The First Arab Conquests in Fārs

British Institute of Persian Studies
The First Arab Conquests in Frs

Author(s): Martin Hinds
Source: Iran, Vol. 22 (1984), pp. 39-53
Published by: British Institute of Persian Studies
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4299735
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THE FIRST ARAB CONQUESTS IN FARS*t
By Martin Hinds
I
A central feature of early Arab military operations in Fars is that they were carried out-first of all
solely, and later mainly-by tribesmen from cUmin and al-Bahrayn.' Those tribesmen had crossed by
sea to Firs and had no connection with Basra. Their commander until 29/650 was cUthman b. Abi 'l-
cAs al-Thaqafi, who held the post of governor of al-Bahrayn2 and operated independently of the
governors of Basra. It was not until 29/650 that the Basran and Bahrayn-Fdrs commands were fused.
In that year, says Khalifa b. Khayyst, "cUthman b. cAffSn dismissed Abfi Muisa from Basra and
cUthmdn b. Abi 'l-cAs from Firs; he made the combined command over to cAbd Allah b. CAmir b.
Kurayz".3 The account given by al-Tabari is similar: "cAbd Allah b. cAmir arrived [at Basra] and the
armies of Abfi Misa and of cUthman b. AbT 'l-cAs al-Thaqafi were combined under his command;
cUthman b. Abi 'l-cAs was among those who had crossed from cUmdn and al-Bahrayn".4
The role of the cUmdni and Bahrayni tribesmen with cUthman b. Abi 'l-cAs in the Arab occupa-
tion of Firs was recognized (indeed overstated) by Wellhausen in 1899: "Die Eroberung des
eigentlichen Firs ist in der Tat von dem gegenfiberliegenden Bahrain ausgegangen";5 and it was to
some extent apparent too to Caetani.6 But it has not been adequately recognized in more recent work:
the brief and confused account given by Spuler7 refers only once to cUthman b. AbT 'l-cAs; and
Shaban, who does not mention him at all, not only has the army of which he was in charge pull out of
Firs, but also has it do so as early as the caliphate of cUmar, i.e. by 23/644: "Failing to establish a safe
base in Fars, the tribesmen withdrew to the safer area of Basra where they were joined mainly by their
fellow tribesmen of eastern Arabia".8 Both scholars fail to attend to something which was clear to
Wellhausen and Caetani,9 viz. that the material transmitted by Sayf b. cUmar apud al-TabarT-in
respect of Firs no less than more generally-is very much at variance with what other sources have to
say.'" In what follows, I shall present, first, a fuller treatment of the subject than that provided by
Wellhausen" (not least because sources are available now which were not available to him), and
secondly, an examination of the idiosyncrasies of Sayf's account.
II
For reasons which will become apparent, a necessary preliminary to the discussion is clarification
of the sequence and chronology of the early governors of al-Bahrayn appointed from Medina.12
1. al-cAla' b. al-Hadrami. The first such governor was al-cAld' b. al-Hadrami, who was a
confederate (h*al?f) of B. Umayya b. cAbd Shams.'3 It is generally agreed that he was appointed
governor of al-Bahrayn by the Prophet in 8/629-30;14 but whether his governorship was interrupted,
and when it came to an end, are matters on which the sources do not agree. Reports that the Prophet
dismissed him and replaced him with Aban b. SaCid b. al-cAs,'5 although not confirmed by al-Tabari,
cannot be ignored; but al-Tabari's reference to al-cAld' as governor of al-Bahrayn in the year 10/631'6
would suggest that any dismissal which may have taken place must be dated to shortly before the
Prophet's death in 11/632. In any event, Abia Bakr, on assuming the leadership at Medina, confirmed
or reappointed
area in the years al-cAl' as governor
11-12/632-3.18 of al-Bahrayn,'7
In 13/634, and al-cA1_'
at the beginning had to ofcUmar
of the caliphate respond b.
to al-Khattab,
the ridda in
he that
*I am grateful to Patricia Crone for comments on, and criticisms of, C. J. Tornberg (Leiden, 1851-76); Ibn Sacd, Kitdb al-tabaqdt al-kabfr,
drafts of this article. ed. E. Sachau et al. (Leiden, 1905-17); Khalifa b. Khavvdt (Khal.),
Ta'rfkh, vol. I, ed. A. D. al-cUmari (al-Najaf, 1386/1967); Naqd'id
tThe main sources consulted are as follows: al-Balddhuri (Bal.), Jartr wa 'l-Farazdaq, ed. A. A. Bevan (Leiden, 1905-12); al-Tabari
FutuOh al-buldan, ed. M. J. de Goeje (Leiden, 1866); al-Dhahabi, (Tab.), Ta'rikh al-rusul wa 'I-mulfk, ed. M. J. de Goeje et al. (Leiden,
Ta'rikh al-islam, vol. II (Cairo 1368); al-Dinawari, al-Akhbar al-tiwdl, 1879-1901); al-Ya'qIbi, Ta'rikh, vol. II, ed. M. T. Houtsma (Leiden,
ed. V. Guirgass (Leiden, 1888); Ibn al-Athir, al-Kmilfft 'l-ta'rfkh, ed. 1883); Yaqfit, Mucjam al-bulddn, ed. F. Wuistenfeld (Leipzig, 1866-73).
39
40 JOURNAL OF PERSIAN STUDIES
went on to take the local Persian-held strongholds of

appointment during that year is twice mentioned in the c
14/635, according to al-Waqidi apud Ibn Sacd-al-cAl
maritime expedition, in the course of which he conquered
coastal area of the mainland;21 this initiative apparen
cArfaja was to reinforce cUtba b. Ghazwan at al-Ubulla.22
cUmar appointed al-cAlI' in place of cUtba, but al-cAla' die
least is the impression to be gained from the two main rep
points of detail. The first of them, that of al-Mada'ini
Sacd),23 says that in the year 14/635 the caliph cUmar wr
"Go to cUtba [b. Ghazwnl], for I have given you charg
camalahu)". So al-cAla' set off, but died at Tiyas24 in the t
cUtba then went on to conquer al-Ubulla, al-Furat and A
that of Abfi Mikhnaf (transmitted by al-Balddhuri), "c
Hadrami, who was his governor over al-Bahrayn, instr
cAli' came to him at Medina he appointed him over Bas
(i.e. al-cAla') died before getting there; that was in the yea
What these reports have in common is not only that al-
cUtba; and there are good grounds for believing that cUtb
Tabari has al-cAli' as governor of al-Balhrayn and al-Yam
knew of a report that he continued as governor of al-Bahr
BaladhurT himself was unconvinced (fa-yuqdl) and al-Ta
by Sayf's defective chronology.29
2. Quddma b. Maz can and Abui Hurayra. After the demis
which Qudama b. Maz cfin al-Jumahi and Abfi Hurayra he
reports provided by al-Baladhuri and Khalifa are jointly pe
of al-cAli' in 14/635, cUmar appointed Qudama over al-B
appointed cUthman b. AbI 'l-cAs; he also knew that Abt
cUmar's governors ofal-Bahrayn, but was evidently hazy ab
Now as far as CAyyash is concerned, all that can be said h
perhaps as the deputy of al-cAl1'.32 The account of Abti M
no mention of him, and instead gives us a fuller and clear
that provided by Khalifa: after the death of al-cAl', cUm
over the taxation !(ib ya) of al-Bahrayn and Aba Hurayra o
then he dismissed Qud~ ma and inflicted on him the h
appointed Abti Hurayra over thejibaya together with the ah
of his assets (qdsamahu); then he appointed cUthman b.
further report cited by al-Baladhuri (on the authority o
that Qudima was over the jibdya and the ahddth, while Ab
(qada'); when Qudmrna was accused and dismissed, Abfi Hu
missed and replaced by cUthman b. AbI 'l-cAs.36 Al-Waq
dismissed Qudama, inflicted on him the hadd punishm
Hurayra over al-Bahrayn and al-Yamama;37 but, in datin
them about five years too late, since there are good g
cUthman b. Abi 'l-cAs was governor of al-Bahrayn fr
conclude that the involvement of Qudama and Abi Hurayr
14-15/635-6.38
3. cUthman b. Abt 'l-cAls. This brings us to the man desti
conquests of Fgrs, cUthman b. Abi 'l-CAs al-Thaqafi. He ro
at al-Tai'i with the Prophet's backing in the year 9/630-13
the ensuing years.40 As we have just seen, Khalifa was
Bahlrayn after the dismissal of Qudama, but then Khalifa
THE FIRST ARAB CONQUESTS IN FARS 41
in the chronological scheme of things. Abfi Mikhnaf, on the other ha

replaced Abfi Hurayra in al-Bahrayn; and, given that al-Waqidi also kn
after the dismissal of Qudama (albeit with the wrong date), it foll
should not be treated lightly in this regard. Just why cUthmdn was se
not he had any previous connection with the area, are matters which
from Khalifa and from al-Mad_'ini (as cited by al-Baladhuri) is t

