Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 16.djvu/605

Rh OMAYYADS.] MOHAMMEDANISM 577 Mohammed had even foretold that the accession of his family would take place in the year of the ass, 1 through the efforts of Abu Moslim, and that one of his three sons would ascend the throne. These three sons were : Ibra him, Abdalldh, called Abu l- Abbds, and Abdalldh, called Abii Ja far. Whatever we may think of this prediction, it is certain that under Merwdn II. Abu Moslim was the principal emissary of the Abbdsid Ibrdhim, and had been able to form a vast conspiracy in Khordsdn, which broke out in A.H. 128, at the very moment when it had been dis covered by Nasr b. Sayydr, the Omayyad governor of the province. Even before this, Merwan II. had had to repress disorders which had broken out in Syria, Palestine, and Irdk ; and the Caliph could now rely so little on Syria that he had thought it necessary to quit Damascus, and to fix his abode at Harrdn, in Mesopotamia. On learning the revolt of Abu Moslim, Merwan II. wrote to Nasr b. Sayydr, directing him to act with vigour against the fomenters of sedition. It was easier to give such an order than to execute it, for Abu Moslim was at the head of a numerous army, absolutely devoted to the Abbdsids. Merwan II. thought it necessary at the same time to secure the person of the Abbasid pretender Ibrahim, who was still living at Homaima. Ibrahim was therefore arrested, conveyed to Harran, and thrown into prison. He found means, however, of communicating with his lieutenant Abu Moslim, and the latter, who had received the most extensive powers from his chief, marched direct upon Merv, the capital of Khordsdn, and drove out the governor Nasr. At the news of this the Caliph, no longer able to restrain his anger, had his captive Ibrahim put to death ; an execution which, at a later period, brought upon the Omayyads the most terrible reprisals. The brother of Ibrdhim, Abu l- Abbds, surnamed Saffdh, &quot;The Sanguinary,&quot; on account of his cruelties, having by Ibrahim s death become chief of the Abbasids, immediately quitted Homaima with all the members of his family, and took refuge in Khordsdn, that his pre sence there might sanction and encourage the insurrection. Abu Moslim, now master of Khordsdn by the capture of Merv, had meanwhile sent an army against Irdk, under the orders of Kahtaba b. Shabib, who had beaten the Omayyad army, commanded by Yazid b. Hobaira, governor of that province. In A.H. 132 Abu l- Abbds arrived at Merv. After remaining there some time, waiting for a favourable moment, he decided on openly Al-Saffah assuming the title of Caliph. He installed himself j^e governor s palace, and thence went in state to e mos( l ue &amp;gt; where he mounted the pulpit, and officiated in the capacity of successor of the Prophet. All those present took the oath of allegiance to him, and Abu l- Abbds returned to the palace, over which the oiack flag was flying, black being the distinctive colour of the Abbdsids. 2 But he did not remain long at Merv Committing the government of that city to his uncle Ddwud, he went to review his army, and divided it into several corps, which he directed against different points. After this he went to Chaldsea, and there estab lished himself in a spot not far from Cufa, to which he gave the name of Hdshimiya, or the city of Hashirn, the ancestor of his own family and of that of the Prophet. Another of his uncles, Abdalldh b. All, whom he had sent on an expedition against the city of Shahrozur, took pos session of that place, and leaving Abu Aun Abd al-Melik b. Yazid there as governor, rejoined his nephew and sovereign at Hdshimiya. Meanwhile the Omayyad Caliph had marched against Shahrozur. Abu Aun went out to meet him, and was joined by a strong reinforcement of cavalry under Abdalldh b. Ali. The Abbasids only numbered forty-five thousand soldiers, but these were experienced and resolute warriors. The Omayyad army, though much more numerous, was ill commanded and devoid of spirit. A battle ensued, and fortune favoured the rebels. In vain did Merwdn show himself everywhere ; his soldiers gave way and rcpassed the Zdb in disorder, hurrying away in their flight the unfortunate Merwdn. (Jomddi II. 1 1, A.H. Triumpl. 132, 25th January 750.) This victory cost the Omayyads ? f the their empire. Merwdn attempted at first to take refuge .. at Mosul ; but the inhabitants of that city having declared for the enemy, the prince went to his capital Harrdn, whence he was soon driven by the army of Abdalldh b. Ali. From Harrdn Merwdn fled successively to Emesa, to Damascus, to Palestine, and finally to Egypt. He was pursued without intermission by Sdlih, brother of Abd alldh b. Ali, who at last came up with him at Busir, on the frontiers of the Delta. Merwdn took refuge in a Coptic church ; but the Abbdsids pursued him into the building, and slew him at the foot of the altar. His head was cut off and sent to Cufa, where the new Caliph then was. Thus perished in the East the dynasty of the house of Omayya, which, having been founded by usurpation, had only maintained itself, by shedding torrents of blood, and was destined to perish in blood. We now enter upon the history of the new dynasty, whose origin we have described, and under which the power and glory of Islam reached their highest point. Here we give the GENEALOGICAL TABLE OF THE OMAYYADS. Omayya. 12. YAZI D III. Abu Hal 4. HER [. As. Harb. am. Abu Sofyan. W AN I. 1- MO AWIYA I. Mohammed. 5. &quot;Asi I 2. AZID I. &amp;gt; AL-MELIK. Abd al- Azi z. ^ ^.^ n 14. MERWAN II. 8. OMAR II. 6. WALID I. 7. SOLAIMAN. 9. Y^ ! LZfD II. 10. HlSHAM. 1 | 11. WALID 11. 13. 1 To understand this allusion we must know that Merwan II. had received the nickname of Ilim&r, &quot;the ass,&quot; on account of his temper ance and the strength of his constitution. 2 Historians are divided as to the date at which black became the A.bbasid colour. According to some, the first Abbasids wore a robe of black silk as early as at the battle called that of the Camel. According to others, it was only after the murder of Ibrahim by Mer wan that the Abbasids adopted black as a sign of mourning. See Quatremere, Mhnoires historiques sur la ilynastie des khalifes Abbas- sides. Paris, 1837. XVI. 73