Page:William Muir, Thomas Hunter Weir - The Caliphate; Its Rise, Decline, and Fall (1915).djvu/381

 352 Soghdiana, Ḳoteiba returned by Bokhāra to Merv. Next year he proceeded to Sijistān against Zunbīl, but was set free by the conclusion of peace with that potentate.

In 93 Ḳoteiba again crossed the Oxus, and marched on Khwarizm, the Shāh having offered him 10,000 cattle if he would deliver him from a rebellious brother. The rebels were routed, and 4000 prisoners put to death. The brother and his followers were made over to the Shāh, who slew them and conferred their property on Ḳoteiba, who was now recalled by the news that Samarḳand had thrown off the Muslim yoke. Making a rapid descent upon it, Ḳoteiba thus in a speech addressed his troops:—"The wretched Soghdians are verily fallen into our hands; they have broken their treaty with us, as ye have heard; and truly the Lord will deliver Khowarizm and Soghd unto us, even as He delivered the Beni Ḳoreiẓa and the Naḍīr into the hands of the Prophet." The city held out long, and engines had to be brought up to batter the walls. Fearing an assault, the King sued for terms. Ḳoteiba agreed to retire on a heavy tribute and quota of horsemen; but first he must enter, build a Mosque, and inaugurate religious service in it; after that he would evacuate the place. He entered. The fire-temples were destroyed and the images burned, but the city was kept and not according to promise restored. Ḳoteiba's repeated perfidy was much spoken against; and some Syrian is said to have prophesied, but too truly, that the Caliphate would yet pay the penalty, and Damascus be ravaged by these wild Turkomans. Meantime the conqueror's hand fell