Undoing the damage done to Indian History-Part 5 by Aniruddha Avanipal

Last week, we left off with the inhuman atrocities committed by Mohammed Bin Qasem and his Islamic gang on the civilians of Nirun. As we will see in this article, Nirun was not the last of the Indian cities to witness the barbaric cruelties and oppression in the hands of Mohammed Bin Qasem and his Muslim highway robbers.

Shivasthan
After Nirun, Mohammed Qasem's next target was Shivasthan, a place famous for Hindu pilgrimage. Surrounding the grand Shiva temple of Shivasthan, a flourishing and prosperous town had grown in that region. Neo-converts from Nirun were now conscripted to lead and fight along Qasem's Islamic gang. During those days, Vajrasen (cousin of King Dahir) was in command of the Bajhra fort in Shivasthan. Qasem sent few of his gang-members to convey Vajrasen that Qasem's wrath was terrible and that if Vajrasen did not surrender, the whole town would be subjected to typical Islamic plunder and massacre. But Vajrasen sent Qasem's spy back informing them that he was fully prepared to fight.

On one side of the town Shivasthan was a desert. Qasem encamped in that plain so that he may not be trapped. To the north of his camp flew the Indus. Skirmished between the opposing forces started. Soon they took the form of pitched battles.

After about a week, in order to be able to negotiate for succor, Vajrasen left the town by the northern gate and crossed the Indus river. Reaching Budhiya fort Vajrasen's army camped outside its ramparts. Qasem was expected to follow. It was therefore agreed between the Rana commanding the Budhiya garrison and Vajrasen's detachment that the latter should keep ready outside to meet Qasem's marauders while expecting support from inside the walled township.

In the meantime Qasem and his Islamic marauders ruthlessly plundered the entire township of Shivasthan. He collected an immense amount of bullion, jewels and cash by looting the homes of the prosperous gentry, burning down their mansions and kidnapping their women and children. The Shiva temple in Shivasthan was destroyed by fanatic Islamic criminals and all the wealth belonging to the temple was looted.

At this stage, almost all of Mohammed Qasem's gang members were on the verge of revolt. They were made up of heterogeneous elements. A substantial portion was made up of neo-converts who were brutally forced to give up their pious and peaceful Hindu way of life overnight and take to highway robbery and gangstarism preying upon their own erstwhile kith and kin.

In order to lure them and retain them in his gang, Mohammed Qasem allowed his troops to grab whatever they liked with the women and wealth of Shivasthan. A long letter describing the wealth looted and plundered was then addressed to Hajjaj. As prescribed by Quran, four-fifths of the plundered wealth and thousands of Indian men, women and children were sent in a convoy to Baghdad.

Sheersham (alias Sisam)
Qasem's Islamic gang then marched towards the township of Sheersham. Vajrasen, the people of Budhiya and a number of Rajput chiefs, called Ranas, mustered together to face the invader. On the way to Sheersham, Qasem encamped on the banks of the Kumbha river, at a place called Nilham. Qasem made a pact with a local Jat chief, Kaka Kotal, for help regarding food, water and other resources. In lieu of some empty privileges like an equal seat with Qasem, a robe of honor and a turban to be tied round his head by Qasem himself, Kaka Kotal was ready to render all required help to Mohammed Qasem. The result of Kaka Kota's cooperation was that he became a helpless witness of the massacre of his kith and kin and rape of his womenfolk when Nilham was razed by Qasem's Islamic marauders. The battle at Sheersham lasted for around two days. Vajrasen and many other Rajput chiefs fought bravely and died.

Next week, I will write about the usual Islamic treacheries and trick used by Qasem in his battle against Maharaja Dahir.

Aniruddha Avanipal
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