Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2381
The Year Ninety-Three
فَتْحِ سَمَرْقَنْدَ فَلَمَّا قَبَضَ قُتَيْبَةُ صُلْحَ خُوَارَزْمَشَاهْ قَامَ إِلَيْهِ الْمُجَشِّرُ بْنُ مُزَاحِمٍ السُّلَمِيُّ. فَقَالَ لَهُ سِرًّا: إِنْ أَرَدْتَ الصُّغْدَ يَوْمًا مِنَ الدَّهْرِ فَالْآنَ، فَإِنَّهُمْ أَمِنُوكَ عَامَكَ هَذَا، فَإِنْ رَأَيْتَ أَنْ تَعْدِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ، فَإِنَّكَ مَتَى فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ أَخَذْتَهَا إِنْ كُنْتَ تُرِيدُهَا يَوْمًا مِنَ الدَّهْرِ. فَقَالَ قُتَيْبَةُ لِذَلِكَ الْأَمِيرِ: هَلْ قُلْتَ هَذَا لِأَحَدٍ؟ قَالَ: لَا. قَالَ: فَلَئِنْ يَسْمَعْهُ مِنْكَ أَحَدٌ أَضْرِبْ عُنُقَكَ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْغَدُ أَمَرَ أَخَاهُ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ فَسَارَ فِي الْفُرْسَانِ وَالرُّمَاةِ، وَقَدَّمَ الْأَثْقَالَ إِلَى مَرْوَ، فَسَارَ يَوْمَهُ، فَلَمَّا أَمْسَى كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ قُتَيْبَةُ: إِذَا أَصْبَحْتَ فَوَجِّهِ الْأَثْقَالَ إِلَى مَرْوَ، وَسِرْ بِالْفُرْسَانِ وَالرُّمَاةِ نَحْوَ الصُّغْدِ، وَاكْتُمِ الْأَخْبَارَ، فَإِنِّي فِي الْأَثَرِ. فَفَعَلَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ مَا أَمَرَهُ، وَخَطَبَ قُتَيْبَةُ النَّاسَ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: إِنَّ الصُّغْدَ شَاغِرَةٌ بِرِجْلِهَا، وَقَدْ نَقَضُوا الْعَهْدَ الَّذِي بَيْنَنَا وَصَنَعُوا مَا بَلَغَكُمْ، وَإِنِّي أَرْجُو أَنْ يَكُونَ خُوَارَزْمُ وَالصُّغْدُ كَقُرَيْظَةَ وَالنَّضِيرِ. ثُمَّ سَارَ فَأَتَى الصُّغْدَ فَبَلَغَهَا بَعْدَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بِثَلَاثٍ أَوْ أَرْبَعٍ، وَقَدِمَ مَعَهُ أَهْلُ خُوَارَزْمَ وَبُخَارَى، فَقَاتَلُوهُ شَهْرًا مِنْ وَجْهٍ وَاحِدٍ وَهُمْ مَحْصُورُونَ. وَخَافَ أَهْلُ الصُّغْدِ طُولَ الْحِصَارِ، فَكَتَبُوا إِلَى الْمَلِكِ الشَّاشِ وَخَاقَانَ وَأَخْشَادَ فَرْغَانَةَ: إِنَّ الْعَرَبَ [ إِنْ ] ظَفِرُوا بِنَا أَتَوْكُمْ بِمِثْلِ مَا أَتَوْنَا بِهِ، فَانْظُرُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ وَمَهْمَا كَانَ عِنْدَكُمْ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ فَابْذُلُوهَا. فَنَظَرُوا، وَقَالُوا: إِنَّمَا نُؤْتَى مِنْ سَفِلَتِنَا، فَإِنَّهُمْ لَا يَجِدُونَ كَوَجْدِنَا. فَانْتَخَبُوا مِنْ أَوْلَادِ الْمُلُوكِ وَأَهْلِ النَّجْدَةِ مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ الْمَرَازِبَةِ وَالْأَسَاوِرَةِ وَالْأَبْطَالِ، وَأَمَرُوهُمْ أَنْ يَأْتُوا عَسْكَرَ قُتَيْبَةَ فَيُبَيِّتُوهُ، فَإِنَّهُ مَشْغُولٌ عَنْهُ بِحِصَارِ سَمَرْقَنْدَ، وَوَلَّوْا عَلَيْهِ ابْنًا لِخَاقَانَ، فَسَارُوا. وَبَلَغَ قُتَيْبَةَ الْخَبَرُ، فَانْتَخَبَ مِنْ عَسْكَرِهِ أَرْبَعَمِائَةٍ، وَقِيلَ: سِتَّمِائَةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّجْدَةِ وَالشَّجَاعَةِ وَأَعْلَمَهُمُ الْخَبَرَ، وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِالْمَسِيرِ إِلَى عَدُوِّهِمْ، فَسَارُوا وَعَلَيْهِمْ صَالِحُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، فَنَزَلُوا