14 CONTENTS, 



—Circumcision— Alms— Fasting— Festivals— Prohibitions as 

 to Food, Intoxicating Liquors, and'Games of Chance— Civil 

 and Criminal Code of the Moslems— Laws respecting Mar- 

 riage—Theft—Courts and Officers of Justice— Traditions- 

 Mohammedan Sects— The Sormees and Sheahs— Their 

 Hatred of each other 27» 



CHAPTER VIII 



CONQUESTS OP THE SARACENS. 



Disputes in choosing a Successor to Mohammed— Abu Beker 

 elected Caliph— Ali refuses Submission— Turbulent State of 

 the Empire— Invasion of S>Tia— Success of the Saracens- 

 Capture of Bosra— Siege of Damascus— Battle of Aiznadin— 

 Surrender of Damascus— Death of Abu Beker— Accession of 

 Gmar— Pursuit and Plunder of the Damascene Exiles — Action 

 at the Fair of Abyla— Battle of Yermouk— Siege and Capitu- 

 lation of Jerusalem— Journey of the Caliph to that Capital — 

 Surrender of Aleppo— The Castle besieged and taken by 

 Stratagem— Reduction of Antioch— Flight of Heraclius— 

 Subjugation of Syria and Palestine — Disgrace and Death of 

 Khaled — Invasion of Persia — Battle of Cadesia — Occupation 

 of Madajm- Immense Booty— Battle of Nahavund— Defeat 

 and Death of Yezdijird— Final Conquest of Persia . .305 



CHAPTER IX. 



WARS OF THE CALIPHS. 



[nvasion of Egypt— Reduction of Farmah or Pelusium— Siege 

 and Capitulation of Memphis— Surrender of Alexandria- 

 Burning of the Library— Conquest and Description of Egypt- 

 Assassination of Omar— Accession of Othman— Capture of 

 Cyprus, Ancyra, and Rhodes— Invasion of Africa— Defeat of 

 thePrefectGregory— Murder of Othman— Accession of Ah— 

 Political Disturbances— Battleof Seffem— Moa^viyah, Founder 

 of the Ommiadan Dynasty, usurps the Caliphate— Ah assas- 

 sinated—Abdication of Hassan— Death of Moawiyah— Fate 

 of Imam Hossein at Kerbela— The Ommiades or Caliphs 

 of Damascus— Their Character— Expelled by the Family of 

 Abbas, who seize the Throne 351 



CHAPTER X. 



CONQUEST OF AFRICA AND SPAIN. 



Renewal of the War in Africa— Victories of Akbah— Founding 

 of Caixoan— Revolt of the Africans— Reduction of Carthage 