territory (ard) of cUman and al-Bahrayn in the year 15/636, and that
and sent his brother al-Hakam to al-Bahrayn.42 A similar but fuller a
Ansdb al-carab, a work compiled (perhaps in the late fifth/eleventh cen
b. Muslim al-CAwtabi.43 There we are told that cUthman b. Abi 'l
15/636 and then asked the caliph cUmar to appoint his brother al-
position of governor of al-Bahrayn (sc. after the dismissal of Abfi Hu
brothers went in the first instance to cUmdn; al-Hakam seems thereaft
in al-Bahrayn, although he served as his brother's deputy in cUmd
Bahrayn.44 Al-Tabari was aware that cUthman was governor of al-Bah
tells us beyond that is at variance with the other sources. For one
governor of al-Bahrayn and al-Yamdma, rather than of al-Bahrayn an
him back to al-Ta' ifas governor of that town in the following year,47
and al-Yamama in 17.48 His removal of cUthman from al-Bahrayn a
ably necessitated by his belief that al-cAld' was governor there in tha
could not have cUthman as governor of cUman in the years 15-17 was
cUm~ n in the years 13-17 was Hudhayfa b. Mihsan,so of whom K
more in that connection than that he was governor at the time of the
may well have been the case that this Hudhayfa was in cUmSn as gover
is difficult to believe that he was any more than a governor in absentia
it is even more difficult to believe that he was governor of cUman at
Khalifa, al-Baladhuri and al-cAwtabi have to say about cUthman b.
that we have here another instance of al-Tabari having been misled by
short, Hudhayfa cannot have been governor of cUman any later than
b. Abi 'l-cAs was appointed by cUmar to cUman and al-Bahrayn, assist
appointment was to continue without interruption until it came to an e
III
With this background established, we are now in a position to turn to the question of mili
operations. These began in al-Bahrayn in 11/632 when local elements loyal to Medina, notably
cAbd al-Qays and Tamin supported the governor al-cAla' against the ridda of the Bakri al-Huta
Dubayca.55 The ridda was suppressed and al-cAla' followed up this success by capturing the
Persian-held strongholds in 13/634 and by despatching cArfaja in 14/635 on a maritime exped
which took an (unnamed) island off the coast of Fars and raided on the mainland in an area which so
far defies identification. This, then, was the first Arab maritime expedition against Frs in the period of
the Medinan caliphate; that it was a result of al-cAl"s own initiative rather than a response to a
directive from Medina is apparent from cUmar's reaction of displeasure. There is no evidence of any
further offensive action having been taken either during the rest of the governorship of al-cAla' (who in
any case died soon afterwards), or during the brief administration of his successors Qudama and Abui
Hurayra, whose remits were spelled out in a way which suggests that harb was deliberately excluded.56
It was only with the governorship ofcUthman b. Abi 'l-cAs that the offensive against Fars was resumed.
The beginnings of that offensive are referred to briefly by al-Baladhuri,57 who mentions an
engagement between cUthman and the marzban (or margrave) of Kirmin at the island of Abarkawan
(i.e. present-day Qishm),58 in the course of which the marzban was killed. Al-Baladhuri specifies no date
for that engagement, but he does elsewhere say, in what will be referred to here as his main account
(qgdlu), that the capture of the island of Abarkawan constituted a maritime preliminary to the Arab
advance on the town of Tawwaj in Fars: "[cUthman] sent his

Fdrs with a large army [made up] of cAbd al-Qays, al-Az
quered the island of Abarkawan and then proceeded to Taw
".. Now
marzban we shall
of Firs, bothsee shortly
took place inthat the soconquest
19/640, that we of Tawwaj
must andthat
conclude thethe
engagement with Shahrak, the
Abarkiwn operation
took place in either 18 or 19. This dating fits well with al-cAwtabi's account, which also provides us
with a casus belli and much further information.60 According to him, it was shortly after the battle of
Jalila' (late 16/637 or 17/638)61 that news reached cUmar of a mustering of Sasanian military elements
in the coastal areas (shutu.t) of Siraf and Fars. He accordingly instructed cUthman b. Abi 'l-cAs to cross
to Fars in order to prevent a consolidation of Sasanian military strength there; he also instructed [the
cUmani rulers] cAbd and Jayfar, the sons of al-Julanda, to support cUthman with the tribes (qabd'il) of
Azd cUman who were with them. cUthman was thus able to mobilize 3,000 (or 2,600) men, mostly from
al-Azd, but also from Rasib, Najiya and cAbd al-Qays; the main Azdi leaders were Sabra b. Shayman
lal-Huddani] over Shanfi'a, Yazid b. Jacfar al-Jahdami over Malik b. Fahm, and Abfi Sufra [Zalim b.
Sarraq al-cAtaki] over Clmran. cUthmin went by land with this force to Jurrafar (i.e. Jullafar or
present-day Ra's al-Khayma)62, where they embarked and crossed to the island of Bani Kawan (i.e.
Abarkawan);63 the commander of the Persian garrison there made peace with cUthman, without
fighting him. At this, Yazdajird, the Sasanian monarch, sent written instruction to the lord (cazfm) of
Kirmin to cross to Bani Kawan and blockade the Arabs; a force, the size of which is put variously at
3,000, 4,000, 30,000 and 40,000, accordingly crossed from Hurmtiz and was engaged and defeated by
cUthmdin and his army.64 In more than one place in al-CAwtabi's account we are told that the name of
the Persian leader who was killed in that battle was Shahrak, which is disquieting since we known that
Shahrak was the name of the mdrzbdn of Fars subsequently encountered and killed by the Arab force on
the mainland in the vicinity of Tawwaj. The confusion in al-CAwtabi's account is resolved, however, by
a variant report (yuqdl) which makes the necessary distinction between (1) the Bani Kawan operation
(with no mention of Shahrak), and (2) the subsequent battle against Shahrak on the mainland, at which
Shahrak's army consisted of 30,000 or 40,000 men.65 This report also enables us to resolve the
confusion over numbers: the Persian force which was defeated at Bani Kawin consisted of no more
than 4,000 men.
The evidence therefore shows that this expedition was authorized by the caliph in Medina, unlike
the earlier expedition sent by al-cAla' under the leadership of cArfaja. Strategically it made good sense.
The Arab victory at Jalfla' had secured the whole of Iraq and had obliged the Sasanian ruler and his
followers to abandon the metropolitan province, for good as it turned out.66 For the Arab tribesmen
based on Basra, the conquest of the kuwar or districts of al-Ahwaz in the well-irrigated plains of
Khaizistan as far as the foothills of the Zagros mountains now became a feasible goal.67 At the same
time, there was much to be said for putting more pressure on the Persians wherever that might be
possible, and it looks as if the expedition sent (or led) by cUthman b. Abi 'l-cAs to Fars was meant to
achieve two main immediate goals: (1) to impede the passage of Persian shipping in and out of the
Gulf by exercising control over the Hurmfiz strait from the island of Abarkawan/Bani Kawan,68 and (2)
to hamper support for the Persian forces in al-Ahwaz by establishing a garrison on the coastal plain of
Fars. That garrison was at Tawwaj.69
The most detailed information about the establishment of the Arab garrison at Tawwaj is given by
al-Baladhuri. Citing Abi Mikhnaf, he tells us that cUthman b. Abi 'l-cAs crossed the sea to Fars in
person, "then stopped at Tawwaj, conquered it, built mosques (masdfid) there, made it an abode (dar)
for the Muslims,70 settled cAbd al-Qays and others there, and sent out raiding parties from it against
bordering Arrajan; then he went from Fars to cUman and al-Bahrayn, in response to a letter from
cUmar containing instructions to that effect, and deputed his brother al-Hakam"; authorities other
than and
cAbdi Abtother
Mikhnaf,
Muslims al-Balaidhuri
there in the yearremarks, say that toTawwaj
19/640.71 Returning his mainwas conquered
account by al-H.akam,
of the expedition as who settled
a whole (qdlu), al-Baladhuri goes on to say that Shahrak, the marzban of Fars, reacted to its arrival by
mobilizing a large army and advancing to Rashahr (sic) in the territory of Sabfr, which was near
Tawwaj.72 al-Hakam went out to engage him, with Sawwar b. Hammam [al-cAbdi] over his vanguard,
THE FIRST ARAB CONQUESTS IN FRS 43
and in the ensuing battle Shahrak was killed by Sawwar, who

Persians were defeated and Rishahr was taken by force o
Balddhuri inserts a report from one of the people of Taw
(mussirat), after the killing of Shahrak, "wa'lldhu aclam".
cUthman b. Abi 'l-cAs then went to Fars,73 in response to ins
used Tawwaj as a base for campaigning. Abf Mfisd al-Ashc
instructed by cUmar to help (yukanin) and assist (yucdwin) cUt
on Fars, while remaining based on Basra. cUthman himself
with various other conquests in the area.74
Now at this stage it will be useful to consider what al-Balddh
points: (1) cUthman was in overall command of operations
him in his absence; (2) the conquest of Tawwaj in 19/640 w
against Shahrak, who was killed; (3) it was not until after t
from the time of the tamsfr cUthman made conquests in
Basra-based raids on Fars; and (5) cUthman's army consisted (a
We must now ascertain the extent to which these points are s
what other sources say.
On the first point, relating to command, there seems to be
command throughout. What is less clear in some contexts is w
Thus in the cases of the operation at Abarkawan and of the co
conflicting accounts. On the one hand, Abi Mikhnaf and al-cA
as commander on both occasions; and al-Baladhuri himsel
Mikhnaf was alone in holding to the opinion that it was cUth
who conquered Tawwaj. On the other hand, there is al-Bala
that cUthman sent to Abarkawin and Tawwaj his brother a
commander on those two occasions; and there is a report give
of a certain cUbayd Allah b. Sulayman,75 which also says that
Tawwaj. On the face of it, there is no solution to the con
question of who was the commander of the Arab force in the
is clear-cut: the commander was cUthman's brother al-Hakam. This is the view of al-Baladhuri's main
report, of al-Tabari's report from cUbayd Allah b. Sulayman,76 and of al-Mada'ini.77 Abi Mikhna
takes cUthman back to cUman and al-Bahrayn after his conquest of Tawwaj and his despatch of raiding
parties against Arrajan [territory], and says nothing specifically about the battle against Shahrak;78 it is
only Ghassan b. Mudar, one of Khalifa's sources, who tells us that cUthman was present at that battle,
when he says that cUthman and al-Hakam engaged Shahrak,79 and the fact that he names both of the
brothers may suggest that he was in fact in some doubt about who was present and who was
commander. We may therefore conclude that, while it is unclear whether or not cUthman had been in
Fars before the battle, he certainly was not present at the battle, at which al-Hakam functioned as the
commander; there are in addition grounds8s for thinking that it was not until 21/642 that cUthman
appeared (or reappeared) in Fars, and the question therefore arises of what he may have been doin
elsewhere in the years 19-21. Here again there is no clearcut answer: one possibility is that he was in
cUman and al-Bahrayn (to which Abi Mikhnaf tells us he had returned from Fairs, while the main
account implies that he simply stayed there), running his province, supporting al-Hakam in Fars, and
perhaps preparing for the forthcoming maritime expeditions in the direction of India;8' another
possibility
Abi Waqqas inis19/640
suggested by Ibn
to support clyadIsh.q (citedinby
b. Ghanm theal-Tabari), whohesays
Jazira and that wentthat
on tocUthman
campaign was
in sent by Sacd b.
Armenia IV.82 Whatever the case, there seems to be no reason for doubting that, even during his
absence from Fairs, he continued to be the overall commander of operations there.
On the second point, concerning the conquest of Tawwaj and the battle against Shahrak, there
seems to be no doubt that both events took place in 19/640. That is the year given for the conquest by
al-Baladhuri's main account, and it is the year under which Khalifa's reports on the conquest and the
battle are grouped; al-Mada'ini even tells us the month in which the battle took place, Dht 'l-.HLijja.83
44 JOURNAL OF' PERSIAN STUDIES
One difficulty, however, is that while al-Balddhuri's main account