عَلَى فَرْسَخَيْنِ مِنَ الْعَسْكَرِ عَلَى طَرِيقِ الْقَوْمِ، فَجَعَلَ صَالِحٌ لَهُ كَمِينَيْنِ، فَلَمَّا مَضَى نِصْفُ اللَّيْلِ جَاءَهُمْ عَدُوُّهُمْ، فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا صَالِحًا حَمَلُوا عَلَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا اقْتَتَلُوا شَدَّ الْكَمِينَانِ عَنْ يَمِينٍ وَشِمَالٍ، فَلَمْ يُرَ قَوْمٌ كَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْ أُولَئِكَ. قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: إِنَّا لَنُقَاتِلُهُمْ إِذْ رَأَيْتُ تَحْتَ اللَّيْلِ قُتَيْبَةَ وَقَدْ جَاءَ سِرًّا، فَضَرَبْتُ ضَرْبَةً أَعْجَبَتْنِي. فَقُلْتُ: كَيْفَ تَرَى بِأُمِّي وَأَبِي ؟ قَالَ: اسْكُتْ فَضَّ اللَّهُ فَاكَ. قَالَ: فَقَتَلْنَاهُمْ فَلَمْ يُفْلِتْ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا الشَّرِيدُ، وَحَوَيْنَا أَسَلَابَهُمْ وَسِلَاحَهُمْ، فَاحْتَزَزْنَا رُءُوسَهُمْ وَأَسَرْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَسْرَى، فَسَأَلْنَاهُمْ عَمَّنْ قَتَلْنَا فَقَالُوا: مَا قَتَلْتُمْ إِلَّا ابْنَ مَلِكٍ أَوْ عَظِيمًا أَوْ بَطَلًا، كَانَ الرَّجُلُ يُعَدُّ بِمِائَةِ رَجُلٍ، وَكَتَبْنَا أَسْمَاءَهُمْ عَلَى آذَانِهِمْ، ثُمَّ دَخَلْنَا الْعَسْكَرَ حِينَ أَصْبَحْنَا، فَلَمْ يَأْتِ أَحَدٌ بِمِثْلِ مَا جِئْنَا بِهِ مِنَ الْقَتْلَى وَالْأَسْرَى وَالْخَيْلِ وَمَنَاطِقِ الذَّهَبِ وَالسِّلَاحِ، قَالَ: وَأَكْرَمَنِي قُتَيْبَةُ وَأَكْرَمَ مَعِي جَمَاعَةً، وَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ رَأَى مِنْهُمْ مِثْلَ الَّذِي رَأَى مِنِّي. وَلَمَّا رَأَى الصُّغْدُ ذَلِكَ انْكَسَرُوا، وَنَصَبَ قُتَيْبَةُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَجَانِيقَ فَرَمَاهُمْ وَثَلَمَ ثُلْمَةً، فَقَامَ عَلَيْهَا رَجُلٌ شَتَمَ قُتَيْبَةَ، فَرَمَاهُ بَعْضُ الرُّمَاةِ فَقَتَلَهُ، فَأَعْطَاهُ قُتَيْبَةُ عَشَرَةَ آلَافٍ. وَسَمِعَ بَعْضُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ قُتَيْبَةَ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ كَأَنَّمَا يُنَاجِي نَفْسَهُ: حَتَّى مَتَى يَا سَمَرْقَنْدُ يُعَشِّشُ فِيكِ الشَّيْطَانُ ؟ أَمَّا وَاللَّهِ [ لَئِنْ ] أَصْبَحْتُ لَأُحَاوِلَنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِكِ أَقْصَى غَايَةٍ. فَانْصَرَفَ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ فَقَالَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ: كَمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ تَمُوتُ غَدًا ! وَأَخْبَرَ الْخَبَرَ. فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قُتَيْبَةُ أَمَرَ النَّاسَ بِالْجِدِّ فِي الْقِتَالِ، فَقَاتَلُوهُمْ وَاشْتَدَّ الْقِتَالُ، وَأَمَرَهُمْ قُتَيْبَةُ أَنْ يَبْلُغُوا ثُلْمَةَ الْمَدِينَةِ، فَجَعَلُوا التِّرَسَةَ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ وَحَمَلُوا، فَبَلَغُوهَا وَوَقَفُوا عَلَيْهَا، وَرَمَاهُمُ الصُّغْدُ بِالنُّشَّابِ فَلَمْ يَبْرَحُوا. فَأَرْسَلَ الصُّغْدُ إِلَى قُتَيْبَةَ فَقَالُوا لَهُ: انْصَرِفْ عَنَّا الْيَوْمَ حَتَّى نُصَالِحَكَ غَدًا. فَقَالَ قُتَيْبَةُ: لَا نُصَالِحُهُمْ إِلَّا وَرِجَالُنَا عَلَى