Page:William Muir, Thomas Hunter Weir - The Caliphate; Its Rise, Decline, and Fall (1915).djvu/349

 320 that reigned between the Southern and Northern divisions of the Arab race, often with serious injury to the State. About this time, the rivalry broke out in Persia into fierce internecine warfare. For a whole year, Ibn Khāzim of Suleim, Ibn az-Zubeir's governor in Khorāsān, fought on the part of the Moḍar (or "northern") branch against Bekr (allied to "southern"), and in a victory gained at Herāt slew 8000 of his foes. His son having been killed by a party of the Temīm tribe commanded by Al-Ḥoreish, fighting was kept up for two years.

In the following year, Ibn Khāzim, still seeking to avenge his son's blood, stormed a fortress in which some eighty of the Beni Bekr had taken refuge. Marvellous tales are related of the feats and prowess of the little band; but their end was to be starved to death. Their chivalry has been handed down in verses by Al-Ḥoreish, which are still preserved. Such are the scenes over which, both in prose and verse, the Arab loves to dwell; and too much prominence may perchance have been given to them by our annalists. But the tribal jealousies and bloody engagements long prevailing amongst the Arab bands in Khorāsān and Eastern Persia, serve no doubt to explain why for many years there was so little progress made in the settlement of that territory, and in the extension of the frontier to the North and East.

Meantime Ḳeis still held its ground on the Euphrates, and on the restoration of peace in Syria, Merwān had despatched an army under ʿObeidallah to reoccupy Mesopotamia from Mosul downwards, and thereafter advance on Al-Kūfa. A second, intended to recover Medīna, was routed on its way by the troops of Ibn az-Zubeir, whose supremacy continued to be recognised throughout Arabia, Al-ʿIrāḳ, and the East. His brave brother Muṣʿab continued governor of Al-Baṣra, though exposed there to serious jeopardy from the Khawārij. These at the first rallied round Ibn az-Zubeir in defence of Mecca against the army of Yezīd. But on his laying claim to the Caliphate, they demanded that he should join with them not only in condemning the "murderers" of Al-Ḥosein, but also in denouncing ʿOthmān as a tyrant justly put to death. This he could not do without compromising his whole career; for, in company with his father Az-Zubeir, he had waged war with ʿAlī for the avowed purpose of avenging