Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyá al-Balādhurī

“ When Muḥammad ibn-Marwân held under his brother ʿAbd-al-Malik the governorship of Armenia, he led the fight against them and won the victory, slaughtering and taking captives. Thus, he subdued the land. He promised those who survived higher stipends than the ordinary soldiers' pay. For that purpose they assembled in churches in the province of Khilâṭ where he locked them in and put guards on the door, and then he frightened them. In this campaign umm-Yazîd ibn-Usaid was taken captive from as-Sîsajân, she being the daughter of as-Sîsajân's patrician. ”

“ Moreover, Anûshirwân conquered all the forts of Armenia held by the Greeks, built and fortified the city of Dabîl, built an-Nashawa—the capital of the al-Busfurrajân district, the fort of Waiṣ and other castles in the land of as-Sisajân including al-Kilâb and Sâhyûnis castles. In the forts and castles, he stationed Siyâsîjîyah men noted for valor and efficiency in warfare. ”

“ The Turk swore that he knew no reason for the act, upon which Anûshirwân addressed him, saying, "Brother, thy troops and mine look with disfavor on the peace we made, because they have thereby lost the booty depending on razzias and wars that might be carried out between us. I fear they undertake things to corrupt our hearts after our mutual agreement of sincerity, so that we may once more have recourse to enmity after our new blood relationship and our friendship. ”

“ The governorship of Yazîd. When al-Manṣûr became caliph, he made Yazîd ibn-Usaid as-Sulami governor of Armenia. The latter reduced Bâb al-Lân and stationed in it a cavalry guard with stipends. He also subdued aṣ-Ṣanârîyah, whose inhabitants paid kharâj. In compliance with al-Manṣûr's orders, he married the daughter of the king of al-Khazar. She gave birth to a child which did not live; she herself died in child-birth. Yazîd sent someone to the naphtha and salt mines of the land of Sharwân and levied tax on them. He put someone in charge of them. ”

“ After having captured Ḳâlîḳala, Ḥabîb marched to Mirbâla where the patrician of Khilâṭ brought him a statement written by ʿIyâḍ ibn-Ghanm, who had guaranteed to the patrician the security of his life, possessions and country and had concluded a treaty with him stipulating that the patrician should pay tax. ”

“ Ḥabîb remained in the city with his men for a few months. He then learned that the patrician of Armaniyâḳus had massed a large army against the Moslems and was reinforced by troops from al-Lân, Afkhâz and from Samandar in al-Khazar. Therefore, he wrote to ʿUthmân asking for reinforcement. ʿUthmân wrote to Muʿâwiyah asking him to send to Ḥabîb a body of men from Syria and Mesopotamia interested in the "holy war" and booty. Accordingly, Muʿâwiyah sent 2,000 men who were settled in Ḳâlîḳala, given fiefs and stationed as horsemen guard to keep post in it. ”

“ Al-Walîd received a letter from ʿUthmân informing him that Muʿâwiyah had written him to the effect that the Greeks were gathered against the Moslems in great numbers, and that the Moslems wanted reinforcements, and ordering him to send 8,000 men. [20] Accordingly, al-Walîd sent 8,000 men under Salmân ibn-Rabîʿah-l-Bâhili. Muʿâwiyah sent an equal number under Ḥabîb ibn-Maslamah-l-Fihri. The two leaders reduced many forts, carried away many prisoners and fell to dispute regarding the general leadership. The Syrians wanted to kill Salmân, hence the verse quoted above. ”

“ Jurzân [Georgia] constituted Armenia II; as-Sîsajân and Arrân constituted Armenia I. [1] According to others, Shimshâṭ alone constituted Armenia IV; Ḳâlîḳala, Khilâṭ, Arjîsh and Bâjunais, Armenia III; Sirâj Ṭair, Baghrawand, Dabîl, and al-Busfurrajân, Armenia II; and as-Sisajân, Arrân [Albania] , and Taflis, Armenia I. [2] Jurzân and Arrân were held by the Khazar, while the rest of Armenia was held by the Greeks under the governorship of "the Lord of Armaniyâḳus".
Ḳubâdh ibn-Fairûz builds many cities. Al-Khazar used from time to time to make raids and reach as far as ad-Dînawar. ”

“ He then invested Ashûṭ ibn-Ḥamzah ibn-Jâjiḳ, the patrician of al-Busfurrajân, at al-Bâḳ, [78] compelled him to surrender his castle and carried him as captive to Surra-man-raʾa. He then advanced to Jurzân and succeeded in laying hold on Isḥâḳ ibn-Ismâʿîl, whom he kept in confinement until his death. Bugha reduced Jurzân, and carried away those Christians and non-Christians of Arrân, of the elevated region of Armenia, [79] and of as-Sîsajân, who belonged to the revolutionary party. Thus the political state of affairs in that frontier region became so quiet as never before. ”

“ Kubâdh then followed him and built in Arrân the city of al-Bailaḳân, the city of Bardhaʿah—which is the capital of the whole frontier region, and the city of Ḳabalah, i. e., al-Khazar. After that he erected Sudd al-Libn [brick dam] lying between the land of Sharwân and al-Lan gate. Along this Sudd, he established 360 cities which fell into ruins after the erection of the city of al-Bâb wa-l-Abwâb.
Anûshirwân builds other cities. ”

“ Ye owe us counsel and support against the enemies of Allah and his Prophet to the utmost of your ability, and are bound to entertain the needy Moslem for one night and provide him with that food used by 'the people of the Book' and which it is legal for us to partake of. ”

“ Thence they came to Warthân from whose inhabitants a large body of men, who held similar views, joined them; and they all crossed over to al-Bailaḳân where they were joined by a large crowd holding similar views. Marwân then came to Yûnân. [72] Isḥâḳ ibn-Muslim was made governor of Armenia by Marwân ibn-Muḥammad and never ceased to fight against Musâfir who was at al-Kilâb castle in as-Sisajân. ”

“ It was he who introduced the system by which Dabîl and an-Nashawa paid land tax according to the area, not the produce. The Armenian patricians did not cease to hold their lands as usual, each trying to protect his own region; and whenever a ʿâmil came to the frontier they would coax him ”

“ When the Moslems were done with their enemy, Salmân returned. The Kufite troops wanted to have a share in the booty but were refused, which led into a verbal dispute between Ḥabîb and Salmân. Some Moslems threatened Salmân with death, regarding which the poet said:
"If ye kill Salmân, we kill your Ḥabîb ”