ARABIA. 
tally fettled on his lips were indantly /truck dead by it. He 
was fticceeded by A 1 Walid, who greatly extended the 
Modem dominions. The fird year of his reign, one of 
his generals, having palled the Oxus (now the Jihun), de¬ 
feated a numerous army of Turks and Tartars. He then 
over-ran and entirely reduced the countries of Sogd or 
Sogdiana, Bagrafs, Shafh, Targana, and the whole im- 
menfe tract of Mawaralnahr, or great Buckharia. He 
alfo conquered the khan of Khowarazim, obliging him to 
pay an annual tribute of two millions of dinars. About 
the fame time another general, Mahomet, made an irrup¬ 
tion into India, and fubdlied a confiderable part of that 
country. He alfo entirely ftibdued the kingdom of A 1 
Sind, lying between Perfia and India. In this expedition, 
Derar king of Ai Sind was defeated and killed, and had 
his head cut off by Mahomet. In the 90th year of the 
Hegira, the Moderns made an irruption into Cappadocia, 
defeated the emperor’s army who oppofedthem, and took 
the city of Tyana. The next year they made another in- 
curfion into the imperial territories, whence they carried 
off vail numbers, of Haves; and the year following Oth- 
man penetrated into the heart of Cilicia, where he made 
hintfelf mailer of feveral cities, but does not appear to 
have long maintained his conquells. 
In the 93d year of the Hegira, anfvvering to that of 
Chrilt 712, Tarek Ebn Zarka made a defeent in Spain, 
defeated Roderic the lad king of the Goths, reduced the 
city of Toledo, and over-ran a confiderable part of the 
kingdom. Being afterwards joined by Mu fa, commander 
of the African Modems, the two generals made themfelves 
mailers of moll of the fortrelfes, fubjugating the whole 
country, and obliging it to pay tribute to the’khalif. In 
thefe expeditions the Modems acquired fpoils of an irn- 
menfe value ; and, amongd other things, an exceeding rich 
table, called, by the Arab writers, “ the table of Solomon 
the fon of David.” According to them, it confided en¬ 
tirely of gold and diver, and was adorned with three bor¬ 
ders of pearls; but Roderic of Toledo, a Spani/h hido- 
rian, fays it confided of one entire done, of a green co¬ 
lour, and of an immenfe lize, containing no lefs than 365 
feet. He adds, that it was found near the mountain called 
in his days Jibal Soliman, or the “ mountain of Solomon.” 
After Mufa and Tarik had committed dreadful depreda¬ 
tions in Spain, they were both recalled by the khalif; but, 
the next year, Tarik, having undertaken another expedi¬ 
tion into the fame country, landed 12,000 men at Gibral¬ 
tar, with which he plundered the whole province of Bse- 
tica, and over-ran the greateft part of Lufitania. Roderic, 
hearing of thefe depredations, fent againd him an army of 
raw undifcipllned troops, who were eadly defeated, and 
mod of them left dead on the fpot; which fo animated 
the Arab commander, that he refolved to make an abfolute 
conqued of Spain. About the fame time another Modem 
general entered Pifidia with a powerful army, took the city 
of Antioch, and, after having ravaged the country, retired 
into the khalif’s territories with very little lofs. 
In the 95th year of the Hegira died Al Hejaj, governor 
of Irak, &c. after he had prefided over that country for 
twenty years. He exercifed fuch barbarities upon thofe 
who were in fubjeftion to him, that he is faid to have killed 
j 20,000 men, and to have differed 50,000 men and 30,000 
women to peridi in prifon. To palliate this cruelty, he 
ufed frequently to fay, That a fevere, or even violent, go¬ 
vernment, is better than one too weak and indulgent; as 
the fird only injures particular perfons, but the latter de- 
droys the whole community. This year the Arabs gained 
a complete victory in Spain over Roderic the king of the 
Goths, who peri/hed in theadlion; and Tarik poffeffed 
himfelfof immenfe treafures, by which means he was ena¬ 
bled to reward both his officers and common foldiers. In 
the eadern parts of the world alfo, the ^trabs were this 
year very formidable ; Modema, an Arab general, having 
entered the imperial empire, ravaged the whole province 
of Galatia, carrying off many rich fpoils, and a vad num¬ 
ber of prifoners. The Greek emperor, hearing that Al 
19 
Walid dedgned to attack him both by fea and land, fent 
fome of Ids nobles to treat for peace; but without effect. 
