The
End of Nasr bin Sheeth's Rebellion
Nasr bin Sheeth's situation has been
related above. He loved and befriended Ameen bin Haroon. He prepared himself to
revolt when he heard of Ameen's murder and seeing the subjugation of the Arab
elements and the domination of the non-Arabs over the Islamic caliphate. He had
no sympathy with the Alawiites and his opposition and hatred of the non-Arabs
compelled him to fight with Mamoon. Before Abdullah bin Tahir, Tahir bin Husain
had waged a low-key war with him. He prolonged the battle and remained safe
which, earned him great popularity and a reputation for valor caused him to
have a meteoric rise in status. He had occupied almost all the regions of the
province Jazirah and lived at Kaisoom to the north of Halab. At last, in 209
A.H. Abdullah bin Tahir encircled him from all sides and besieged him there.
Being compelled by the severity of the siege and his helplessness he
surrendered to Abdullah bin Tahir unconditionally. He sent him to Mamoon in
Baghdad who put him under surveillance in Mansoor City.
The
Murder of Ibn Ayesha and the Arrest of Ibrahim
Ibrahim bin Mohammad bin Abdul Wahab
bin Ibrahim Imam bin Mohammad bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib
alias Ibn Ayesha took the oath for the caliphate at the hands of Ibrahim bin
Mehdi. When Ibrahim bin Mehdi went into hiding, Ibn Ayesha followed suit.
Ibrahim bin Aghlab and Malik bin Shaheen accompanied them. When Abdullah bin
Tahir caught Nasr bin Sheeth and sent him to Baghdad, spies informed Mamoon
that the day Nasr bin Sheeth entered Baghdad, ibn Ayesha, Ibrahim bin Aghlab
and Malik bin Shaheen would revolt and create chaos. Mamoon had prior
information about their hiding in Baghdad and trying to win over people to
become accomplices in the conspiracy.
Upon receiving this news, the
Baghdad police department was ordered to arrest the ringleaders of the
conspiracy at any cost. The Police succeeded and three of the leaders except
Ibrahim bin Mehdi were taken into custody and put in jail. They tried to break
out and escape. When Mamoon was informed, he went to the jail. He had them
executed. Ibn Ayesha was the first Abbasid who was executed by Mamoon. This
happened in the month of Safar 210 A.H. After a short time Ibrahim bin Mehdi
was arrested while traveling in the guise of a woman. He was presented in the
court with the same female clothes on.
Mamoon counseled with the people
present in the court. They advised him to execute Ibrahim but Mamoon's Prime
Minister Ahmad bin Abi Khalid said, "Please forgive him and pardon his
rebellion." Mamoon forgave him and Ibrahim bin Mehdi recited verses in praise
of Mamoon and Mamoon treated him with honor and love. This took place in
Rabi-al-Awwal 210 A.H.
Revolt
in Egypt and Alexandria
It has been recorded above that the
governor of Egypt, Sirri bin Mohammad Hakam had nominated his son Obaidallah as
his heir-apparent at the time of his death. Immediately after assuming power
Obaidallah revolted. Busy fighting Nasr bin Sheeth, Abdullah bin Tahir was not
able to pay attention to Egypt and Mamoon because of disturbances on other
fronts could not send another expedition to Egypt. A great part of the province
of Egypt went out of the control of his government. It is said that Imam Malik
bin Anas's followers who lived in Cordova, the capital of Andulus (Muslim
Spain), entered into a conspiracy against the Ummayah Caliph Hakam bin Hisham.
At the last minute, the caliph received information about the plot and
destroyed and demolished the western part of the city of Cordova where the
conspiracy was centered.
He arrested the followers of Imam
Malik and punished and expelled them from Spain. One group settled in Morocco
and another went to Egypt and entered Alexandria by boat. After a short time,
the newly arrived Malikis revolted against Obaidallah's ruler. They expelled
the ruler from Alexandria, captured it and its surrounding territories and made
Abu Hafs Omar Baluti their Ameer. At this time Abdullah bin Tahir was at war
with Nasr bin Sheeth.