الثُّلْمَةِ، وَقِيلَ: بَلْ قَالَ قُتَيْبَةُ: جَزِعَ الْعَبِيدُ، انْصَرِفُوا عَلَى ظَفَرِكُمْ، فَانْصَرَفُوا فَصَالَحَهُمْ مِنَ الْغَدِ عَلَى أَلْفَيْ أَلْفٍ وَمِائَتَيْ أَلْفِ مِثْقَالٍ فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ، وَأَنْ يُعْطُوهُ تِلْكَ السَّنَةَ ثَلَاثِينَ أَلْفَ فَارِسٍ، وَأَنْ يُخْلُوا الْمَدِينَةَ لِقُتَيْبَةَ فَلَا يَكُونُ لَهُمْ فِيهَا مُقَاتِلٌ، فَيَبْنِي فِيهَا مَسْجِدًا، وَيَدْخُلُ وَيُصَلِّي وَيَخْطُبُ وَيَتَغَدَّى وَيَخْرُجُ. فَلَمَّا تَمَّ الصُّلْحُ وَأَخْلَوُا الْمَدِينَةَ وَبَنَوُا الْمَسْجِدَ دَخَلَهَا قُتَيْبَةُ فِي أَرْبَعَةِ آلَافٍ انْتَخَبَهُمْ، فَدَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّى فِيهِ وَخَطَبَ، وَأَكَلَ طَعَامًا ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَ إِلَى الصُّغْدِ: مَنْ أَرَادَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مَتَاعَهُ فَلْيَأْخُذْ فَإِنِّي لَسْتُ خَارِجًا مِنْهَا وَلَسْتُ آخُذُ مِنْكُمْ إِلَّا مَا صَالَحْتُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ، غَيْرَ أَنَّ الْجُنْدَ يُقِيمُونَ فِيهَا. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُ شَرَطَ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي الصُّلْحِ مِائَةَ أَلْفِ فَارِسٍ، وَبُيُوتَ النِّيرَانِ وَحِلْيَةَ الْأَصْنَامِ، فَقَبَضَ ذَلِكَ، وَأُتِيَ بِالْأَصْنَامِ فَكَانَتْ كَالْقَصْرِ الْعَظِيمِ، وَأَخَذَ مَا عَلَيْهَا، وَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَأُحْرِقَتْ. فَجَاءَهُ غَوْزَكُ فَقَالَ: إِنْ شُكْرَكَ عَلَيَّ وَاجِبٌ، لَا تَتَعَرَّضْ لِهَذِهِ الْأَصْنَامِ، فَإِنَّ مِنْهَا أَصْنَامًا مَنْ أَحْرَقَهَا هَلَكَ. فَقَالَ قُتَيْبَةُ: أَنَا أَحْرِقُهَا بِيَدِي، فَدَعَا بِالنَّارِ فَكَبَّرَ، ثُمَّ أَشْعَلَهَا فَاحْتَرَقَتْ، فَوَجَدُوا مِنْ بَقَايَا مَسَامِيرِ الذَّهَبِ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ مِثْقَالٍ. وَأَصَابَ بِالصُّغْدِ جَارِيَةً مِنْ وَلَدِ يَزْدِجَرْدَ، فَأَرْسَلَهَا إِلَى الْحَجَّاجِ، فَأَرْسَلَهَا الْحَجَّاجُ إِلَى الْوَلِيدِ، فَوَلَدَتْ لَهُ يَزِيدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ. وَأَمَرَ غَوْزَكَ بِالِانْتِقَالِ عَنْهَا فَانْتَقَلَ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ أَهْلَ سَمَرْقَنْدَ خَرَجُوا عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَهُمْ يُقَاتِلُونَهُمْ يَوْمَ فَتْحِهَا، وَقَدْ أَمَرَ قُتَيْبَةُ بِسَرِيرٍ فَأُبْرِزَ وَقَعَدَ عَلَيْهِ، فَطَاعَنُوهُمْ حَتَّى جَازُوا قُتَيْبَةَ وَإِنَّهُ لِمُحْتَبٍ بِسَيْفِهِ مَا حَلَّ حَبَوْتَهُ، وَانْطَوَتْ مُجَنِّبَتَا الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ هَزَمُوا الْقَلْبَ، فَهَزَمُوهُمْ حَتَّى رَدُّوهُمْ إِلَى عَسْكَرِهِمْ، وَقُتِلَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ عَدَدٌ كَثِيرٌ، وَدَخَلُوا الْمَدِينَةَ فَصَالَحُوهُمْ، وَصَنَعَ غَوْزَكُ طَعَامًا وَدَعَا قُتَيْبَةَ، فَأَتَاهُ فِي عِدَّةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ، فَلَمَّا بَعُدَ اسْتَوْهَبَ مِنْهُ سَمَرْقَنْدَ وَقَالَ لِلْمَلِكِ: انْتَقِلْ عَنْهَا، فَلَمْ نَجِدْ بُدًّا