Chapter 4

The Caliphate of the Abbasids ( Second Phase) Mamoon Rasheed Mamoon Rasheed bin Haroon Rasheed' s given name was Abdullah. His father gave him the title "Mamoon." His kunya (father of__, generally followed by the name of the first son) was Abul Abbas (father of Abbas). He was born on Friday in the middle of Rabi-al-Awwal 170 A.H. The night Mamoon was born Hadi, his uncle who preceded his father as Caliph, died. His mother's name was Marajil. She was a Zoroastrian slave girl and died within forty days of his birth.

She was born in Badighais in Herat. Ali bin Isa, the governor of Khorasan, had presented her as a gift to Haroon Rasheed. Mamoon did not have the opportunity of being brought up in the lap of his mother. However, Haroon Rasheed paid special attention to his upbringing and training. At the age of five, he was put under the tutelage of Kasai Nahvi and Yazeedi. They taught him Quran and Arabic literature.

At 12 when Mamoon achieved understanding and intellectual ability by virtue of his divine gifted intelligence, he was made the apprentice of Jafar Barmuk. In the same year 182 A.H., Haroon nominated him to The History of Islam be the heir apparent after his half brother Ameen. Besides these teachers there were many religious scholars and those blessed with deep knowledge of Islam at Haroon's court and they were requested to educate him from time to time. Mamoon memorized the entire Quran and was a great scholar. He was eloquent and clever. He was slightly older than his brother Ameen.

He had studied Islamic Law and Hadith under the guidance of great scholars of these subjects. Haroon had both his sons educated and trained with great interest and attention however, the impact this produced in Mamoon was not shared by Ameen. Although Mamoon Rasheed had been the ruler of the eastern countries including Khorasan since Jumad-al-Thani 193 A.H. when Haroon died, the period of his caliphate begins from Muharram 198 A.H. when Ameen was killed. Ameen was killed on the night of 25 Muharram and the oath for Mamoon's caliphate was taken on Friday 26 Muharram 198 A.H. When Mamoon was informed about Ameen's murder and the capture of Baghdad by his army and his recognition as caliph by the people of Baghdad, he gave the governorship of Jabal Faras, Ahwaz, Basra, Kufa, Hijaz, and Yemen, to Hasan bin Saha!, the brother of his minister Fadal bin Saha! and sent him to Baghdad. Harsimah bin Ayun and Tahir bin Husain had conquered these territories and it was by virtue of their courage that the people of Baghdad recognized M,amoon as caliph and Ameen was defeated.

Tahir who did the most to achieve the victory expected that he would be given the governorship of the newly conquered territories. Contrary to his expectations it was given to Hasan bin Saha!. Hasan bin Saha! then made Tahir bin Husain the governor of Jazirah, Mousil and Syria and sent him to fight with Nasr bin Sheeth bin Agee] bin Kab bin Rabia bin Amir who had taken the oath of allegiance to Ameen and had collected a huge army to fight against Mamoon' s forces and he continued to conquer territory in Iraq. When Hasan bin Sahal was appointed governor and next to the caliph, the civilians were sure that he would completely dominate Mamoon and the Iranians would be the dominant force in the government. The Arab leaders were worried about these developments and they felt The Caliphate of the'Abbasids (Second Phase) discouraged and disappointed. They were convinced that Mamoon would retain Merv as his capital in deference to Fadal bin Sahal's wishes and would not come to Baghdad.

When Hasan bin Saha! sent Tahir to face Nasr bin Sheeth bin Aqeel, he only had limited success. He stayed at Riqqah and continued to engage in light skirmishes with Nasr bin Sheeth. While in Riqqah, Tahir received the news of his father Husain bin Zuraiq bin Mus'ab's death in Khorasan and Caliph Mamoon's participation in it. Hasan bin Saha! ordered Harsimah bin Ayun to go to Khorasan. Nasr bin Sheeth bin Aqeel rebelled simply because the non-Arabs were given priority over the Arabs. Tahir did not concentrate on defeating Nasr, as he himself disliked the domination of the Arabs by the non-Arabs.

