DEAR SON, WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU? 89
power in this exchange of advice is clear from the way in which Hajjaj
begins his letter to the young Qasim-with intimacy and candor,
quickly showing his exasperation at the halting campaign. The rebuke,
"Dear son, what is the matter with you?" highlights the patriarchal
nature of his advice, and the informality makes clear the dynamic of
power at play.
In Hajjaj's formulation of dif{erence between religions, the politics
of the governed is paramount. Whereas Qasim narrates a dialectic of
difference that must be overcome (mosques where temples stood), Hajjaj
at first seems to offer a similar serttiment (destroy the cities of the un-
believers), but critically this is expressed as a desire and not as a
strategy. The strategy offered by Hajjaj is instead to look toward accom-
modation as governance. The nobility's proposals of tax schema ought
to be accepted without debate because their alliance is crucial to the
establishment of a new governing regime, Hajjaj explains. Hence, the
first path of gaining a kingdom is through peaceful alliances and under-
standings. As he details the ways in which Qasim could incorporate
local nobility into his administration, }iajjaj also comments that
Dahar should be given only one choice: accept the oneness of God or
prepare to fight. The letter continues with Hajjaj responding to the
strategy question that Qasim proposed about crossing the river Mehran
to engage the troops on the other shore. He advises that the Muslim
army must do this immediately so that Dahar is impressed by their con-
fidence. Hajjaj then gives specific tactical advice-how to tie the boats
together, how to position the army to assist in the crossing, how to
assemble on the battlefield on the other side. Finally, he impresses upon
Muhammad bin Qasim the need to follow his directions to the letter.
Chachnama then shows the divine sanction for Hajjaj's advice. It
narrates how Dahar surrenders the fort after receiving a prophecy from
his astrologer that the "fort built by Alexander" was fated to "fall to
Muslims on 93 Hijri (7n CE)." Dahar dispatches the Buddhist care-
taker (samani) of the fort to surrender peacefully to the Muslims. The
Buddhist CaJ"etaker does so, and Qasim grants a robe of honor. Qasim
then implements a scheme of religious accommodation for the popu-
lation, enacting Hajjaj's advice.
The subsequent letters continue to develop the politicitl and mili-
tary strategy for Chachnama, providing the framework within which