The emperor therefore cau/ed a great number of light 
diips to be built, and the walls to be repaired; and or¬ 
dered fuch of the citizens as had not laid up provi/ions for 
three years, to depart the city. Al Walid in the mean 
time continued his. warlike preparations with the utmod 
vigour, being determined to make himfelf mader of Con- 
ftantinople. 
In the 96th year of the Hegira, however, the khalif Al 
Walid died; and was fucceeded by Ids brother Soliman. 
This year the Modem conqueds in the ead were increafed 
by the reduction of Tabredan and Jurgan or Georgiana. 
In Spain, alfo, the city of Toledo, which had revolted, 
was reduced, with Augufra, now Saragoffa, and feveral 
other places. The next year Modema fet out for Con- 
dantinople, which he belieged without fuccefs till the 99th 
year of the Hegira; at which time he was obliged to re¬ 
turn, after having lod 1 20,000 men. The foldiers were 
reduced to the greated extremities of hunger, being forced 
to live upon bides, the roots and bark of trees, the mod 
naufeous animals, and even the dead bodies of their own 
companions. This year alfo (the 99th of the Hegira) is 
remarkable for the death of the khalif Soliman. Accord¬ 
ing to Tome, he was poifoned by Yezid his brother, go¬ 
vernor of Perda, who was difpleafed with his having ap¬ 
pointed his coufin-german, Omar Ebn Abdalaziz, as his 
iucceffor, to the exclufion of himfelf. According to others, 
he died of an indigedion. In the latter part of his reign, 
the Modems were by no means fuccefsful in Spain: the 
kingdom of Navarre, founded at this time by Pelagius or 
Pelayo, the Arabs were never able to reduce. 
The new khalif, Omar Ebn Abdalaziz, was by no 
means of a martial character; but is faid to have been very 
pious, and poffeffed very amiable qualities. He fuppreded 
the ufual malediction, which was foiemnly pronounced by 
the khalifs of the houfe of Ommiyah againd the houle of 
Ali; and always diewed great kindnefs to the latter. He 
was poifoned by Yezid, after a fliort reign of two years 
and five months. Concerning Yezid, the fucced’or of 
Omar, we find very little worth mentioning. He did not 
long enjoy the dignity he had fo iniquitoully obtained, dy¬ 
ing after a reign of little more than four years. He died 
of grief for a favourite concubine named Hababak, who 
was choked by a large grape which duck in her throat. 
Yezid was fucceeded by His brother Hefliam, who af- 
cended the throne in the 105th year of the Hegira. In 
the fecond and third years of his reign, feveral incurfions 
were made into the imperial territories, but generally with¬ 
out fuccefs. In the 109th year of the Hegira, Modema 
drove the Turks out of Armenia and Aderbijan, and again 
confined them within the Cafpian gates. The next year 
he obliged them to take an oath to keep within their own 
country ; but this they foon violated, and were again dri¬ 
ven back by Modema. About this time the Arabs, ha¬ 
ving paffed the Pyrenees, invaded France, to the number 
of 400,000, under the command of Abdalrahman. They 
advanced to Arles upon the Rhone, and defeated a large 
body of French that oppofed them; and, having alfo de¬ 
feated count Eudo, they purfued him through leveral 
provinces, waded the whole country with fire and fvvoru, 
and made themfelves matters of Tours, which they redu¬ 
ced to alhes. Here a dop was put to their devallations by 
Charles Martel; who, coming up with them near the 
above-mentioned city, engaged them for feven days toge¬ 
ther, and gave them a total overthrow. The French ge¬ 
neral took all their baggage and riches; and Abdalrahman, 
with the fhattered remains of his army, reached the fron¬ 
tiers of Spain with the utmod difficulty. To make amends 
for this bad fortune, however, the khalif’s arms were fuc¬ 
cefsful againd the Turks, who had again invaded the eafi- 
ern provinces. • 
In the 125th year of the Hegira died the khalif He/ham, 
after a reign of nineteen years, feven months, and eleven 
days. He was fucceeded by Al Walid II. who is repre- 
ieuted 
