i64 THE PROGRESS THROUGH EGYPT ii. 2. xv.

the west and Dahlak and Bada' on the east should pay to the Khalifa

a yearly tribute of a hundred camels or 300 dinars. The continuance

of Kanun's rule under the Khalifa's overlordship was dependent on

this payment. Other clauses of the treaty provided in the interests

of Muhammadan subjects for due respect being paid to their religion,

the protection of their persons and property, freedom of trade and

travel in the Bega countr}', assistance in the recovery of escaped

slaves or strayed animals, and an engagement to give no assistance

to any enemy of Islam. The Bega were only allowed to visit Upper Egypt unarmed and on condition of their not entering any town or

village 1. They also engaged not to damage the mosques erected at

Siha- and Hagar or elsewhere throughout the Bega country, and agreed that Kanun himself, who was to receive a free pardon for

past offences, should reside in Egyptian territory as a hostage for the performance of all these provisions and the representative of his

people.

In return for a strict compliance with these terms the Bega were placed under the protection of God, the Khalifa, and all Muhammadan

subjects.

XVI No sooner had the affairs of the Bega been thus settled than

it became necessary to take measures against the people of Nubia, who had refused to pay their tribute. According to Ibn Selim^ the Arabs in return adopted the policy of inciting against them the neigh- bouring tribes—the Bega no doubt—and of cutting off their food

supplies. Zakaria ibn Bahnas, who was king of Nubia at the time,

before deciding on his course of action, sent his son George* to appeal

at Baghdad. George was very well treated and succeeded in obtain-

^ I.e. the Bega were prohibited from Egyptian territory altogether unless they were merely passing through it or trading with the nomad Arabs. The region between el I^asr (the northern limit of Nubia on the river, five miles from Aswdn, see Makrizi, loc. cit. ii, 549) and el Kubban (on the east bank, three days south of Aswan, opposite Dakka, see Burckhardt, p. 508) was barred altogether. In this connection see later, p. 182.

^ Burckhardt (p. 508), " Dhyher."

^ Quoted by el Makrizi, Khetdt, 11, 584-585. According to Abu Salih (jq.v. pp. 268-270) the arrears of fourteen years were demanded. The fourteen years would date from about 833 a.d., for while Abu Salih speaks of Ibrahim, the brother of the Khalifa Mamun, as demanding these arrears, Ibn Selim dates the trouble

in the reign of el Mu'ta§im : the latter succeeded Mamun in 833. From Ibn Selim 's account one would certainly not suppose the tribute had been overdue for more than perhaps a year. Abu Salih gives his account "according to the history of the church and the biography of Anba Joseph, the 52'^ patriarch." He takes it from the biography of Yusdb {i.e. Joseph) in the compilation of Severus of el Ashmunayn

(Paris MS., Anc. Fonds Arabe, 139, pp. 250 f.). Joseph occupied the see from 831 to 850 ( ?). (See Renaudot, Hist. Patr. pp. 277-294.)

* Makrizi, ed. Bouriant, "Firqi"; Budge (11, 188), "Feraki"; Burckhardt, " Feyrakey." Abu Sdlih gives " George."