Muhammad bin Qasim

Who was Muhammad bin Qasim?

Muhammad bin Qasim Al-Thaqafi was an Umayyad general who conquered the Sindh and Punjab regions along the Indus River for the Umayyad Caliphate. He was born and raised in the city of Taif. Qasim's conquest of Sindh and Punjab enabled further Islamic expansion into India.

A member of the Thaqeef tribe of the Ta'if region, Muhammad bin Qasim's father was Qasim bin Yusuf who died when Muhammad bin Qasim was young, leaving his mother in charge of his education. Umayyad governor Al-Hajjaj Ibn Yusuf Al-Thaqafi, Muhammad bin Qasim's paternal uncle, was instrumental in teaching Muhammad bin Qasim about warfare and governance. Muhammad bin Qasim married his cousin Zubaidah, Hajjaj's daughter, shortly before going to Sindh. Another paternal uncle of Muhammad bin Qasim was Muhammad bin Yusuf, governor of Yemen. Under Hajjaj's patronage, Muhammad bin Qasim was made governor of Persia, where he succeeded in putting down a rebellion.

Due to his close relationship with Hajjaj, Bin Qasim was executed after the accession of Caliph Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik.