Tahir's
Conquests
While Baghdad was witnessing these
destructive events, Tahir bin Husain handed over the conquered territories to
Harsimah bin Ayun in Halwan and proceeded to Ahwāz on the orders of Mamoon.
Before his departure he sent Husain bin Omar Rustami to intercept any armies
coming from Baghdad. Following the return of Abdullah bin Humaid bin Qahtabah
and Ahmad bin Mizyad, Caliph Ameen sent Muhammad bin Yazid bin Hatim from
Baghdad to defend Ahwāz. Hearing that Muhammad bin Yazid was coming from
Baghdad with an army, Tahir dispatched a few divisions of his army to reinforce
Husain bin Omar Rustami and issued orders for them to join Husain bin Omar
Rustami as soon as possible. When Muhammad bin Yazid reached Mokarram, he was
informed of the reinforcements sent by Tahir. He did not think it proper to
face them before he first captured Ahwāz. He arrived at Ahwāz where he faced
Tahir. Following a bitter battle Muhammad bin Yazid was killed. Tahir captured
Ahwāz and sent administrators to Yamama, Bahrain and Oman. Then he went to
Wasit. Its ruler ran away and Tahir easily captured it. Then he sent his forces
to Kufa. The governor, Abbas bin Hadi, quickly announced Ameen's deposition and
took the oath for Mamoon's caliphate and wrote a letter to Tahir to that
effect. The governor of Basra, Mansoor bin Mahdi also followed suit. Kufa and
Basra were the most important and strategic locations in Iraq. The governors of
both these places were related to the family of the caliph. They preferred
Mamoon to Ameen and recognized the overthrow of Ameen and the caliphate of
Mamoon and thereby set an example to be followed by others. Dawood bin Isa, the
governor of Hijaz who was also from the family of the caliph also took the oath
for Mamoon in the Hijaz as has been mentioned above. Even the governor of
Mousil, Muttalib bin Abdullah bin Malik announced Ameen's overthrow and
recognized Mamoon as caliph and took the oath. Tahir retained them all in their
posts. He camped at Jarjaraya and sent Harith bin Hisham and Dawood bin Musa to
Qasr bin Hubairah. This event took place in Rajab 196 A.H. when Baghdad was
witnessing the deposition and accession of Ameen caused by Husain bin Ali bin
Isa as mentioned previously.
Assuming power again after being
removed Caliph Ameen sent Muhammad bin Sulaiman and Muhammad bin Hammad Berberi
to Qasr bin Hubairah and Fadal bin Musa to Kufa. Harith and Dawood fought with
Muhammad bin Sulaiman and Muhammad bin Hammad and after a hard fight forced
them to flee back to Baghdad. Tahir then deputed Muhammad bin Ala to face Fadal
bin Musa. When they met each other on the way, Fadal said to Muhammad bin Ala,
"You have unjustly come to fight with me. I have come as an obedient man
to Mamoon." At night Fadal attacked Muhammad's troops. However, Muhammad
bin Ala anticipated a possible night attack, and was on his guard. He gave
Fadal a tough fight, defeated and forced him to flee to Baghdad. Then Tahir
turned his attention to Madain where Caliph Ameen's biggest army was deployed
and reinforcements and supplies from Baghdad continued to reach there
uninterruptedly. As soon as Tahir had arrived there, Ameen's entire army fled
to Baghdad. He captured Madain and camped at the Sarsar River and had a bridge
constructed there. When Caliph Ameen sent his armies to Qasr bin Hubairah and Kufa,
he had also sent Ali bin Muhammad bin Isa bin Naheek to fight Harsimah bin
Ayun. The battle took place at Nahrwān. Harsimah defeated Ali bin Muhammad's
army and put them to flight, captured Ali bin Muhammad and sent him to Mamoon
at Merv. He himself came to Nahrwān instead of Halwān and camped there.
