40 FRONTIER WITH THE HOUSE OF GOLD
On the authority of Mada'ini, who was borrowing a war verse com-
posed by a warrior from Banu Kilab, Baladhuri reports that Qasim
defeated Dahar in battle. There is little reason for us to consider the
facticity of these verses, though we can note the continued glory 6f past
martial contests in 'Abbasid courtly accounts:
The horses and spears are witnesses
And so is Muhammad bin Qasim bin Muhammad
That I scattered their rows without fear
Until I came to their great king with my sword
and left him rolled in the dirt
without pillow for his cheek.^48
After the death of Dahar, Baladhuri continues, Qasim's army pro-
ceeds along the river to Multan, making alliances along the way
with a number of communities:
Muhammad continued to Aror and Baghrur when the people of Sawa-
ndari asked him for peace. He gave them peace on the condition that
they feed the Muslims and give them guides. The people of Sawan-
dari are Muslims today. Then he proceeded toward Samad and made
a treaty with them like the one with Sawandari. Finally, Muhammad
reached Aror. It is one of the cities of Sind and is on a mountain. He
besieged the city and conquered it by treaty with the condition that
he would neither kill them nor enter their temple. He said, "The budd
are like the churches of the Christians and the Jews and the fire
houses of the Magians." And he imposed tax (khara;) on them and in
Aror he built a mosque.^49
This description of Muslim armies making treaties and controlling
non-Muslim communities is critically important for the development
of ninth- and tenth-century Muslim polities in Sind. The campaign
reaches the outskirts of Multan, which surrenders after a fierce resis-
tance. Baladhuri recounts that Qasim
gathered great amounts of gold. This was collected in a building
which was ro cubits by 8. At its roof, there was an opening into which
all was deposited. From this Multan was known as "Frontier with
the House of Gold" (Farj Bait Dhahab). Farj is thughur (frontier). The
temple of Multan was a great temple. Great gifts were brought for it,
offerings were given, and the people of Sind made pilgrimage here.