PERSIANSby the Muslim vanguard under Zuhra and rescattered.72 Hurmuzan
retired to Ahwaz and to his property at Mihrajanqadhaq, and Fay-_
ruzan went off to Nihawand, where he seized the royal treasures.^73
Meanwhile Zuhra's force pursued the Persians fleeing towards the
capital, and when he drove them out of Sura, two more noblemen,
Fayuman from Maysan and Farriikhan from Ahwaz, were killed.7^4 At
Kutha the dihqiin of Bab, Shahriyar, was killed after he was abandoned
by Nakhirjan, who fled to Mada'in along with Mihran ar-RazI,75
As the main Muslim army under Sa'd approached the capital, the
Persians attempted to make another stand. At Sabat an entire squadron
of soldiers, having sworn that they would not outlive the Persian state,
were cut down.7^6 After a brief attempt to defend Behrasir, that city
was evacuated by Nakhirjan and Mihran ar-Razi, who retired to the
east bank of the Tigris with the garrison, cutting the floating bridge
behind them.?? Across the river, the eastern half of Mada'in was sub-
jecte~ to a siege by Sa'd for a month and a half before the Persians
again evacuated it. This time it was not only the garrison that fled,
but~led by Yazdagerd III and the royal family-the aristocratic pop-
ulation of the city as well.7^8 While Farriikhzadh is said to have been
left behind in charge at Mada'in,79 Mihran and Nakhirjan were made
responsible for the evacuation of the royal treasure.^80 The road from
Mada'in to Hulwan now became clogged with refugees and soldiers
while the Muslim vanguard hovered at their rear, cutting off stragglers
and collecting their weapons and other possessions as bOOty.8I Half-
way to Hulwan, the Persian rear guard made an attempt to cover the
retreat. The baggage and dependents were entrenched at Khaniqin
while what must have been a major Persian force under Khurrazad,
the brother of Rustam, met a Muslim force of twelve thousand under
Hashim ibn 'Utba ibn. Abi Waqqa~ at Jalula'. The Arabic tradition
71 Ibid., I, 2420--2L
73 Ibid., I, 252L
74 Ibid., I, 2421-22.
7S Ibid., I, 2421, 2423. At the same time, the Persian troops stationed in upper Iraq,
particularly at Sinjar, were evacuated (Abu Yusuf, Khariij, p. 64).
76 Tabari, -Ta'rikh, I, 2359, 2425. They appear to have been a special unit formed
by Queen Biiran and were led by a man who had been one of her favorites.
77 Ibid., I, 2421, 2429.
78 Baladhurl, Futu~, p. 263; Tabari, Ta'rikh, I, 2357-58,2439,2441--42; Tha'alibi,
Ghurar, p. 739; Ya'qubi, Ta'rikh, Il, 165.
79 Tha'alibi, Ghurar, p. 739.
80 Tabari, Ta'rlkh, I, 2439--40.
81 Ibid., I, 2440, 2446--47.