Junaid
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Junaid was the general of the Arab invader Khalif Hasham (724-743 A.D.).
History
It seems very likely that the Arab invasions referred to in the Nausari plates were those undertaken by the officers of Junaid, the general of Khalif Hasham (724-743 A.D.). Biladuri gives a short account of these expeditions and mentions, among other things, that Junaid sent his officers to Marwad Mandal, Barus and other places and conquered Bailaman and Jurz. There can be no doubt that Marwad is the same as Maru-mada which is referred to 1n the Ghatiyala inscription of Kakkuka and includes Jaisalmer and part of Jodhpur States. Barus is undoubtedly Broach and Mandal probably denotes Mandor. It is now a well-known fact that Jurz was the Arabic corruption of Gurjara, and Bailamana in as probably refers to the circle of states mentioned in our inscription as Valla-mandala. It would thus appear that the Arab army under Junnaid conquered the Gurjara states in the north as well as the feudatory state of Broach in the south.[1]
This catastrophe must have taken place at the beginning of the second quarter of the eighth century A.D. According to Biladuri the Arab expeditions wore arranged by Junaid during the Caliphate Hasham who ruled from 724 to 743 A.D. According to Elliot Junaid was succeeded by Tamin about 726 A.D. Evidently this last date is far from being definitely known and we may therefore conclude that the expeditions were undertaker, shortly after 724 A.D. The Nausari plates show, however, that the expeditions referred to in them took place between 731 and 738 A.D. For, according to the Balsar plates, Avanijanasraya-Pulakesi-raja did not come to the throne till the year 731 A.D., and as he himself takes the credit of having repelled the Arabs from Nausari, the event must be dated after that year. [2]