Mukhtar’s Revolt in Kufa and His Struggle for Power

 

Ibrahim said that he could take part in it provided they made him their leader, Amir bin Shurahbil said, Mohammad bin Hanafia is in fact our Imam and he has made Mukhtar his representative. That's why we have taken bay'at at Mukhtar's hands. Ibrahim said that he himself would see Mukhtar. Amir bin Shurahbil returned and acquainted Mukhtar with all the facts. The next day Mukhtar took fifteen men with him and called on Ibrahim bin Malik who was sitting on his prayer mat at the time. Mukhtar turned to him and said your father was a man of reputation who was among the supporters of Ali bin Abi Talib. We consider you also to belong to our group and our group to belong to you. Imam Mahdi Mohammad bin Al-Hanafia has sent me as his deputy. You should take bay'at at my hands and I promise that on getting success, you will be given the post of your choice. The associates attested to the promise. Ibrahim at once stood up from his mat and made Mukhtar sit in his place and took bay'at at his hands. Mukhtar returned after the bay'at. The next night on Rabia al-Awwal 14, 66 A.H. Mukhtar sent his man to Ibrahim with the message, "I have made up my mind to revolt. You too should come to me along with your group." Ibrahim's men kept assembling until midnight.

Through his intelligence network Ayas bin Mudarib was informed that a rebellion would break out that night. He in turn informed Abdullah bin Moti and asked him about the right way to curb it. He counseled him saying, Kufa has seven districts, you should depute a body of five hundred soldiers in each district. If anybody is seen out doors, he should be either arrested or killed. This proposal was duly executed. A chief was sent to each district in order to prevent the people from assembling on the roads and paths. It was by sheer chance that when Ibrahim was on his way to Mukhtar with his men that he happened to confront Ayas bin Mudarib. Both sides attacked each other and Ayas bin Mudarib was killed by Ibrahim. On the other side, about four thousand supporters had collected around Mukhtar's house. They had to confront a second division of the government army. From one side Ibrahim reached Mukhtar's house fighting and pushing and from the other side came the soldiers from all the other districts. They all began to fight in front of Mukhtar's house. Ibrahim defeated the government army and forced them to retreat. Abdullah bin Moti arrived with more fresh troops. Now Ibrahim and Mukhtar pushed Abdullah bin Moti into Dar-ul-Emarat (the headquarters of the Amir), and then Abdullah bin Moti pushed them back and out of Kufa. The fight continued throughout the night. With the prolongation of the fight, Mukhtar's supporters kept increasing as new people kept coming and joining. Finally, Abdullah bin Moti was forced to remain besieged in his headquarters, Mukhtar continued the siege for three days. The number of people inside the headquarters of the Amir was so many that the accommodations were insufficient and foodstuff was also in short supply. Abdullah bin Moti went out by a hidden tunnel and concealed himself in Abu Musa Ashari's house. The rest asked for peace and opened the gates of governor's house. Mukhtar took possession of the headquarters and the treasury and distributed a large amount of money among his supporters. The inhabitants of Kufa then assembled at the central mosque. Mukhtar delivered a sermon and coaxed them to recognize Mohammad bin Hanafi's leadership. Consequently, they pledged to follow the Book (Qur'an) and Sunnah (traditions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) and sympathize with the descendants of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Mukhtar also promised to treat them courteously. After the collective bay'at, he came to know that Abdullah bin Moti was hiding in Abu Musa Ashari's house. He sent one hundred thousand dirhams to him and gave him a message, I have been informed that for want of provision for the journey you are staying at Abu Musa's house please accept this one hundred thousand dirhams pack up your belonging and leave Kufa within three days.

Abdullah bin Moti was highly ashamed and so he did not go to Makkah. He went to Basra instead. At the time when Sulaiman bin Sard's supporters came to Basra after their defeat there was a man named Muthanna bin Makhrama Abdi of Basra among them. After going through Mukhtar's letter they visited the jail to see him. This has been mentioned earlier. Muthanna at once took bay'at at Mukhtar's hands and Mukhtar sent him to Basra with the instructions to take ba'it from the supporters of Ali bin Abi Talib رضى الله عنه on his behalf and increase the number of his men and revolt in Basra when he began the revolt in Kufa. Muthanna therefore began to take ba'it from the people secretly and built up a group with him.

When Mukhtar intended to revolt in Kufa, he had informed Muthanna in Basra who followed suit on the same date. At the time, Basra was governed by Harith bin Abi Rabia on behalf of Abdullah bin Zubair رضى الله عنه. Harith did not let the rebels see their plans materialized. He besieged them in their district and expelled them out of Basra. They left Basra and went to Mukhtar in Kufa. In this way, Basra was saved but Kufa went out of the control of Abdullah bin Zubair رضى الله عنه. Mukhtar established his domination in Kufa and befriended its noblemen. He made a few flags, signifying different future campaigns. He was planning to occupy others cities of the Islamic territories. He handed a few flags over to Abdullah bin Harith bin Ushtur and sent him to Armenia, he gave flags to other commanders to occupy other cities of the Islamic territories. He handed a flag over to Mohammad bin Umair bin Otarid and sent him to Azerbaijan, he gave yet another to Abdur Rahman bin Qais and sent him to Mosil followed by one to Ishaq bin Masood to take Madayen and another to Sad bin Hudai-fa bin Yaman to capture Halwan. Abdullah bin Kamil and Shuraih were made the city magistrate and judge of Kufa respectively. His officers met with success everywhere with the result that the people recognized his reign and took ba'it. Only Mosil could not be brought under control by Abdur Rahman bin Sayeed because there Obaidullah bin Zeyad was deputed governor by Abdul Malik bin Marwan. Abdur Rahman halted at Takrait instead of Mosil and sent the information to Mukhtar. He deputed Yazid bin Anas for the expedition and giving him three thousand horsemen sent him towards Mosil. When Obaidullah bin Zeyad heard the news of Yazid bin Anas' arrival, he sent Rabia bin Mukhtar Ghanwi to fight him. There was a confrontation between the two at Babil on 9 Thul Hijja 66 A.H. Rabia was killed and the Syrian army suffered defeat. When the vanquished Syrian soldiers were retreating, Abdullah bin Jumla Khash'ami was seen coming with three thousand soldiers that Obaidullah bin Zeyad had sent to help Rabia. Abdullah stopped them, took them with him and the next day, 10 Thul Hijja on Id-ul-Adha day attacked the army from Kufa. That battle also ended in victory for the soldiers from Kufa and the defeat of the Syrians. The victors captured several thousand Syrians and killed them by the order of Yazid bin Anas and that same evening Yazid bin Anas who had been ill died, but not before making Warqa bin Azib the supreme commander of the army.