مِنْ طَاعَتِهِ، وَتَلَا قُتَيْبَةُ قَوْلَهُ تَعَالَى: وَأَنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا الْأُولَى، وَثَمُودَ فَمَا أَبْقَى. الخبر بفتح سمرقند وَحُكِيَ عَنِ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَهُ قُتَيْبَةُ إِلَى الْحَجَّاجِ بِفَتْحِ سَمَرْقَنْدَ قَالَ: فَأَرْسَلَنِي الْحَجَّاجُ إِلَى الْوَلِيدِ، فَقَدِمْتُ دِمَشْقَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الْفَجْرِ، فَدَخَلَتُ الْمَسْجِدَ، فَإِذَا إِلَى جَنْبِي رَجُلٌ ضَرِيرٌ، فَسَأَلَنِي: مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتَ ؟ فَقُلْتُ: مِنْ خُرَاسَانَ، وَأَخْبَرْتُهُ خَبَرَ سَمَرْقَنْدَ. فَقَالَ: وَالَّذِي بَعَثَ مُحَمَّدًا بِالْحَقِّ مَا افْتَتَحْتُمُوهَا إِلَّا غَدْرًا ! وَإِنَّكُمْ يَا أَهْلَ خُرَاسَانَ الَّذِينَ تَسْلُبُونَ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ مُلْكَهُمْ، ثُمَّ تَنْقُضُونَ دِمَشْقَ حَجَرًا حَجَرًا. فَلَمَّا فَتَحَ قُتَيْبَةُ سَمَرْقَنْدَ قِيلَ: [ إِنَّ ] هَذَا لَأَعْدَى الْعَيْرَيْنِ، لِأَنَّهُ فَتَحَ سَمَرْقَنْدَ وَخُوَارَزْمَ فِي عَامٍ وَاحِدٍ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْفَارِسَ إِذَا صَرَعَ فِي طَلْقٍ وَاحِدٍ عَيْرَيْنِ قِيلَ: عَادَى عَيْرَيْنِ. فَلَمَّا فَتَحَهَا قُتَيْبَةُ دَعَا نَهَارَ بْنَ تَوْسِعَةَ فَقَالَ: يَا نَهَارُ أَيْنَ قَوْلُكَ: أَلَا ذَهَبَ الْغَزْوُ الْمُقَرِّبُ لِلْغِنَى وَمَاتَ النَّدَى وَالْجُودُ بَعْدَ الْمُهَلَّبِ أَقَامَا بِمُرْوِ الرُّوذِ رَهَنَ ضَرِيحِهِ وَقَدْ غُيِّبَا عَنْ كُلِّ شَرْقٍ وَمَغْرِبِ أَفَغَزْوٌ هَذَا ؟ قَالَ: لَا، هَذَا أَحْسَنُ، وَأَنَا الَّذِي أَقُولُ: وَمَا كَانَ مُذْ كُنَّا وَلَا كَانَ قَبْلَنَا وَلَا هُوَ فِيمَا بَعْدَنَا كَابْنِ مُسْلِمِ أَعَمَّ لِأَهْلِ الشِّرْكِ قَتْلًا بِسَيْفِهِ وَأَكْثَرَ فِينَا مَقْسِمًا بَعْدَ مَقْسِمِ قَالَ: وَقَالَ الشُّعَرَاءُ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ الْكُمَيْتُ مِنْ قَصِيدَةٍ: ( كَانَتْ سَمَرْقَنْدُ أَحْقَابًا يَمَانِيَةً فَالْيَوْمَ تَنْسُبُهَا قَيْسِيَّةً مُضَرُ وَقَالَ كَعْبٌ الْأَشْقَرِيُّ، وَقِيلَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ جُعْفَى ): كُلَّ يَوْمٍ يَحْوِي قُتَيْبَةُ نَهْبًا وَيَزِيدُ الْأَمْوَالَ مَالًا جَدِيدَا بَاهِلِيٌّ قَدْ أُلْبِسَ التَّاجَ حَتَّى شَابَ مِنْهُ مَفَارِقٌ كُنَّ سُودَا دَوَّخَ الصُّغْدَ بِالْكَتَائِبِ حَتَّى تَرَكَ الصُّغْدَ بِالْعَرَاءِ قُعُودَا فَوَلِيدٌ يَبْكِي لِفَقْدِ أَبِيهِ وَأَبٌ مُوجَعٌ يُبَكِّي الْوَلِيدَا ثُمَّ رَجَعَ قُتَيْبَةُ إِلَى مَرْوَ، وَكَانَ أَهْلُ خُرَاسَانَ يَقُولُونَ: إِنْ قُتَيْبَةَ غَدَرَ بِأَهْلِ سَمَرْقَنْدَ فَمَلَكَهَا غَدْرًا. وَكَانَ عَامِلُهُ عَلَى خُوَارَزْمَ إِيَاسَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَى حَرْبِهَا، وَكَانَ ضَعِيفًا، وَكَانَ عَلَى خَرَاجِهَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ مَوْلَى مُسْلِمٍ. فَاسْتَضْعَفَ أَهْلُ خُوَارَزْمَ إِيَاسًا، فَجَمَعُوا لَهُ، فَكَتَبَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ إِلَى قُتَيْبَةَ، فَبَعَثَ قُتَيْبَةُ أَخَاهُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ عَامِلًا وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَضْرِبَ إِيَاسًا وَحَيَّانَ النَّبَطِيَّ مِائَةً مِائَةً وَيَحْلِقَهُمَا. فَلَمَّا قَرُبَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ مِنْ خُوَارَزْمَ أَرْسَلَ إِلَى إِيَاسٍ فَأَنْذَرَهُ، فَتَنَحَّى، وَقَدِمَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَأَخَذَ حَيَّانَ فَضَرَبَهُ وَحَلَقَهُ. ثُمَّ وَجَّهَ قُتَيْبَةُ الْجُنُودَ إِلَى خُوَارَزْمَ مَعَ الْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، فَبَلَغَهُمْ ذَلِكَ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ الْمُغِيرَةُ اعْتَزَلَ أَبْنَاءُ الَّذِينَ قَتَلَهُمْ خُوَارَزْمَشَاهْ وَقَالُوا: لَا نُعِينُكَ، فَهَرَبَ إِلَى بِلَادِ التُّرْكِ، وَقَدِمَ الْمُغِيرَةُ فَقَتَلَ وَسَبَى، فَصَالَحَهُ الْبَاقُونَ عَلَى الْجِزْيَةِ، وَقَدِمَ عَلَى قُتَيْبَةَ فَاسْتَعْمَلَهُ عَلَى نَيْسَابُورَ.
Translation
✧ The conquest of Samarqand. When Qutaybah received the peace agreement from Khwārazmshāh, al-Mujashshir b. Muzāḥim al-Sulamī went to him and said secretly: “If you ever want Sogdia at any time, then now, for they feel secure from you this year of yours. If you think to turn toward them while they are unaware, then whenever you do that you will take it, if you ever want it at any time.” Qutaybah said to that commander: “Have you said this to anyone?” He said: “No.” He said: “If anyone hears it from you, I will strike your neck.” When the next day came, he ordered his brother ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, and he set out among the cavalry and the archers, and he sent the baggage ahead to Marw. He marched that day, and when evening came Qutaybah wrote to him: “When morning comes, send the baggage on to Marw, and march with the cavalry and archers toward Sogdia, and keep the news secret, for I am on your heel.” ʿAbd al-Raḥmān did what he commanded him, and Qutaybah addressed the people and said to them: “Sogdia has bared its leg, and they have broken the covenant that was between us and have done what you have heard. I hope that Khwārazm and Sogdia will be like Qurayẓah and al-Naḍīr.” Then he marched and came to Sogdia, reaching it three or four days after ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, and with him came the people of Khwārazm and Bukhārā. They fought him for a month from one direction while they were besieged. The people of Sogdia feared the length of the siege, so they wrote to the king of al-Shāsh, the Khāqān, and the lords of Farghānah: “If the Arabs prevail over us, they will come to you with the like of what they have come to us with. So look to yourselves, and whatever strength you have, expend it.” They considered and said: “We are only attacked because of our lower classes, for they do not feel as we feel.” So they selected from the sons of kings and the people of valor among the sons of the marzbāns, the asāwirah, and