Page:William Muir, Thomas Hunter Weir - The Caliphate; Its Rise, Decline, and Fall (1915).djvu/199

170 In the following year a dispute as to their boundary arose between the Bedawi tribe and Al-Hormuzān; and the latter, dissatisfied with the Muslim general's decision, again raised his hostile standard. He was put to flight by the Muslims, who reduced the rebellious province, and sought permission to follow up the victory by a farther advance. But ʿOmar, withholding permission, bade them rather busy themselves where they were in restoring the irrigation works, and so resuscitate the deserted fields of Khūzistān. AI-Hormuzān fled farther east, and was, for the second time, granted an amnesty.

Not long after, emissaries from Yezdejird at Merv were found at work stirring the people up to fresh rebellion. The attitude of Al-Hormuzān became once more doubtful; and the Caliph, suspecting serious opposition, ordered a powerful army to assemble from Al-Kūfa and Al-Baṣra, of which he gave command to An-Noʿmān. Al-Hormuzān, with a great Persian following, was pursued by it; again routed at Rām Hormuz, he fled to Tostar, fifty miles north of Al-Ahwāz, a stronghold which, obstinately defended by the Persians, kept the Muslims for several months at bay. In the end, but not without considerable loss, it was stormed, and Al-Hormuzān, with the garrison, surrendered at the discretion of the Caliph, and was accordingly sent to the Court at Medīna.

Siege was then laid to Sūs, the royal Shushan of ancient memory; still a formidable city, it was planted between two rivers, on a verdant plain with snow-clad mountains in the distance. The army succeeded here in drawing over a body of Persian nobles with a large native following; these were at once admitted to confidence, and commands conferred upon them, with the singular honour of a well-portioned place upon the tribal list. Still, it was not till after a protracted siege and conflict that Sūs was taken. ʿOmar gave orders for the reverential maintenance of the tomb of Daniel in this the scene of his memorable vision "by the river of Ulai"; and here, to the present day, the pious care of succeeding generations has preserved his shrine through thirteen centuries of succeeding change.

The important city of Jundai-Sābūr, with surrounding country, was also reduced by An-Noʿmān, and an advance