erents refused submission to the caliph. The Alids seized on the
elevation of Mamun as a pretext for fresh revolts. At Kufa a certain Ibn
Tabataba placed an army in the field under Abu'l-Saraya, who had been a
captain in the army of Harthama. An army sent by Hasan b. Sahl was
defeated, and Abu'l-Saraya, no longer content to play a second part,
poisoned his chief, Ibn Tabataba, and put in his place another of the
family of Ali, Mahommed b. Mahommed, whom, on account of his extreme
youth, he hoped to govern at his will. Abu'l-Saraya's success continued,
and several cities of Irak--Basra, Wasit and Madain--fell into his
hands. Mecca, Medina and Yemen also were mastered by the Alids, who
committed all kinds of atrocities and sacrilege. Abu'l-Saraya, who even
struck money in Kufa, began to menace the capital, when Hasan b. Sahl
hastily sent a messenger to Harthama b. A'yan, who was already at Holwan
on his way back to Merv, entreating him to come to his aid. Harthama,
who was deeply offended by his dismissal, refused at first, but at last
consented, and at once checked the tide of disaster. The troops of the
Alids were everywhere driven back, and the whole of Irak fell again into
the hands of the Abbasids. Kufa opened its gates; Basra was taken by
assault. Abu'l-Saraya and Mahommed b. Mahommed fled to Mesopotamia, but
were made prisoners. The former was decapitated, the latter was sent to
Khorasan, the revolt in Arabia was quickly suppressed, and peace seemed
within reach. This, however, was by no means the case. The disorder of
civil war had caused a multitude of robbers and vagabonds to emerge from
the purlieus of Bagdad. These ruffians proceeded to treat the capital as
a conquered city, and it became necessary for all good citizens to
organize themselves into a regular militia. Harthama, having vanquished
Abu'l-Saraya, did not go to Hasan b. Sahl, but proceeded towards Merv
with the purpose of telling Mamun that the state of affairs was not as
Fadl b. Sahl represented it to him, and urging him to come to Bagdad,
where his presence was necessary. Fadl, informed of his intentions,
filled the caliph's mind with distrust against the old general, so that
when Harthama arrived Mamun had him cast into prison, where he died
shortly afterwards. When the tidings of his disgrace came to Bagdad, the
people expelled the lieutenant of Hasan b. Sahl, called by them the
Majuzi ("the Zoroastrian"), who had chosen Madain for his residence, an