12 
in 
A R A 
ordered A 1 Mogheirali to complete the conqueft of Hama- 
dan; which lie eafily accohiplifhed, and at the fame time 
reduced Bira, a flrong cattle in Mefopotamia, which either 
had never fubmitted, or had revolted on the departure of 
the MoIIera troops from that province. Another army, 
under Abdallah Ebn Amar, was alfo difpatched into Perfia, 
to deprive Yezdejerd, the Perfian monarch, of the poor 
remains of his dominions; and this was done fo.eftedtually, 
that he was obliged to fly to Sijeftan, and abandon Perfia 
altogether. 
In the 27th year of the Hegira, the if!and of Cyprus 
was reduced by Moawiyalr; who toon after conquered the 
island of Aradus, and took Ancyra; after which l>e re¬ 
duced Rhodes, broke in pieces the famous Coloffus, and 
fold the'metal.of it to a Jew of EdefTa. In the mean time 
another of the Arab commanders entered Ifauria, where he 
committed dreadful depredations, plundered many towns 
and villages, put a great number of people to the fword, 
and carried off 5000 prifoners. In the 31 (I year of the 
Hegira, the Moflent general Habib made an irruption into 
that part of Armenia which was ftill unconquered, defeated 
a body of the emperor’s troops, purfuing them as far as 
mount Caucafus, and laying wafle all the neighbouring 
territory. About the fame time alfo, Abul Abar, who 
had been conftituted admiral by Moavviyah, gave the em¬ 
peror Conftans a fignal defeat at fea, on the coaft of Lycia, 
in which fuch a number of Chriftians were killed, that the 
fea was dyed with their blood. 
But, while Othrnan was thus carrying every thing before 
him abroad, he neglected to fecure the affections of his 
fubjeCts at home, which foon proved his ruin. Sedition 
was induftrioufly propagated through all the provinces of 
the empire, and articles of accufation were brought againft 
him. The chief of thefe were, That he had recalled one 
who had been banifited by the prophet; that he had re¬ 
moved Saad, an officer of diftinguifhed bravery, and fup- 
pi.ed his place by one who drank wine, and was othenvife 
of a fcandalous life; that he had fquandered away vafi: 
loots among his favourites; that he had removed Antru 
from the government of Egypt, to which he had preferred 
Iris own fofter-brother; and, laftly, that he had prefumed 
to fit on the top of Mahomet’s pulpit, whereas Abu Beer 
had always fat on the higheft fiep and Omar on the lovveft. 
To thefe accufations the khalif pleaded guilty, and pro- 
inifed to majee all the reparation in his power; but his 
condefcenfion only ferved to increafe the infolence of the 
rebels. They were however appeafed by Ali; and public 
tranquillity would have been reltored, had it not been for 
Ayelha, one of Mahomet’s widows, who procured the de- 
ftruftion of the khalif by the following ficheme. Being 
defirous of railing one of her favourites, named Tclha, to 
the dignity of khalif, fiie prevailed on Merwan, the fecre- 
tary of fiate, to write a letter to the prefect of Egypt, en¬ 
joining him to put to deatli Mahomet Ebn Abu Beer, by 
whom it was fent, and who, it was pretended, was to be 
his l'ucceffor. This letter Merwan took care fhould be 
difeovered : and Mahomet, taking it for a genuine order 
of the khalif, publifhed the fuppofed injury all over the 
neighbouring countries. He then marched with a body of 
rebels to Medina, where the innocent khalif . was befieged 
iii his palace; and, notwithfianding all his proteftations, 
nothing lefs than his deaUi could fatisfy the enraged mul- 
• titude. In this fituation Othrnan fent to Ali for alii fiance; 
•who commanded his two foils Hafan and Hoi'ein to defend 
the palace-gates. This they did for fome time with great 
bravery, till, finding the khalif famifiiing for want, they 
abandoned their pofts ; upon which the rebels made them- 
felves mafters of the palace, and murdered Othrnan, in 
the S2d year of his age, after he had reigned twelve years. 
His body remained three days unburied ; and was at laft 
thrown into a hole, without the leafi funeral folemnity. 
