. He re-conquered it up to what is now Zaranj in Afghanistan. Rabeah ibn Ziyad was made governor of Sistan. He remained there for years, then he left for Basra, and the province again broke into revolt in a larger area.
Abd Allah ibn Amir sent Abd al-Rahman ibn Samura to undertake the operation. Abd al-Rahman ibn Samura led the Muslim forces to Sistan and after crossing the frontier and overcoming resistance in the border towns advanced to Zaranj, which at the time was named Zahidan. Once Zaranj was captured Abd al-Rahman marched into Afghanistan and conquered it north up to Kabul after proceeding to Hindu Kush mountain range, Zamindawar and the mountain of Ghor, which at the time was named Mandesh. During this campaign he destroyed some golden Idols and successfully captured the local Kushan Sahi king. He returned to Zaranj and remained governor until Uthman's death in 656.[3][4]
| Campaign of Ibn Samura | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Muslim conquests of Afghanistan | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Umayyad Caliphate | Nezak Huns | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Abd al-Rahman ibn Samura | Ghar-ilchi (POW) | ||||||
The Campaign
Abd al-Rahman ibn Samura was installed as Rashidun governor of Sistan. He made an expedition against Kabul's king and defeated him and forced him to sign a treaty. After that Abd al-Rahman marched against Zabulistan, Bost and Arachosia and added these regions to the Muslim Empire. At the same time the ruler of Kabul broke the treaty and forced Abd al-Rahman ibn Samura to march against him and recapture Kabul. The ruler of Kabul was taken captive and embraced Islam.[5][6]
The invasion ended the principality of the Nezak Huns which had been established since 484 CE.
See also
Notes
- ^ a b c Marazi, Hamiddulah (1998). "Sistan's Transition to Islam in Historical Perspective". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 59: 914. ISSN 2249-1937. JSTOR 44147064.
Sistan was invaded and conquered by expeditions dispatched from Kirman. The Muslim conquest of Sistan began in23 (643'644), when Asim b. Amr and Abdullah b. Umair made an incursion into the land and besieged Zaran
- ^ a b al-Tabari (16 June 2015). The History of al-Tabari Vol. 14: The Conquest of Iran A.D. 641-643/A.H. 21-23. SUNY Press. pp. 75–76. ISBN 978-1-4384-2039-4.
- ^ Sykes, Percy (July 10, 2014). History of Afghanistan. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-84587-4 – via Google Books.
- ^ Shaban, M. A.; Shaban, Muhammad Abd Al Hayy; Shaʻbān, Muḥammad ʻAbd al-Ḥayy Muḥammad (March 21, 1970). The 'Abbāsid Revolution. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-07849-8 – via Google Books.
- ^ Petrie, Cameron A. (2020-12-28). Resistance at the Edge of Empires: The Archaeology and History of the Bannu basin from 1000 BC to AD 1200. Oxbow Books. ISBN 978-1-78570-304-1.
- ^ Zakeri, Mohsen (1995). Sāsānid Soldiers in Early Muslim Society: The Origins of ʻAyyārān and Futuwwa. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 331. ISBN 978-3-447-03652-8.