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 pay the kharâj on their lands. As for aṭ-Ṭirrîkh lake, he did not interfere with it, and it was used by the public until Muḥammad ibn-Marwân ibn-al-Ḥakam became governor of Mesopotamia and Armenia, upon which he took possession of its fish and sold them, making an income out of it. The lake after that became the property of Marwân ibn-Muḥammad and was thus lost to Muḥammad.

. Ḥabîb now came to Azdisâṭ, the chief village of al-Hurmuz, crossed Nahr al-Akrâd and encamped at Marj Dabîl. Thence he sent the cavalry against Dabîl and marched until he reached its gate. The people took to the fortifications and threw projectiles on him. Ḥabîb set a mangonel against the city and used it until they sued for peace and capitulation. This he granted them. His cavalry wandered around, occupied Jurna, reached as far as Ashish, dhât-al-Lujum, al-Jabal Kûntah and Wâdi-l-Aḥrâr and subdued all the villages of Dabîl. He also despatched a force against Sirâj Ṭair and against Baghrawand whose patrician came and made terms, agreeing to pay an annual tribute, to be loyal to the Moslems, to entertain them, and to aid them against the enemy. The text of the treaty with Dabîl ran as follows:

"In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful. This is a treaty of Ḥabîb ibn-Maslamah with the Christians, Magians and Jews of Dabîl, including those present and absent. I have granted you safety for your lives, possessions, churches, places of worship, and city wall. Thus ye are safe and we are bound to fulfil our covenant, so long as ye fulfil yours and pay poll-tax and kharâj. Thereunto