Page:William Muir, Thomas Hunter Weir - The Caliphate; Its Rise, Decline, and Fall (1915).djvu/63

 36 roads became again for a time impassable, but now only from the offensive mass of carcases strewn upon them.

Peace in the Yemen was not so easily restored. The "Veiled Prophet" Aswad had been recently assassinated by conspirators in the interest of Moḥammad. These were Ḳeis ibn Mekshūḥ an Arab chief, and two others of Persian descent, Feirūz and Dāduweihi, into whose hands the government of Ṣanʿā fell. The tidings reaching Medīna just after Moḥammad’s death, Abu Bekr appointed Feirūz to be his lieutenant. The Arab blood of Ḳeis ibn Mekshūḥ rebelled against serving under a Persian, and he plotted to expel the whole body of foreign immigrants. To effect this, he called in the aid of ʿAmr ibn Maʿdīkerib, a famous poet and influential chief who, having like others cast off the Faith, ravaged the country with remnants of the false prophet's army. Dāduweihi was treacherously slain by this ʿAmr at a feast, but Feirūz escaped, and after much hardship secured his retreat with a friendly tribe. For a time Ḳeis ibn Mekshūḥ carried all before him. The family of Feirūz was taken captive, and the Persian settlers, pursued in every direction, fled to the mountains, or took ship from Aden, Feirūz appealed to Medīna; but it was long before the Caliph had any men to send. So Feirūz cast about for himself, and at length, by the aid of loyal tribes, put the troops of Ḳeis ibn Mekshūḥ to flight, regained possession of his family and reoccupied Ṣanʿā.

But more effectual help was now approaching. On one side was Al-Muhājir. Appointed by the Prophet his lieutenant in Ḥaḍramaut, he had been detained by sickness at Medīna, perhaps also by inability earlier to obtain a following. Last of the Commanders to take the field, it was probably ten or twelve months after the Prophet's death before he marched south, and, joined on the way by loyal tribes, approached the disturbed country at the head of a substantial force. On the other hand, ʿIkrima, with an ever-growing army, advanced from the east. Hastening to meet Al-Muhājir he, for the present, left Ḥaḍramaut aside and passed rapidly on towards Aden. Alarmed at the gathering storm, Ḳeis an ʿAmr joined their forces to oppose Al-Muhājir. But soon quarrelling, they parted, sending each