ed at Kufa in the latter half of September
749, where in the meantime the head of the propaganda, Abu Salama,
called the wazir of the family of Mahomet, had previously undertaken the
government. This Abu Salama seems to have had scruples against
recognizing Abu'l-Abbas as the successor of his brother Ibrahim, and to
have expected that the Mahdi, whom he looked for from Medina, would not
be slow in making his appearance, little thinking that an Abbasid would
present himself as such. But Abu Jahm, on the instructions of Abu
Moslim, declared to the chief officers of the Khorasanian army that the
Mahdi was in their midst, and brought them to Abu'l-Abbas, to whom they
swore allegiance. Abu Salama also was constrained to take the oath. On
Friday, the 12th Rabia II. A.H. 132 (28th November 749) Abu'l-Abbas was
solemnly proclaimed caliph in the principal mosque of Kufa. The trick
had been carried out admirably. On the point of gathering the ripe
fruit, the Alids were suddenly pushed aside, and the fruit was snatched
away by the Abbasids. The latter gained the throne and they took good
care never to be deprived of it.

After the conquest of Nehawend, Qahtaba had detached one of his
captains, Abu 'Aun, to Shahrazur, where he defeated the Syrian army
which was stationed there. Thereupon Abu 'Aun occupied the land of
Mosul, where he obtained reinforcements from Kufa, headed by Abdallah b.
Ali, an uncle of Abu'l-Abbas, who was to have the supreme command.
Merwan advanced to meet him, and was completely defeated near the
Greater Zab, an affluent of the Tigris, in a battle which lasted eleven
days. Merwan retreated to Harran, thence to Damascus, and finally to
Egypt, where he fell in a last struggle towards the end of 132 (August
750). His head was cut off and sent to Kufa.[26] Abu Aun, who had been
the real leader of the campaign against Merwan, remained in Egypt as its
governor. Ibn Hobaira, who had been besieged in Wasit for eleven months,
then consented to a capitulation, which was sanctioned by Abu'l-Abbas.
Immediately after the surrender, Ibn Hobaira and his principal officers
were treacherously murdered. In Syria, the Omayyads were persecuted with
the utmost rigour. Even their graves were violated, and the bodies
crucified and destroyed. In order that no members of the family should
escape, Abdallah b. Ali pretended to grant an amnesty to all Omayyads
who should come in to him at Abu Fotros (Antipatris) and acknowledge the
new