The
Death of Ameen
Every army deployed by Ameen was
defeated by Mamoon's commanders and his two powerful generals Tahir bin Husain
and Harsimah bin Ayun continued to march towards Baghdad from two different
directions. After the provinces of Mousil, Wasit, Kufa, Basra, Hijaz and
Yamama, went out of Ameen's control his caliphate was confined to Baghdad and
its outskirts. Following the continual failures of his armies, a very critical
and dangerous period started for Ameen from Ramadan 196 A.H. Being compelled
Ameen sent secret messages to the soldiers in Tahir's army and conspired to win
them over in exchange for gifts.
By this method, 5,000 soldiers from
Tahir's army stationed at the Sarsar River went over to Ameen in Baghdad. Then
some military commanders also joined Ameen. He honored them and bestowed on
them gifts and rewards in accordance with their qualifications and status. He
was able to form a huge army and sent it to face Tahir. The battle raged from
the morning to the evening resulting ultimately in the defeat and collapse of
Ameen's army. The runaways arrived in Baghdad and Ameen formed a new and fresh
army that did not include any of the defeated soldiers and sent it again to
Sarsar. It also met the same fate.
Now Tahir and Harsimah left Sarsar
and Nahrwān respectively and set out for Baghdad. Tahir camped at Ambār and
Harsimah made fortifications at the river. Abdullah bin Waddah camped at
Shamasiyah and Musayyub bin Zuhair at the palace of Kalwāze. In this way,
Mamoon's generals encircled Baghdad and put the civilian population to great
difficulty. Meanwhile, Ameen sold his gold and silver ornaments, utensils and
precious goods and disbursed salaries to his army and spent all he had on
defense.
The siege continued for about one
year and three months. Whatever difficulties and inconveniences the people of
Baghdad and Ameen's generals had to undergo and the bravery with which they
fought are undoubtedly worthy of praise but all those acts were fruitless and
unwise. Sayeed bin Qadim received security and pardon and joined Tahir who
entrusted him with the task of digging moats and finishing the fortifications.
The besiegers included Harsimah and
Tahir, two great generals, but Tahir by virtue of his conquests and fighting
ability was more popular and he was regarded as the Commander-in-chief of the
entire army. Ameen had deputed a few chiefs at Qasr Saleh and Qasr Sulaiman
situated outside of Baghdad and next to the Tigris River. They were engaged in
launching fireballs and stones with the help of catapults in order to break the
dikes and fortifications of the besieging army.
Tahir was replying in kind by
shooting stones and fireballs. The besieging army advanced and quickly dug
moats and more fortifications. They reached the city wall by narrowing the
circle of the siege and entered by the city gate and by pulling down and over
running the battlements. Then they had to fight in every district and at every
step until they surrounded Ameen in Madinat al-Mansoor (the royal district).
There was a ban on the import of grain and other necessities of life, criminals
were released from the jails and the wicked and evil ran rampant in the city.
Influential and brave generals continued to leave Ameen and join Tahir due to
his efforts to bring them to his side.
The nobility of the city kept
leaving and many districts were deserted. Muhammad bin Isa, Yahya bin Ali bin
Isa bin Haman and Muhammad bin Abi Abbas Tai joined Tahir one after another.
The places they were defending also surrendered to Tahir. Ameen stood like a
rock in defense. At last he entrusted all the war operations to Muhammad bin
Isa bin Naheek. The newly recruited Baghdad army attacked on the side where the
army of Abdullah bin Waddah was camped and defeated him and captured
Shamasiyah. Harsimah rushed to aid him. He was also defeated and taken captive.
His men through trickery were able to release him. When Tahir was informed of
the setbacks, he himself went to that side, led a very fierce attack and made
Ameen's army retreat and had Abdullah bin Waddah reestablish the front. By
degrees, Tahir distributed his army all over the city and besieged Ameen in the
royal district. Ameen stood the hardships of the siege with great perseverance.
From among the officials of his governments only Hatim bin Saqr, Hasan Huraishi
and Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Aghlab Afriqi accompanied him. Muhammad bin
Ibrahim Aghlab said to Ameen,
"Even in this deteriorating
situation 7,000 cavaliers are ready to carry out your every order. You should
select the sons of the nobility and the officials of the government and appoint
an officer to lead them leave through a gate when the enemies are off their
guard and go to Jazirah and Syria and found a new government. It is possible that
after some time the people may be inclined towards you and a good way to
achieve your goals may emerge."
