THE HALF SMILE 137
presented to the caliph, who through a translator inquires about the
eldest one so that he can take her to his bed while the younger one awaits
her turn. The translator first asks their names, and the eldest calls her-
self Suria Dea. The younger calls herself Pirmal Dea. The caliph
chooses Suria Dea to be taken to his chambers. When he sees her, he
is taken by her beauty and grace, and "his bleeding heart could no
longer remain patient." He grabs her hand and pulls her to him. Suria
pulls back and speaks: "May you live long, 0 King, but this delicate
slave is not worthy of a king's night, since the just commander Imad-
uddin Muhammad Qasim kept us in his company for three nights be-
fore sending us to serve you in the capital. Or is this your strange
custom? Such indignities are not for kings."^14 The caliph, who is "al-
ready besotted and impatient from desire" is shocked. Devoid of his
senses, he does not pause to question her or investigate the matter fur-
ther. Instead, he immediately calls for paper, and "with his own hand
wrote to Qasim," ordering that wherever he may be, when he receives
his order, "he should have himself sewn inside uncured leather, stuffed
in a box, and carried to the capital.^1115
The opening of this episo~e describes the caliph as a licentious
figure whose interest is in the sexual conquest of the prisoners. Th~
women, however, subvert the narrative of conquest when they s~rate-
gically claim that Muhammad bin Qasim has already "taken their
bodies" and thus "despoiled" them. They also claim a notion of prop~r
conduct for a king and reveal that the caliph is found lacking. This
claim causes the caliph to act hastily, and he orders the brutal death
of his commander, at Qasim's own hand.^16
The order reaches Qasim when he is in Udaipur, and he asks to be
wrapped in wet sheepskin and placed in a box. He dies as a result of
his entombment in leather, en route to Baghdad. Chachnama notes
that the political appointments made by Qasim stand, and the polity
he created remained, although he was gone. When the box reaches the
caliph, he calls for the daughters to come from seclusion and observe
the dead bl!Jdy of the commander. When they arrive, they see the ca-
liph rubbing a stick on Qasim's exposed teeth and saying, "0 daughters
of raja, gaze at one who obeys mt commands. My rule extends to all
regions; as soon as he heard from me in Kanauj, he did as I ordered and
gave up his life."^17