CHAPTER IV.

The tribe of Soommah and others pay homage to Bin Cassim—the rebellion of the sons of Dahir-governors appointed to the principal cities and provinces of Sindh-Bin Cassim extends his conquest as far east as Cashmeer-the story of his death-deputies of the Kings of Ghuznein, Ghoor, and Delhi, govern in some of the provinces of Sindh-origin and rule of the tribe of Soomrah-Nasir-ud-deen Kibajeh-his rule and death.

The whole of the rich booty of Alor, including the treasury and crown jewels fo Dahir, were collected and placed in charge of Keiss, to convey to the Khalif at Sham. The Khalif honoured and promoted Keiss, and wrote letters of approbation to Bin Cassim urging him at the same time to extend his conquest still further, until the whole of the countries which were dependencies of Sindh, should be subjugated and form part of the Khalif's territories.

Men of Soommah and others pay homage to Bin Cassim.

of Dahir.

After the defeat and death of Dahir, the men of Soommah came with music and dancing to pay homage to Bin Cassim; he asked the reason of this, and they told him that it was their custom thus to greet a victorious chief. The Lohanas, Battis, men of Suhateh, Koosejeh, Haleh, &c. led on by Ally Mahomed Bin Abdool Ruhmun Sulleetee, with Rebellion of the sons head and feet bare, also proffered their allegiance. In the meantime the sons of Dahir entrenched themselves in the fort of Sikunder, where they determined to offer opposition to Bin Cassim. Burhamanabad having previously been taken, and its tax and tribute settled, Bin Cassim marched to besiege the fort of Sikunder, and to quell the rebellion of the sons of Dahir, (Jaisch, Toofic, and Wukeeah); he reduced this place, and although the sons of Dahir were sometime before they would believe the death of their father, (even abusing their mother, who was sent to assure them of it, by calling her a hár, traitress, and one in league with the "slayers of cows,") a sorceress assured them that he was dead, whereupon they surrendered.

The capital city Alor, with all the principal provinces and cities of the country of Sindh having thus fallen to the Mahomedan arms, Governors appoin- governors were appointed to the following places: Uhnuf Bin Keiss to Alor, with Moossie Bin Yakoob as Cazy; to Burhamanabad, Widah Bin Ameed; and to

ted.

Bin Cassim conquers

of Cashmeer.

Rawur, Tobeh Dārus. Bin Cassim then proceeded towards Mooltan, and on the road, at the fort of Baheeah, Kulsur Bin Chunder made obedience to him; after that, the fort of Sukkeh was taken, and Utbeh Bin Tumhee left there as governor. Mooltan, with all its strongholds and dependencies fell to Bin Cassim, who appointed Khuzzaneh Bin Abdool Mulk to the fort of Mehpoor, Dawood Bin Nusserpoor to Mooltan, and proceeded to Debalpoor; at this time he is reported to have had 50,000 horse and foot under his banners, independent of the regular army with which he invaded the country. Having taken possession of the countries to the east as far as Cashmeer as far as the country and Kunnooj, he returned, having placed trustworthy governors and servants in all those places. At the time that Keiss was deputed to convey the treasure and booty captured at Alor, Story of his death. with the prisoners to the Khalif of Sham, amongst the latter were two daughters of Dahir.* The Khalif consigned them to his harem until they should recover from the fatigues of travel, and be prepared for his service; their beauty was very great, and the Khalif was about to consign one to his bed, when she informed him that Bin Cassim, flushed with victory, had robbed them both of their virginity, and had kept them in his harem for three days; the Khalif's wrath at this knew no bounds, and he wrote an order with his own hand, informing his servants to seize Bin Cassim, to sow him up in a raw cow's hide, and send him to Bagdad. This order reached the chief at Hadapoor, and he desired the servants to obey the order of their tyrannical master; they did so, and in three days the brave Bin Cassim sunk under the torture. Tis body was conveyed to the Khalif, who exultingly shewed it to the two women, as a proof of his absolute power; and of the full measure of revenge which he had taken upon the innocent Bin Cassim. They confessed that the accusation was totally false; that they were solely actuated by revenge for the murder of their father, and the destruction of his kingdom. The wretched Khalif too late saw the injustice he had committed, and suffered the most poignant remorse; he caused the two women to be tied to horses, and dragged to death through the streets of Bagdad. Bin Cassim was buried at Damascus. At the time of Bin Cassim's death, Bin Keiss

