CHAPTER I
The Conquest of Mesoptamia [al-Jazîrah]
ʿIyâḍ its governor. Dâʾûd ibn-ʿAbd-al-Ḥamîd the ḳâḍi of ar-Raḳḳah from Maimûn ibn-Mihrân:—All of Mesopotamia was conquered by ʿIyâḍ ibn-Ghanm who, after the death of abu-ʿUbaidah, was made its ruler by ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb. Abu-ʿUbaidah had appointed ʿIyâḍ to be his successor over Syria, but ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb appointed first Yazîd ibn-abi-Sufyân then Muʿâwiyah over Syria, and ordered ʿIyâḍ[1] to invade Mesopotamia.
Al-Ḥusain ibn-al-Aswad from Sulaimân ibn-ʿAṭâʾ al-Ḳurashi:—Abu-ʿUbaidah sent ʿIyâḍ ibn-Ghanm to Mesopotamia, and died while ʿIyâḍ was still there. ʿUmar then assigned ʿIyâḍ after abu-ʿUbaidah as governor of Mesopotamia.
The terms with ar-Ruha. Bakr ibn-al-Haitham from Sulaimân ibn-ʿAṭâʾ:—When ʿIyâḍ ibn-Ghanm, who was sent by abu-ʿUbaidah, reduced ar-Ruha[2] [Edessa, modern Urfa], he stood at its gate riding on a brown horse; and the inhabitants made terms stipulating that they should keep their cathedral and the buildings around it, and agreeing not to start a new church other than what they already had, to give succor to the Moslems against their enemy, and to forfeit their right of protection in case they fail to keep any of these conditions. Similar terms to those of ar-Ruha were made by the people of Mesopotamia.