The arms of the Modems had hitherto been fo fuccefsful, 
and their conquefis fo rapid, as not only to have vied with 
Alexander, but to have bid fairer for univerlal monarchy 
Mhaii any nation either before or fince. The ruin of mighty 
B I A. 
empires generally originates from the impoffibility of keep¬ 
ing them united. Divifions arife ; civil wars break out; 
and, the kingdom being weakened by intefiine feuds, the 
common enemy takes advantage of them to ruin the whole 
fabric. If we confider Mahomet, as in truth he was, not 
an enthuliafi, but a politician, and the founder of an em¬ 
pire ; we lhall find him in that capacity fuperior perhaps to 
any that ever exifted. The empire of Alexander the Great, 
which arofe with (till more rapidity than that of the Arabs, 
had no fupport but from his own ambition and perfonal 
qualifications. While he lived, he was without a rival, 
becaufe all were afraid of him; but, when he died, the 
bands ot union, whereby his empire had been held together, 
were immediately diffolved. His captains were not infpi- 
red with the fame veneration for his fon, who was unborn 
at the time of his death, that they had for the lather; and 
therefore they fought not to conquer for him, but for them- 
I'elves ; and the confequence was, that the kingdom fell to 
pieces the moment he died.. The fame thing happened to 
Jenghiz Khan, Tamerlane, and others, who made vafi con¬ 
quefis in a fiiort time. They erected mighty kingdoms 
indeed; but their duration was but momentary. The em¬ 
pire ot the Romans was founded on a kind of enthuliaftic 
defire of aggrandizing the city of Rome : patriotifm be¬ 
came fafhionable; and, as the city never ceafed to exift, 
tbofe who conquered always had the fame end in view, 
namely, to exalt the republic more and more. This em¬ 
pire, therefore, was not only very extenfive, but very du¬ 
rable ; though, as it was impoffible that mankind could 
always continue to venerate a city, the fame divifions that 
ruined other fiates at lafi brought this to an end. The 
foundation of Mahomet’s empire feemed to be fiill more 
firm. He was not only the king, but, we may fay, the 
god, of his people. Whatever enthufiafm heroes may fiiew 
in defending their country, experience has taught us, that 
it is greatly inferior to what is manifefied by thole who fight 
in defence of religion. This enthufiafm Mahomet had ta¬ 
ken care not only to bring over to his fide, but to exalt to 
its highefi pitch, by inculcating upon his followers, that 
their rewards in the next world Ihould be proportionable 
to the fury with w-hich they fought in this. To live at 
peace, except with thofe who fubmitted to his will, did 
not at all enter into his plan; and he who made no con¬ 
quefis, or at leafi did not firive to make them, was no true 
believer. By this means, let his dominion be ever fo much 
extended, the temptation to making frefh conquefis was 
fiill equally ftrong: and not only the commanders of ar¬ 
mies, but every private perfon, had the moft powerful 
motives to urge him towards the conquefi of the whole 
world, had that been poflible. The only thing Mahomet 
feems to have failed in was, the appointment of the fuc- 
ceffion to the apoftlefiiip ; and why he was deficient in this 
is inconceivable. From this fatal omifiion proceeded the 
divifions which ruined his empire before it was fcarcely 
erected, and of which we are now to give the hiftory. 
Though the prophet had been fo deficient as not to name 
a fucceflbr at his death ; yet his fon-in-law Ali was always 
of opinion that the fuccelfion belonged of right to him ; 
and that it ought to be, like that of other kingdoms, he¬ 
reditary. Tiiis difpolition to render the apofilefhip here¬ 
ditary in his family, was, in all probability, what difgufted 
the Modems with Ali; againft whom they could othenvife 
have no objedtion : for he was endowed with every amiable 
quality, and poffeffed fuch unparalleled ftrength and cou¬ 
rage, that he never declined a combat to which he was 
challenged, nor ever failed to come oft' victorious; for 
which reafon he was ftyled the Lion of God. 
On the death of Othrnan, however, notwithftanding the 
prejudices againft Ali, as none other could pretend fo good 
a l ight to the khalifate, the Arabs immediately took the 
oaths of allegiance to him, though with an intention to 
break it as foon as poflible, as was fully evinced by the 
event. The difturbances which happened on AH’s accef- 
fion, were owing partly to the machinations'of Ayeflia, 
who, as we have fern, having got Othrnan murdered, on 
purpofe 
