Formation and Evolution of Muslim Society
Contacts between the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent and the Arabian Peninsula date from ancient times. The coasts of Sindh and Southern Arabia are so near that growth of close commercial relations between the two was inevitable. Since ancient times, spices and other articles of India had been in great demand in Egypt and the countries of Southern Europe.
The transit trade between these areas was mostly in the hands of the Arabs, who used to carry Indian merchandise from the Indian ports to Yemen in Southern Arabia, from where the goods were carried by land to the Syrian ports to be shipped again to Egypt and Europe.
This trade continued after the Arabs had embraced Islam and the first major conflict between the people of the Indian subcontinent and Muslim Arabia arose out of the developments connected with the Arab traders sailing in the lndian Ocean. They operated as far as Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and even farther; and when some of them died in that island, the local ruler thought it as his obligation to send their widows and orphans to Arabia, with gifts and letters of goodwill for Hajaj bin Yousuf (661-714), the Governor of Basra.
Unfavourable winds drove the vessel carrying the gifts and the survivors close to the shore of Debul (an inland port of modern Bhambor in Thatta): Here pirates attacked them, looted the gifts and took the Muslim women and children as captives. Hajaj on learning this protested to Dahir, the ruler ot Sindh (669-712), and demanded the release of the prisoners and restoration or the booty. But Raja Dahir showed no concern over the incident and replied that he did not have any control over the pirates.
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