took place before the battle, Khalifa's report from Ghassan b. M
after the account of'the battle;84 and the same is true of'al-cAwtabL
noting that what Ghassan and al-cAwtabi have to say is exceedingl
only to settlement, not to conquest, so that, on balance, the f
should be preferred. More problematic is the question of the lo
Rdshahr given by al-Baladhuri can be equated with the (more conv
b. Mudar,86 but modern scholars have been unable to agree abou
been involved."7 While Rishahr on the Bushire peninsula may mak
does not end there: according to al-Mada'ini, the battle took place a
obscure;89 and al-cAwtabi gives us yet another name, which is uni
sequence of the conquest and the battle seem to be clear, the exact
than certain. Finally, it can be added that Shahrak's killer also
Baladhuri gives us the cAbdi Sawwdr,91 while Khalifa gives us variously the H.imyari Bab b. Dhi 'l-Jarra
and the Azdis Jadid b. M.lik al-Yahmadi (twice) and M.lik b. Jadid al-Yahmadi,92 and al-cAwtabi
names the Azdi Abfi Sufra, Bdb/Nab b. Dhi 'l-Jarra, and Jibir b.Jadid;93 in this case too there seems to
be no way of knowing who should be believed.
On the third point, the date of tamstr, the evidence indicates that it was indeed in 21/642 that
Tawwaj became a misr: al-Balddhuri's Tawwaji knew that the tamsipr took place after the battle against
Shahrak, and Khalifa associates it with the arrival of cUthman b. Abi'l-cAs in 21.94 al-Hakam's job had
been to hold a base and (it may be surmised) do his best to hamper the Persians in their efforts to
support the defence of the kuwar of al-Ahwaz; that was in 19, by which time Abfi Mfisa and the Basran
forces with him had made important progress in al-Ahwdz and had commenced (or were about to
commence) their siege of Tustar, the main stronghold of al-Ahwaz.95 In the year 20/641, the Arab
conquest of al-Ahwdz was in effect completed when Tustar was taken, and in 21/642 the Arabs went on
to win a decisive victory over the Persians at Nihawand-a victory which permitted them to adopt an
even more aggressive policy, including the use of Tawwaj as a base for making regular campaigns.96 It
was about then that cUthmdn b. Abi 'l-cAs arrived in (or returned to) Fdrs;97 and that was when Tawwaj
became a misr.98
The third point leads on directly to the fourth, the organization of early campaigning. It was when
cUthman was established at Tawwaj, so al-Baladhuri tells us, that campaigning began in earnest and
Abfi Mfisa was instructed by cUmar to cooperate with him. Khalifa furnishes us with more details:
when, in 21/642, cUthman settled at Tawwaj and made it into a misr, "he sent to Sdbfir Sawwar b.
HBAR (sic) al-cAbdi, who was killed at cAqabat al-Tin. cUthman sent out raiding parties to the coastal
areas (sf al-bahr wa 'l-sawa~il); he sent out al-Jarfid [b. al-Mucalls al-cAbdi] who was killed at cAqabat
al-Jarfid".99 A second report, given by Khalifa under the same year and on the authority of al-Walid b.
Hisham
to [al-Qahdhami],
cUthman; in it he told says thatthat
cUthman cUmar sent
he had to Abfi Mfis_
reinforced (i.e.Abfa
him with at Basra) a copy
Miusa and that,ofif'the
a letter
two he had sent
com-
bined, cUthmin was to be the amfr.100 A further report provided by Khalifa, also on the authority of al-
Walid b. Hisham and sub anno 23/644, says that cUthman campaigned for a number of years from
Tawwaj in the caliphates of cUimar and cUthman b. cAffan and that these were summer campaigns
interspersed with winter resting periods at Tawwaj itself.1?' It would seem from these reports that the
year 21/642 must be taken as the time at which Basran activity in Fars began; the identification in one
of Khalifa's reports sub anno 19/640 (from Abi Usama) of Mujashic b. Mas cid [al-Sulami], a prominent
member of the Basran army, as conqueror of Tawwaj'02 should accordingly be viewed with scepticism.
The fifth and last point arising from al-Baladhuri's account of the conquest and tamstr of Tawwaj
relates to the composition of the Arab army there. On that subject, he gives us two pieces of informa-
tion: (1) that cUthman sent his brother al- Hakam by sea to Fars with a large army made up of cAbd al-
Qays, al-Azd, Tamim, B. Najiya, and others;103 and (2) that cAbd al-Qays and other Muslims were
settled at Tawwaj after it had been conquered in 19/642. These reports may be compared with sundry
items of information provided by al-cAwtabi's compilation: (1) the force that left Jurrafar for Bani
Kawan consisted of 3,000 or 2,600 men, mostly from al-Azd but also from Rasib, Najiya, and cAbd al-
Qays ;104 (2) (in the variant report yuqdl): (a) the force which oc
together with a negligible number of cAbd al-Qays, and (b) si
with other groupings, the cAbdis were left behind on Ban! Kiwa
the mainland of Fars;;05 (3) at the battle in which Shahrak was k
Azdis, 2,000 of whom were from Azd cUmdn and 1,000 of whom
in addition al-Tabari's report (on the ultimate authority of cUba
was sent to Tawwaj by his brother cUthmdn with a force of 2,0
al-Hakam himself to the effect that, in his dispositions for the
Jarfid al-cAbdi over the right wing and Abfi Sufra [al-cAtaki, fro
What are we to make of this information? As far as numb
clear: the force at Tawwaj when cUthman arrived there in or
2,000 to 3,000 men; whether or not he brought more men with
tribal identity of the members of that force: al-Baladhuri impli
al-cAwtabi specifically excludes cAbdis and says that they were
obviously rule each other out at first sight, it may be that ther
first place, al-Baladhuri's main account does acknowledge th
cUthmdn included Azdis and others as well as cAbdis; and al-cAw
which left Jurrafar included cAbdis, although he plays down the
Bani Kawan instead of moving on with the rest of the force to th
that al-cAwtabi is wrong in stating that the army involved in t
exclusively Azdi: in addition to al-Baladhuri's references to the i
al-Tabari's report that al-Jarfid al-cAbdi commanded the right w
we know from Khalifa' that cUthman sent Sawwar al-cAbdi
21/642. But, if al-cAwtabi is wrong in thinking that the force wa
idea from?
The answer to this question is that, although the force involved in the conquest and tamsp-r of
Tawwaj was not exclusively Azdi at that stage, it may have become so soon afterwards, by the time of
the death of cUmar in 23/644. The evidence for this is to be found in a report, cited both in the Naqa'id
Jarzr wa 'l-Farazdaq (N) and by al-TabarT (T), which reads as follows:
Abfi cUbayda [Macmar b. al-Muthann]a said: it has been claimed by (zacama) Muhliammad b. Hafs, Yfinus b.
Habib, Hubayra b. Hudayr (Judayr in T) and Zuhayr b. Hunayd (Hunayda in T) that Mudar outnumbered
Rabica in Basra and that the body (jamdca) of al-Azd was the last of those who settled at (adkhir man nazala) Basra
once it had(hawwala)
transferred been established
to Basra m.n. (haythu
t.n.kh. (N: mussirat
the Bodleianal-basra (N),reads
manuscript (haythu mussirat al-basra
m.n. t.b.w.h.)/m.n. (T)).no When
t.n.w.kh. (T: cUmar b. al-Khatt.b
variants noted) from the Muslims, the body of al-Azd stayed and did not move; then they betook themselves to
(lahiqa- bi-) Basra after that, at the end of the caliphate of Mucawiya and the beginning of the caliphate of Yazid b.
Mucdwiya .... 109
The problematic reading is, of course, the phrase m.n. t.n.kh./m.n. t.b.w.h./m.n. t.n.w.kh. The editors of
al-TabarC's chonicle fretted about this phrase and finally opted for the reading man tanakha, with the
signification "those [Bedouins] who became settled" ;10 and Bevan, the editor of the Naqd'id, satisfied
himself' with referring to and following their reading. But it is an unsatisfactory reading, for which the
alternative m.n. b.t.wj. can be proposed with some confidence, i.e.fa-lammd hawwala cUmar b. al-Khattab
... man bi-Tawwaj min al-muslimzn ild 'l-Basra ...10a To be sure, the passage as a whole is not without its
problematical aspects: the use of the term zacama indicates a need for caution, the whole question of
the movement of the Azd to Basra is one which requires further work, and one may well muse about
other names which may have been replaced by that of cUmar (e.g. cUthman b. cAff~in, cUbayd Allah b.
Macmar al-Taymi, cAbd Allah b. cAmir etc.). But there are nonetheless grounds for believing that the
passage, or at least that part of it relevant to the present discussion, is correct and that the Arabs based
at Tawwaj from 23/644 onwards were all Azdis. Ghassan b. Mudar knew that the Arabs making up the
expeditionary force settled at Tawwaj and then transferred(tahawwalu) from it,'1 and his use of the
term tahawwalu is strikingly close to Abt cUbayda's hawwala; Sayf's version, for all that it is garbled, is
aware of a movement of Arab fighting men from Firs

