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Transoxania and even Khurasan. It may be that the sources tend to
overlook the extent to which it was used by local dissidents and the
Turgesh—Gibb stressed the way in which support for al-Harith melted
away in the face of adversity—but we have little reason to cast doubt on
the reality of the threat.
In 734 al-Harith took Balkh and marched into Khurasan aiming to
capture Merv, the main Arab garrison town and seat of the governor.
However, the newly appointed governor of Khurasan, ‘Asim b. ‘Abd
Allah al-Hilali, defended the town successfully
and drove off the attack,
whereupon it seems that much of al-Harith’s support melted away.
Early in the next year, though, the revolt began again, and now the
governor ‘Asim, hearing that he was to be deposed from his governate,
entered into negotiations with al-Harith and joined him in calling on the
caliph Hisham to change his ways. The new governor of Khurasan was
Asad, brother of Khalid al-Qasri, now appointed to the post for a second
time. He succeeded,
with his Azdi general, Juday‘ al-Kirmani, in
driving al-Harith out of Khurasan and back across the Oxus where
eventually he was forced to take refuge with the ruler of the Turgesh.
Asad, meanwhile, transferred the residence of the governor from Merv
in Khurasan to Balkh, capital of Tukharistan, possibly indicating his
intention of giving priority to the keeping of order in the area and
almost certainly because Balkh was now garrisoned with a recent influx
of Syrian troops.
27
The turning point in Arab fortunes in the
eastern territories was the
battle or skirmish at Kharistan in 737. The ruler of the Turgesh, Su-Lu,
supported by al-Harith b. Surayj, marched into Tukharistan with a large
army, but apparently failed to receive the local support which he
expected. Asad marched out to meet him and came upon him at a time
when most of the Turgesh forces were away on various expeditions and
Su-Lu only had a relatively small force with him. Asad was able to
inflict a defeat on the depleted Turgesh force and Su-Lu had to flee from
Tukharistan, his retreat being protected by al-Harith b. Surayj. The
expeditionary forces which he had despatched were not, however, so
fortunate, and Juday‘ al-Kirmani was able to destroy most of them, only
one
band of Soghdians, we are told, making good its retreat. In itself
this victory may not have been decisive, but on his return to his own
capital Su-Lu was assassinated by a rival and the Turgesh broke up into
contending factions. They never again threatened Arab dominance in
Transoxania.
This was the victory about which Hisham was at first unbelieving
when news of it was brought to him. Gibb emphasised the importance