Lesser Known Fact:

Though it is believed that Pakistan’s first contact with Islam happened 711 CE with the conquest of Sind, Islam had touched the Indus region as early as the 640s during the caliphate of Umer R.A.

Thread on the early contacts of the Indus with Islam 1/n

As noted by Yaqut’s book ‘Mujam Al Buldan’, the Caliph’s intentions of spreading Islam in South Asia had been made as early as 634 CE.

The process of the first invasion upon the Indus region began in 641/‘42 CE when even after defeating the Sassanians at -

At the battle of Navahand, the Sassanid empire didn’t fully come under Muslim control and many provincial governors declared independence. So a large mobilisation of Muslim troops took place with 5 armies under 5 generals for 5 different places; one of which was Makran.

Shortly after the fall of the city of Isfahan, Abdullah Bin Utban (one of the men involved) marched towards the region of Kirman. The armies fought steadily with the locals of Kirman who were eventually routed and the city of Zaranj in modern Afghanistan was taken.

At this point, the Muslims made a treaty with the people of Kirman and the armies descended south to meet with the already present and arriving auxiliary forces strengthened near the border of Makran, preparing for the first thrust towards the Indus.