J. F. Campbell Collection > Koran: or, Alcoran of Mohammed

130 PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE. sect. vni.
vere black. The historians place the death of al Mokanna in the 1 62u(l
or 163rd year of the Hejra.'
lu the year of the Hejra 201, Bahec, sumamed al Khorremi and Khor-
remdm, either because he was of a certain district near Adherbijan, called
Khorrem, or becaiise he instituted a merry religion, which is the significa-
tion of the word in Persian, began to take on him the title of a prophet. I
do not find what doctrine he taught ; but it is said he professed none of
the religions then known in Asia. He gained a great number of devotees
in Adherbijan and the Persian Irak, and grew jjowerful enough to wage
war with the Khalif al M;1mun, whose troops he often beat, killing several
of his generals, and one of them with his own hand ; and by these victories
he became so formidable that al Motasem, the successor of al Mamun, was
obliged to employ the forces of the whole empire against him. The gene-
ral sent to reduce Babec was Afshid, who, having overthrown him in
battle, took his castles one after another with invincible patience, notwith-
standing the rebels gave him great annoyance, and at last shut up the
impostor in his principal fortress ; whicli being taken, Babec found means
to escape thence in disguise, with some of his family and principal fol-
lowers ; but taking i-efuge in the teiTitories of the Greeks, was betrayed in
the follomng manner. Sahel, an Armenian olficer, happening to know
Babec, enticed him, by offers of service and respect, into his power, and
treated him as a mighty prince, till, when he sat dowTi to eat, Sahel clapt
himself down by him ; at which Babec being svu-prised, asked him how he
dared to take that liberty unasked ? " It is ti'ue, gi-eat king," replied
Sahel, " I have committed a fault ; for who am I, that I should sit at your
majesty s table." And immediately sending for a smith, he made use of
this bitter sarcasm, " Stretch forth your legs, gi-eat king, that tliis man
inay put fetters on them." After this Sahel sent him to Afshid, though he
had offered a large sum for his liberty, having fiist served him in his own
kind, by causing his mother, sister, and wife, to be ravished before his face ;
for so Babec used to treat liis prisoners. Afshid, having the arch-rebel in
his power, conducted him to al Motasem, by whose order he was put to
an ignominious and cruel death. This man had maintained his gi-ound
against the power of the Khalifs for twenty years, and had cnielly put
to death above two hundred and fifty thousand people ; it being his custom
Btever to spare man, woman, or child, either of the Mohammedans or their
allies.^ The sectaries of Babec which remained after his death seem to
have been entu-ely dispersed, there being Little or no mention made of them
by historians.
About the year 235, one Mahmfid Ebn Faraj pretended to be Moses re-
suscitated, and played his part so well that several people believed in him,
and attended him when he was brought before the Khalif al MotawakkeL
That prince, having been an ear- witness of his extravagant discourses, con-
demned him to receive ten buffets from everyone of his followers, and then
to be drubbed to death ; which was accordingly executed ; and his disciples
were imprisoned till they came to their right minds.*
The Karmatians, a sect which bore an inveterate malice against the
Mohammedans, began fii'st to raise disturbances in the year of the Hejra
278, and the latter end of the reign of al Motamed. Their origia is not well
known ; but the common tradition is, that a poor fellow, whom some call
1 Ex Abu'lfaras. Hist. Dyn. p. 226. Lobb al Tawarikh, Ebn Shohnah al Tabari,
et Khondamir. Vide D'Herbel. Bibl. Orient. An. Halvem Ben Haschem. ' Ex
Abu'lfarag. p. 252, &c. Elmacin. p. 141, &c. and Khondamir. Vidp D'Herbel. Art
Babeo. » Ebn Shohnah. Vide D'Herbel. p. 6.S7