Page:Baladhuri-Hitti1916.djvu/329

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The Conquest of Armenia
313

According to al-Wâḳidi, in the year 139 al-Manṣûr gave ransom[1] for those of the captives of Ḳâlîḳala who survived; and he rebuilt Ḳâlîḳala, populated it, and returned them into it. He also invited to it troops from Mesopotamia and other places to live in it. In the caliphate of al-Muʿtaṣim-Billâh, the Greek "tyrant" came to Ḳâlîḳala and threw projectiles on its wall until it was on the point of falling. Thereupon al-Muʿtaṣim had to spend 500,000 dirhams to make the city strong again.

The patricians of Khilâṭ and Muks. After having captured Ḳâlîḳala, Ḥabîb marched to Mirbâla where the patrician of Khilâṭ brought him a statement written by ʿIyâḍ ibn-Ghanm, who had guaranteed to the patrician the security of his life, possessions and country and had concluded a treaty with him stipulating that the patrician should pay tax. Ḥabîb sanctioned the terms of the statement. He then occupied a house between al-Harak[2] and Dasht al-Warak. The patrician of Khilâṭ brought him the money he owed and offered a present which Ḥabîb refused to accept. Ḥabîb then visited Khilâṭ and passed to aṣ-Ṣabâbah [?][3] where he was met by the chief of Muks,[4] one of the districts of al-Busfurrajân. Ḥabîb made peace with him in exchange for an annual tax to be paid for his land, sent a man with him and wrote him a statement of peace and safety.

Arjîsh, Bâjunais and aṭ-Ṭirrîkh. To the villages of Arjîsh and Bâjunais, Ḥabîb sent a body of men who subdued them and laid poll-tax on them. The leading men of these villages came to Ḥabîb and made a treaty agreeing to

  1. Ar. fâda bihim; see Mawardi, pp. 82 and 232.
  2. St. Martin, vol. i, p. 101.
  3. Original not clear.
  4. St. Martin, vol. i, p. 175.