Hajjaj
and Muhallab Honored
For Abdul Malik bin Marwan, the
greatest danger next to Abdullah bin Zubair (رضي الله
عنه) was the challenge of the Khawârij. Had he remained indifferent
to Khawârij and had he not taken their threat seriously and had he not become
busy planning their extermination, then the provinces of Khorasan, Iraq and
Persia would have gone out of his hands. No one was better suited for the
governorship of Iraq to put down the rebellions than Hajjaj. He came to Iraq
and fulfilled his obligations excellently. The selection of Muhallab for
disciplining the Khawârij was also right. Then after years of struggle and
crowned with success he handed over to Hajjaj's control Kufa and Basra, which included
Khorasan and Sajistan but excluding the rest of Iraq. He made Hajjaj the leader
of all the Islamic countries of the east. Hajjaj then made Muhallab bin Abi
Sofra and Obaidullah bin Abu Bakra the Amirs of Khorasan and Sajistan
respectively. Muhallab, up to this point a famous general, was honored by being
made the Amir of Khorasan.
Muhallab lived in Basra until 80
A.H. and sent his son Habib, as the Amir of Khorasan on his own behalf. He went
to Khorasan and in accordance with his father's instructions did not disturb
Umayya bin Abdullah and his staff nor did he reduce their honor. Hajjaj married
Muhallab's daughter Hind bint Muhallab and in this way, he came to be related
to Hajjaj.
In 80 A.H., Muhallab himself went to
Khorasan and took over the reign of the country and taking five thousand men
advanced towards Mawaraunnahr (between the Amu [Oxus] and Syr rivers in modern
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan) and surrounded Kush city. At that time, the relative
of the king of Khutan came to him and asked for help. Muhallab sent his son
Yazid to accompany him. Yazid killed the king of Khutan and gave the territory
to his relative and received a written agreement, in keeping with his father's
instructions, he returned.
It was during that same period
Muhallab gave four thousand men to his son, Habib, to invade Bukhara. The
governor of Bukhara fought against these four thousand men, the result was a
victory for Habib and defeat for the people of Bukhara. Habib returned to
Muhallab with a large amount of spoils of war. The siege of Kush continued for
two years. At last, the besieged decided it was better to pay the 'jizya' (a tax
on non Muslims under Islamic rule which exonerates them from military service)
and Muhallab, following the reconciliation, returned from there.
The
Betrayal of the People of Kush city and Huraith bin Qatna
When Muhallab came to Merv, the
capital of Khorasan and then moved to the city of Kush, he left Mughira his son
as Amir in his absence. While the siege of Kush was continuing, the news of
Mughira's death reached Muhallab. Muhallab deputed his son, Yazid as the
Administrator of Merv and sent him there with thirty men.
When he reached a pass near Bast, he
confronted a raiding party of five hundred Turks. The Turks demanded all their
possessions. Yazid refused. At last, one of his associates made them agree to
take a little money. They took it and went away but immediately returned and
told Yazid and his troops that they would not be spared without surrendering
all their belongings.
Yazid with his thirty men fought
with them and killed their leader and forced them to run away. Upon his arrival
in Merv, he began to rule in place of his brother. A short time after that
incident, Muhallab made peace with the people of Kush and returned. It was
agreed that the inhabitants of Kush would hand over their king's sons to the
Muslims and they would remain in their custody until the inhabitants of Kush
paid the agreed amount to the Muslims. Muhallab had left Huraith bin Qatna
there to collect the amount and return the boys. When Muhallab left Kush and
arrived at Balkh, he sent word to Yazid and Huraith bin Qatna: "Don't return
the boys after collecting the payment until you enter Balkh."
Muhallab's intention was to warn of
the danger, which Huraith had to face. Huraith at once showed the letter to the
people of Kush and said to them, "If you pay me the amount of 'jizya' at
once, I shall hand over your boys to you now and tell Amir Muhallab that I had
given back the boys to the people of Kush after collecting the amount, before
this letter reached me." The people of Kush paid the money and took back
the boys.
Upon his return from Kush, the
marauding Turks treated Huraith in the same way they had treated Yazid. There
was a fight and many of Huraith's men were killed and many were captured and
they were released only after paying a ransom. When Harith reached Muhallab,
the latter had him lashed twenty times for violating his orders. After the
punishment, he swore that he would kill Muhallab. When Muhallab came to know of
it, he sent for Huraith's brother Thabit bin Qatna and made him understand the
situation in a calm way. He called Harith to him and Huraith repeated his
impertinent oath. Muhallab ignored it and dismissed him. Huraith and Thabit
feared for their positions and taking their three hundred men with them, fled from
him and went to Musa bin Abdullah bin Hazim at Termiz. Musa bin Abdullah, as
mentioned earlier had founded an independent state and was at war with the
governor of Khorasan. This took place in 82 A.H.
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