cAwtabi's variant report does preserve, as we have
included cAbdis but subsequently consisted solely of Az
Why cUmar should have moved the cAbdis (and perh
by the sources) from Tawwaj when he did is a matter a
It has already been noted that the Arab conquest of al-
opened up new territories for conquest; and as far as c
cerned, the territory which most immediately concerne
Ahwdz. Abt Mfisa may well have needed more men
him, since al-Bahrayn was close to Basra; on the other
cUman in Basra at that time."3 Whether or not the
attempt to redress the imbalance between Mudar an
cUbayda's report, is a question which can only be a
(wrongly in the context of Bani Kaw~n) that the Azdis
there is no obvious reason for thinking that their dislik
else. In the absence of evidence, the hypothesis can be
with him from eastern Arabia to Tawwaj in 21/642 and
Mfisa with cAbdis from Tawwaj without any reduction
It now remains in this section to complete the accou
the years 21/642 to 29/650. This can be done briefly, sin
al-Bal~dhuri's account'14 gives details both of prog
(operations involving Sh.BYR,11 Qalcat al-Shuyfikh
combined operations by cUthman and Abfi Muisa (invo
caliphate of cUmar. cUthman went on to take the fort
herbadh of Darabjird,"7 conquered the territory of
Pk A,/
IN '\'A^ / A A54* 30
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/N A A A A
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cibandajzarn
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O~awwaj l AA,,/'"
Kn Azar, A\
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4 A, tA'Arab
,
aA/,"'. Ax
c A. A
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R~~shahrt~.,t<.. '? A / *Fs
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-aarn~ A.~ A. I Ju. /m
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50 w a. Am/x, A \,A
*Siiz: S.:
vN\ /4<\A "A . r
_9 AA
/1K
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h
OI A
A. ......rA
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30' Jahrum /It
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Fig. 1. Fr
Allat the tieo heAa
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kms /4k\\
A Ah
Fig. I. FdZrs a
(Cazfm) of Fass,"8 and in 23 (or 24) and 26 was occupied at the madfna of Sdabfr. In
peace agreement there with Shahrak's brother, but the terms of this agreement w
broken and the madfna of Sabfir was retaken by force of arms by Abf MfIsa, w
command of the vanguard.119 The date 26/647 for the reconquest of Sdbibr is confirm
although his sources name cUthmin as the amfr and make no reference to Abti M
reports on operations at Qalcat al-Shuyfikh and Kazarfin are given under the same
while al-Balidhuri's account implies an earlier date or dates; similarly, Khalifa's da
agreements at Arrajan and Darabjird is 27/648,122 while an earlier date is implied
account. By the time of the arrival of cAbd Allah b. cAmir in Basra in 29/650, says al-
Fars had been conquered save Istakhr and JfIr".'23 No source (apart from Sayf, bel
cUthmin even attempted to conquer Jfr; and it is clear (despite claims to the contrary
by him and Abti Miasa against Istakhr in 23/644 failed.124
In other words, for all that cUthman and the force at Tawwaj made important
conquest of Fars, that progress was largely on the coastal plain and it was precisely the
the two major mountain strongholds of Istakhr and Jfr which prevented them from t
entirely and afortiori from being able to open up a secure way for expansion further
strongholds accordingly became prime targets in 29/650 when cAbd Allah b. cAmir
appointment, which included both the governorship of Basra and the erstwhile re
cUthman b. Abt 'l-cAs; they were taken in the same year,125 and cAbd Allah b. cAmir
into Kirmin, STstan and Khurasan. The advent of Ibn cAmir put an end to the cUman-
a separate entity, just as it put an end to the role of Tawwaj as a base for holding a fro
campaigns, i.e. it ceased to be a misr in the primary sense.126 It also put an end to the m
cUthman b. Abi 'l-cAs; he was in effect pensioned off by the caliph cUthman, who awa
stantial allocation of land, subsequently known as Shatt cUthman, between al-Ubulla an
IV
Now that we have seen what other sources have to say about the first Arab conquests in Fars, it
becomes feasible to examine and make some assessment of the material transmitted by Sayf b. cUmar
on this subject. There are two relevant passages. According to the first of these,'28 given by al-Tabari
sub anno 17/638, al-cAla' b. al-Hadrami had been governor of al-Bahrayn under Abfi Bakr, was dis-
missed by cUmar who replaced him with Qudama b. al-Maz cfin (sic), and was then reinstated by cUmar
in place of Qudama. Motivated by envy of the successes of Sacd b. Abi Waqqs. against the Persians in
Iraq, and in defiance of cUmar's express prohibition of his engaging in any maritime activity, al-cAla'
sent by sea to Fars an expedition consisting of three bodies of men, led respectively by al-Jartd b. al-
Mucalla, al-Sawwar (sic) b. Hammam, and Khulayd b. al-Mundhir b. Sawa/Saw-; Khulayd was in
overall command. These forces landed in Fars, went in the direction of (? kharaji2 fi) Istakhr, were
opposed by the people of Firs led by the herbadh, were cut off from their ships, fought a battle at Tawus
(sic) in
ships which
had been al-Saww.r and al-Jarud
sunk, and found their waylost their lives,
blocked soughtarmy
by a Persian to head forShahrak.
led by Basra oncUmar,
finding
onthat their
receiv-
ing news of their predicament, dismissed al-cAli', from al-Bahrayn and instructed cUtba, the governor
of Basra, to send a force to the rescue; cUtba accordingly sent a force of 12,000 men, led by Abi Sabra
b. AbT Ruhm. It was this force which fought and defeated Shahrak and brought the Arab survivors of
the battle of Tawus in safety to Basra, where those who stayed were known as ahl tawus.'29 Sayfs
account says of this campaign by the Basran rescue force that it was the campaign in which the nabita of
Basra acquired sharaf'30 cUtba subsequently went on the hajf had his request to cUmar that he be
relieved of his post turned down, and died on the return journey.
Now it will be readily apparent that this, while it makes for a rattling good yarn, is pretty garbled
stuff: the lives of al-cAla' and cUtba have been prolonged, in the case of al-cAla' by having him
reappointed to al-Bahrayn after Qudama;13' the expedition now arises from envy of Sacd b. Abi
aWaqq.s, and it
Tamimi,133 cUmar has expressly
is opposed by the peopleforbidden maritime
of Fars under expeditions;132
the command the force
of al-Mada'ini's is now commanded by
peace-loving
herbadh of Daribjird,'34 and it is engaged in battle at a place named in a form encountered nowhere
else;"35 (al-)Sawwar and al-Jarfid are killed before the encounter

Shahrak simply blocks the way to Basra instead of fighting, and
from being given another appointment by cUmar, al-cAlI' is dism
is led by a Qurashi whose Basran links are known to Sayf alone'37
its main personalities,'38 comes to the rescue; and it is this force,
defeats Shahrak (who still perversely remains alive) and takes the
in Basra.'39 The chronological and sequential inconsistences ar
Basra and Tamim. It is clear that the passage fuses elements f
separate phenomena: (1) the expedition sent to Firs by al-cAla', pr
ship of CArfaja, and (2) the force, sent (or taken) to Fgrs by cUthm
and al-Jarfid, which defeated and killed Shahrak in 19/640 and w
Tawwaj. Sayf's motif of disobedience on the part of al-cAld' fi
Waqidi and others that cUmar's reaction to cArfaja's expedit
Sayf's sole reference to cArfaja in the context of Firs is as one of
force.'40 That rescue force and the move of ahl tdwus to Basra lo
one hand, Basran involvement in Fdrs after 21/642, and, on the o
or shortly afterwards of cAbdis and others from Tawwaj to Basra.1
The second relevant passage in Sayf's transmission is given by
are told that the Basrans who had earlier been sent to Fdrs as amir
the area allocated to him. At that, the Persians (ahlfdrs) who had
returned to their own localities; this marked the end of any effe
Fars. Mujashic b. Mascaid headed for Ardashir Khurra and Sb
defeated an army of Persians (ahlfdrs). That victory is described
[Tawwaj] al-fild having been the engagement in which the forces
time of Tawfis (sic).145 The account then moves on-still sub anno
is regarded as having taken place after Tawwaj al-akhfra.146 I
cUthman b. AbT 'l-cAs headed for Istakhr,147 engaged and defeat
took both Jfir and Istakhr. Then Shahrak forsook obedience (kha
(imdra) and at the beginning of that of cUthman [b. cAff~n], inc
upon them to break their compacts [with the Arabs]. cUthman b.
second time (thdniyatan, but the reading is uncertain)'48 and was
(Ibn al-Athir adds: from Basra) led by cUbayd Allah b. Macm
battle took place in Fgrs, near Rishahr,149 and Shahrak and his so
Shahrak was al- Hakam b. Abi 'l-cAs, the brother of cUthman.15o
Here too the points on which Sayf's version differs from o
Wellhausen observed, the credit for the conquest of Firs now goe
cAs being merely one of a number of Basran amirs who were des
connection is made between him and Tawwaj,'52 where a victory i
He is instead busy taking Istakhr and Jir, and this as early as 23/
being reinforced with troops from Basra) with the rebellious
Rishahr. It seems clear that the main elements being fused here a
fact occurred during a period of more than ten years: (1) the bat
defeated and killed at Rishahr; (2) the unsuccessful campaign
Misa in 23/644; (3) the reconquest of the madina of Saibir by cUt
in 26/647, after Shahrak's brother had broken the peace agre
fortresses of Istakhr and Jir by cAbd Allah b. CAmir in 29/650.
In short, Sayfs account of the first Arab conquests in Firs exh
istics: the chronology is deviant and the sequence of events is ecc
tendentious (e.g. playing up the Basrans and Tamim) and it is emb
(e.g. a Persian army led by a hirbad). What is unusual in the contex
characteristics are exhibited; as a result, while it is often possible
Sayf's material on other subjects,154 there seems to be little that i
Fars. It helps to support the view that some of the Arab troops based on Taw
to Basra by the death of cUmar, and it is alone in alluding to the ships o
supports the notion that there was some sort of link (yet to be explaine
Basran Mujashic b. Mascad.l55 But that is all.
"Fars, therefore, is one of the Basrah camping-grounds, for it was conquered by the army from
Basrah." So says the Fdrs-ndma,'56 and so indeed did matters turn out. But we are now in a position to
see that the

