CONQUEST OF AFRICA AND SPAIN. 383 



CHAPTER X. 



CONQUEST OF AFRICA AND SPAIN. 



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

 of Cairoan — Revolt of the Africans — Reduction of Carthage 

 — Defeat of the Saracens by the Moors — Success of Musa — 

 Expulsion of the Greeks and final Subjugation of Africa — In- 

 vasion of Spain by Tank — Defeat of the Goths — Rapid Con- 

 quests of the Moslems — Surrender of Cordova, Seville, and 

 Toledo — Reduction of the Country as far as the Bay of 

 Biscay — Recovery of Seville — Descent into Languedoc — Pre- 

 parations of the Saracens to subdue Europe — Recall and Dis- 

 grace of Musa — Arabian Settlers in Spain — Progress of the 

 Saracens in France — Defeat of Eudes — Victory by Charles 

 Martel at Tours — Expulsion of the Saracens from France — 

 Success of the Moslems in the East — Sieges of Constantino- 

 ple — Repulse of the Arabs — Their Conquests beyond the 

 Oxus — Surrender of Samarcand — Invasion of India — Extent 

 of the Mohammedan Empire. 



Unwilling to blend the foreign- conquests of the 

 Saracens with their civil dissensions, or connect 

 their military exploits with the history of individual 

 caliphs, we have purposely left unnoticed the pro- 

 gress of their arms abroad after the death of 0th- 

 man. Down to that period the Arabs had applied 

 themselves solely to the extension of their dominions 

 and the propagation of their creed. With the acces- 

 sion of Ali sprang those calamitous schisms which 

 lighted up the fires of revolt in every province of 

 their empire. Yet such were the energies of this 

 surprising people, that while Syria, Persia, and 

 Arabia were convulsed with rebellion, their cities 

 laid in ashes, and their rivers died with mutual 

 slaughter, their armies were extending the dominion 

 of the Koran, and spreading their triumphs to the 



