Overview

Kisal is a town built by Marwan ibn Muhammad when he was given charge of the frontier, and he lodged in it. It lies forty farsakhs from Bardhaa and twenty farsakhs from Tiflis. From it he set out and entered the land of the Khazars on the side of the Gate of al-Lan, according to al-Baladhuri. ¹ See Marwan's campaign in the Caucasus.

The Khazars

The Khazars in al-Baladhuri are the people beyond the Caucasus whose great king bears the title Khaqan; Salman ibn Rabi'a warred on them until slain at Balanjar, and they surged across the Rass in al-Jarrah's day until he met and fell fighting them near Ardabil; when their great king learned the numbers Marwan ibn Muhammad trod into his lands it filled him with dread, and he sent summoning him to Islam or war — Marwan answering 'I accept Islam', whereupon the Khaqan showed forth Islam, Marwan compounding with him confirming his kingdom, and settled a body of them between al-Samur and al-Shabiran in the Lakz plain; and Yazid ibn Asid married into their king's house at al-Mansur's command, the Khaqan's daughter bearing him a son who died while she died in her lying-in.

Kisal

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Overview

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Place

The Khazars