Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/442

 HISTORT OF ARMENIA.

��After this victory Baban marched to the conquest of Armenia, which he was almost certain, from his late success, to effect. In the meantime Sum- ^'P;^^* bat the general gathered all the Armenian troops '^*^®^- and joined the discomfited Saracens. A second battle then took place near Mount Ararat, and after a long and bloody contest the Persian^ were put to flight. Baban was overtaken in his retreat by Sahl the son of Sumbat the general, and taken prisoner. He was brought to Afshin the commander of the Idar&cens, who ordered bis feet and hands to be first cut off, and then caused him to be crucified. Afshiti loaded Sahl with gifts for his exertion^ in capturing the Persian invader, and on bis return to Bagdad, upoke to the Caliph both of him slnd his father Sumbat id the highest terms of com- mendation. Wbile the Caliph was seeking fdr some employment to confer on Sahl, as a reward for his gallant services, this promising young man was cut off in the bloom of his age by a premature death. In proportion to the priuses which Afshin bestowed on Sumbat and his son, he vilified the governor Bagarat, as if the latter had been of no service at all to the Saracens in the late war. The Caliph, on this account, regarded the governor with an eye of suspicion and dislike. In the sixth year of the govemifient of Bagarat, and the

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