ned the Arabs
against their common enemy, "who preaches a religion that does not come
from the Envoy of God, and whose chief aim is the extirpation of the
Arabs." In vain he had entreated Merwan and Ibn Hobaira to send him
troops before it should be too late. When at last it was possible to
them to fulfil his wish, it was in fact too late. For a moment it seemed
as though the rival Arab factions, realizing their common peril, would
turn their combined forces against the Shi'ites. But Abu Moslim
contrived to re-awaken their mutual distrust and jealousy, and, taking
advantage of the opportunity, made himself master of Merv, in Rabia II.
A.H. 130 (December 747). Nasr escaped only by a headlong flight to
Nishapur. This was the end of the Arabic dominion in the East. Many Arab
chiefs were killed, partly by order of Abu Moslim, partly by their
clients. The latter, however, was strictly forbidden by Abu Moslim. So
severe indeed was the discipline he exercised, that one of the chief
missionaries, who by a secret warning had rendered possible the escape
of Nasr from Merv, paid for it with his life.

As soon as Abu Moslim had consolidated his authority, he sent his chief
general Qahtaba against Nishapur. Nasr's son Tamim was vanquished and
killed, and Nasr retreated to Kumis (Qumis) on the boundary of Jorjan,
whither also advanced from the other side Nobata at the head of an army
sent by Merwan. Qahtaba detached his son Hasan against Nasr and went
himself to meet Nobata, whom he beat on the 1st of Dhu'l-hijja 130 (6th
August 748). Nasr could not further resist. He reached Sawa in the
vicinity of Hamadan, where he died quite exhausted, at the age of
eighty-five years. Rei and Hamadan were taken without serious
difficulty. Near Nehawend, Ibn Dobara, at the head of a large army,
encountered Qahtaba, but was defeated and killed. In the month of
Dhu'l-qa'da 131 (June 749) Nehawend (Nehavend) surrendered, and thereby
the way to Irak lay open to Qahtaba. Ibn Hobaira was overtaken and
compelled to retire to Wasit. Qahtaba himself perished in the combat,
but his son Hasan entered Kufa without any resistance on the 2nd of
September 740.

Merwan had at last discovered who was the real chief of the movement in
Khorasan, and had seized upon Ibrahim the Imam and imprisoned him at
Harran. There he died, probably from the plague, though Merwan was
accused of having killed him. When the other Abbasids left Homaima is
not certain. But they arriv