the champions, and they commanded them to come to Qutaybah’s camp and fall upon it by night, for he is distracted from them by the siege of Samarqand. They appointed over them a son of the Khāqān, and they marched. The news reached Qutaybah, so he selected from his camp four hundred—or, it is said, six hundred—of the people of valor and courage, informed them of the news, and ordered them to march against their enemy. They marched, with Ṣāliḥ b. Muslim over them, and they halted two parasangs from the camp on the road of the people. Ṣāliḥ placed two ambushes for them, and when half the night had passed, their enemy came to them. When they saw Ṣāliḥ, they charged him, and when they fought, the two ambushes attacked from right and left. No people were seen who were fiercer than those. One of them said: “We were fighting them when I saw Qutaybah under cover of night; he had come secretly. I struck a blow that pleased me, and I said: ‘How do you see it, may my mother and father be your ransom?’ He said: ‘Be quiet, may God break your mouth.’” He said: “So we killed them, and none of them escaped except the fugitive. We seized their spoils and their weapons, struck off their heads, and took prisoners from them. We asked them about those we had killed, and they said: ‘You killed none but a king’s son, or a great man, or a champion; a man was counted as a hundred men.’ We wrote their names on their ears. Then we entered the camp when morning came, and no one brought the like of what we brought of slain, prisoners, horses, gold belts, and weapons.” He said: “Qutaybah honored me and honored a group with me, and I thought that he saw from them the like of what he saw from me.” When the Sogdians saw that, they broke, and Qutaybah set up mangonels against them and shot at them and made a breach. A man stood at it and reviled Qutaybah, and one of the archers shot him and killed him, and Qutaybah gave him ten thousand. One of the Muslims heard Qutaybah saying, as if conversing with himself: “How long, O Samarqand, will the devil nest in you? By God, if morning comes I will strive against your people to the utmost limit.” That man went back and said to his companions: “How many souls will die tomorrow!” and he told the news. When morning came, Qutaybah ordered the people to strive hard in fighting. They fought them, and the fighting intensified. He ordered them to reach the breach of the city, and they put shields on their faces and charged until they reached it and stood upon it. The Sogdians shot arrows at them, but they did not leave. Then the Sogdians sent to Qutaybah and said to him: “Withdraw from us today so that we may make peace with you tomorrow.” Qutaybah said: “We will not make peace with them except while our men are on the breach.” It is also said: rather, Qutaybah said: “The slaves have grown anxious; withdraw