Then one of the ambassadors said, "The Empress has heard much of
your ability as a general. Though you are her enemy, she admires
you as a soldier."
These flattering words were pleasing to Harun. He walked to and
fro in front of his tent and then spoke again to the ambassadors.
"Tell the Empress," he said, "that I will spare Constantinople if
she will pay me seventy thousand pieces of gold as a yearly tribute.
If the tribute is regularly paid Constantinople shall not be harmed
by any Moslem force."
The Empress had to agree to these terms. She paid the first year's
tribute; and soon the great Moslem army set out on its homeward
march.
When Harun was not quite twenty-one years old he became caliph.
He began his reign by appointing very able ministers, who carried
on the work of the government so well that they greatly improved
the condition of the people.
Harun built a palace in Bagdad, far grander and more beautiful than
that of any caliph before him. Here he established his court and
lived in great splendor, attended by hundreds of courtiers and
slaves.
He was very anxious that his people should be treated justly by
the officers of the government; and he was determined to find out
whether any had reason to complain.
Pages:
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110