A R A 
fbnally obnoxious, affembled a body of troops to aft offen- 
fively againft him, and even againft the Syrian khalif him- 
felf, in cafe he tliould fupport Obeidallah. Among other 
preparations for this enterprize, A 1 Moklitar caufed a 
portable throne to be made, telling his troops, that, “ it 
would be of the fame life to them that the ark was to the 
children of Ifrael.” It was therefore carried on a mule at 
the head of the army, and the following prayer faid before 
it: “ O God ! grant that we may live long in thy obedi¬ 
ence; help us; and do not forget us, but proteft us.” 
This expedient was fo well adapted to the enthulialls who 
compof'ed A 1 Mokhtar’s army, that they attacked Obei- 
dallah’s camp with great intrepidity, and gained a com¬ 
plete viftory. Obeidallah himfelf was killed, and his head 
lent to A 1 Mekhtar. By this viftory the feftaries were 
rendered fo formidable, that Nifibis, and feveral other ci¬ 
ties, furrendered to them. They now began to entertain 
thoughts of depofing both the khalifs, and placing on the 
Modem throne one of the family of Ali; but all their 
towering hopes were foon fruftrated, by the defeat and 
death gf Al Moklitar, by Mufab, brother to Abdallah 
Ebn Zobeir. Al Moklitar, after his defeat in a general 
engagement by Mufab, fled to the cattle of Cufa, where 
he defended himfelf for fome time ; but, being at lafl 
killed, his men, to the number of 7000, furrendered at 
difcretion, and were all put to the fword for the outrages 
they had committed. 
The next year, the 68th of the Hegira, the Azarakites, 
fo denominated from Nafe Ebn Al Azarak, the founder of 
their feft, having affembled a confiderable force, made an 
irruption into Irak. They advanced almoft to the gates 
of Cufa, and penetrated to Al Madayen. Being fworn 
enemies of the houfe of Ommiyah, and acknowledging no 
government fpiritual or temporal, they committed terrible 
ravages in every part of the Modem territories through 
which they palfed. They carried their excelfes to fucli a 
pitch as to murder, all the people they met with, to rip 
open women with child, and commit every fpecies of cru¬ 
elty that could be invented. The governor of Mavvfel and 
Mefopotamia, being informed of thefe outrages, marched 
againft them with a body of troops, and carried on a war 
with them for eight months. During this period, their 
leader, Nafe Ebn Al Azarak, died ; and was fucceeded 
by Katri Ebn Al Fojat, under whom they continued their 
depredations. Mtilab, not being pleafed with his lieute¬ 
nant’s management of the war, recalled him, and fent in 
his place Omar Ebn Abdallah Temimi, who gave the 
Azarakites a total overthrow at Naifabur in Khorafan, 
put great numbers to the fword, and purfued the reft as 
far as Ifpahan and the province of Kerman. Having here 
received a reinforcement, they returned into the province 
of Ahwaz, and did incredible damage to the country. 
But Omar, advancing againft them a fecond time, they 
retired to Al Madayen. Omar purfued them thither alio, 
upon which they tied into the province of Kerman, and 
thence gradually difperfed themielves. 
The next year, being the 69th of the Hegira, Abdal- 
malec left Damafcus to march againft Mufab. In his ab- 
fence he left Amru Ebn Said governor of the city; but he 
immediately feized upon it for himfelf, which obliged the 
Jchalif to return. After feveral Ikirmifhes between' feme 
of the khalif’s troops and thofe of Amru, a pacification 
was concluded at tiie interceflion of the women : but Ab- 
dalmalec barbaroufly put Amru to death with his own 
hand, notwithftanding his promife to the contrary; and 
was immediately feized with fu.ch a tremor, that he loft 
the ufe of almoft all his faculties, and was obliged to be 
laid in bed. In the mean time the palace was attacked 
by Yahyah, Amru’s brother, at the head of 1000 haves.' 
After a warm difpute, they forced open the gates, killed 
feveral of the guards, and were upon the point of entering 
the palace, when, a confiderable lum of money being thrown 
among them, they retired. So great, however, was Ab- 
dalmalec’s avarice, that, after the tumult was appealed, 
he recalled all the money which had been diftributed, 
Vo 1.. II. No. 55. 
B I A. 17 
and commanded it to be depofited in the public treafury. 
