Important
Events of Abdul Malik's Caliphate
Following Abdullah bin Zubair's
martyrdom, Abdul Malik made Hajjaj bin Yusuf the Governor of the Hijaz. Hajjaj
pulled down the Ka'bah and removed the part constructed during Abdullah bin
Zubair's regime, then he reconstructed it. Hajjaj perpetrated untold atrocities
on the venerated Sahabah. Anas (رضی اللہ عنہ)
and other distinguishing Sahabah were tied and whipped. He had great hostility
for the illustrious Sahabah like Abdullah bin Umar (رضی
اللہ عنہما) because he was always frank and loved the truth. Hajjaj's
government did not overawe him nor did anything deter him from introducing
people to good deeds and preventing them from sin. Hajjaj deputed a man to
attack and kill him. As a consequence of this order, during the next Hajj when
Abdullah bin Umar (رضی اللہ عنہما) was making Tawaf
(circumambulation) of the Ka'bah, Hajjaj's agent pierced his foot with a spear.
He succumbed to the injury and died after a few days. Just as the tyrannies
that he perpetrated on the Sahabah prove him to be a tyrant, similarly they
also make Abdul Malik guilty because it was he who made such an oppressor the
Governor of Makkah and Madinah. Hajjaj and Abdul Malik both had some virtues
and they had vices in proportion to them.
The
Mischief of the Khawârij
At the time when Ibn Zubair's
caliphate showed signs of decline and Abdul Mallik bin Marwan's agents began
propaganda and conspiratorial activities against him in Iraq and Iran, a group
of the Khawârij who had been living peacefully in the Iranian provinces,
started to become awake and active. Mus'ab bin Zubair's murder and the
domination of Abdul Malik led the people harboring rebellious thoughts to begin
to whisper. After the occupation of Iraq, Abdul Malik made Khalid bin Abdullah
the Governor of Basra. When Abdul Malik left Iraq and went to Damascus, he
wasn't able to concentrate on the 'khawarij' because the Hijaz and Abdullah bin
Zubair (رضی اللہ عنہ) demanded his
attention more. Becoming free from the problems in the Hijaz after Abdullah bin
Zubair's murder, he dismissed the Governors of Basra and Kufa and replaced them
with his brother Bishr bin Marwan and instructed him to send Muhallab bin Abi
Sofra to Iran to fight against the Khawârij so that he might exterminate them
wherever he found them. He also ordered that Muhallab should be authorized to
select Basraites and take them with him. Another strong army from among the
Kufans was prepared and sent to help Muhallab so that he could stamp out their
disruption completely. These same orders were also sent to Muhallab directly.
Bishr bin Marwan didn't like the fact that the Amir al-Muminin assigned
Muhallab directly. He expected that the mission of disciplining and finishing
the Khawârij with the power of assignments, be under his own command and should
have been entrusted to him. Muhallab bin Abi Sofra, in compliance with Abdul
Malik's orders, left Basra with an army. Bishr bin Marwan from Kufa sent an
army under the command of Abdur Rahman bin Mukhnaf to help Muhallab. At the
time of departure, he said to Abdur Rahman: "I consider you to be a more
able commander than Muhallab. Don't always keep yourself subservient to
Muhallab you should sometimes assert and impose your own opinion on him
also."
Abdur Rahman met Muhallab at Dar
Hurmuz but encamped with his army separately and began to show signs of his
independence. After a few days, news reached there that Bishr bin Marwan died
and at the time of his death, he had put Khalid bin Abdullah in his place.
Hearing this news, the Basraites and Kufans returned to their respective
cities. Khalid bin Abdullah tried to make them see reason and even threatened
them, but none of them was ready to return to Muhallab. The conditions in
Khorasan, on the other hand, were turning from bad to worse. Following Abdullah
bin Hazin's death as mentioned previously, the king of Turkmenistan and
Mongolia named Ratbeel began to make military patrols on the border of Khorasan
Abdullah bin Hazin's son Musa bin Abdullah along with his father's men fled and
took shelter in the fort of Termiz (city in southern Uzbekistan) and succeeded
in establishing a separate autonomous state.
