The Chaliphate - Muir - The Search For Mecca

:
A.PT. i-,6-
158.
Kfifa rises.
Mansur
alarmed.
Ibrahim
defeated and
slain, 24 xi.
145 A.H.
Mansur's joy
at the
intellig'ence.
456 AL-MANSUR [chap, i.xii.
started for Al-Kufa, where he had expectations of a general
rising. Tliough here and elsewhere he had 100,000 on liis
roll, he was followed now but by 10,000. Nevertheless the
crisis was sufficiently grave to alarm the Caliph. lie
was at the moment laying out the new capital of l^agdad ;
but on receiving tidings of Ibrahim's advance, he hastily
retired to Al-Kufa, where the populace were ready to break
out and join the descendant of " their own Caliph 'Ali."
The troops were all away in Persia, Africa, and Arabia,
and but a small garrison left at headquarters. News
kept coming in of defection all around, while at Al-Kufa
" 100,000 of the Kufa rabble were ready to rush against
the Caliph with their swords." In the utmost distress
Al-Mansur swore that if he got over the crisis, he would
never leave the Capital with less than 30,000 men. For
seven weeks he kept curtained in his closet, sleeping on
his carpet of prayer, and never once changing dress but
for his black robes at Public prayer. Two damsels were
sent as a gift to him "
: They will feel slighted," his
attendant said, " if thou wilt not go in unto them." " That
I will not," he answered, " it is no day for women this
I will not go in unto any maiden, until I see at my feet
the head of Ibrahim,—or mine be cast at his." At last the
tide turned. Al-Mehdi sent troops from Ar-Reiy which put
down the rising in Fars and Al-Ahwaz, while 'Isa hastened
from Medina to anticipate Ibrahim's attack on Al-Kufa. The
two armies encountered each other sixteen leagues from the
city. The vanguard of Tsa's army at first beaten back, carried
part of the main body w^ith it, and for the moment, the 'Alid
banner seemed in the ascendant ; but shortly after Ibrahim
was shot by an arrow, and his army fled. He is commonh'
known as the Slain of Bakhamra (the scene of the battle).
Thus after holding the Empire for three months in terror,
the 'Alid rebellion came to a close.
At the first tidings of Tsa's army giving way, the heart
of Al-Mansur failed, and he was on the point of flying to
his son at Ar-Reiy. Correspondingly his joy was unbounded
when the head of Ibrahim was cast at his feet. "It was
like the delight," he said (quoting from the poet), " of the
thirsty wayfarer coming on a living stream." But, before the
world, he veiled his jo}- ;
and as in public he took the gory