In the 70th year of the Hegira, the Greeks made an ir¬ 
ruption into Syria ; and Abdalmalec, having occalion for 
all his forces to aft againft Abdallah Ebn Zobeir, was 
obliged to pay a tribute of rooo dinars per day, according 
to Theophanes, and fend every year 365 flaves and as many 
horfes to Conftantinople. In this treaty, it was alfo ftipu. 
lated, that the revenues of Cyprus, Armenia, and Heria, 
ftiould be equally divided between the khalif and the Greek 
emperor. 
Abdalmalec, being now at leifure to purfiie his expedi¬ 
tion againft Mufab, marched againft him in perfon ; and,, 
having come up with him at Malken, a fmall town on the 
frontiers of Mefopotamia, he was totally defeated and 
killed. After the battle, Abdalmalec repaired to Cufa. 
where he was received with the utmoft fubmifiion; and. 
people of all ranks came in crowds to take the oath of al¬ 
legiance to him. Upon this occalion he ordered vaft Aims 
of money to be diftributed among them, and gave a i'plen- 
did entertainment to his new fubjefts, to which even the 
nteaneft were not refined admittance. During the repaft, 
Mnfab’s head was prefented to the khalif; upon which 
one of the company took occalion to fay, “ I law Hofein's 
head in this lame caftle prefented to Obeidallah ; Obei- 
dallah’s to Al Moklitar ; Al Mokhtar’s to Mufab ; and 
now at laft Mm'ab’s to yourfelf.” This obfervation fo af- 
fefted the khalif, that, either to avert the ill omen, or from 
fome other motive, lie ordered the caftle td be immediately 
deraolilhed. Abdallah Ebn Zobeir, in the mean time, hav¬ 
ing received the melancholy news of the defeat and death 
of his brother, affembled the people of Mecca, and from 
the pulpit made a Ipeech Askable to tlie occalion. He did 
his utmoft to put Mecca in a proper pofture of defence, ex¬ 
pecting a fpeedy vilit from his formidable competitor, who 
now gave law to Irak, Syria, and Egypt, without controul. 
Soon after Abdalmalec’s return to Damafcus, he ap¬ 
pointed his brother Balhar governor of Cufa; and Khaled 
Ebn Abdallah, governor of Bafra. The latter had no fooner 
entered upon his office, than he removed from his com¬ 
mand Al Mohalleb, one of the greatfeft generals of the 
army ; appointing in his room Abdalaziz, who was greatly 
his inferior in military fkill. Of his difmiftion the Azara¬ 
kites being informed, they immediately attacked Abdala¬ 
ziz, entirely defeated him, and took his wife prToner. A 
difpute ariling among the viftors about the.ranfom of that 
lady, one of them, to end it, immediately cut off .her head. 
Upon this, Khaled was commanded to reinftate Al Mo¬ 
halleb, which he did; and, having in conjunftion with 
him attacked the Azarakites, they forced their camp, and 
entirely defeated them. 
In the 7zd year of the Hegira, Abdalmalec having no 
enemy to contend with but Abdullah Ebn Zobeir, he made 
great preparations for an invafion of Hejaz, giving the 
command of the army to Al Hejaj, one of his moft war¬ 
like and eloquent captains. Before this army marched for 
Mecca, lie oftered his protection to all the Arabs there, 
that would accept of it. Abdallah, being informed of the 
enemy’s approach, fent out feveral parties of horfe to re¬ 
connoitre, and give him intelligence of their motions. Be¬ 
tween thefe, and fome of Al Hejaj’s advanced guards, fe¬ 
veral Ikirmiflves happened. This induced Al Hejaj to fend 
to the khalif for a reinforcement ; his troops, amounting 
to no more than 2000, w-ere infufficient for reducing Mecca. 
1 he khalif ordered a reinforcement of 5000 men, under 
the command of Tharik Ebn Amer; but, notwithftanding 
this, he made but little pvogrefs in the liege for fome time ; 
and, while lie was battering the temple, a dreadful ftorm 
of thunder and lightning arofe, which killed twelve men, 
and fo difpirited the reft, that they refilled to aft any longer 
againft the place. Al Hejaj, however, railed their (pints, 
by obferving that he was a ion of Tehama; that this was' 
the ftorm of Tehama, and that their adverfaries fullered 
as much as they ; and the day following fome of Abdallah’s 
men were aftually killed by the ftorm, which gave Al 
Hejaj a further opportunity of animating his troops. At 
F laft, 