governor storyinis29/650,
of Basra more complex than operations
Arab military that. Although the conquest
there prior of F.rs
to that year werewas completed
carried by a
out-first
of all solely, and later mainly-by tribesmen who had crossed from eastern Arabia and had no connec-
tion with Basra. This is something which the account of Sayf b. cUmar seeks to play down; but other
sources have permitted us to make a more detailed assessment than is usually possible of the
idiosyncrasies of what Sayf has to say. Such an assessment has involved in the first place the unravel-
ling of the contradictory information provided by the sources in connection with the chronology of
the early governors appointed from Medina over al-Bahrayn and cUman. This in turn has permitted us
to locate cUthman b. AbT 'l-cAs, who, in addition to being governor of al-Bahrayn and cUman from
15/636which
tions, to 29/650, was commander
were preceded of Arab at
by an engagement operations
the island in
of F.rs from 19/640
Abarkawan, startedtowith
29/650. Those at
settlement opera-
Tawwaj on the coastal plain of Fars, a victory over the marzban of Fars, and the establishment of
Tawwaj as a misr from which summer campaigning was carried out; the Tawwaj force occasionally
campaigned in conjunction with Basran forces. Their most important achievement was the recon-
quest of Sabfir in 26/647; their signal failure was that the fortresses of Jir and Istakhr remained
unconquered. The principal reasons for this were presumably that the going in the mountains was
much harder than in the coastal plain and that cUthman b. Abt 'l-cAs did not have sufficient forces at
his disposal; in the year 21/642, the number seems to have been in the order of 2,000-3,000, and there
is no evidence of any increase in that number thereafter. Further progress in Fars became possible only
from 29/650, when Ibn cAmir took on a newly created post which included both the governorship of
Basra and the erstwhile responsibilities of cUthman b. Abi 'l-cAs. His appointment marked the end of
the Tawwaj force as a separate entity, and his subsequent successes marked the end of Tawwaj as a base
for campaigning.
al-Bahrayn, of course, at this time signified not the island which cerned Wellhausen; he was dealing with the conquest of Iran as a
now bears that name but the coastal region of eastern Arabia whole, not simply that of Fars.
from present-day Kuwait as far as a somewhat indeterminate 12 In this connection, a great many references (but no discussion)
point in the present-day Union of Arab Emirates (see J. C. are provided by A. A. al-Najm, al-Bahrayn fi sadr al-Islam wa-
Wilkinson, "A sketch of the historical geography of the Trucial atharuhd Caldi harakat al-Khawadr (Baghdad 1973), pp. 153-5; also
Oman down to the beginning of the sixteenth century", GJ, Caetani, op. cit., IV, pp. 147f.
CXXX (1964), p. 347 n.). 13 Ibn Sacd, IV/2, p. 76.16. Bal. p. 78.11 (followed by Yaqit, II/2, p.
2 Almost certainly also of cUman, and perhaps of al-Yamama too 508) tells us more generally that he was a haltf of cAbd Shams,
(see below, pp. 41 ff.). while al-Dhahabi (II, p. 43.10, citing Ibn Ishaq) tells us more
Khal. p. 136. 7 (no authority cited: wa-jamaca dhdlika ajmaca li-cA.). specifically that his father had been a hal?fof Harb b. Umayya.
Tab. I. 2832.4 (citing al-Mada'ini from al-Hudhali: wa-jumiCa 14 Ibn Sacd, IV/2, p. 76.19ff; Bal. p. 78.11; Tab. I, pp. 1600.9,
lahujund A.M. wa-jund cU.). .1737.12, 1750.18. Cf. E. Shoufani, al-Riddah and the Muslim
J. Wellhausen, Skizzen und Vorarbeiten, sechstes Heft: Prolegomena zur conquest of Arabia (Toronto, 1973), p. 85.
iltesten Geschichte des Islams (Berlin, 1899) (13. Die Eroberung von 15 Khal. p. 62.11; Ibn Sacd, IV/2, p. 77.9 (reads Aban b. Sacd, but
Iran, pp. 94-113), p. 103. Aban b. Sacid on lines 26f.); Bal. p. 81.11 (qalu); Yaqit, 1/2, p.
6 L. Caetani, Annali dell'Islam (Milan, 1905-26), V, pp. 3 1f. 509.8f. Cf. Shoufani, op. cit., pp. 85f.
7 B. Spuler, Iran infriih-islamischer Zeit (Wiesbaden, 1952), pp. 11, '6 Tab. I, pp. 1737.14, 1750.18.
16-17, where it is believed, erroneously, that al-Bahrayn in this '~ Khal. p. 83.10/11AH/ (al-Mada'ini) and p. 91.5; Bal. p. 81.15
context was the island now known by that name. (qdlu). The appointment is mentioned also in Sayf's transmission
s M. A. Shaban, Islamic history A.D. 600-750 (A.H. 132) (Tab. I, p. 1881.6/11AH/); cf. Shoufani, op. cit. pp. 86f., 131-4.
(Cambridge 1971), p. 52. Khal. cites a report (p. 91.6, al-Ansari ...) that Abfo Bakr
9 Wellhausen, op. cit., pp. 101ff; Caetani, op. cit., IV, p. 153. appointed Anas [b. Mdlik] over al-Bahrayn and much the same
10 A. Noth, "Der Charakter der ersten grossen Sammlungen von report, with the same isndd, is to be found elsewhere (e.g. Ibn
Nachrichten zur friihen Kalifenzeit", Der Islam, XLVII (1971), pp. HIajar, al-Isdba (Cairo 1328), I, p. 72.13ff.). But there seems to be
168-99. no confirmation of this, Anas was probably too young (see EI2),
" But it is of course a fuller treatment of only part of what con- and the report appears to have originated with his son.
18 Khal. p 83; Bal. pp. 83f. Also Sayf, cUthman

in Tab. I, pp.
b. Abi 'l-cAs. 1962-75.
Such evidence Cf.
as al-Najm may have found
Shoufani, op. cit., pp. 86f., 131-4. concerning the governorship of al-Rabic has been omitted,
perhaps by oversight on the part of the printer; I have not so far
'9 Khal. p. 93.17ff./13AH/ (AbM cUbayda); Bal. p. 85.9ff. (qtdlf), 14ff.
(Abi cUbayda). These accounts say that found any the siege of al-Zara
in the sources.
started in the caliphate of Aba Bakr and that
32 But this can the town
be no more was taken
than a conjecture at present.
in the caliphate of cUmar. Cf. Ibn Sacd,
3 ControlIV/2, p.evidently
of the ahddth 78.9involved
(sulh) and of order
the maintaining
Yaiqft, 11/2, p. 907/12AH/. (see EI2, I, p. 256b; and de Goeje's Glossarium in his intro-
20 Tab. I, pp. 2136.3, 2212.8. duction to Bal. pp. 24f.), although the exact signification of the
21 Ibn SaCd, IV/2, p. 78.11-13 (rajaca 'I-hadfth ila 'l-awwal, i.e. al-
term remains unclear.
W~qidi: aghdira Cald BAR YKhAN34wa- This is 'l-asydif-where was
Yaqot's version; al-Balidhuri's says al-saldt wa 'l-ahldath,
BARYKhAN?); Bal. p. 386.7 (qafia), following
which makesthe codd.
no sense for
since they the Abo Hurayra's pre-
constituted
form of CArfaja's name, rather than the editor
existing remit. (who turns it into
H. b. CA.). Ibn Khaldin (al-clbar (Bfiilq 1274),
31 Bal. p. 82.2-5;I, p. 211.7f.)
Yaqfit, knew
II/1, p. 509.20-2. This passage is a direct
that CArfaja was sent by cUmar to cUmin
continuation and
of the Abafearned
Mikhnaf report hisreferred to above (n.
displeasure by undertaking a maritime25); expedition;
it would seem that but no sentence
the final refer- here was by accident
ence is made there to al-CAld'. also placed in the earlier part of the report.
22 The Bal. report just cited in fact says 36
that
Bal. p.CUmar
82.5-10. wrote to al-CAld'
instructing him to send CArfaja to reinforce cUtba b. Farqad al-
3 Tab. I, p. 2594.9.
Sulamf, but the evidence provided by38al-Wiqidi apud
Ibn Sacd's reference (1/2,al-Tabari
p. 28.1f.) to the(I,
Prophet's having sent
p. 2382.10/14AH/) and elsewhere by Qudama
al-Balddhuri (p.
and Abfi Hurayra 341.17 to collect jizya need
to al-Bahrayn
(qdlN)) suggests that this arises from anot concern us here.
confusion. al-Waqidi says
that cUmar wrote to al-cAla' instructing him to send CArfaja to
19 Tab. I, p. 1691.9 (Ibn Ishlq).
reinforce cUtba b. Ghazwin, while the 40 For second
example, Khal. Bal. report
pp. 61.20, says
91.14; Tab. I, pp. 1983.2, 2135.16,
that CArfaja (the text reads Harthama 2212.7.b. CA.) went to cUtba [b.
Ghazwan] at Basra (sic) and later went to Mosul;
41 Muscab this provides
b. al-Zubayr's later abuse ofthe
cUthman's son, to the effect
key to understanding the confusion, for that hisitfather
washad atbeenMosul that
a cilj from the people of Hajar and had
cUtba b. Farqad was to be found (Tab. I, p.by2481.8;
been absorbed the people of Bal. p.
al-Ti'if (Tab. II, p. 802), should
249.13, 331.15, 332.4,10, 386.7). See also beYaqfit,
treated with111/2,
due reserve.p. 837.6ff.
and cf. F. M. Donner, The early Islamic42conquests
Khal. p. 104.16; (Princeton
Bal. p. 431.20. 1981),
Al-Balidhuri's version of this
pp. 196f. (CA. b. H.) and 216 (H. b. CA.).report goes on directly to say that cUthman (1) sent an army to
23 Khal. p. 96.3 (al-Mada'ini), also p. Tina
128.9; Ibn Sacd,
(near Bombay) IV/2,
and that this p.cUmar's displeasure,
incurred
78.16 (al-Mada'ini). Also al-Dhahabi, II,
evenp. 43.5f.
though (wa-qfla
the army inna (2) sent his brother al-
returned unscathed,
Hakam
Cumar walldhu 'l-basrafa-mata qabla an yasila to Barwas (i.e. Broach), and (3) sent another brother, al-
ilayhtu).
24 Wrongly NYAS in al-cUmari's editionMughira, of Khal. to Kh6r(p. 96.5, where
al-Daybul, but he cor-
won a victory. No dates
rectly in Zakkhr's edition, vol. I (Damascus, are given for 1967), p. 113.16);
these operations, which are not even mentioned by
wrongly LYAS in Ibn Sacd, IV/2, pp. 78.27, Khalifa or 79.6. Seebut
al-Tabari, Naqd'id, p. apparent from what
it will become
follows that they are unlikely to have taken place before 21/642.
1025.5ff., and Yaqiqt, 1/2, p. 904.
25 Bal. p. 81.20ff. (followed by Ydqlit, 1/2, M. Ishaq
p. ("A peep into the first
509.16ff.). The Arab expeditions to India under
words
omitted in this citation read "and he appointed the companions of cUthman
the Prophet",b. Abi
Islamic Culture, XIX (1945), p.
'l-cAs over al-Bahrayn and cUman"; it 112) willoptsbefor seen
the yearbelow
23 on the(n.
basis35)
of a thoroughly confused
that this has probably arisen by dittography and should
and inaccurate treatment be
of the chronology of the governors
ignored. appointed from Medina over al-Bahrayn.
26 The contradictory chronological information relating to cUtba 43 For al-CAwtabi's floruit, see J. C. Wilkinson, "The Omani
and Basra poses no less of a problem than that relating to al- manuscript collection at Muscat, part II: early Ibddifiqh works",
cAla' and al-Bahlrayn, and Sayf prolongs the life of cUtba as well Arabian Studies, IV (1977), p. 197. The Paris manuscript (B. N.
as that of al-CAla'. Here it will be sufficient to note that the Paris, mss. arabes 5019) is cited here.
account of Khalifa (p. 98.8) and that of al-Tabari citing al- 44 al-CAwtabi, fols. 223a. 6-10, 281b.17.
Mada'ini (I, p. 2386.13). Both imply that it was very soon after 14 45 Tab. I, p. 2426.15; cited also by al-Dhahabi, II, p. 13.3.
that cUtba left Basra and then died; in addition, al-Balidhuri 46 The lack of any reference to governors of al-Yamama alone in
tells us that cUtba left Basra in late 15 or early 16 (p. 376.18 this period may be taken to suggest that al-Yamima formed part
(qala)), and he cites al-Waqidi to the effect that he died in 16 (p. of the governorship of al-Bahrayn.
350.16). Needless to say, Sayf's account of cUtba's death appears 47 Tab. I, p. 2481.1.
under the year 17 (Tab. 1, 2550.7). 48 Tab. I, p. 2570.2.
27 Tab. I, p. 2481.4. 49 See n. 27 above.
28 Bal. p. 81.15ff. (also cited by Yaqot, 1/2, p. 509.12ff.) where it is s0 Tab. I, pp. 2212.13 (13 AH: governor of cUmin and al-
also improbably claimed that al-cAla' visited Tawwaj. al- Yamima), 2389.1 (14 AH), 2426.1 (15 AH: also al-Dhahabi, II,
Dhahabi (II p. 43) places the necrology of al-'Ala', under the year p. 13.4), 2481.1 (16 AH), 2570.2 (17 AH). al-Tabari also says (I,
21; it is not clear why. pp. 2578.10, 2579.16) that the governors in 18 and 19 were the
29 It Will be seen below p. 27 that there are no grounds for believing same as those in 17 and 18 respectively.
Sayf's report sub anno 17 that al-CAli' was reappointed by " Khal. p. 91.9; Bal. p. 77.4. Also al-Yacqbib p. 156.21.
CUmar to al-Ba~hrayn after he had been replaced there by 52 Although the combination of cUmin and al-Yamlnma (Tab. I, p.
Qudama b. al-MazCin (sic). 2212.13) is decidedly odd.
30 Khal.p. 128.11. 3 He is said (admittedly by Sayf) to have been with al-Muthanna b.
3 As noted by al-Najm (op. cit., p. 155), CAyyash is reported in the al-Hairitha in Iraq in 13 (Tab. I, p. 2207.11) and in 14 to have
IstCFb of Ibn cAbd al-Barr (ed. Bijiwi (Cairo 1358), III, p. 1230) taken part on two occasions in parleys with the Persians
and in the Usd al-ghaba of Ibn al-Athir (Cairo 1285-7), IV, p. 161) confronting Sacd b. Abi Waqqas there (Tab. I, pp. 2273.6,
to have been appointed to al-Bahrayn by cUmar before Qudama. 2292.1).
The sequence of governors given by al-Najm is: al-'CAla', 54 al-Baladhuri's report citing al-cUmari from al-Haytham b. cAdi
CAyyash, Qudama, Abo Hurayra, al-Rabic b. Ziyad al-Hirithi, (p. 82.9) not only implies that cUthman's appointment over al-
Bahrayn included cUman from the start, but Dih Kuhnah