Gispul Deo and Sooing Deo.

was governor of Alor, the other places being governed, as before-menDeputies from the tioned; five other governors, deputies of the Khalif Khalifs of Beni Oomhae. of Beni Oomhae, governed Sindh successively, with little or no alteration in the state of affairs, until in the year 133 н. the power over that country passed to the Khalifs of the dynasty of Beni Abbas. The period of the rule of the deputies of the Khalifs of Beni Oomhae in Sindh, embraces a period of 40 years from its conquest in 93 to 133 H. (A. D. 750.)

Sindh continued to be a dependency of the Khalifs of the tribe of Beni Abbas, who sent many deputies to govern the country. The only circumstance noted as worthy of observation throughout their rule, is, that one of the governors named Tumun, who arrived from Bagdad, brought with him many Arabs, residents of Samrah, who remained in Sindh, and in the course of time, produced the powerful tribe called the Soomrahs. In the year H. 416 (a. d. 1025,) Sooltan Mahmood Ghuzney sent deputies to the country of Sindh, thus terminating the sovereignty of the tribe of Beni Abbas, after a period of 283 years. The men of Soomrah had for a period of nearly 100 years been powerful zumindars; but as they continued to pay tax and tribute, they will be hereafter treated of as rulers.

The deputies of the kings of Ghuzneiny, Ghoor, and Delhi, possessed Deputies of the

kings of Ghuznein,

many of the provinces of Sindh, and sent governors

Ghoor, and Dehli, to them from the time of Sooltan Mahmood Ghuzeipossess some of the provinces in Sindh. ny, until a man named Soomrah, of that tribe, during the reign of Sooltan Abool Rusheed Ghuznein, was by the Soomrahs placed upon the throne, about 446 H. (1054 A. D.) and ruled independently. According to some writers, this tribe were originally Arabs, from a place called Samrah; they became zumindars in Sindh, of some power, and after the departure of the tribe of Beni Abbas, their numbers increased; whilst the deputies of the kings of Guzneiny, Ghoor, and Dehli possessed portions of the country, the Soomrahs ruled independently. According to the author of the Muntukhib-ul- Tuwareek, Sooltan Origin and rule of the Abool Rusheed being of weak intellect, neglected his dominions, and the men of Sindh threw off his allegiance; and in the year 445 H. (1053 A. D.) placed a man of the tribe of Soomrah, named Soomrah, on the throne. He married the daughter of Sad, a zumindar, by whom he had Bahoon

tribe of Soomrah.

kur, who succeeded his father, and died in the year 461 H. (A. D. 1068;) he left a son, Deodah, who ruled for 24 years, and died in the year 485 H. (1092 A. D.) After him Sunkahar reigned 15 years; Huneef 36 years; Onmur 46; Deodah II. 14 years; Pustoo 33; Kezreh 16; Mahomeed Toor 15; Kuhereh (unknown,) Deodah III. 14; Tahee 24; Juneesur 18; Bahoonkur II. 15; Huffeef 18; Deodah IV. 25; Oomur Soomrah 35; Bahoonkur III. 10; Humeel succeeded him ; and being a tyrant and oppressor, was the cause of the downfall of the Soomrah dynasty. But according to others, this tribe was in Sindh altogether 550 years, as zumindars and rulers, and their overthrow by the men of Soomah was occasioned by the tyrannies of the governor Humeel, in the year of the Hejira 752 (A. D. bajeh, his rule and 1351,) when their dynasty ceased.* Previous to this period, Nasir-ud-deen Kubajeh who was deputed at the time of Shums-ud-deen Ooltumsh of Delhi, governor of Sindh, about the year 610 H. (A. D. 1213,) declared himself independent. A force under Jhingiz Khan invaded the country. Nasir-ad-deen not being prepared to oppose them, entrenched himself in the fort of Mooltan, where he was besieged for forty days; but the besiegers were obliged to return unsuccessful. Many of the great men of Khorassan, Ghoor, and Ghuznein fleeing from the oppression of Jinghiz Khan, came to Nasir-ud-deen at Mooltan.