Harsimah bin Ayun, who was one of the old devotees of the Abbasid dynasty, looked at the rise of the non-Arabs with apprehension. The Revolt of lbn Tabataba and Abu Saraya Abu Saraya bin Mansoor was related to the tribe of Banu Shaiban. During Ameen's Caliphate, he was in the army of the governor of Jazirah. There he murdered a man belonging to Banu Tamim. When the governor of Jazirah ordered his arrest for the crime, he escaped and with 30 persons who joined him began plundering whatever and wherever they could. After a short time, he along with his group went to Yazid bin Mizyad in Armenia.

Yazid bin Mizyad appointed him to the rank of general. When Yazid bin Mizyad died, he began to live with his son Asad bin Yazid. When Asad was deposed from the governorship of Armenia, Abu Saraya went to Ahmad bin Mizyad. When Ameen deputed Ahmad bin Mizyad to fight with Harsimah, Ahmad bin Mizyad made him chief of the vanguard of the army. Harsimah entered into a conspiracy with him and he went over to Harsimah's side. He then called the men of his tribe Banu Shaiban to him 2000 of them responded and joined Harsimah's army.

Abu Saraya made a recommendation on their behalf and handsome allowances were fixed for them. When Ameen was killed, Harsimah refused to pay the daily allowance to Banu Shaiban. Abu Saraya became angry with him and sought his permission to go for Hajj. Harsimah gave him the The History of Islam perm1ss1on plus a sum of 20,000 dirhams for the expenses of his journey. He divided the amount among his men and told them to come to him in one and twos to avoid suspicion. Abu Saraya took leave of Harsimah and left ostensibly for the purpose of Hajj.

He halted on the way and 200 men rallied round him there. He arrayed them and invaded Ainuttamar and arrested the rulers there. Ainuttamar was looted and the spoils ;-Vere distributed among his men. He continued plundering and looted government treasuries in several places. Harsimah sent an army to punish and arrest him. Abu Saraya ·defeated them and forced them to escape.

More men joined Abu Saraya and his power increased. Then he defeated the ruler of Waquqa and looted the treasury. He went to Ambar, killed its ruler Ibrahim Sharwi, looted the town, and distributed the spoils among his men. He went to Riqqah where he came across Mohammad bin Ibrahim bin Ismail bin Ibrahim bin Hasan bin Muthanna bin Ali who declared his Caliphate and left Riqqah with Abu Saraya. Mohammad bin Ibrahim's father was known as Ibrahim Tabataba and he was known as lbn Tabataba. It was at this time that Hasan bin Saha! arrived in the Baghdad after being appointed the governor there and in Yemen and Hijaz.

The Arabs in general looked upon the increase of non-Arab power with hatred and apprehension and regarded Mamoon's caliphate as harmful to them and the Alawiites became busy taking advantage of it. Nasr bin Sheeth announced that he was not an enemy to the Abbasids but he opposed the present regime simply because it preferred nonArabs to Arabs. The announcement ~ade an impact on the Arab chiefs of the army and their activities were very lax against Nasr bin Sheeth. Hasan bin Saha! at the same time was displeased with Harsimah and sent him to Khorasan. Abu Saraya took Mohammad bin Ibrahim's (Ibn Tabataba) presence as a sign of good fortune and took the oath for his caliphate .. Ibn Tabataba sent Abu Saraya to Kufa by boat along the river and he himself went to Kufa by land.

According to plan Abu Saraya and Ibn Tabataba entered Kufa on 15 Jamad-al-Thani 199 A.H. from two different directions and looted the palace of Abbas bin Musa The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) bin Isa which was the governor's residence and which also housed the royal treasury. The entire city was brought under control and all the civilians took the oath for ibn Tabataba's Caliphate. When Hasan bin Saha! was informed of the occupation of Kufa by Abu Saraya and lbn Tabataba, he sent Zuhair bin Musayyib with 10,000 men to Kufa. They came out of Kufa and clashed with Zuhair and defeated him. Abu Saraya looted Zuhair's military camp, killed and plundered the people mercilessly. lbn Tabataba forbade him to indulge in merciless killing and plundering. Abu Saraya who had become accustomed to such killing and plundering could not tolerate the interference and he had Ibn Tabataba poisoned.