The next day Warqa was informed by his spies that Obaidullah bin Zeyad himself was coming to wage battle. As soon as he heard his name, Warqa left Babil and came to Iraq, halted and wrote to Mukhtar, "Because I had a very small army, I had to retreat". That news made the authorities of Kufa condemn Warqa because how could he adopt the strategy of a defeated army after having been victorious. Mukhtar gave Ibrahim bin Malik bin Ushtur seven thousand troops from Kufa and ordered him to take all the soldiers that had been under the command of Yazid bin Anas and put them under his own command.

After Ibrahim's departure, some of the people of Kufa called on Sheeth bin Rabi and complained that Mukhtar did not honor them rather misappropriated and violated their rights. Sheeth told them that he would talk to Mukhtar and hear his statement on this matter. When he went to Mukhtar, he was told, I am ready to do every duty in consultation with the people of Kufa and let them share in the booty provided they agree that they will fight Banu Umayyah and Abdullah bin Zubair رضى الله عنه until their power is reduced to nothing. Sheeth said that he would first talk to those who had sent him. Now in Kufa there were people who had taken bay'at at Mukhtar's hands long before he came to power. They were all his allies and shared his views and faith and he made great allowances for them. Similarly, there were those who had simply taken bay'at for the sake of obedience by recognizing his rule. They did not share his opinion and were not in favor of taking revenge for Husain's blood. It was they who had grievances against Mukhtar. Therefore, at Sheeth's return they staged a demonstration against Mukhtar and reaching governor's house (at this time Mukhtar's headquarters) they said to him, we dismiss you. Give up your rule because you are not the deputy and caliph of Mohammad bin Hanafia." Mukhtar acted discreetly and foresightedly and tried to make them understand, saying, I don't want to be strict.

I forgave you for killing Husain رضى الله عنه and you will be given all concessions. We are in a state of war with Banu Umayyah at the moment. You must keep away from creating mischief or it will not be good for you. Go and think over it deeply because the work for which you have made up my mind to do will have disastrous consequences."

Their chiefs agreed to Mukhtar's suggestions at the time and promised to think it over. Their reason for agreeing was to allow Ibrahim bin Malik enough time to get as far away from Kufa as possible so that he would not be a danger to them. Mukhtar also was thinking of Ibrahim and felt his helplessness in Ibrahim's absence, he therefore sent a fast camel-rider to Ibrahim with the message to come back to Kufa in the shortest possible time. He fortified the Amir's headquarters and settled in there firmly. The people laid siege to it the next day. The third day saw Ibrahim returning to Kufa with his army. He started killing those who rose against Mukhtar. In short, there remained not even a single house in Kufa, which had not lost one, two or more persons. Mukhtar assembled all the people and had a list prepared that contained the names of those who were present in Ibn Zeyâd's army at the time of Husain's murder or who took part in Karbala's disaster in one way or the other. 'Amr bin Sa'd and Shimr Dhul-Jaushan were also arrested and put to death. 'Amr bin Sa'd received a promise of safety from Mukhtar, but Mukhtar violated his pledge and had him beheaded. His son Hafs bin Amr stayed in Mukhtar's company. When Amr bin Sa'd's head was brought to the court, Mukhtar said to Hafs, "Do you recognize whose head it is?" Hafs said, "Yes. I do and after this my life is bereft of pleasure." Mukhtar ordered his head to be chopped off immediately, and his order was carried out. In brief, the series of arrests and killings continued for several days. The people were brought after being arrested in their houses and were executed. Mukhtar sent Amr bin Sa'd's and Shimr's heads to Muhammad bin Hanafia in Madinah.

Mukhtar was a very prudent and clever man. Having occupied Kufa, he wrote a letter to Abdullah bin Zubair رضى الله عنه stating: "I am at the Amir's headquarters in Kufa. I obey you and recognize your caliphate from the core of my heart. Please make me the Governor of Kufa." Abdullah bin Zubair رضى الله عنه at once realized that he wanted to come into power and this was a ruse to deceive him and keep him unmindful of his seditious activities. He decided to test Mukhtar's obedience so he sent Amr bin Abdur Rahman bin Harith bin Hisham Makhzumi to Kufa with the written command of Amr's governorship of Kufa. When Mukhtar came to know of it, he sent Zaid bin Qodama with five hundred cavalry and seventy thousand dirhams to stop Amr bin Abdur Rahman on the way and send him back giving him the money as compensation. He further instructed that in case he refused to be arrested. Amr bin Abdur Rahman at first refused to accept it but when he saw the strong army of five hundred, he thought it wiser and expedient to accept it. He therefore left for Basra with the money. Abdullah bin Moti had also gone there and now Amr bin Abdur Rahman joined him there, the governor of Basra at the time was Harith bin Abu Rabia.