in your victory.” So they withdrew, and he made peace with them the next day for two million and two hundred thousand mithqāls every year, and that they give him that year thirty thousand horsemen, and that they vacate the city for Qutaybah so that no fighting man of theirs remains in it, and he would build a mosque in it and enter and pray and preach and eat and depart. When the peace was concluded and they vacated the city and built the mosque, Qutaybah entered it with four thousand whom he selected. He entered the mosque and prayed in it and preached, and ate food. Then he sent to the Sogdians: “Whoever of you wants to take his goods, let him take them, for I am not leaving it, and I will not take from you except what I have made peace with you upon, except that the army will remain in it.” It is said: he stipulated upon them in the peace one hundred thousand horsemen, the fire temples, and the ornaments of the idols. He received that, and the idols were brought, and they were like a great castle. He took what was on them and ordered them burned. Ghawzak came to him and said: “Gratitude to you is incumbent upon me; do not expose these idols, for among them are idols such that whoever burns them perishes.” Qutaybah said: “I will burn them with my own hand.” He called for fire, said Allāhu akbar, then kindled them, and they burned. They found among the remnants of the golden nails fifty thousand mithqāls. In Sogdia he obtained a slave girl from the descendants of Yazdajird, and he sent her to al-Ḥajjāj, and al-Ḥajjāj sent her to al-Walīd, and she bore him Yazīd b. al-Walīd. He ordered Ghawzak to move out of it, and he moved. It is said: the people of Samarqand came out against the Muslims, fighting them on the day of its conquest, and Qutaybah had ordered a throne, and it was brought out and he sat upon it. They thrust at them until they passed Qutaybah, while he was sitting cross-legged with his sword, not having undone his posture, and the two wings of the Muslims folded upon those who had routed the center, and they routed them until they drove them back to their camp. A great number of the polytheists were killed, and they entered the city and made peace with them. Ghawzak prepared food and invited Qutaybah, and he came to him with a number of his companions. When he had gone far, he asked him to grant him Samarqand and said to the king: “Move out of it.” We found no alternative but to obey him, and Qutaybah recited the words of the Most High: “And that He destroyed ʿĀd, the first, and Thamūd, and He spared none.” The report of the conquest of Samarqand. It is related from the one whom Qutaybah sent to al-Ḥajjāj with the conquest of Samarqand; he said: “Al-Ḥajjāj sent me to al-Walīd, and I arrived in Damascus before dawn. I entered the mosque, and there was beside me a blind man. He asked me: ‘Where are you from?’ I said: ‘From Khurāsān,’ and I told him the news of Samarqand. He said: ‘By Him who sent Muḥammad with the truth, you did not open it except by treachery! And you, O people of Khurāsān, are the ones who will despoil the Umayyads of their dominion, then you will tear down Damascus stone by stone.’ When Qutaybah conquered Samarqand, it was said: ‘This is the swifter of the two asses,’ because he conquered Samarqand and Khwārazm in one year. That is because when a horseman overthrows two asses in one gallop, it is said: ‘He raced two asses.’ When Qutaybah conquered it, he summoned Nahār b. Tawsiʿah and said: ‘O Nahār, where is your saying: “Indeed the raiding that brings wealth near has gone, and generosity and munificence have died after al-Muhallab. They stayed at Marw al-Rūdh as a pledge of his grave, and they have been hidden from every east and west. Is this raiding?” He said: “No, this is better, and I am the one who says: “Never since we have been, nor before us, nor will there be after us one like Ibn Muslim, more widespread in killing the people of polytheism with his sword, and more abundant among us in dividing spoil after spoil.”’” He said: “And the poets spoke about that. Al-Kumayt said in an ode: “Samarqand was for ages Yemeni, but today Qaysī Muḍar claims it.” And Kaʿb al-Ashqarī said—or, it is said, a man from Juʿfī: “Every day Qutaybah gathers plunder and adds fresh wealth to wealth. A Bāhilī who has worn the crown until the parting of his hair turned white that was black. He subdued Sogdia with his squadrons until he left the Sogdians sitting in the open. So Walīd weeps for the loss of his father, and a grieving father makes Walīd weep.” Then Qutaybah returned to Marw. The people of Khurāsān used to say that Qutaybah betrayed the people of Samarqand and took it by treachery. His governor over Khwārazm was Iyās b. ʿAbd Allāh, over its war, and he was weak, while over its land tax was ʿUbayd Allāh b. Abī ʿUbayd Allāh, a client of Muslim. The people of Khwārazm considered Iyās weak, so they gathered against him. ʿUbayd Allāh wrote to Qutaybah, and Qutaybah sent his brother ʿAbd Allāh as governor and ordered him to flog Iyās and Ḥayyān al-Nabaṭī, a hundred lashes each, and to shave them. When ʿAbd Allāh drew near to Khwārazm, he sent to Iyās and warned him, so he withdrew, and ʿAbd Allāh arrived and seized Ḥayyān, flogged him, and shaved him. Then Qutaybah sent the armies to Khwārazm with al-Mughīrah b. ʿAbd Allāh. That reached them, and when al-Mughīrah arrived, the sons of those whom Khwārazmshāh had killed withdrew and said: “We will not help you.” So he fled to the lands of the Turks. Al-Mughīrah arrived and killed and took captives, and the rest made peace with him upon the jizyah. He came to Qutaybah, and Qutaybah appointed him over Naysābūr.
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