n. Being
unfit for war himself, as he was above sixty years of age, he employed
able generals, and within a few months of his accession struck such a
series of blows that rebellion collapsed everywhere, and in a short
time the whole Arab nation, except the tribe of Gassan, acknowledged
themselves his subjects. Among the rivals against whom he measured
himself, the most important was Moseilama. Moseilama, who affected the
prophetic character, had a numerous following, and was able to fight a
pitched battle with the forces of Abu-bekr, which numbered 40,000 men.
At the first encounter he even succeeded in repulsing this considerable
army, which lost 1200 warriors; but in a second engagement the
Mohammedans were victorious--Moseilama was slain--and Kaled, "the Sword
of God," carried back to Medina the news of his own triumph, and the
spoils of the defeated enemy. Soon after the fall of Moseilama, the
tribes still in rebellion submitted themselves, and the first of the
Caliphs found himself at liberty to enter upon schemes of foreign
conquest.

Distracted between the temptations offered to his arms by the East and
by the West, Abu-bekr in his first year (A.D. 633) sent expeditions
in both directions, against Syria, and against Hira, where Iyas, the
Persian feudatory, who had succeeded Noman, son of Al Mondar, held
his court, on the western branch of the Euphrates. For this latter
expedition the commander selected was the irresistible Kaled, who
marched a body of 2000 men across the desert to the branch stream,s
which he reached in about latitude 30 deg.. Assisted by Al Mothanna, chief
of the Beni Sheiban, who had been a subject of Iyas, but had revolted
and placed himself under the protection of Abu-bekr, Kaled rapidly
reduced the kingdom of Hira, took successively Banikiya, Barasuilia,
and El Lis, descended the river to the capital, and there fought an
important battle with the combined Persian and Arab forces, the first
trial of arms between the followers of Mohammed and those of Zoroaster.
The Persian force consisted entirely of horse, and was commanded by
a general whom the Arab writers call Asadsubeh. Their number is not
mentioned, but was probably small. Charged furiously by Al Mothanna,
they immediately broke and fled; Hira was left with no other protection
than its walls; and Iyas, yielding to necessity, made his submission to
the conqueror, and consented to pay a tribute of 290,000 dirhems.

The splendid success