If Ameen had acted upon this advice,
he would not have met the fate he encountered. When Tahir came to know of
Ameen's intention he wrote to Sulaiman bin Mansoor and Muhammad bin Isa bin
Naheek that if they did not stop him from doing so, it would not be good for
them. Afraid of Tahir both went to Ameen and said, "It is not proper for
the Amir al-Muminin to surrender to Ibn Aghlab and Ibn Saqr. They are
untrustworthy and unreliable. It is better to receive pardon and safety from
Harsimah bin Ayun." When Ibn Saqr came to know that Caliph Ameen was ready
to seek pardon and safety from Harsimah bin Ayun and hand himself over to him,
he said, "O Amir al-Muminin! If you want pardon and safety you must ask
Tahir for it.
Don't go under Harsimah's security.
But Ameen said, "I will not seek pardon and safety from Tahir."
Therefore, the message was sent to Harsimah and he gladly agreed. When Tahir
was informed, he was determined to stop it thinking that the credit for the
victory would go to Harsimah. He placed Ameen's palace under strict
surveillance to thwart his attempt to escape. Harsimah had proposed to Ameen
that at night he should leave his palace, step into his boat just under the
palace and come under his protection. When Harsimah saw preparations on Tahir's
side to stop him, he sent a message to Ameen requesting him to postpone that
night because he had seen some activities on the riverside that indicated danger.
Ameen sent back the reply, "All
my supporters and sympathizers have parted with me. I cannot stay here even for
a moment. I feel apprehension that if Tahir finds out, he will capture and kill
me." Eventually on 25 Muharram 198 A.H. at night, Ameen hugged his two
children, kissed them, departed and came to the riverside weeping and sat in
the boat. Harsimah who was present in the boat received him respectfully,
kissed his hands and ordered the crew to move. As they started, Tahir's war
boats surrounded them and began to attack their boat. Tahir's divers made holes
in the boat and his men showered arrows from all four sides until it was
flooded and sank. The crew caught Harsimah by his hair and saved him.
Ameen began to swim and Tahir's men caught him.
Ahmad bin Salim swam to the bank when he came out of the water, he was also
arrested by Tahir's men. Ahmad bin Salim says I was arrested and presented
before Tahir who threw me into captivity. A short time later Tahir's soldiers
opened the door of the prison pushed Ameen in closed the door and then left. He
was in his pajamas with a turban on his head and an old cloth over his
shoulders. 1 read انا لله و انا اليه راجعون
(To Allah do we belong and to Him is our return) and began to cry. He
recognized me and asked me to hug him. I was over wrought and nervous.
I hugged him. When he came to his
senses after some time, he asked me about Mamoon. I told him that he was alive
and safe. Ameen said, "His advocate told me that Mamoon was dead. He
probably thought that I might become indifferent to him." I said to him,
"May Allah's curse be on your ministers who betrayed you." Then he
gave vent to a cold sigh and said, "Why brother! Will these people not
honor their word of pardon and safety? I said, "Inshallah they will keep
it." As we were talking, Muhammad bin Humaid came, stood at a distance
watching, recognized Ameen and went back.
At midnight, a few non-Arabs entered
the prison with naked swords in their hands. Ameen began to move backward
slowly to see them. One of them rushed forward, caught hold of him, threw him
on the ground, slaughtered him, chopped off his head and returned with it. When
morning came, they took away his dead body.
Tahir had Ameen's head publicly
displayed. When the people had seen it fully, he sent it with the Caliph's
ring, staff and coverlet to Mamoon through his cousin Muhammad bin Hasan bin
Zuraiq bin Mus'ab and made a proclamation in the city to this effect. On
Friday, he read the sermon in the name of Mamoon at the central mosque and
condemned Ameen. He sent Ameen's sons, Musa and Abdullah to Mamoon. He then
sent Ameen's mother Zubaidah Khatoon to a place near the river Zab. Tahir's
army demanded their allowances. When they were not met, they rebelled. Tahir
had to leave Baghdad to save his life. Then he called all his leaders, formed a
group, entered Baghdad and forced the soldiers and the inhabitants of the city
to obey him.
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