uk ht ar ' s ▁sh ur ṭ a ▁( select ▁troops ). ▁▁ ▁The ▁army ▁M uk ht ar ▁sent ▁under ▁I bn ▁al - As ht ar ' s ▁command ▁consisted ▁largely ▁of ▁ma w ā l ī ▁( sing . ▁ma w l ā ; ▁non - A rab ▁clients ▁of ▁Arab ▁tribes ). ▁The ▁ranks ▁of ▁the ▁ma w ā l ī ▁were ▁domin ated ▁by ▁the ▁Pers ians ▁of ▁K uf a ▁led ▁by ▁Ab u ▁Am ra ▁K ays an ; ▁the ▁latter , ▁a ▁ma w l ā ▁of ▁a ▁B aj ila ▁tribes man , ▁either ▁commanded ▁the ▁sh ur ṭ a ▁or ▁the ▁ ḥ ar as ▁( person al ▁guard ) ▁of ▁M uk ht ar . ▁The ▁pre domin ance ▁of ▁Pers ians ▁in ▁M uk ht ar ' s ▁army ▁was ▁noted ▁by ▁Um ay y ad ▁def ectors ▁to ▁I bn ▁al - As ht ar ; ▁they ▁compla ined ▁to ▁have ▁rarely ▁heard ▁a ▁word ▁of ▁Arab ic ▁spoken ▁by ▁M uk ht ar ' s ▁soldiers , ▁whom ▁they ▁viewed ▁as ▁un fit ▁to ▁confront ▁the ▁el ite ▁troops ▁of ▁the ▁Um ay y ad ▁army . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 9 th - century ▁historian ▁al - D ina w ari , ▁I bn ▁al - As ht ar ▁respond ed ▁that ▁his ▁troops ▁were ▁" the ▁sons ▁of ▁noble ▁war riors ▁and ▁chief s ▁of ▁the ▁Pers ians ". ▁Arab ▁caval ry ▁also ▁formed ▁a ▁significant