trous battle, in which the Egyptians lost
four thousand men as prisoners, Muhammed el-Ikshid left Egypt with
a numerous army and arrived at Maarrah. Saif ed-Dowlah determined to
decide the war with one desperate effort, and first secured the
safety of his treasure, his baggage, and his harem by sending them to
Mesopotamia. Then he marched upon el-Ikshid, who had taken his position
at Kinesrin.

Muhammed divided his forces into two corps, placing in the vanguard all
those who carried lances; he himself was in the rear with ten thousand
picked men. Saif ed-Dowlah charged the vanguard and routed it, but the
rear stood firm; this resistance saved el-Ikshid from total defeat. The
two armies separated after a somewhat indecisive engagement, and
Saif ed-Dowlah, who could claim no advantage save the capture of his
adversaries' baggage, went on to Maubej, where he destroyed the bridge,
and, entering Mesopotamia, proceeded towards Rakkah; but Muhammed
el-Ikshid was already stationed there, and the hostile armies, separated
only by the Euphrates, faced one another for several days.

Negotiations were then opened, and peace was concluded. The conditions
were that Hemessa, Aleppo, and Mesopotamia should belong to Saif
ed-Dowlah, and all the country from Hemessa to the frontiers of Egypt
remain in the possession of Muhammed el-Ikshid. A trench was dug between
Djouchna and Lebouah, in those places where there were no natural
boundaries, to mark the separation of the two states. To ratify this
solemn peace, Saif ed-Dowlah married the daughter of Muhammed el-Ikshid;
then each prince returned to his own province. The treaty was, however,
almost immediately set aside by the Hamdanites, and el-Ikshid, forced to
retrace his steps, defeated them in several engagements and seized the
town of Aleppo.

Thus we see that the year 334 of the Hegira (a. d. 946) was full
of important events, to which was soon added the death of Muhammed
el-Ikshid. He died at Damascus, in the last month of the year
(Dhu'l-Kada), aged sixty, and had reigned eleven years, three months,
and two days. He was buried at Jerusalem. Muhammed el-Ikshid was a man
possessing many excellent talents, and chiefly renowned as an admirable
soldier. Brave, without being rash, quick to calculate his chances, he
was able always to seize the advantage. On the other hand, however,
he was so distrustful and timid in the privacy of his palace that he
organised a guard of eight thousand