Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 16.djvu/595

Rh OMAYYADS.] MOHAMMEDANISM 567 The Caliph was not moved ; threats prevailed over the obstinacy of the people of Irdk, and Mo awiya repaired to Arabia in- person, at the head of an army, to intimidate the inhabitants of Mecca and Medina. As may be supposed, the principal fomenters of the resistance in Arabia were the sons of the first Caliphs, Abd al-Rahmdn the son of Abubekr, Abdalldh the son of Omar, and Hosain the son of All ; for, by submitting, they would have renounced all hope of being themselves chosen by the people. Another Abdallah, son of that Zobair who had been among the six candidates nominated at the death of Omar for the choice of the Moslems, was also one of the warmest opponents of the pretensions of Mo awiya. All the efforts of the Caliph to win over these personages to his side having proved vain, he ordered them to be brought into the mosque at Mecca, each between two soldiers ; then, having mounted the pulpit, he called on the bystanders to take the oath of allegiance to his son ; adding that Abd al-Rahmdn, Hosain, and the two Abdalldhs would raise no objection. They, in their terror, did not utter a word, and the assembly took the oath. Then Mo awiya, without con cerning himself further about the malcontents, returned to Damascus. While thus occupied at home, Mo Awiya did not neglect foreign affairs. Amr b. al- As, governor of Egypt, died A.H. 43 (A.D. 663-664), and was followed by several prefects in succession, under one of whom the general Mo dwiya b. Hodaij undertook several expeditions into the province of Africa. In the year 50 (A.D. 670) he advanced as far as Camunia, now Siisa, near which city he laid the foundations of the celebrated Kairawan, and even went on to Sabaratha, a town situated near the seashore, and opposite to the island of C rina. The emperor, Constantine IV., had sent thither thirty thousand Greeks, who were beaten and compelled to re-embark in haste. Mo awiya b. Hodaij returned to Egypt after his victory, and the Caliph now considered the position of the Moslems in Africa so strong, that he separated that province from Egypt, and appointed as governor of Africa Okba b. Ndfi, who per manently established Kairawan, in a plain situated at a little distance from the first encampment of Mo dwiya b. Hodaij. According to some historians, the new city was completed A.H. 55 (A.D. 674-675). In the East the successes of the Moslems Avere still more brilliant. Ziydd, brother of Mo awiya, as soon as he Avas appointed governor of Irak and Persia, sent an army into Khordsdn. It advanced as far as the Oxus, crossed that river, and returned loaded with booty taken from the wandering Turkish tribes of Transoxiana. Bokhara was occupied by a son of Ziyad, and Sa d, son of the Caliph Othman, whom Mo dwiya had made governor of Khordsdn, marched against Samarkand, A.H. 56 (A.D. 675-676). Other generals penetrated as far as the Indus, and over ran and conquered Multan, Kdbulistdn, Mokrdn, and Sijistdn. In the North the Moslems Avere not less fortunate in their attacks on the Byzantine empire. Mo dwiya, Avhile still only governor of Syria, had gained possession of Armenia, and had sent a fleet against Cyprus, vhich, in conjunction with that of the governor of Egypt, had effected the conquest of that island. Encouraged by the result of this expedition, he gave the order for neAV incur sions in the Mediterranean. His fleet of tAvelve hundred vessels invested the islands of Cos, Crete, and Rhodes. The famous Colossus of Rhodes Avas broken to pieces, and it is said that the bronze of which it Avas made Avas bought by a Jew of Emesa, and formed a load for nine hundred and eighty camels. The Arabs even dared to threaten Constantinople, Avhich OAA r ed its safety only to the Greek fire. Yazld, the son of Mo dAviya, took part in these expeditions, but with no great ardour, and in the year 58 (A.D. 677-678) Mo dwiya concluded a thirty years peace with Constantine IV. TAA-O years later, he died at Damas cus, after a reign of nearly tAventy years. He had been governor of Syria for the same length of time. Before his death, he sent for his son Yazid, and having pointed out hoAv he had smoothed doAvn all difficulties for him, he advised him to spare no effort to preserve the attachment of the Syrians. He urged him also to keep a close watch on the actions of Hosain b. All, and of the other pre tenders who had refused to take the oath of allegiance to him ; but he added that, should they rebel, Yazid ought to treat them Avith clemency, and not to forget their illus trious origin. By failing to act upon this Avise advice, Yazid rendered irreconcilable that formidable schism Avhich, even at the present day, still divides the Moslem Avorld, and which, at all periods, has been a source of calamity to Islam. 2. Yazid had not his father s genius. Passionately Yazid I. fond of pleasure, and careless about religion, he bestowed more care on turning a pretty couplet than on consoli dating the strength of his empire. During his short reign he committed three actions for which Moslems neA er pardoned his memory : the murder of Hosain, son of AH and grandson of the Prophet ; the pillage of Medina ; and the taking of the Ka ba, the venerated temple of Mecca ; crimes Avhich were not redeemed in the eyes of the people by a few fortunate expeditions on the part of his generals. 1 Immediately on ascending the throne, in the month llajab A.H. 60 (April, A.D. 680), Yazid sent a circular to all his prefects, Avith an official announcement of his father s death, and an order to administer the oath of allegiance to their respective subjects. In particular, he charged the neAv prefect whom he appointed to Medina, his own cousin Walid b. Otba, to strike off the heads of Hosain son of All, Abd al-Rahmdn son of Abubekr, Abdalldh son of Omar, and Abdalldh son of Zobair, if they again refused to acknowledge him. Terrified at such a commission, Walid did not dare to act AA ith rigour against Hosain and Abdalldh b. Zobair, both of whom refused to take the oath, but alloAved them to escape to Mecca. Yazid immediately deprived him of his office, and appointed in his place Amr b. Sa id, already governor of Mecca. Once in the Holy City, Abdalldh b. Zobair thought himself in such perfect safety that he began to intrigue AA ith the Meccans to have himself proclaimed Caliph in Arabia. At Cufa the news of the flight of Hosain produced great agitation among the partisans of the family of All, who Avere numerous there, and they sent several addresses to the grandson of the Prophet, inviting him to take refuge Avith them, and promising to have him proclaimed Caliph in Irdk. Hosain, who kneAv the fickleness of the people of Irdk, hesitated to yield to their entreaties; but Ibn Zobair, who was desirous to get rid at all costs of so formidable a rival, persuaded him that he ought to go and put himself at the head of the people of Irdk, and enter on an open struggle with Yazid. Hosain began by sending his cousin Moslim b. Akfl to Cufa, and from him he learned that many of the inhabitants of that city appeared really decided to support him. The prefect of Cufa, No mdn b. Bashir, though apprised of these pro ceedings, did not choose to make them kmnvn to Yazid, as he was reluctant to act with severity against a descend ant of the Prophet. Information, hoAvever, reached the Caliph, Avho deprived No mdn of his office, and ordered 1 Salam b. Ziyad invaded Sogdiana, and brought back immense booty to Merv. In Africa Okba b. Nan&quot; invaded the whole coast of the Mediterranean as far as Morocco. On his return, however, ho fell into an ambuscade laid by the Berbers, who killed him and took Kairawan.