The next day he was found dead and the period of his authority and conquest ended. Abu Sara ya had a young boy Mohammad bin Jafar bin Mohammad bin Zaid bin Ali bin Husain bin Ali bin Abi Talib, lbn Tabataba's deputy and took the oath for him and began to run and manage all state affairs using him as a figure head. Abu Saraya's Government and its End After being defeated, Zuhair bin Musayyib went to Qasr bin Hubairah and stayed there. Hasan bin Saha) gave Abdus bin Mohammad bin Khalid Marwarozi 4,000 men and sent him to reinforce Zuhair. Zuhair and Abdus attacked Kufa but were defeated and killed on 15 Rajab 199 A.H. while fighting against Abu Saraya. Following the victory Abu Saraya issued coins in his name in Kufa, appointed several Alawiites as governors of several provinces.

He sent Abbas bin Mohammad bin Isa bin Mohammad to Ahwaz, Husain bin Hasan bin Ali ·bin Husain bin Ali bin Abi Talib known as Aftas to Makkah, Ibrahim bin Musa bin Jafar Sadiq to Yemen and Zaid bin Musa bin Jafar Sadiq to Basra. Abbas captured Basra after defeating its ruler. All the governors of Abu Sara ya scored victories. Abu Saraya wrote to Abbas bin Mohammad to take an army from Ahwaz and invade Baghdad from the eastern side while he stayed at Qasr ibn Hubairah. Hasan bin Saha! sent Ali bin Sayeed from Baghdad to Madain in defense of Madain and Wasit. When Abu Saraya found this out, he at once sent an army from Qasr ibn Hubairah, which occupied Madain in Ramadan 199 A.H. before the arrival of Ali bin Sayeed.

Abu Saraya The History of Islam himself left Qasr Ibn Hubairah and camped at the Sarsar River. Ali ibn Sayeed reached Maclain and besieged Abu Saraya's army in Shawwal 199 A.H. Receiving the news that his army had been encircled, Abu Saraya left the Sarsar River and marched towards Qasr ibn Hubairah. When the armies sent by Hasan bin Saha! suffered defeat at the hands of Abu Saraya and his leaders were killed and captured in Rajab 199 A.H., Hasan bin Sahal was very worried. At that time Tahir was in Riqqah and could not leave due to Nasr bin Sheeth. Harsimah had left Baghdad and gone to Khorasan.

Except these two commanders, Hasan bin Saha! had no other commander at his disposal to be sent against Abu Sara ya. Abu Saraya had begun making preparations to conquer Baghdad. He !1ad already captured Basra, Kufa, Wasit, and Maclain, Hasan bin Saha! and Harsimah were at odds with each other. Hasan did not want to seek help from Harsimah but in view of the critical situation, he sent a fast messenger to Harsimah asking him to return and tackle the affair of Abu Sara ya. Harsimah did not want to make Hasan bin Sahal's affairs easier. However, since Hasan bin Saha! had personally requested help, he did not think it proper to refuse and immediately returned to Baghdad.

He entered the city at the time Abu Sara ya had already left the Sarsar River for Qasr Ibn Hubairah after hearing about the siege of Maclain. Harsimah left Baghdad in pursuit of Abu Saraya without any hesitation. He came across a group of Abu Saraya's supporters and he surrounded and killed them. He moved quickly and caught up with Abu Saraya. Abu Sara ya attacked. The battle resulted in the death of many of his men but Abu Saraya escaped.

He went to Kufa and looted the houses of Banu Abbas and their supporters and reduced-them to rubble capturing all their goods, belongings and valuables. Harsimah moved forward, and besieged Kufa. Abu Saraya showed great perseverance in defense in a two month long siege of Kufa. Being compelled by the siege, he took Mohammad bin ]afar bin Mohammad and 800 horsemen and escaped from Kufa. Harsimah entered Kufa on 15 Muharram 200 A.H. appointed an administrator there and returned to Baghdad. Abu Saraya left Kufa for Qadsiyah.

