1874.] 
115 
E. C. Ross —Annals of‘Oman,—Book I. 
The Persians then sent to Malik suing for a truce and demanding a 
year’s time to evacuate ‘Oman and return to their own country. Malik 
agreed to this and promised not to molest them unless they recommenced 
the war. The Persians thereupon returned to Sohar, and Malik withdrew 
to Kalhat. 
It is said that the Persians during the period of this truce destroyed a 
great many water channels. Suleiman-bin Baud had constructed 10,000 
aqueducts in ‘Oman. 18 
The Persians then wrote to Dara-bin Dara informing him of the ad¬ 
vent of Malik and his followers to ‘Oman, and the struggle that had occur¬ 
red between him and themselves, how his general the Marzaban had been 
slain with many of their companions. Then telling him of their weak and 
helpless condition, they asked permission to return to their own country 
with their families. When their letter reached the king and he read it, he 
was incensed, and burned with a desire to avenge the slaughter of his sol¬ 
diers and generals, so he sent for one of the greatest of his Marzabans, and 
giving him command of 3,000 of his most renowned warriors and comman¬ 
ders, despatched them to the aid of his subjects in ‘Oman. They proceeded 
first to el-Bahrein and thence to ‘Oman. All this while Malik was in igno¬ 
rance of what was going on. 
When this reinforcement reached the Persians, they commenced pre¬ 
parations to renew the war as soon as the period of truce should expire. 
When Malik heard of the arrival of the succours, he wrote to the Per¬ 
sians informing them that if they did not quit ‘Oman, he would march 
against them and expel them by force, and seize all their property. But 
they, confident in their strength and in the comparative smallness of Malik’s 
army, returned a defiant and insolent answer. Malik accordingly marched 
against them with his whole army and entered their territory. The Pers¬ 
ians on their side prepared for battle. When the two armies met, Malik 
drew up his army as before, placing his son Honat in command of the right, 
and Ferahid of the left, he stationing himself with the remainder of his 
sons in the centre. A fierce and prolonged battle was fought, in which the 
Persians employed their elephants. One huge animal was killed by Honat 
and his brother Ma‘n-bin Malik. After a fierce struggle, the Persians were 
routed and fled, pursued by the el-Azd horsemen, who slew an immense 
number and made many prisoners. The remnant of the Persian army em¬ 
barked in their ships and passed across the sea to Persia. So Malik con¬ 
quered all ‘Oman and took all the property of the Persians. He made 
many of the latter prisoners and kept them a long time in prison, after 
which he released them, and caused them to be conveyed to the ships, with 
their clothing and provisions, and sent back to Persia. Malik then ruled 
over ‘Oman and its adjacent districts, and governed it wisely and well. The 
