Rising in Armenia and Khurasan There were troubles in Armenia in 145/April 762-3. The Khazar hordes created havocs and drove away the royal troops sent there. Armenia remained in revolt for long though Tiflis was occupied. In 150/767 Ustadh Sis of Harat claimed Prophethood and with a large followers from Harat and Sijistan marched towards Khurasan defeating the local princes Ustadh Sis, it is said, attacked Khurasan and Sijistan with 300,000 men Ibn Khuzaymah succeeded in over powering him taking 14,000 men as prisoners, an exaggerated figure. He was detained but his followers were released. Rising in Mosul Another rising took place at Mosul in 148/February 755-6 and the rebels supported by the Kurds and Alids spread over the whole of Persia and reached as far as Sind. The rebellion was put down but the caliph wanted to destroy it. He was dissuaded by Abu Hanifah, the governor was deposed and Khalid Barmaki was appointed in his place. By a mixture of firmness and justice Khalid brought the province of Mesopotamia into order and curbed the unruly Kurds. He was greatly admired for his administration and raised to the position of wazir. Thus the foundation of an illustrious family of Persian wazir was laid which directed the affairs of the caliphate very wisely for fifty years. His son Yahya was appointed governor of Azerbijan by Mansur and of Armenia by Mahdi who later entrusted him with the education of his son Harun. Byzantines Encroachment The civil war and transfer of capital from Damascus to Baghdad gave opportunity to the Byzantines to push their frontier eastward. Constantine V (741-75) was not slow to take advantage of this. The Muslim line of fortifications from Syria to Armenia receded when the Byzantine border pushed eastward along Asia Minor and Armenia. The task for holy war was, however, left for Mahdi to continue.