also(Old Village) specific-
states [29028'N, 50059'E], the chief town of
ally that cUmin was [still] included in it at thethe time
(modern) of cUmar's
Shabankirah sub-district of the Dashtistin
death; there is no evidence to suggest that this
District" (Thestate of
geographical partaffairs
of the Nuzhat al-qulib composed by
changed in the period from cUmar's death in Hamd-Alldh
23/644 Mustawfi
up toofthe Qazwin in 740 (1340) (Leiden and
end
London, 1919), p. 115,
of CUthman's tenure of office in 29/650. (al-YaCqfibi (p.n.186.4f.)
2). is
of course completely at sea when he says that Tawwaj
70 fa-nazala thefa-fatahahd
governors of'l-masdjid wa-lao alahd
wa-band biha
cUmin and al-Balhrayn at the time of cUmar's ddran li-'l-muslimfn
death...were (Bal. p. 386.14f.).
AbfiCf. al-Dinawarl (p. 141.
Hurayra and al-Harith (sic) b. Abi'l-CAs respectively.)
If.): fa-nazala makdnan yusammd Tawwaj fa-sayyarahu ddr hijra wa-
55 See n. 18 above. band masjidanjamican...
56 Ahddth (see n. 33 above) and saldt, rather 71
than harb Needless
Bal. p. 386.13ff. and saldt.
to say, al-Yacqfibi is mistaken in saying
57 Bal. p. 391.9 (no authority cited). that cUthman b. Abi 'l-CAs was sent to Tawwaj by Abo Bakr (p.
151.15). Kiwin; also called
58 Abarkiwin = Barkiwdn = Kiwin = Bani
Lift, and now Qishm. See Yaqfit, II/1,72 p. 79.2
min ard Sdbfir and 111/2,
wa-hiya bi-qurb p. p. 387.1).
Tawwaj (Bal.
837.15; also G. Le Strange, The lands of the
" For eastern
the first time, as far caliphate
as the qdla account is concerned.
(Cambridge, 1905), p. 261. 74 Bal. p. 386.18ff. Much the same account (but with variants, e.g.
59 Bal. p. 386.10ff. (qdlfi). Rishahr for Rashahr) is given by Yaqt (11/2, p. 887.4ff. and
60 al-cAwtabi, fols. 223a.10-223b.17, 281b.18-282a.8; cited
111/2, p. 837. 17ff., where the inare not identified). al-
authorities
abbreviated form by al-Salimi, Tuhfat al-acydn
Dinawaribi-strat ahl (111/2,
(p. 141.7) and Yaqfit cUmdnp. 837.18) give the marzbdn's
(Cairo, 1961), I, pp. 68f. name as Suhrak, which seems likely to have been the original
6' Khal. pp. 107f. (17 AH); Bal. p. 265.10f.form
(Ibn
(see T.al-Kalbi: end
Nl1deke, Persische of[I] (Vienna 1881), p. 33;
Studien
16); Tab. I, p. 2470.8f. (qdlhijamian: Dhii 'l-Qacda, 16). Namenbuch (Marburg 1895), p. 292 sub
and F. Justi, Iranisches
62 Ydqfit, II/1, p. 63; J. C. Wilkinson, "A sketch trpd&tKls). . . ." (see n. 1), p.
345.
7 Tab. I, p. 2698.11ff.
63 See n. 58. 76 Tab. I, pp. 2698ff.
64 The Persian force crossed from Hurmfz ild ra's al-Qishm and was 77 Khal. p. 113.8.
met by cUthman fjazfrat al-Qishm wa 'smuhdJdsh (al-cAwtabi, fols. 78 al-Dinawari (p. 141.1-7) continues to echo Abf Mikhnaf (cf. n.
223b.8 (where ild ra's al-Qishm is omitted), 282a.6f.). In other 70), but with variants: after establishing the base at Tawwaj,
words, for al-CAwtabi al-Qishm is the name of an island other cUthman spent a year gaining control of some of the territories
than Bani Kiwan; and, if he is correct in that, we are presumably of Sbfir, Istakhr and Arrajan; then he deputed his brother al-
dealing with either Larak Island or Hormuz Island of the present Hakam and went to Medina (presumably in order to report). al-
day. But it is possible that al-cAwtabi himself was confused by the Hakam was the commander of the Arab force at the battle
welter of names: Jash may reasonably be equated with Jasik, against Suhrak/Shahrak.
which was an island neighbouring Bani Kawan or was possibly 7 Khal. p. 113.12.
merely another name for it (Le Strange, op. cit., p. 261); and Yaqft's 80 They are considered below, in connection with the third point.
description of it (II/1, p. 9) makes it suspiciously like Bani 81 See n. 42 above.
Kawan, although he nowhere says that they are one and the 82 Tab. I, pp. 2505.15, 2606.5; also al-Dhahabi, II, p. 27.5.
same. It is difficult to see why a Persian force crossing from the Although this may seem to be improbable, it was nonetheless the
mainland to dislodge an Arab force from island A should be case that the conquest of the Jazira constituted an important
engaged on island B; and it may rather be the case that ra's al- priority for the Arabs in the years 17-20 (see, for example, M.
Qishm was at the eastern end of Bani Kaiwn, in the vicinity of the Hinds, "KUifan political alignments and their background in the
present town of Qishm, and that that was where the engagement mid-seventh century A.D.", IJMES, II (1971), p. 351); by the
took place. (It can be added that present-day Jask, a town on the time of his death in 20, Clyad had conquered most of the Jazira
Persian coast due east of Daba, is irrelevant to the present dis- and had reached Byzantine Armenia (Bal. p. 176; Khal. p. 120). It
cussion.) can be noted too that the Tdrfkh-i Sfstdn (ed. Bahar (Tehran 1314),
65 al-cAwtabi, fol. 223b.9ff. (they were asdwira, mardziba and ajilld' p. 75) says that the caliph cUmar sent cUthmin b. AbT 'l-cAs to
al-Cajam). conquer the nawdhf of Adharbayjan.
66 In all probability, Yazdajird withdrew first to IsfahSn and then to 81 Khal. p. 113.9 (i.e. December, 640).
Istakhr, where he stayed until forced out of Firs altogether (Bal. 84 Khal. p. 113.12-14.
pp. 301.15. (qdli), 315.3 (qdlfi), 374.12ff. (al-Mada'ini); Tab. I, 85 al-'Awtabi, fols. 224a.8-10, 282a.16f. For him, Tawwaj was in
pp. 2561f. (al-Mada'ini)). But Sayf takes him to al-Rayy before Iraq/ard al-cIrdq.
Isfahan and makes no mention of Istakhr (Tab. I, pp. 268 If.), the 86 Khal. p. 113.12 (fa-laqfz Shahrak b.n. y.s.h.r.); the Damascus edition
report on the ultimate authority of cUbayd Allih b. Sulayman (ed. Zakkar (1967), p. 134.13) readsfa-laqu Shahrak b.r.y.s.h.r. The
(Tab. I, p. 2698) takes him toJfir, and al-Dinawari tells us that he obvious reading isfa-laqu Shahrak bi-Rishahr.
was at Qumm before going to Istakhr (pp. 141.8, 148.9). 87 H. Gaube (Die siidpersische Provinz Arragdn/Kuh Giluyeh von der
67 One which was effectively achieved in 20/641 with the taking of arabischen Eroberung bis zur Safawidenzeit (Vienna, 1973), pp. 34f.) is
Tustar (Khal. pp. 116f.; Bal. pp. 374, 380f.; Tab. I, pp. 2551ff., the most recent of those who have argued that the Rishahr in
2562). question lay between Arrajan and Mahroban, at the site of
68 al-CAwtabi's reference to the lord of Kirman suggests that present-day Zaydan (30026'N, 50003'E). This Rishahr (Rishahr')
Abarkawan formed part of Kirman in the Sasanian scheme of was some fifteen miles due north of the coast and some eighty
things; and the Abarkawan operation is indeed the first thing miles north-west of the presumed site of Tawwaj as the crow flies.
described by al-Baladhuri in his section on Kirman (p. 391.9ff.). The case for Rishahr2 has been put most recently by Whitehouse
Cf. Le Strange (op. cit., p. 261), where it is regarded as part of and Williamson ("Sasanian maritime trade", Iran, XI (1973), pp.
F~irs. 35-41): this is that the Rishahr in question was at the site which
69 Concerning Tawwaj, Le Strange remarks in his Lands of the eastern still bears that name on the coast of the Bushire peninsula
caliphate (pp. 259f.): "Its site has never been identified, but the (28055'N, 50044'E). It possesses sheltered anchorages and is
position of the town is given as on or near the Shipir river, in a about forty miles south-south-west of the presumed site of
gorge, being 12 leagues from Jannabah on the coast, and four Tawwaj. One of the attractions of this latter identification is that
from the pass that leads down from Dariz"; he later opined that the Arab force which crossed by sea from Jurrafar would have
"the site of the town is probably to be identified with the present required anchorages for its ships at a place not too distant from
the new base; and those ships wouldreference

