This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
230
THE ORIGINS OF THE ISLAMIC STATE

The treaty with Ḳûrus. Abu-ʿUbaidah set out bent upon Ḳûrus[1] [Cyrrhus], sending at the head of the vanguard ʿIyâḍ. The latter was met by one of the monks of Ḳûrus, who asked to capitulate on behalf of its people. ʿIyâḍ sent the monk to abu-ʿUbaidah, who was now between Jabrîn[2] and Tall Aʿzâz.[3] Abu-ʿUbaidah accepted the capitulation and proceeded to Ḳûrus where he signed a covenant with its people, granting them the same rights granted to the people of Antioch. To the monk, he wrote a special statement regarding a village that he owned called Sharḳîna.[4] He then distributed his cavalry and subdued all the province of Ḳûrus to the end of the frontier of Niḳâbulus (Nicepholis).

Ḳûrus a frontier garrison for Antioch. Ḳûrus was for Antioch the seat of a garrison that kept watch on the enemy. To it came every year a detachment[5] from the Antioch army to act as garrison. Later, one of the four divisions into which the army of Antioch was divided[6] was moved to it; and the periodical detachments were no more sent there.

Salmân fort. Salmân ibn-Rabîʿah-l-Bâhili was in the army of abu-ʿUbaidah, together with abu-Umâmah aṣ-Ṣudai ibn-ʿAjlân, a Companion of the Prophet. This Salmân occupied a fort in Ḳûrus which was called after him Ḥiṣn [fort] Salmân. He then returned from Syria, together with others, to reinforce Saʿd ibn-abi-Waḳḳâṣ in al-ʿIrâḳ. According to others, Salmân ibn-Rabîʿah had led an invasion

  1. Yaʿḳûbi, Buldân, p. 363; Rustah, p. 107.
  2. Jibrîn or Jibrîn Ḳurasṭâya. Yâḳût, vol. ii, p. 19.
  3. or Tall ʿAzâz. Yâḳût, vol. iii, p. 667.
  4. The word is uncertain, cf. "Ṣorqanié, Surkanyâ" in Lammens, "Villages Yézidis," MFO, vol. ii, p. 382.
  5. Ar. ṭâliʾah, 1,500–2,000 men who came in spring and returned in winter.
  6. Zaidân, vol. i, p. 120.