Nasir-ud-deen Ku

death.

In the year 611 H. (1214 A. D.) Mulch Khan Khuljee made an incursion upon Seeostan. Nasir-ud-deen marched to oppose him; the army of Mulch Khuljee was defeated, and he himself killed.

In the year 622 H. (1225 a. d.) Shums-ud-deen took an army to Oochch, to overthrow Nasir-ud-deen, who had entrenched himself at Bukkur; to this place Shums-ud-deen detached Nizam-ul-Moolk; but His death. Nasir-ud-deen in attempting to escape from Bukkur, took boat, which foundering in a storm, he was drowned.

The rule of the tribe of Soomrah in Sindh is far from being clearly made; but in the manuscripts consulted in this sketch, the authors confess their want of authentic record, and Meer Massoom, after a very unsatisfactory account, closes it by saying: "If any of my friends know more on this subject, let them publish it; I have said all I can upon the matter." Nor is the author of the Soofut-al-Kiram more explicit; (vide his contradictory statements); but it is generally received, that from the date of sending Nasir-ud-deen to Sindh, until the rule of the Soomas, (about 200 years,) Sindh was annexed to Delhi.

(To be Continued.)

Geological Report on the Valley of the Spiti, and of the Route from Kotghur. By Capt, HUTTON, 37th N. I.

[The paper now published, completes a series of notes of a journey to the Spiti Valley, undertaken on account of the Asiatic Society, by Capt. Hutton, 37th Regt. N. I. It was with those which have already appeared placed at the disposal of the Editor of this Journal by the Committee of Papers. The results of the author's geological observations have induced the adoption of theories, upon which the Editor is only competent to remark in so far as the identification of the opinions of a publisher is concerned with those of any writer, to whom he is enabled to offer a medium of communicating his views to the public.

In the belief that hardly any novel theory could be broached, which would be unproductive of good results, (if not by its intrinsic merits, at any rate by the consequence of the discussion it might excite,) the Editor has great pleasure in giving publicity to this paper, for the views contained in which the author is alone answerable.]

The valley of the Sutledge is that portion of the western Himalya which, as its name implies, forms the tract of country through which the river Sutledge flows.

The term valley is however scarcely applicable to it, since it is strictly speaking nothing more than a deep and rugged mountain glen, of more than ordinary sternness and magnificence, often affording from the abrupt rise of its rocky sides, a mere channel for the roaring torrent which winds its irresistible and headlong course along its sheltered bed.

On either side rise high and snow-clad peaks, forming along the river's course two mighty walls, whose dark and furrowed sides proclaim the constant warfare which is waged by frost and heat alternately.

Villages are numerous along the river's course, sometimes placed near the water's level, at others raised high above it on the mountain's side, surrounded by their cultivation cut in steppes, and sheltered by the stern and frowning cliffs which raise their hoary summit far above it.

In the lower part of the valley, commencing from Rampore downwards, to below Kotgurh, vast beds of rolled and water-worn stones are seen accumulated on the river's banks, and rising high above the water's present level. Such deposits evidently owe their origin to the eddies or back waters of some far mightier stream than that exhibited by the Sutledge in the present day, even at its greatest height, and must undoubtedly have been formed by the rush of water attendant on the outburst of some enormous lake or lakes in the higher portions of the hills.