have is made
been to the an
presence at Basra of al-Azd
obvious m.q.d.m.h.d.
target
for the marzbdn (indeed Sayf (below,b.n. n.w.h.
p. 47) (ms. Ambrosiana,
says that no. H.129,the
fol.181b). Professor
ships
were sunk). A crux in this connection
Pellatis
read al-Balddhuri's
this phrase as yataqaddamuhd ibnstatement
nfah ("Risdlat cAmr b.
that Rdshahr was min ard Sdbfir Bahr
bi-qurb Tawwaj
al-Jdhiz ft '1-hakamayn (see
wa-taswfb amfr n. cAlf
al-mu'minfn 72):
b. Abf
Rishahr2 was more likely than Rishahr' to have
Tdlibfificlihi", been
in al-Machriq 52e ann&ereckoned
(1958), p. 428); but noas
Ibn
part of Sabfir territory; and RishahrI cannot be said to have been
Nth is elsewhere attested in connection with al-Azd or Basra at
the time
near Tawwaj, whereas Rishahr2 can. in question, andWhitehouse
Indeed, effortless sense can be made
and of the
Williamson (p. 35) have remarked that reading maqdamahd min Tawwaj,
Hieratis, toward "on their arrival
thefrom Tawwaj".
south
' Khal. p. 113.14. was the port of the
end of the Bushire peninsula "presumably
Achaemenian palace near Taoke, 112 the forerunner
As we shall see below, pp. 47f. of medieval
113 al-cAwtabi (fol. 224b.5-7,
Tawaf'. Cf. (in addition to the references given cited by
byal-Salimi, op. cit., p. 69)
Gaube andtells us
Whitehouse-Williamson) J.-M. Fiey, "Dioc6ses
that the first cUmanis to go to orientaux
Basra were eighteen men du [among
Golfe persique" in Memorial Mgr. whom G. was] Kacb b. Siar; Kacb had gone from
Khouri-Sarkis Tawwaj on a wafd
(Louvain,
1969), pp. 179-80. to cUmar, who appointed him as qddf of Basra. al-CAwtabi
80 Khal. p. 113.8. The same report is given
implies that few if by al-Dhahabi
any other (II,
Azd cUman went to Basra beforep.
the
27.1, citing Khalifa), except that Suhdb caliphateappears
of cUthman. as Isbahan.
'9 Yqfit (III/1, p. 436) knows it as a 114 Bal. p. 388.1ff.
place name(qdlft). but does not know
where it is. Other sources know it "5simply
Which remains to as be identified.
a village in Fars (al-
Bakri, Mucjam md 'stajam, ed. al-Saqqi
116 Correcting(Cairo
the text from1947-51), p.
qalcat al-s.t.w.j. (Bal. p. 884;
388.2); accord-
C. Barbier de Meynard, Dictionnaire inggiographique, historique
to Khalifa (p. 133.18) and the Ttrfkh-i Sfstan (p. 79.1f.), et
it was
atJirra.
litt'raire de la Perse et contrees adjacentes (Paris, 1861), p. 373).
17 Bal. p. 388.11. Khalifa (citing al-Mada'ini, see n. 122) also knew
90 BARYKhAN
al-cAwtabi, fol. 223b. 16:jL,_l.The
of al-Waqidi apud Ibnsimilarity of 21)
Sacd (see n. thisisform
fairlyto the about this herbadh at Darabjird. On the functions of the
obvious. Zoroastrian hirbad as a religious teacher, see M.-L. Chaumont,
91 Against al-Baladhuri's report that Sawwir was himself killed "Recherches
at sur le clerge zoroastrien: le herbad", RHR, CLVIII
the battle, we have Khalifa's report (p. 122.10f.) that Sawwdr b.(1960), pp. 55-80, 161-79; cf. A. Christensen, L'Iran sous les
HBAR al-CAbdi lived until the year 21; an almost identical reportSassanides2 (Copenhagen, 1944), pp. 119, 136, 302. If indeed it
is given by al-Dhahabi (II, p. 39.7), where the name is given aswas a hirbad who made the peace agreement there, this would
Saww~ r b. al-Muthanni. suggest that the more appropriate dignitaries had fled.
92 Khal. p. 113.6f, 13. " Bal. p. 388.14. A variant substitutes the afore-mentioned hirbad
93 al-cAwtabi, fols. 223b. 19-224a.2, 282a. 13f. for the cazim (wa-yuqdl inna 'l-herbadh stlaha calayhd aydan).
94 Khal. p. 122.10: nazala ... Tawwaj wa-massaraha. 119 Bal. pp. 388.15-389.2 (qdlft). Note that Hill wrongly believes that
95 See n. 67 above. Shahrak, rather than his brother, was involved in this (D. R. Hill,
96 By the same token, campaigns in the direction of India (see n. 42) The termination of hostilities in the early Arab conquests (London,
are unlikely to have taken place any earlier than 21/642. 1971), pp. 126, 136).
97 Al-Dinawari knows that cUthman arrived in Firs after the 120 Khal. p. 133.11ff. (citing al-Walid b. Hisham and al-Mada'ini);
conquest of al-AhwSz (p. 140.20); but either he is confused or he cf. al-Dhahabi, II, p. 78.8. al-Yacqfbi (II, p. 190.3), al-Dinawari
does not mean the whole of al-Ahwdz, since he goes on to give an (p. 148.5f.), and the T&rikh-i Sistdn (p. 78.4) also refer to cUthman
account which resembles that of Abfi Mikhnaf (see n. 7 8). alone in this connection: al-Yacqfibi and the T(rzkh-i Sistdn both
98 In what seems to be the primary sense of "limit": see Ibn give the date 26, and the Tdrikh-i Sfstdn knows that this was the
Manzflr Lisdn al-carab (Bfil~q 1300-7), VII, p. 23.15 (wa 'l-misr al- second occasion on which Sabfir was taken by the Arabs; al-
hajiz wa 'l-hadd bayna 'l-shay'ayn); cf. S.A. al-cAli, al-Tanzfmnit al- Dinawari incorrectly implies that it took place in 29. The date 26
is further confirmed by Abfi Zurca (Ta'rikh, ed. al-QOjani
yitimaciyya
(Beirut, 1969), p. wa
13n. 'l-iqtis.udiyya ft 'l-Basra ft 'l-qarn al-awwal al-hi/rfr (Damascus, 1980), p. 184.17 (citing Ibn Hanbal)), who refers to
99 Khal. p. 122.10-12 (and note 91 above). Like Khalifa, Ibn al- the operation as ghazwat SdbfOr al-junad.
Athir (III, p. 16.1) gives 21 as the date of al-Jarud's death, while 121 Khal. p. 133.18f. The Trikh-i Sistdn also gives 26 as the date of
Abo cUbayda gives 22 (Bal. p. 389.2-5, where he also tells us that cUthman's capture of Kazarfn (p. 78.4).
cAqabat al-Jarfd was inland, between Jirra and Shiraz). On the 122 Khal. p. 134.6ff. (al-Mada'ini (Arrajan and Darabjird) and al-
other hand, Ibn Sacd (VII/1, p. 61) says that he was killed in the Walid b. Hisham (Darabjird)); also al-Dhahabi, II, p. 78.19
battle against Shahrak. (citing al-Mada'ini's source, Dawid b. Abi Hind) and Tdrikh-i
100 Khal. p. 123.3ff. Sistdn, p. 79.2f.).
101 Khal. p. 126.6-8. 123 Bal. p. 315.8.
102 Khal. p. 113.15f. Cf. Yaqfit's statement (I/2, p. 890.11f.) that 124 Khal. p. 126.4 (Bakr from Ibn Ishlq); Abt Zurca, p. 180.12 (Ibn
Tawwaj was conquered by Mujashic.
103 See above, p. 42. H.anbal);
and Bal.al-Yacqfbi,
al-Waqidi); p. 315.3ff. (qdlfi);alsoTab.
p. 180.7f.; I, p.op.
Caetani, 2694.4
cit., V,(Abfi Macshar
104 See above, p. 42. pp. 19f. It was Abfi Macshar who said that Istakhr was conquered
105 al-cAwtabi, fol.223b.9ff. in that year, and the same claim was made by Elias of Nisibis
106 alAwtabi, fol. 223b. 16f. (Opus chronologicum (Louvain, 1910), p. 135, citing al- Khwarazmi);
107 Tab. I, p. 2698.11. but his information was presumably derived ultimately from
10s Tab. I, p. 2699.4f. Abo Macshar, as Wellhausen observed (op. cit., p. 112).
109 Naqd'id, p. 729.14ff.; Tab. II, p. 449.20ff. 125 Khal. pp. 137, 139 (reading JOr for KhWZ); Bal. p. 389. al-
1o Introductio, Glossarium, Addenda et Emendanda, p. DCLXII: "lectio Dinawari (p. 148.10) credits cUthman b. Abi 'l-cAs and cAbd
tandkh corrupta esse debet, nam de tribu Jamanica Tanfikh Allah b. cAmir jointly with victory at Istakhr; on the other hand,
quaestio esse nequit. Na (i.e. the Naqd'itd) habet tabawwakha quod the conquest of Istakhr is attributed by al-Waqidi to Hisham b.
etiam corruptum est. Forte 1. man tanakha [ = ] qui (e Bedawis) cAmir in the year 28 (Tab. I, p. 2827.15; Wellhausen, op. cit., p.
sedesfixas sibi ceperant." As noted, the Bodleian manuscript of the 112) and that date is given also by Abi Zurca (p. 185.6).
26 See n. 98. According to al-cAwtabi (fol. 224b.8-11), Abd Allah b.
Naqt'id in fact gives t.b.w.h. and not t.b.w.kh. CAmir, after he had assumed his appointment, left some of the
I a An analagous problematic textual reading involving Tawwaj
occurs in the Risila ft 'l-hakamayn by al-Jahiz, at a point where Azdis at Tawwaj but took others to Basra. If we are to believe
AbO cUbayda (above p. 45), the last Azdis becomes

