A Forgotten Moslem Invasion
By Dhirendra Chandra Ganguly
Summary
D. C. Ganguly revisits a neglected episode of early medieval history—a Muslim raid into north‑western India during the late eighth or early ninth century. While the early Arab conquests of Sind under Muhammad bin Qasim are well known, Ganguly points out that sources also record a subsequent expedition by Arab governors of Sind into Rajputana. Drawing on Persian chronicles and Indian inscriptions, he identifies the invasion as an attempt by Caliphate forces under Junaid or Hisham to penetrate deeper into India. The Arab army advanced toward Chitor, causing fear among local rulers. The article recounts how king Nagabhata II of the Pratihara dynasty and his feudatories formed a confederacy with other Indian princes to resist the invaders. A subsequent inscription suggests that a king Bappa Rawal or his successor repelled the Arabs. Ganguly emphasises that Arab commanders repeatedly tested the frontiers of India but faced stiff resistance from coordinated Indian forces. His analysis challenges the prevailing narrative that Arab expansion into India ceased after the initial conquest of Sind.
Conclusion
By piecing together disparate references from chronicles and inscriptions, Ganguly recovers an overlooked Muslim expedition that threatened early medieval Rajputana. His account shows that Arab commanders repeatedly tested the frontiers of India but faced stiff resistance from coordinated Indian forces. Recognising these skirmishes broadens our understanding of early encounters between the Islamic world and the Indian subcontinent and underscores the contested nature of frontier politics in the eighth and ninth centuries.