Editing Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (section)

====Under Al-Hajjaj====

Al-Hajjaj, who had become governor of Iraq and the East in 78 AH (697–98 AD), had appointed Ubaidallah, who was a ''[[mawla]],'' as his deputy in Sistan. The Zunbils, who had been left unchecked, had completely stopped paying the tribute. This provided a pretext to terminate the peace treaty between the two sides. Ubaidallah was appointed for an expedition against them in 698 and was ordered by Al-Hajjaj to "attack until he laid waste to Zunbil's territories, destroyed his strongholds, killed all his fighting men and enslaved his progeny". The ensuing campaign was called the "Army of Destruction" (''Jaish al-Fana'''). However, it ended disastrously for the Arabs.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g2m7_R5P2oAC&pg=PA122|title=Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World: Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam 7th-11th Centuries|publisher=Brill|page=122|isbn=0391041738|year=2002}}</ref>

Al-Baladhuri's account on the authority of Al-Mada'ini in ''Futuh al-Buldan'' and ''[[Genealogies of the Nobles|Ansab al-Ashraf]]'', is the fullest documentation of the campaign. Tabari's account runs parallel but is based on [[Abu Mikhnaf]] and does not include the poem of [[A'sha Hamdan]] included in ''Ansab al-Ashraf''. [[Ibn Qutaybah]]'s ''Kitab al-Ma'arif'' only makes a bare mention. ''[[History of the Caliphs|Ta'rikh al-khulafa']]'' has a more detailed account and epitomises accounts of Tabari and Baladhuri. ''Tarikh-e-Sistan'' confuses the campaign with another one against the [[Khwarij]] of Zarang. The army consisted of Iraqis from Basra and Kufa, though Baladhuri mentions presence of some Syrians. Ubaidallah himself led the Basrans while the [[Tabi' al-Tabi‘in|Tabi]] Shuraih b. Hani' al-Harithi ad-Dabbi led the Kufans.<ref name=Fanaa>{{cite book|title=The Medieval History of Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia|pages= 362–366|publisher=Variorum Reprints|year=1977|author=Clifford Edmund Bosworth|author-link= Clifford Edmund Bosworth}}</ref>

They marched to [[Zamindawar]] or al-Rukhkhaj (the classical [[Arachosia]]) but found it barren and foodless. Their advance probably happened in summer of 698, as A'sha Hamdan's poem refers to the scorching heat they had to endure. In [[Zabulistan]]'s regions of Ghazni and [[Gardiz]], they plundered a significant amount of cattle and other animals, in addition to destroying various strongholds. The Zunbils, who were [[scorched earth|devastating the countryside whilst retreating]], were luring the Arabs into a trap to an inhospitable and foodless terrain. ''Futuh al-Buldan'' states that the Muslims almost penetrated Kabul. Tabari meanwhile says that they came within 18 farsakhs of the summer capital of Zunbils in the [[Kandahar Province|Qandahar region]].<ref name=Fanaa/>

The plan of the Zunbils worked and they trapped the Arabs into a valley. Ubaidallah realizing the gravity of the situation, offered 500,000 or 700,000 dirhams as well as his three sons along with some Arab leaders as hostages while promising not to raid again during his tenure as Sistan's governor. Shuraih, who had earlier advised retreat, felt a withdrawal would be dishonorable. He was joined by a group of people into the battle, and all but a handful of them were killed. The remnant of the Arab army withdrew back to Bust and Sistan, suffering from starvation and thirst. Many died in the "Desert of Bust", presumably the [[Registan Desert]], with only 5,000 making it back to Bust. Many of those who survived died by gorging themselves on the food sent to them according to Tabari. Ubaidallah had arranged food for them after seeing their suffering and himself died, either from grief or an ear affliction.<ref name=Fanaa/>

Al-Hajjaj prepared another expedition in 699, reportedly of 40,000 troops from Kufa and Basra under [[Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn al-Ash'ath|Abdurrahman b. Muhammad b. al-Ash'ath]]. Though disguised as a military expedition, it was actually a forced migration of the elements from the two Iraqi cities troublesome to Hajjaj. It was equipped to the best standards and was called the "Army of Peacocks" because of the men included in its ranks. It included the proudest and most distinguished leaders of Iraq led by Ibn al-Ash'ath, grandson of [[Al-Ash'ath ibn Qays]]. It also included distinguished elders who served in the first armies of conquest as well as those who fought at [[Battle of Siffin]]. This Arab army arrived in Sistan in the spring of 699.<ref name=Peacocks>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TEFMYRxteB4C&pg=PA110|title=Islamic History: Volume 1, AD 600-750 (AH 132): A New Interpretation|pages= 110–111|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1971|author=M.A. Shabam|isbn=9780521291316}}</ref>

The Arabs advanced east into Zabulistan and won several victories. However the troops did not want to fight in this inhospitable region and started becoming restive. Al-Hajjaj instructed them to continue the advance into Zabulistan's heart no matter what it took, making it clear to them he wanted them to return to their homes.<ref name=Peacocks/> Ibn al-Ash'ath also made an agreement with the Zunbils, that no tribute would be demanded if he won and in case he lost, he would be sheltered to protect him from Al-Hajjaj.<ref name=Bosworth60>{{cite book|title=Sīstān Under the Arabs: From the Islamic Conquest to the Rise of the Ṣaffārids (30-250/651-864)|author=Clifford Edmund Bosworth|publisher= Indiana University|page=60|year=1968}}</ref> The troops mutinied against Hajjaj's enforced emigration and returned to Iraq but were crushed by the Syrian troops. They fled back to the east while Ibn al-Ash'ath fled to Sistan where he died in 704 AD.<ref name=Peacocks/>

When Ibn al-Ash'ath returned to Sistan in 702-703 AD, he wasn't allowed into Zarang and fled to Bust where he was abducted by Iyad b. Himyan al-Bakri as-Sadusi, whom he had appointed as the deputy over Bust, so Iyad could resecure favor of al-Hajjaj. The Zunbil however attacked the town and threatened to slaughter or enslave everyone there unless Ibn al-Ash'ath was handed over to him. Iyad set him free and he went to the Zunbil's territory along with his army.<ref>{{cite book|title=Sīstān Under the Arabs: From the Islamic Conquest to the Rise of the Ṣaffārids (30-250/651-864)|pages= 60–61|publisher=Indiana University|year=1968|author=Clifford Edmund Bosworth|author-link= Clifford Edmund Bosworth}}</ref> The Zunbil was however persuaded by Al-Hajjaj's representative to surrender him. His fate is however unclear. Per some accounts, he committed suicide, while according to others he was killed by the Zunbil, who sent his head to the Umayyads in Sistan.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tNiAAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA69|title=The First Dynasty of Islam: The Umayyad Caliphate AD 661-750|page=69|publisher=Routledge|year=2002|author=G. R. Hawting|author-link=G. R. Hawting|isbn=9781134550593}}</ref> Following this, a truce was declared between Al-Hajjaj and the Zunbil, in return for the latter paying tribute [[in kind]] and in return, Al-Hajjaj promised not to attack him.<ref name=Shaban69>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1_03AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA69|title=The 'Abbāsid Revolution|page=69|publisher=Cambridge University Press|author=M. A. Shaban|isbn=9780521295345|date=1979-03-08}}</ref>