QASIM AND LADI – A ROMANCE OF SIND

QASIM AND LADI
A ROMANCE OF SIND
All is fair in love and war

Muhammad Bin Qasim Masjid
Muhammad Bin Qasim Masjid

Everyone has heard about the story of the advent of Islam in this region. And everyone has their own view on it. Obviously for us Muslims, Muhammed bin Qasim is the hero, not because he was a Muslim, but he came in form of undoing wrongs committed here. The Muslim women who had requested to be rescued and how they were rescued by this young man, a mere 17 years old. Many ethnically bound here equate Dahir as their hero, for limited ethnic reasons. Here Qasim was the good guy, and it can be judged from his behavior here. No less that the people of SIND worshiped him as a hero and made a life size statue of him in the chowk of their major city. But here we are talking of a love affair.

The Queen of Sind was love smitten by the looks of Chach. Chach was father of Raja Dahir. Ladi was a product of a love affair. Astrologers had predicted that Raja Dahir’s sister LADI would marry a man, who would rule Sind with full might. A superstitious Raja Dahir ended the speculation by marrying his sister himself, to become that all powerful ruler. But that was not to be so.

Raja Dahir had given instructions for all the ladies of the Royal harem and wives of the courtiers to be beheaded immediately if defeat of the Hindu army was imminent. Warriors watched over these ladies and when the news came of their defeat, the slaughter of the Hindu ladies started by the Hindus themselves. Ladi threw herself from her camel onto those on the ground who were meant to behead her, and in this ruse, they were dazzled to the extent, that it gave time to Arabs to save Ladi from slaughter. The captors took her in their possession.

Pir Pattho - Muhammad Bin Qasim Fort  tower
Pir Pattho – Muhammad Bin Qasim Fort tower

Muhammed bin Qasim found out about the capture of Ladi, and sought permission from the Caliph in purchasing her from her captors (laws governed behavior). When the permission came, he bought her and made her his wife. The prediction was coming true. Ladi had seen the softness in the looks of Qasim, and Qasim had seen the demure of this exceptional lady. It seems love had happened at first sight.

The Chach-nama gives us flashes of incidents here and there. It also give us a flash of a sister of Raja Dahir ‘Bai’ burning herself and all the other ladies in a fire ritual in a room. It is not clear if Ladi and Bai are two characters or same persons. The death of the lady Bai is mysterious.

We are also told about how Ladi confused the warriors outside the ramparts by mounting a camel and in black dress going for a ride. It was considered a deliberate tactic in favour of the Arabs. If Chach nama had survived in full, we would have had all the information required, but even in the annals of one of the greatest battles in the history of the region, it is intermersed with a love story. The love story of Qasim and Ladi. The end is not known, nor we hear of their children. But it is a ballad for folk singers for all times.

15 thoughts on “QASIM AND LADI – A ROMANCE OF SIND”

  1. Bhai ye bata den k ladi se shadi ki thi m.bin qasim ne aghar ki thi to ye kon c book ma likha hai plz nam bata den us book ka

    1. A number of sources discuss Qasim, not merely the Chach nama, which at places is wrong. For Qasim did not die like that. The purchase of Ladi then slave of soldies is mentioned in the Chach nama. But Qasim’s children ruled Sind. Obviously cannot satisfy you in a mere blog. Contact me for details at chughtaimuseumlaore@hotmail.com.

  2. Dear Chughtai,
    you displays illicit acts of Muslims in heroic forms but you are unaware about the damages and massacres of your Mongol ancestors. They looted and killed some 4,0000000 (40 million) people without reason. why ? Were not they human being????. you belong to a criminal race and presenting you as a hero. shame for you for making Chughtai forum.

    1. I am proud to be a Chaghatai. We gave the world not only heroism, but civilization, by which we are still treasured. Taj Mahal is our contribution, too. I write my own name not hide my Hindu Identity in a false Muslim name. This is evolution and civilizations move forward. You are still stuck with Muhammed bin Qasim, Dara Shikoh and others. You forget about Asoka and his killing of more than 90 of his brothers. Do not be afraid of memory of Muhammed bin Qasim, fear General Raheel Shareef, icon of Pakistan, ready to maul you for any expected wrong doing. And fear the future. India is going to break up in pieces due to the malice and bigotry of your own leaders. The Quran tells us we are responsible for our own actions. Not accountable for anyone’s else. Your wound is still raw. Let it dry, otherwise it will bleed again. I wish you best of recovery.

  3. I have some books from ancestor to ancestor to ancestor but now these books are so much Damage & if I touch pages of books than just like fibers powder forms. & I have also some Victoria medals and Sikka/coins of usmania and also I have Coins of 100 riyal of Palestine.

  4. Show them to National Museum Karachi. If the books are of historical importance, they can try to save them.

  5. what I heard something Jatts history in Sindh that raja dahir’s wife burn herself and her daughters in this connection they were not sent to Khalifa of the time etc., Is it true ?

  6. The only historical document of that period is the Chach nama, but it is supplemented by other histories. We have written in detail in our books, but there was a prediction that the son of Dahirs sister will rule Sind. So Dahir married his own sister to prove that wrong. Standing orders were there to kill all women folks in case of defeat of Dahir and it was done by his own soldiers. The soldier who was guarding Ladi hesitated and she jumped from the camel and was saved by a group of Qasims soldiers. They took her as a prisoner and Qasim secured her release after paying a ransom for her, as there was freedom in that army. He married her and she bore him two sons. The fun part is that Qasim’s son did rule Sind and historian Bahaiqi tells us of the splendid rule of Umar son of Qasim. And after Qasim’s exit, the people of Sind loved him so much that they made a statue of him in one of the major cities of Sind. They loved him and what he did for Sind. The bigotry of Dahir can be understood from the fact that Gujars were considered so below human ladder, that they were not permitted to come out of their houses or trade without a dog with them. Dahir considered them as beneath the level of dogs. We are not saying this, historical books say so, including the Cambridge history of India. Enough for a comment!

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