aliph Mansur. A more
local 'Alyite revolt in Mecca and Medina was crushed in 785. In the
contest between the two sons of Harun al Rashid all Arabia sided with
Mamun (812). In 845-846 the lawless raids of Bedouin tribes compelled
the caliph Wathiq to send his Turkish general Bogha, who was more
successful in the north than in the centre and south of Arabia in
restoring peace.

_The Carmathians._--Towards the close of the 9th century Arabia was
disturbed by the rise of a new movement which during the next hundred
years dominated the peninsula, and at its close left it shattered never
to be united again. In the year 880 Yemen was listening to the
propaganda of the new sect of the Carmathians (q.v.) or followers of
Hamdan Qarmat. Four years later these had become a public force. In 900
'Abu Sa'id al-Jannabi, who had been sent to Bahrein by Hamdan, had
secured a large part of this province and had won the city of Katif
(Ketif) which contained many Jews and Persians. The Arabs who lived more
inland were mostly Bedouin who found the obligations of Islam irksome,
and do not seem to have made a very vigorous opposition to the
Carmathians who took Hajar the capital of Bahrein in 903. From this they
made successful attacks on Yemama (Yamama), and attempts only partially
successful at first at Oman. In 906 the court at Bagdad learned that
these sectaries had gained almost all Yemen and were threatening Mecca
and Medina. Abu Sa'id was assassinated (913) in his palace at Lahsa
(which in 926 was fortified and became the Carmathian capital of
Bahrein). His son Sa'id succeeded him, but proved too weak and was
deposed and succeeded by his brother Abu Tahir. His success was constant
and the caliphate was brought very low by him. In Arabia he subjugated
Oman, and swooping down on the west in 929 he horrified the Moslem world
by capturing Mecca and carrying off the sacred black stone to Bahrein.
The Fatimite caliph 'Obaidallah (see FATIMITES), to whom Abu Tahir
professed allegiance, publicly wrote to him to restore the stone, but
there is some reason to believe that he secretly encouraged him to
retain it. In 939, however, the stone was restored and pilgrimages to
the holy cities were allowed to pass unmolested on payment of a tax. So
long as Abu Tahir lived the Carmathians controlled Arabia. After his
death, however, they quarrelled with the Fatimite rulers of Egypt (969)
and began to lose their influence. In 985 they were completely defea