ire h ▁and ▁the ▁S email . ▁Bal ' arab ▁bin ▁Him yar ▁raised ▁a ▁strong ▁force ▁and ▁advanced ▁on ▁Mus cat , ▁but ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁take ▁that ▁town . ▁He ▁then ▁attempted ▁to ▁take ▁So har . ▁A hm ad ▁went ▁to ▁town ' s ▁aid ▁but ▁was ▁desert ed ▁by ▁his ▁troops ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Bit nah ▁around ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁ 1 7 4 5 ▁and ▁forced ▁to ▁fle e . ▁A hm ad ▁used ▁exc uses ▁to ▁delay ▁pay ing ▁t ribute , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁the ▁Pers ians ▁could ▁not ▁pay ▁their ▁troops ▁in ▁Mus cat ▁and ▁many ▁desert ed . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 4 7 ▁A hm ad ▁invited ▁the ▁remaining ▁Pers ian ▁troops ▁to ▁a ▁ban quet ▁at ▁his ▁fort ▁in ▁B ark a . ▁There ▁he ▁mass ac red ▁them . ▁ ▁For ▁several ▁years ▁Bal ' arab ▁bin ▁Him yar ▁was ▁recognized ▁as ▁the ▁true ▁Im am , ▁fully ▁cont rolling ▁the ▁interior , ▁while ▁Ah med ▁remained ▁on ▁the ▁coast . ▁On ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁East ▁Africa , ▁A hm ad ▁bin ▁Sa ' id ▁was ▁recognized ▁as ▁Im am ▁only ▁by ▁the ▁governor ▁of ▁Z anz ib ar . ▁In ▁ 1 7 4 9 ▁A hm ad ▁gathered ▁an ▁army ▁and ▁moved ▁against ▁Bal ' arab , ▁who ▁was ▁enc amp ed ▁near ▁J eb el ▁Ak hd ar ▁with ▁inferior ▁forces . ▁In ▁the ▁final ▁battle , ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁ 1 7