Then he went towards Tus. He came across a caravan, which was going from Ahwaz loaded with merchandise. He looted it and distributed the loot among his men. The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) During the same period, Hasan bin Ali Mamooni expelled Abu Saraya's governor from Ahwaz and occupied it. When Hasan bin Ali heard about Abu Saraya's condition, he took an army from Ahwaz and went in pursuit of Abu Saraya. When they clashed, Abu Saraya suffered a crushing defeat.

After being defeated, he went to Rasain in Jalula. Hasan bin Ali quickly surrounded and captured him along with Mohammad )afar bin Mohammad and sent them to Hasan bin Sahal. He had Abu Saraya slaughtered and hung his corpse on the bridge of Baghdad. He sent his head and the head of Mohammad bin Jafar bin Mohammad to Mamoon. Ali bin Sayeed conquered Maclain, slaughtered Abu Saraya's men and went to Wasit and captured it in accordance with Hasan bin Sahal's order and then left Wasit for Basra. He dethroned Zaid bin Musa bin Jafar Sadiq there and captured Basra.

Zaid bin Musa set fire to all the houses of Banu Abbas and their supporters. He came to be known as Zaid an-Nar (Zaid the fire). Ali bin Sayeed arrested Zaid an-Nar and put him in confinement. In Muharram 200 A.H., the corruption of Abu Saraya in Iraq came to an end but Hijaz and Yemen were still reeling under the disturbances and unrest that he had started. Unrest in Hijaz and Yemen As mentioned above, Abu Saraya had appointed many members of the family of Abi Talib as governors and heads of provinces and states. The Alawiites were engaged in a conspiracy against the Abbasid caliphate.

It was a display of wisdom on the part of Abu Saraya_to appoint Alawiite rulers to provinces and states thereby turning his government into a government of the Alawiites. Although Abu Sara ya was dead, most of the Alawiites who were in power in the provinces did not surrender and kept struggling to establish their caliphate. They had an opportunity to establish themselves after Ameen's death because Sahal's sons Fadal and Hasan, who had Mamoon under their control were Iranian by race and considered the family of Abi Talib superior to the family of Abbas so they favored the Alawiites. Mamoon was educated and trained by Jafar Barmuk and had respect and love in his heart for members of the Prophet's family. His Prime Minister had the opportunity to turn the government towards the The History of Islam Alawiites after the death of Ameen. However, Harismah' s military acumen put an end to Abu Saraya and cleared Iraq of the Alawiites' style of governing and caused their failure in the Hijaz and Yemen.

When Abu Saraya appointed Husain Aftas governor of Makkah, Haroon Rasheed's servant, Masroor with 100 men, was in Makkah. At that time the governor of Makkah appointed by Mamoon was Dawood bin Isa bin Musa Abbasi. Masroor and Dawood heard the news of the arrival of Husain Aftas in Makkah and they convened a meeting of the Abbasids and their supporters to decide what to do. Masroor and others felt that they should fight. However, Dawood said, "I do not like bloodshed at the Haram Shareef. If Husain Aftas enters Makkah by one side, I shall make an exit by the other." Masroor remained silent and Dawood left for Iraq upon the arrival of Husain Aftas.

Masroor also left Makkah. Husain Aftas halted outside Makkah and entered when he heard that the Abbasid governor left Makkah, he entered with only ten men. He made Tawaf, circling the Ka'bah, stayed there for one night and then called for his men to join him and occupied Makkah and began to rule over it. Having reached Yemen, Ibrahim bin Musa bin Jafar Sadiq expelled Mamoon's governor Ishaq bin Musa bin Isa and began to govern it. Husain Aftas removed the cover of the Ka'bah and put the new one sent by Abu Saraya on, he looted the houses of Banu Abbas, took their valuables by force and then started taking the possessions of the general public in Makkah. He removed the gold from the pillars around the Ka'bah and emptied the treasury and distributed it among his men.