Musa bin Abdullah fought and
defeated the Turks and at the same time was at war with the governors of Abdul
Malik. Bukair bin Washah was the governor of Khorasan. Abdul Malik dismissed
him and sent Umayya bin Abdullah bin Khalid in his place. Upon his arrival to
Merv, one of the major cities of Khorasan, Bukair bin Washah who had been
dismissed by Abdul Malik remained in Khorasan. Umayya bin Abdullah put him in
charge of the city of Merv. Umayya then went to Balkh, another major city in
Khorasan, and attacked Ratbeel and forced him into an agreement, that he would
not invade the Muslims in future. After the agreement he left Balkh and while
he was returning to Merv, he was attacked by Musa bin Abdullah bin Hazin, but
he somehow managed to escape and arrived at Merv. Musa bin Abdullah retreated.
When he reached Merv, he saw that Bukair bin Washah had occupied it and was
prepared for war. A skirmish took place between Bukair and Umayya then Bukair
bin Washah settled down for a possible siege after fortifying the city.
Finally, after a few days, they were reconciled. Umayya bin Abdullah, by
promising him the governorship of apart of Khorasan, took Merv out of his
clutches.
At Dar Hurmuz, Muhallab and Ibn
Makhnaf with the small armies that were left with them, after the desertion of
the Kufans and Basraites upon the death of Bishr bin Marwan, were at war with
the Khawârij and following the withdrawal of their troops were placed in a
critical situation. Under these circumstances, Abdul Malik thought it proper to
shift Hajjaj bin Yusuf Thaqfi from the governorship of Hijaz and appointed him
the governor of Iraq. Therefore, in 75 A.H. he endowed him with the authority
to rule Basra and Kufa and sent him to Kufa. He entered Kufa in Ramadan in 75
A.H. sat on the 'mimbar' (usually some steps or other raised podium from where
the leader of the prayer on Friday gives his sermon or "kutbah") of
the Jama Masjid (Central Mosque) and ordered the people to assemble there.
The Kufans were accustomed to be
rude to their rulers. They used to humiliate their Amirs' and governors. They,
therefore, came with pebbles in their hands with the intention of throwing them
at the new Amir. But when Hajjaj began his speech, they were terrified and the
pebbles in their hands dropped to the floor. Hajjaj in his speech said,
"A lot of turbans and beards
are visible here but very soon they are going to be wet with blood. Many heads
are present in this assembly, which will soon be chopped off. Amir al-Muminin
Abdul Malik examined his quiver and selecting the hardest and the most deadly
arrow, shot it at you, in other words, he imposed me on you as your ruler. I
will remedy all your ills and lack of discipline and straighten you out
completely. You have been the center of much trouble and disruption. Now the
time has come for you to be taught a lesson and your eyes to be opened. Amir
al-Muminin has given instructions to disburse your salaries and send you to
Muhallab to face the Khawârij. After the disbursement of the salaries, you are
given three days time. If even a single soul is visible on the fourth day in
Kufa, his head will be severed. Remember this is not an empty threat. You will
yourselves see with your own eyes. I do what I say."
Hajjaj stood up and went to Darul
Emarah (the Amir's headquarter) and began to disburse their salaries. An old
man who was shaking due to his old age came and said, "I am an old man. My
son is younger than I. Please send him in my place." Hajjaj asked him
"What is your name?" He said, "Umair bin Dabi Barjami."
Hajjaj said, "Are you the same Umair bin Dabi who had attacked Uthman bin
Affan's house?" He said, "Yes." Hajjaj said, "What
persuaded you to do such a thing?" He said, "Uthman (رضي الله عنه) had imprisoned my father when he was very
old." Hajjaj said, "I don't like for you to remain alive." He
ordered that he should be killed and his house ransacked.
On the third day it was announced:
"Whosoever stays in his house tonight and does not proceed to join
Muhallab's army, he will be slain." Hearing that people began to set out
and very soon, a strong army assembled to face the Khawârij under Muhallab's
command.
Hajjaj then appointed Hakam bin
Ayyub Thaqfi the Amir of Basra and sent him there. Deputed Sayeed bin Aslam bin
Zur'a to go to the Sindh. Muawiya bin Harith Kalabi and his brother Mohammad
were part of this army, they brought most of the cities of the area under their
control, and killed or imprisoned the enemy and after accomplishing this,
Muawiya bin Harith and his brother Muhammad killed Sayeed.
Hearing the news, Hajjaj sent Maja'a
bin Sayeed bin Zur'a who captured the territory and after a year of his rule
brought under his control most of the cities of Makran (coastal area that is
part of modern Iran and Pakistan) and Darabeel which are adjacent to the Sindh.
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