to leavesdd in Arabic
Tawwaj for(A. Siddiqi, Studien iiber die persisc
Basra did so in the late 50s or early 60s, i.e. in the late
Fremdwdrter im670s or Arabisch (Gtttingen, 1919), pp. 38, 72),
klassichen
early 680s. that tdwachi becomes tdwasi). Presumably it was because S
and/or
127 This, at least, is what we are told by his authorities
Ydqfit (III, pp.were familiar with the word tadwis, a
290.15-291.8), who cites what purports to beproper noun and
cUthman's as atonoun signifying "peacock", that tdw
letter
Ibn Abi 'l-cAs in that connection (dated 22 Jumad
became tdwdsII 29
and=tawus;
2 but it remains to be explained w
March 650); cited by M. Ishaq, "A peep . . ."Sayf's (see n. 42), p.
account 114, in opting for this form, while the ot
is alone
who misrepresents the date as 29 February Arabic 650. The text
sources allof the
stick with the form Tawwaj.
document makes it clear that the award was intended to com- 16 Or possibly at it: see above, pp. 43, 44 and nn. 91 and 99.
137 al-Tabari's knowledge of such links arises from Sayfs ac
pensate Ibn Abi 'l-cAs for (1) property of his in the Hijaz which
had been taken over by cUthmdn, and (2) his loss of office: the Ibn Sard (III/1, p. 293 and V. p. 328) knows nothing of them.
account given by al-BalIdhuri (pp. 351.22, 362.6) alludes only 138to'Asim b. cAmr, al-Tarjuman b.fuldn [al-Hujaymi], al-Husay
the first of these elements. On the other hand, it is a striking Abi 'l-Hurr, al-Ahnafb. Qays, Sacsaca b. Mucawiya, and poss
feature of Ibn Sacd's biographical notice about Ibn Abt 'l-cAs others (Tab. I, pp. 2548.16-2549.2).
(VII/1, pp. 26.20-27.1) that it makes no reference whatsoever ~' Hence
to Shaban's remark (see p. 39 and n. 8).
his links with al-Bahrayn and Fdrs and says simply that he140 wasTab. I, p. 2548.16.
sent by cUmar to Basra, where he constructed a ddr and putIt can be added that the reference to Twus as the campaig
141
lands-including Shatt cUthman-under cultivation (wa- which the ndbita of Basra acquired sharaf (see n. 130) sho
'stakhraja ffh amwdlan minhd Shatt cUthmdn). It is therefore an openprobably also be associated with Abf Mfis's Basra-based r
question whether CUthman b. AbT 'l-cAs had any interests on in FSrs after 21/642. For other instances, see Tab. I, pp. 25
Basra before 29/650. (Sayf: all who took part in the Ahwdz campaign), 2633.17 (Sa
128 Tab. I, pp. 2545.11-2550.17; much the same account is given those rawadif who had shown valour at Nihawand); cf. Hin
(without an isndd) by al-Maqrizi (Khiitat (Baldq 1270), II, pp. "Ktifan political alignments .. ." (see n. 82), p. 352.
189.17-190.2). 142 Tab. I, pp. 2694.8-2698.3.
129 al-Maqrizi's version (which does not mention Shahrak) differs '4atTheir names and appointments are specified by al-Tabari, c
this point, saying simply fa-fataha 'lldh cald 'l-muslimfn wa-qutila 'l- Sayf, under the year 17 (I, p. 2569.1ff.).
mushrikan wa-cdda 'l-muslimdfn bi-'l-ghand'im ild 'l-Basra wa-rajaca 144 Those being the areas which had earlier been allocated to
ahl al-Bahrayn ild mandzilihim (II, p. 190.1-2). (Tab. I, p. 2569.3f.).
"o Tab. I, p. 2549.15: hiya 'l-ghazdt allatf sharufat fiha ndbitat 145
al- Tab. I, p. 2695.4f.: wa 'l-dul 'llatf tunuqqidha fthid junzd al-
Basra ... ayydm Tdwdfs al-waqca 'llate 'qtatalu fjhd.
3'' On cUtba, see n. 26 above. 146 Tab. I, p. 2694.5f.
132 Sacd himself had of course been given cUmar's well-known
147 Which had earlier been allocated to him (Tab. I, p. 2569.4f.)
148 Muslims
instruction that he should not be separated from the Tab. I, p.by2697.7 and h): the main variant is bi 'bnihi, but ther
water (Bal. pp. 275.9-10, 276.2; Tab. I, pp. 2360.5, 2483.8: ld
no reference elsewhere to any son of cUthman's in the context
the
tafal bayni wa-bayna 'l-muslimin bahran and variants), Firs
and thecampaigns.
later
14~ Tab.remark
Tana expedition (see n. 42) gave rise to cUmar's famous I, p. 2697.10 (Add.).
"yd akh/d Thaq?f, qad hamalta dadan cald cad" (Bal.`50
pp. Tab. I, p. But
432.2-3). 2698.2 (wa-waliya qatl Shahrak ...); Ibn al-Athir,
it would seem that a precedent had been set by that 31.16 (wa-'lladhf
stage: it had qatala Shahrak .. .).
been on cUmar's instructions, as we have seen (pp. ~' Wellhausen,
9f.) that the op. cit., p. 103. It can be added that it is as an I
same akhf/ Thaqif had earlier transported Azdi, cAbdi thatand
theother
Kufan Sayf magnifies the Basran achievement at
expense of the forces from cUmin and al-Ba1hrayn; cf.
ddd by ctfd to Abarkawdn and Tawwaj.
attribution
Khulayd seems to be otherwise unknown, but his father of
al-the conquest of the Jazira to Iraqis rather tha
Mundhir had of course been a prominent figure inSyrians
Hajar in the I, p. 2500.3 ('Iyad b. Ghanm was from ahl al-clr
(Tab.
time of the Prophet and a leading supporter of al- Ibn Ali'
al-Athir,
at the II, p. 416.1f. (wa "ald hddhd 'l-qawl takdnu '1-Jazf
time of the ridda (W. Caskel, Gamharat an-nasab: dasminfutth
genealogische
al-cIrdq wa-'l-akthar cald annahad minfutzih ahl al-Sha'm)
Werk des Hiidm ibn Muhammad al-Kalbf (Leiden,' 1966),
WhichII,is p.
now430referred to conventionally.
sub al-Mundir Sawi). 5 Although Sayf's account makes no reference to any ea
campaign
134 See above, p. 45 and n. 117; presumably it is this report bys cUthmin against Shahrak, it is this reconqu
of Sayf
that lies behind Christensen's remark that "un temoignage de the reading thdniyatan (above, and n. 148) intellig
which makes
l'honneur dont jouissait la dignite d'herbadh est and preferable.
le fait qu'un Hill (see n. 119) makes the same mistake as
hfrbadh a gouverne la Perside comme une espece in de prince Shahrak's brother with Shahrak himself.
confusing
154 For some
pr~tre, quand, au VIIe siecle, les Arabes conquirent cetteexamples, see M. Hinds, "Sayf b. cUmar's source
province" (p. 119). Arabia", Studies in the history of Arabia, I/2 (Riyad, 1979), p. 4.
' See n. 102.
J. Markwart (A catalogue of the provincial capitals of Erdnshahr
' "Description
(Rome, 1931), p. 94 sub Tavaj) remarks that the form tadwis givenof the province of Fars, in Persia, at the beginning
by Sayf "originated from the Persian nisba *tavaEi"; of the
andtwelfth
I am century A.D.", translated from the MS. of Ibn-Al-
grateful to Dr. I. Gershevitch for his explanation of Balkhi
whyin theisBritish Museum by G. Le Strange,JRAS (1912), p.
this
18.
acceptable (the Old Persian toponym *tauka- produces the nisba
*tdayai (ya)-, which is raised to toponym status; and Iranian ch

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British Institute of Persian Studies

The First Arab Conquests in Frs

went on to take the local Persian-held strongholds of

in the chronological scheme of things. Abfi Mikhnaf, on the other ha

from Khalifa and from al-Mad_'ini (as cited by al-Baladhuri) is t

advance on the town of Tawwaj in Fars: "[cUthman] sent his

and in the ensuing battle Shahrak was killed by Sawwar, who

One difficulty, however, is that while al-Balddhuri's main account

aware of a movement of Arab fighting men from Firs

else;"35 (al-)Sawwar and al-Jarfid are killed before the encounter

see that the

18 Khal. p 83; Bal. pp. 83f. Also Sayf, cUthman

Bahrayn included cUman from the start, but Dih Kuhnah

the new base; and those ships wouldreference

AbO cUbayda (above p. 45), the last Azdis becomes

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