The Chaliphate - Muir - The Search For Mecca

562 CARMATHIAN OUTRAGES [chap, lxxii.
regard shown to the sacred places, that bodies of the
slain were cast into the sacred well Zemzem. The Ka'ba
itself was robbed of its precious things, and to crown the
sacrilege the Black Stone was, in 929 A.D., carried off to
Hejer, and not restored for above twenty years. The
Fatimid Caliph, whose authority they recognised, now interfered
from the West to stay the scandal and ravages of the
Carmathians, which hitherto had been of service to him
against the Caliphate of Bagdad. Suleiman returned to
Hejer, and we hear little more of him. But the Carmathians
still survived. Some years afterwards they again attacked
325 A.H. the pilgrims, and plundered Al-Kiifa. After this they fell
into dissensions; but they must long have retained a strong
hold of Syria, for in 360 A.II. we find them joining in a
league with the Caliph to oust the Fatimids from that
province ; and the Fatimids were obliged to appease them
by a yearly tribute. Some fifteen or twenty years later
they are again mentioned in connection with the struggles
that were prolonged for many years in Asia Minor and
Egypt ; and, strangely enough, it was a Carmathian who
ruled in Al-Multan when, in 396 A.H., it was taken by
Mahmud.i
Origin of the It will be convenient here to notice another branch of
Fatimid
^^^ Isma'llls from which sprang the Fatimid dynasty of
280 A.H. Egypt. The new transcendental doctrine was widely spread
in Southern Arabia, and its votaries so grew in power that
their leader gained possession of the Yemen and San'a. A
propaganda was started amongst the Berbers of North Africa,
for which the Idrlsid success had prepared the way. One
of the missionaries (da'i, pi. du'ah) was Abu 'Abdallah, who
had been sent out by Mohammad, son of 'Abdallah ibn
Meimun, founder of the Isma'llls. There, following up the
canvass of previous missionaries, this emissary played a role
of unexampled and romantic success. He found the
Berbers so ready for the call, that he drew vast crowds after
him, by their help defeated the Aghlabid dynasty, and after
much fighting gained possession of their capital and kingdom.
He preached the impending advent of the Mehdi, and
to meet the expectation so raised, summoned Sa'id the
son of his deceased master Mohammad. Sa'ld came, but
^
On the whole subject see De Goeje, Cartnathes du Bahrain.