"When the Turks came out of the town, the men of the tribe of Azd asked Kutayba to allow them to fight separately. They straightway charged down on the Turks,-Kutayba remaining seated the while, wearing a green mantle over his armour,—and their endurance was great. At length they were driven back to Kutayba's camp by the Turks, but here the women struck their horses' heads1 and forced the Musulmans to turn against the enemy. They succeeded in driving them back to his first position, a piece of rising ground which appeared to them inassailable. Then said Kutayba: 'Who will dislodge them for us from this place?' No one advanced, and all the tribes remained where they were. Then Kutayba went up to the Beni Temim 2 and appealed to their old prestige, whereupon their chief Waki' seized the banner and said: 'Oh ye sons of Temim, will you abandon me to-day?' They shouted 'No,' and advanced until they came to the stream separating them from the enemy, over which Husayni, the commander of the horse, leaped, followed by his men. Meanwhile Waki gave the banner to Husayni and, dismounting, superintended the construction of a small bridge. He then said to his men: 'He who is willing to risk his life, let him cross; and he who is not willing, let him remain where he is!' Eight hundred men dashed across the bridge. Then Waki' told Husayni to harass the enemy with his cavalry, while he himself attacked them with his foot-men. So great was the fury of their double onslaught that the Turks gave way, seeing which the Musulmans sprang towards the bridge as one man, but ere they could cross the Turks were in full flight. The latter were thus completely routed; the Khākān and

1 Vambéry says, evidently following his Turkish Tabari: "Their women tore their faces!"

2 One of the most famous tribes of Yemen,

his son were both wounded. When the inhabitants of the surrounding countries saw what had happened to the men of Bokhārā they trembled before Kutayba."

After this victory Kutayba again withdrew to Merv. The chroniclers differ as to the part which the Tarkhun Melik of Soghd played in this battle. Tabari relates that the Tarkhun, seeing that the day was going with the Musulmans, rode, accompanied by two horsemen, close up to Kutayba's camp-there being only the river of Bokhārā between them, and asked him to send a man across to confer with him. A certain Hayyan, the Nabatean, came over, and through his mediation a peace was settled upon, the Tarkhun agreeing to pay tribute to Kutayba. The Tarkhūn then returned to his own country, while Kutayba, as stated above, retired to Merv, accompanied by Nizek. Narshakhi, on the other hand, says that Hayyan, the Nabatæan, told the king of Soghd that it would be much wiser for him to abandon the allies and return to his own country. "We,” he said, "will remain here as long as the warm weather lasts, but when the winter sets in we shall retire, and then you will find the Turks all against you, for nothing will induce them to leave your beautiful Soghd." The Tarkhūn, convinced of the value of this advice, asked what course he should pursue. Hayyan replied: "First, you must make peace with Kutayba, and pay him an indemnity. Next represent to the Turks that Hajjāj is sending reinforcements by way of Kesh and Nakhshab. Then you must turn back; and haply they will do likewise."

That same night the Tarkhūn concluded a treaty with Kutayba, and gave him 2000 direms;1 Kutayba, for his part, promising not to molest his kingdom. He then sounded his trumpets and marched off, and his example Vambéry says a yearly tribute of 2,000,000 direms!

was very soon after followed by the emperor of China's nephew.

"Thus did God deliver the Musulmans from the great straits in which they had been plunged for four months." During this period Hajjaj had received no news from Kutayba, and his anxiety was so great that special prayers were offered in the mosques for his safety.

"This was Kutayba's fourth expedition into Bokhārā.”1 1 Narshakhi, ed. Paris, p. 40.

CHAPTER VII

KUTAYBA'S LAST CAMPAIGNS

AMONG Kutayba's followers was a certain noble named Nizek, prince of Badghis, and a minister of Jighāya, ruler of Tokhāristān, who was in all probability attached temporarily to his court as a prisoner on parole. Nizek had watched Kutayba's campaigns with keen interest, in the fond hope that he might receive a serious check, and that Transoxiana and Khorāsān might be emboldened to throw off the Arab yoke. The great leader's success in Bokhārā convinced the moody rebel of the folly of such anticipations; and he saw only too clearly that the moment had come for the oppressed nationalities of Central Asia to strike a last despairing blow for freedom.1 His first step was to obtain from the unsuspecting Kutayba permission to visit Tokhāristān, his next to raise the standard of revolt, which he did on reaching the defiles of Khulm.

As a measure of precaution he sent his valuables for safe keeping to the king of Kabul, whose support he entreated for his arduous enterprise. He sent messengers to the Ispahbad2 of Balkh and to the princes of Merv erRūd, Tālikān, Fāryāb, and Jūzajān, inviting them to join

1 Vambéry follows Narshakhi in ignoring this revolt, which was certainly a very serious one as far as Kutayba was concerned, but both versions of Tabari give detailed accounts of its various phases.

* Old Persian word signifying commander-in-chief.

All replied in the affirmative.

the coalition. After these negotiations Nizek placed his master Jighāya in chains,1 and dismissed Kutayba's agent from Tokhāristān.

When Kutayba received intimation of this revolt winter was setting in. His army was dispersed, and there only remained with him the contingent supplied by the town of Merv. He sent his brother 'Abd er-Rahmān, at the head of 2000 men to Balkh, with instructions to remain there inactive till the spring, when he was to proceed to Tokhāristān, adding, “Be sure that I shall be near thee." Towards the end of the winter A.H. 91 (709), Kutayba summoned reinforcements from Abarshahr, Bivard, Sarakhs, and Herāt. On their arrival he set out against Tālikān, leaving, as was his practice, a trusted follower in charge of the garrison, and another in that of the civil affairs of Merv.2 The first operation was the storming of Merv er-Rūd. Its chief had fled, but his two sons who had remained were hanged. At Tālikān he met the enemy in the open field, and at the first onslaught the Turks were put to rout by his rear-guard, which was commanded by 'Abd er-Rahman. No quarter was given, and all who were not slain outright were hanged, the line of gibbets extending for a distance of sixteen miles. After appointing an Arab as governor of the town, Kutayba received the submission of Faryab and Jūzajān, and placed those towns under one of his lieutenants. He now proceeded to Balkh, where he was peaceably received by the inhabitants; and, after remaining there for a day, advanced into the defiles of Khulm. Meanwhile Nizek had retired to Baghlān and established a camp there, leaving a small force to guard

1 He was opposed to Nizek's design. We are also told that, in order that a certain appearance of respect might be kept up, his chains were of gold. Cf. Tabari, Annales, Series II. p. 1206.

2 Tabari, Annales, Series II. p. 1218.