THE CALIPHATES OF EL-MANSŪR, EL-HĀDI, AND HĀRŪN ER-RASHĪD
El-Mansur’s troubles did not end with the defeat of `Abdullah and
the murder of Abū Muslim. The rebellious Mesopotamians, under their
leader Mulabbab esh-Shaybāni, more than once repulsed the troops sent
against them by the Caliph, and not till A.H. 138 (755) was order
restored by Khāzim ibn Khuzayma.[185] In the meantime a “Magian,” or
Zoroastrian of Nīshāpūr, named Sinbad,[186] disgusted at the murder
of his patron Abū Muslim, rose in rebellion to avenge the blood of
the fallen general.[187] He soon found himself at the head of a large
following,[188] and gained possession of Nīshāpūr, Kūmis, and Ray.
In the town last mentioned the treasure which had been left there
by Abū Muslim fell into his hands. Against him El-Mansūr despatched
Jahwar[189] ibn Marrār el-`Ijlī, at the head of 10,000 men, who
encountered and put to flight the rebels between Hamadān and Ray.
Sinbad escaped from the field of battle, but was overtaken and killed
between Tabaristān and Ray, his revolt having lasted just seventy
days.[190]
In A.H. 138 (755) Jahwar was deprived of his command for having failed
to deliver over to the Caliph the treasure of Abū Muslim which had
fallen into his hands. He now in turn took up arms against the Caliph,
who sent a force against him under Mohammad ibn el-Ash`ath. Jahwar
suffered a crushing defeat and fled to Āzerbāyjān, whither he was
pursued and slain.
Although El-Mansūr had now, A.H. 139 (756), secured comparative
tranquillity and recognition of his sovereign rights in most of
his dominions, the distant province of Khorāsān, yearly rising in
importance, was still under the heel of the rival faction of the
Hāshimites and the Shi`ites, quite apart from minor sectarian movements
which rendered the attempt to maintain order there almost hopeless.
In the year A.H. 140 (757) the Shi`ites broke out into open revolt, in
the midst of which the then governor, Abū Dā´ūd Khalid ibn Ibrāhim,
died.[191] His successor, `Abd el-Jabbār, was powerless to assert his
authority, and, on learning that he was about to be dismissed from his
office, turned against El-Mansūr. Khāzim ibn Khuzayma, who had already
distinguished himself in Mesopotamia, accompanied by the Caliph’s son
and successor El-Mahdi, at once marched against `Abd el-Jabbār and his
following, A.H. 141 (758). `Abd el-Jabbār was, however, captured by
his own people and sent, mounted backwards on an ass, to the Caliph,
who, after extorting from him by torture all his treasure, put him to
death. The governorship of Khorāsān was now given to El-Mahdi,[192] the
Caliph’s own son and successor--an appointment which seems to indicate
the growing importance of the far Eastern provinces.
In the year A.H. 141 (758) a strange sect of Persian origin styled
Rāvandīs caused no little trouble to the Caliph, and even placed him
in imminent personal danger.[193] The old chronicles have little to
tell us of Khorāsān between the years A.H. 141 and 150, although during
this period they have many grave events to record in other parts of
the Caliph’s dominion,--such as the rising of Mohammad and Ibrāhīm,
descendants of the martyred Hasan (A.H. 145), and the foundation of
Baghdād, A.H. 145 (762). We also hear of frequent engagements in
Armenia between the Caliph’s troops on the one hand and the Khazars and
Turks on the other. These matters, however, do not directly concern our
narrative.[194] We propose, therefore, to chronicle the years A.H. 150
to 180 briefly, recording only such facts as are connected with the
history of Central Asia proper, and mentioning the names of those who
held the governorship of Khorāsān during this period.[195]
[Illustration: RELIGIOUS MENDICANT--BOKHĀRĀ]
In A.H. 150 (767) a serious rising took place in Khorāsān, under the
leadership of a Persian named Ustādsīs,[196] who, placing himself at
the head of 300,000 men of Herāt, Bādghīs, Sistān, and other provinces,
put to flight a large force of Khorāsānīs and men of Merv er-Rūd. On
hearing of this, El-Mansūr immediately sent Khāzim ibn Khuzayma, who
had been so successful in quelling the revolt in Mesopotamia, to help
El-Mahdi, the governor of Khorāsān,[197] to meet this new danger.
El-Mahdi gave over the supreme command of his troops to Khāzim, who
led a force of 20,000 men to meet the rebel Ustādsīs. On approaching
the enemy, Khāzim threw up a zariba and prepared for battle, whereupon
Ustādsīs advanced to the attack. But while a portion of his army was
forcing the entrenchments Khazim created a diversion by causing a body
of his men to sally forth from an opening on the opposite side. This
party fell on the rear of the rebel army and put them completely to
rout, killing 70,000 and taking 14,000 prisoners. Khazim fled to the
hills, but was at length obliged to surrender.
A.H. 151 (768). El-Mahdi returned to Baghdād, and took up his residence
in the new town of Rusāfa, which had been built for the Khorāsānīs, who
were unable to dwell in peace with the haughty Arabs of the capital.
A.H. 152 (769). Humayd ibn Kahtaba was appointed governor of Khorāsān,
and proclaimed a Holy War against Kābul.
