During this same year Qutaybah ibn Muslim campaigned against the lands of the Turks. Their king Nizak concluded a treaty with him for a rich payment and on the condition that every Muslim captive in his domains be released.
That year Qutaybah also marched on Baykand. A vast host of Turks gathered there against him—Baykand being one of the districts of Bukhara. When he pitched camp in their territory they called upon the people of Sughd and the surrounding Turkish tribes for help; they arrived with a mighty army, blocked the roads and mountain passes, and kept Qutaybah hemmed in for nearly two months. He could neither send a messenger to them nor receive one from their side. News of him failed to reach al-Hajjaj, who feared for his safety and worried about the Muslims with him in view of the enemy’s great numbers. Al-Hajjaj ordered the people to pray for them in the mosques and wrote the same instruction to the provinces.
Meanwhile Qutaybah and the Muslims fought the Turks day after day. He had a spy from among the Persians called Tanzur. The people of Bukhara paid Tanzur a large sum to go to Qutaybah and dishearten him. He came and said, “Grant me a private audience.” Qutaybah agreed, leaving no one present but a man named Dirar ibn Husayn. Tanzur said, “A governor is coming to you shortly with the dismissal of al-Hajjaj. If you would only withdraw with the army to Marw….” Qutaybah turned to his freedman Sayah and said, “Strike off his head,” and he was executed.
He then said to Dirar, “No one has heard this except you and me. I swear by Allah that if this rumor spreads before our campaign is finished I will send you after him. Guard your tongue, for the circulation of talk like this in such circumstances weakens our men and aids the enemy.”
Qutaybah rose and urged the troops to fight, passing among the standard-bearers to encourage them. A fierce battle ensued, and Allah sent patience upon the Muslims. Before midday Allah granted them victory: the Turks were routed in a crushing defeat, and the Muslims pursued them, killing and taking prisoners as they wished. Those who survived barricaded themselves in the city. Qutaybah ordered the sappers to demolish it; the defenders requested peace for a large payment and he accepted, appointing over them a kinsman of his with a detachment of troops. He then marched back. When he had gone five stages (1) they broke the treaty, killed the commander, and cut off the noses of the men with him.
Qutaybah returned, besieged the city for a month, and ordered the miners and sappers to prop the wall on timber so that he could set it ablaze. The wall collapsed, killing forty of the workmen. The townspeople again asked for terms, but he refused. He continued until he took the city by force, slew the fighting men, and seized their wealth. The man who had stirred the Turks against the Muslims—a one-eyed fellow—was captured. He said, “I will ransom myself with five Chinese robes worth one million.” The commanders advised Qutaybah to accept, but Qutaybah replied, “By Allah, never again will I allow a Muslim to be terrorized by you.” (2) He ordered him to be beheaded.
[This shows his indifference to worldly gain; besides, whatever he meant to ransom himself with would fall into the spoils, for the Muslims had already taken them.] (3)
The Muslims seized from Baykand an enormous quantity of gold and silver vessels and gold idols. Among them was the idol Sabak; when it was opened it yielded one hundred and fifty thousand gold dinars. In the royal treasuries they found vast stores of wealth, abundant arms and equipment, and precious jewels, and they captured a great many prisoners. Qutaybah then wrote to al-Hajjaj