Al-Hakam ibn Awana | |
Office: | Umayyad Governor of Sindh |
Term Start: | 731 |
Term End: | 740 |
Predecessor: | Tamim ibn Zaid al-Utbi |
Death Date: | 740 |
Nationality: | Umayyad |
Occupation: | Governor |
Appointer: | Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik |
Military Blank1: | Allegiance |
Military Data1: | Umayyad Caliphate |
Al-Hakam ibn Awana was the Umayyad governor of Sindh in 731–740.[1] He was appointed by Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik after the death of the governor Tamim ibn Zaid al-Utbi, Al-Hakam restored order to Sindh and Kush and built secure fortifications at al-Mahfuzah and al-Mansur, and proceeded to retake lands previously conquered by al-Junayd.
Arab sources do not mention details of the campaigns, but recorded Indian sources mentioned some victories over the Arab forces also they have mentioned about the kings who were defeated by Arabs in the battles. The Navsari inscription of Avanijanashraya Pulakeshin state that the Arabs had advanced up to Navsari after defeating the rulers of the Saindhava, Kachchhelas, Saurashtra, Chávoṭakas, Mauryas, the Gurjara, and other.[2]
Plates of the Chalukyas dated 120-21/738-39 prove that some time shortly before, the Muslims had plundered the Saindhava of Bhumilka in West Kathiawar, the Kachchellas of kutch, the Maitrakas of Saurashtra, the Chavda of South Rajasthan, and the Mauryas of Chitor, This list strongly resembles that of the territories conquered by al-Junayd a dozen years earlier and subsequently lost. Since these conquests had been lost under Tamim Zayd, and since the Muslims had again reached the southeastern corner of Gujarat by 121/739, we must conclude that al-Hakam or his lieutenants had indeed reconquered all these territories.[3]