A.H. 158 (774). El-Mansūr died, and was succeeded by his son El-Mahdi.
A.H. 159 (775). Humayd was succeeded in the governorship of Khorāsān
by Abu `Aun. A rising took place in Khorāsān in connection with the
appointment of the heir-presumptive (_vali-`ahd_).
A.H. 160 (776). Another rising occurred in Khorāsān under the
leadership of Yūsuf ibn Ibrāhīm, called El-Barm, which was quelled
by Yezīd ibn Mazyad. Yūsuf was sent captive to El-Mahdi, who, after
subjecting him to the cruellest torture, crucified him.
Abu `Aun having provoked the Caliph’s wrath was dismissed from his
office, and succeeded by Mu`āz ibn Muslim.
A.H. 161 (777). The revolt of Mokanna`, “the Veiled Prophet of
Khorāsān,” originated in a village near Merv. He taught the
transmigration of souls, and gave out that the Deity had lately been
incarnate in the person of Abū Muslim, and had now passed into his own.
He secured a great following from among the people of Khorāsān and
Transoxiana, who, from the colour of their clothes, took the name of
_Sefīd-Jāmegān_, or the “White-robed.”
A.H. 163 (779). Mokanna` was besieged by Sayyid el-Harashī in his
fortress in Kesh, and on finding his position hopeless poisoned
himself. His head was sent to El-Mahdi in Aleppo.[198]
Mu`āz was supplanted by Musayyah ibn Zobayr in the governorship.
A.H. 166 (782). A general rising took place against Musayyah, who
was superseded by El-Fadhl ibn Sulaymān Tūsī in the governorships of
Khorāsān and Sīstān.
A.H. 167 (783). Death of El-Mahdi. Succession of El-Hādi.
A.H. 170 (786). Death of El-Hādi. Succession of Hārūn er-Rashīd.
A.H. 171 (787). Ja`far el-Ash`ath, governor of Khorāsān.
A.H. 172 (788). El-`Abbās el-Ash`ath followed his father as governor,
and was, A.H. 175 (791), succeeded by his uncle El-Ghatrīf ibn `Atā.
A.H. 176 (792). Shi`ite revolt in Daylam. Hamza el-Khuzā`ī, governor of
Khorāsān.
A.H. 178 (794). El-Fadhl ibn Yahya was appointed governor of Khorāsān.
A.H. 178 (794). He built mosques and post-stations in Khorāsān,
conducted a “Holy War” in Transoxiana, and was unsuccessfully attacked
by the king of Oshrūsana Khārakhara.[199]
A.H. 179 (795). Mansūr el-Himyari was governor of Khorasan.
A.H. 180 (796). Ja`far ibn Yahya was governor of Khorāsān and Sīstān.
A.H. 182 (798). The famous Caliph Hārūn er-Rashīd appointed his infant
son Ma´mūn ruler over all the countries from Hamadān to the farthest
East, under the guardianship of Ja`far ibn Yahya.
The year A.H. 187 (802) was memorable in Mohammedan annals for the
sudden disgrace and fall of the all-powerful favourites of the Caliph,
the Barmecides,[200] at that time represented by the brothers Fadhl
and Ja`far and their aged father Yahya. Their story has been told too
often to bear repetition in this place, although, as we have seen, the
Barmecides had from their origin been closely connected with Khorāsān.
On the fall of the Barmecides, A.H. 187 (802), `Alī ibn `Isā[201] was
appointed to the governorship of Khorāsān, but the complaints against
his misgovernment and extortion grew so loud that in A.H. 189 (804)
Hārūn resolved to undertake a journey of inspection into the province.
He accordingly set out at the head of 50,000 men,[202] leaving the
government in the hands of his heir-apparent Amīn. On reaching Ray,
however, he found `Alī ibn `Isā awaiting his arrival with rich presents
for himself and his generals, and, soothed by these gifts and by the
flattery of the cruel governor, Hārūn took him into favour and sent him
back to Khorāsān, while he himself returned to his capital, A.H. 190
(806).
In the following year a certain Rāfi` ibn Layth, a grandson of the
Umayyad governor, Nasr ibn Sayyār, for reasons of private vengeance,
killed the governor of Samarkand and became master of that town.
With the aid of the discontented citizens and some Turkish tribes
he repulsed the army sent against him by `Alī ibn `Isā, A.H. 191
(807). Hārūn, on hearing of this revolt, at once despatched his
trusted general Harthama to re-establish order; but the seditionary
movement under Rāfi` continued to grow with such rapidity that the
Caliph thought fit to take the field against him in person.[203] So,
again leaving Baghdad in the hands of his son Amīn, he set out for
Khorāsān with a large army. On reaching Kirmānshāh, he sent forward
Ma´mūn, accompanied by Fadhl ibn Sahl as his vezīr, with orders to
establish himself in Merv and to send Harthama to attack Rāfi`, who
had established his camp in Bokhārā and was now practically master of
Transoxiana. Meanwhile the Caliph, who was suffering from a severe
malady,[204] was advancing by slower stages towards Khorāsān with the
main body of his army. On reaching Tūs the symptoms became more acute,
and on the 3rd of Jumāda II. 193 (24th March 809), the great Caliph
succumbed at the early age of forty-five, and was buried in that town.