",
A FOUNDATION FOR HISTORYAs the genre grew, it developed into a crucial commentary (and
source) on a range of issues, such as conversion, taxation, administra-
tion, and, more thematically, Islam's encounter with conquered popu-
lations. In their temporal range, texts in this genre begin with the
narrative of the campaign under the Prophet (or the first caliphs) and
lead up to the present of the writer, which extended from the mid-
seventh century to the mid-ninth century or beyond.
The conquest narratives maintained a specific structure. The report
would explain a chain of transmission from an eyewitness or near eye-
witness down to the author of the text. Next came an introduction
of the participants in the event (often with details of their tribal affili-
ations). Finally the author would provide the account of the event,
marked with poetic and Qur'anic quotes and highlights of piety,
bravery, and individual valor. The reports were divided broadly by
geography and chronology, telling about military appointments, ser-
mons, speeches, letters, and the moral aftermath of decisions. The ear-
liest extant narratives-such as the Ta'rikh Futuh Sham (Conquest of
Syria) by Azdi Basri (d. 810)-illustrate the regional focus. Conquest
narratives were repositories of biographical, historical,. administrative,
and ethical data for early Islam and became key' sources for the works
of geographers, universal historians, and compilers of, biographical
dictionaries.
In 'Ali Kufi's text, there are the roughly thirty broad, generic cita-
tions but no particular names. This practice does not follow literary
conventions of Arabic historiography, where specific names are al-
ways used. Instead Chachnama reports begin with attributions like
"the wise of Sind say" or "some of the Brahmins of Aror report." Those
rare citations that do evoke authoritative transmission quote the ninth-
century Arab historian Mada'ini: "Farsighted wise men and well-
meaning elders report from Abu'l Hasan," "Abu'l Hasan heard it from
Hazli," and (in the only citation of a direct transmission), "Muhammad
bin 'Ali and Abu'l Hasan Mada'ini report." These are not the conven-
tions of his,orical writing in Arabic conquest literature; there, reports
from the field are presented with a full transmission history. Hence,
we can conclude that 'Ali Kufi relied on a series of texts to compose an
original work in Uch, speaking to his contemporary audience by