Page:Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Vol 7, Part 1.djvu/346

298 by, the Muhammadans under the Khalif Wall id ; — they may perhaps be considered of some interest.

Si?idh is one of the sixty-one divisions of the world, situated in the five first climates, belonging chiefly to the second, and is in the same region as the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The river of Sindh rises in the mountains of Cashmere ; another joins it from the mountains of Cabul, in Multdn it is met by the river Sihun, and thus proceeds to the sea. Its water is clear and very cool, in the language of the coun- try it is called Mihran. All the rivers of Sindh flow towards the south, where they empty themselves into the sea, such as the waters of Pilab, Chinab, Lahore, Sultanpur, and Bajiwarrah. The climate of Sindh is delightful, its mornings and evenings invariably cool ; the country to the north hotter than that to the south, its inhabitants intelligent, and of large stature. Sifidh is so called from Sindh, the brother of Hindh, the son of Noah, whose descendants for many generations ruled in that country. From these also sprang numerous tribes, such as the Nabeteh, the men of Tak, and the tribe of Nomid who governed and possessed it by turns. No record remains of these, and its history commences with the last of the dynasty of the Rahis (or rajas), whose capital city and seat of government was A lor. Alor was a large, flourishing, and populous city, situated on the bank of the river Mihran, possessing magnificent edifices, highly cultivated gardens, producing every description of tree and fruit : " travellers found all their wants supplied." The territory of the raja of Sindh extended to the east, as far as Cashmere and Kunniij ; west, to Mihran and the sea ; south, to the ter- ritories of the ports of Surat and Deo, and to the north, to Kandahar, Secustan, and the mountains of Suliman and Kynakan. At the time this history commences*, Rahi Sahir Sin, Bin Saiiirsi, governed the country of Sindh ; he was a good and just man, whose authority being universally acknowledged, extended to the ter- ritories abovementioned. The peace which for a long period had reigned in all parts of his dominions, was suddenly interrupted by an incursion of a large army from Persia, under the king Nim Roz, into Mukran and Ki'ch, which countries that prince laid waste, and taking with him many prisoners, returned to Persia. When the news of this foray reached Sahir Sin, he was highly incensed, and having pre- pared a large force, marched to Mukran, whence he dispatched mes- -
 * That is, about the year 2 of the Hejira.