Obaidallah bin Sirri was not able to
recapture the territory from the Malikis. When Abdullah bin Tahir was free from
fighting Nasr bin Sheeth, he turned his attention to Egypt. Obaidallah bin
Sirri fought but Abdullah bin Tahir, defeated and surrounded him. Compelled by
the siege Obaidallah requested security and pardon and laid down arms and
surrendered himself to Abdullah. Abdullah then went to Alexandria. Abu Hafs
Omar Baluti was powerless and requested security and pardon. Abdullah bin Tahir
agreed on the condition that Abu Hafs and his group should leave Alexandria and
Egypt and go to an island in the Roman Sea (Roman part of the Mediterranean
Sea).
Omar, along with his men, boarded
the ships and went to Crete and captured it and they settled there permanently
and established their rule there. This took place in 210 A.H. For the next 160
years the dynasty of Abu Hafs Omar Baluti ruled over Crete. Finally, Armetius,
Constantine's son, took the island from the last ruler of the Abu Hafs dynasty,
Abdul Aziz and annexed it to Greece.
Zuraiq
and Babak Khurmic
Zuraiq, whose real name was Ali bin
Sadqah, was an Arab. He was made governor of Armenia and Azerbaijan in 209 A.H.
by Caliph Mamoon Rasheed. He collected 40,000 men and declared his independence
and revolted against Mamoon.
Mamoon sent Ibrahim bin Laith bin
Fadal to Azerbaijan. A new religion had been spreading since the time of Haroon
Rasheed in northern Persia near the border of Azerbaijan, Jawedan, a
Zoroastrian, had founded this new religion. It professed murder, bloodshed and
adultery as lawful. It resembled the Mazdki religion. When Jawedan died, his
disciple Babak Khurmi took possession of his wife and became the head of his
teacher's followers. During his regime, they continued to grow in power and
their number increased considerably. Their constant plundering and looting put
an end to peace in the provinces there.
They began to challenge the
government forces in 201 A.H. Several times the governors suffered defeat and
that quickened the rise of Babak's power and influence considerably. In 209
A.H., Babak captured the governor of Azerbaijan following which, Zuraiq was sent
as governor.
Following Zuraiq's revolt in 211
A.H. there appeared two enemies instead of one. Mamoon Rasheed ordered the
governor of Mousil, Syed bin Anas to fight against him. He attacked Zuraiq with
a big army but was killed and his soldiers escaped fleeing. Mamoon was shocked
to hear this. At the end of 211 A.H., he appointed Mohammad bin Humaid Toosi,
governor of Mousil and ordered him to punish Zuraiq and Babak both. Zuraiq had
occupied Mousil before Mohammad bin Humaid Toosi left Baghdad with his army.
They fought near Mousil, Zuraiq lost and fled and Mohammad bin Humaid entered
Mousil as the victor.
He then recruited Arabs into his
army, put his army and equipment in order and marched towards Zuraiq. They
clashed at the Zab River. Zuraiq was defeated again and had to bear the
humiliation of capture and imprisonment. Mohammad bin Humaid went ahead removed
all his administrators and workers and put the whole province of Azerbaijan
under his own control. Then he decided to deal with Babak Khurmi. Several battles
were fought and Khurmi was pushed back to the mountains. Khurmi and his forces
climbed upon the mountain. Mohammad bin Humaid followed them. Khurmi turned
back and attacked and defeated Mohammad bin Humaid. Khurmi's men came out of
their hiding places and began a general massacre. During this fight, Mohammad
bin Humaid was killed. This victory encouraged Babak Khurmi even more. This
event took place in 212 A.H.
The same year Musa bin Hafs the
governor of Tabristan died and Mamoon appointed Musa's son in his place. Then
he sent Hajib bin Saleh to Sindh as its governor. The previous governor Bishr
bin Dawood refused to hand over the authority. A fight ensued and Bishr lost
and fled to Kerman.
The same year Mamoon recalled
Abdullah bin Tahir from Egypt and ordered him to finish the insurrection of
Babak Khurmi. He wanted to march to Babak Khurmi and marshal his troops in
battle array at Dinoor however, he received news that the Khwarij had revolted
in Nishapur following the death of Talha bin Tahir, the governor of Khorasan.
Mamoon immediately sent a letter to Talha's brother Abdullah bin Tahir
appointing him governor of Khorasan and ordered him to put down the revolt of
the Khwarij. Abdullah bin Tahir left Dinoor and turned to Nishapur. Babak
Khurmi therefore remained safe from Abdullah bin Tahir. No other general was
assigned to fight him. His mischief met its end following the death of Mamoon.
Abdullah bin Tahir arrived in Khorasan and succeeded in putting down the
rebellion of the Khwarij.
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