| Ali's Eastern Campaigns | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Military career of Ali | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Rashidun Caliphate | Rebels of Zaranj Bandits of Sindh Jats | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Ali ibn Abi Talib Al-Harith ibn Murra al-Abdi Abd al-Rahman al-Ta’i † Rab’i bin al-Kahhas al-Anbari | Hasaka ibn Atab al-Habati † Imran ibn al-Fadl | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 4,000+ | Unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | 1,000 killed | ||||||||
The Ali's Eastern Campaigns were military expeditions sent by Ali ibn Abi Talib in the midst of the First Fitna of the Rashidun Caliphate to the eastern borders of the caliphate in order to subjugate rebels and secure military victories over the bandits across the Indus Valley region. The campaigns resulted in favour of Ali.
According to Derry N. Maclean, Hakim ibn Jabalah al Abdi who was a companion of the Prophet and had travelled to Makran in 649 to report the caliph of the region was amongst the first proto shi'ites or supporters of Ali who died alongside other Jats during the Battle of Camel. Hakim was a poet and few couplets in praise of Ali can be found in Chach Nama During the Caliphate of Ali, Jats had came under the influence of Islam. In 658, Harith ibn Murrah al-Abdi and Sayfi ibn Fil' al Shaybani attacked the bandits in Sindh. They were amongst the seven Shi'ites who were executed in Damascus in 660 alongside Hujr ibn Adi. [1]
Al-Harith ibn Murra al-Abdi volunteered for the Sindh campaign after Ali gave them the permission to invade Sindh. Al-Harith ibn Murra al-Abdi raided the outskirts of Sindh and took captives. The Arab army emerged victorious and gained a lot of spoils. [2] During the Caliphate of Ali, two expeditions to Sindh which took place,were led by Saghir ibn Zu'r in 659 and Al-Harith ibn Murra al-Abdi in 660. [3]
During the Caliphate of Ali, an expedition was launched towards the region of Qayqan which lay along the Bolan Pass. The Muslims advanced up to the Bolan Pass without any resistance. [4]
In 658, the army under Al-Harith ibn Murra al-Abdi met the people of Qayqan near the Qayqan pass which is present in modern-day Kalat and fought the people of Qayqan where the Muslim army emerged victorious and [5] killed 1000 people in one day. [6] Al-Harith ibn Murra al-Abdi was killed while making raids four years later during the caliphate of Mu'awiya I despite his success in the first raid. [7] [8] [9] In 662, according to Chach Nama, the region of Qayqan was in direct administrative control of the Chach rai which was inhabited by the Jats and the Medes. The inhabitants put up a strong struggle against the Arab army and defeated them. Chachnama mentions the Qayqanese to be overpowered. [10]
After the Assassination of Uthman, the rebels in Zaranj under Hasaka ibn Atab al-Habati and Imran ibn al-Fadl rose and expelled the Uthmanid governor. Ali sent Abd al-Rahman al-Ta’i who was killed by Hasaka. Ali then wrote to Abdullah ibn Abbas to send 40,000 men to Sistan. Abdullah sent Rab’i bin al-Kahhas al-Anbari with 4,000 troops to take control of Zaranj. When Rab'i reached the city, Imran and Hasaka fought fiercely with Rab'i where Hasaka was killed and Rab'i captured the city. [11]
During the Caliphate of Ali, few naval raids were conducted on Thane, Bharuch and Debal. [12]