omy; translations of Greek books have been ascribed to him (Jahiz,
_Bayan_, i. p. 126). In the year A.H. 435 there was still in Egypt a
brazen globe attributed to Ptolemy which had belonged to Khalid (Ibn
Qifti, p. 440, 1.15). He was also consulted about future events. There
were, however, not a few who deplored the fact that the throne had
passed from the descendants of Abu Sofian. This feeling gave rise to the
prophecy that there should appear later a Sofiani on the throne, who
would reign with might and wisdom. 'Amr Ashdaq made no opposition till
the death of Merwan. After the victory at Merj Rahit, Merwan conquered
Egypt, and installed as governor his second son Abdalaziz. An army sent
to the rescue by Ibn Zobair under the command of his brother Mus'ab was
beaten in Palestine by 'Amr Ashdaq. But a division sent by Merwan to the
Hejaz was cut to pieces. Obaidallah b. Ziyad set out with the purpose of
subduing Mesopotamia and marching thence against Irak. But he was
detained a whole year in the former country, by a rising of the Shi'ites
in Kufa, who were still in mourning for Hosain and had formed an army
which called itself "the army of the penitent." They were routed at Ras
'Ain, but Obaidallah had still to fight Zofar.

Meanwhile Mokhtar (son of that Abu 'Obaid the Thaqifite who had
commanded the Arabs against the Persians in the unfortunate battle of
the Bridge), a man of great talents and still greater ambition, after
having supported Ibn Zobair in the siege of Mecca, had gone to Kufa,
where he joined the Shi'ites, mostly Persians, and acquired great power.
He claimed that he was commissioned by Ali's son, Mahommed ibn
al-Hanafiya, who after the death of Hosain was recognized by the
Shi'ites as their Mahdi. A vague message from Mahommed, that it was the
duty of every good Moslem to take part with the family of the Prophet,
was interpreted in favour of Mokhtar, and thenceforward all the
Shi'ites, among them the powerful Ibrahim, son of Ali's right hand Malik
Ashtar, followed him blindly as their chief. Afterwards Ibn al-Hanafiya
seems to have acknowledged him distinctly as his vicegerent. Ibn
Zobair's representative in Kufa was compelled to flee, and all those who
had participated in the battle of Kerbela were put to death. An army
despatched against Obaidallah under Ibrahim routed the Syrians near
Mosul (battle of Khazir); Obaidallah and Hosain b. Nomair were slain.
Mokhtar was now at the zenith of power, but Ibn