Ibrahim bin Musa arrived in Yemen and started slaughtering and plundering he was called Qassab for massacring people in large numbers. He is still referred to by this name. Other chiefs of the Alawiites who ruled on behalf of Ibrahim bin Musa and Husain Aftas were also involved in looting, killing and plundering. You have read about Zaid bin Musa who was called "Zaid the fire" for perpetrating atrocities. The Alawiites who received power from Abu Sara ya for a short period, created disturbances and their tyrannical and merciless acts proved to be their doom. When the news of Abu Sara ya' s death reached Makkah, the Makkans began to whisper among themselves.

The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) Husain Aftas called on Mohammad bin Jafar Sadiq bin Muhammad Baqar bin Ali bin Husain bin Ali bin Abi Talib and said, "This is the most suitable time. People's hearts are inclined towards you. Abu Saraya has been killed. You should accept the oath for your caliphate. I take the oath at your hands and none will oppose you." Mohammad bin Jafar was ready to take the oath and he began to be addressed as Amir al-Muminin. After this, Husain Aftas and Mohammad bin Jafar's son Ali started criminal activities.

They began raping women and became so notorious that it was very difficult for the women of Makkah to protect their chastity. They began to humiliate men and women in public. A group of criminals joined them and they continued their crimes. One day, Ishaq bin Mohammad, the son of the head judge of Makkah, was passing through the market and Ali bin Mohammad bin Jafar, the Amir al-Muminin's son had him arrested and imprisoned him in his house. The people held a meeting and it was unanimously resolved that Mohammad bin Jafar Sadiq should be removed and the judge's son should be released from the control of Ali bin Mohammad bin Jafar. When they went to the Amir al-Muminin's house and encircled it, they granted his son pardon and safety if he returned the judge's son.

He then entered his son's house and found the boy there and handed him over to the people. It has been mentioned above that Ibrahim bin Musa Kazim known as Ibrahim Qassab had expelled the governor of Yemen, Ishaq bin Musa bin Isa. lshaq bin Musa went in hiding in Yemen and bided his time. Having observed the oppressive government of the Alawiites and the people's hatred against them, he easily formed an army. Ibrahim came from Makkah. lshaq left Yemen and decided to invade Makkah. The Alawiites gathered the Bedouins of the adjoining areas, dug out trenches and prepared themselves to face lshaq. Ishaq marshaled his troops in the battle array but changed his mind and he left for Iraq.

Hasan bin Sahal became free from the troubles in Iraq and drew Harsimah's attention to the necessity of putting down the riots in the Hijaz and Yemen. Harsimah gave an army to Raja bin Jameel and Jaludi and sent them to Makkah. While Harsimah's army was on the way to Makkah, Ishaq was coming from there and they met on the The History of Islam way. Ishag and his army returned to Makkah with them. They found the Alawiites there guite ready to accept the challenge. After a fierce battle, the Alawiites were defeated and the Abbasid army entered Makkah as victors.

Mohammad bin Jafar asked for pardon and security and it was granted. He went to Juhfa and from there he proceeded to Juhaina where he started gathering an army. When he formed a large army, he invaded Madinah. The governor of Madinah Haroon bin Musayyib fought several battles with them and finally Mohammad bin Jafar Sadiq suffered a crushing defeat and returned to Juhaina. During the battle, he lost an eye and many of his men were killed. The next year during the season of Hajj, he asked the rulers of Makkah Raja bin Jameel and Jaludi for pardon and security and came to Makkah.

He gathered the people and delivered a sermon. He said "I thought that Mamoon Rasheed was dead and therefore I took the oath from the people. Now the correct information has come to me that he is still living. Therefore I release you from the oath". Then after performing Hajj, he went to Hasan bin Saha] in 201 A.H. who sent him to Caliph Mamoon. Mamoon treated him with honor.

He decided to go to Merv from Irag and died at Jurjan on the way. The Death of Harsimah bin Ayun Fadal bin Saha! had assisted Mamoon very much after Haroon Rasheed's death and provided him with all the materials for the fight against his brother Ameen. Mamoon made him the Prime Minister and the director of the military expeditions and the office of official documents. The Iranians favored Mamoon who had been trained by Jafar Barmuk. He had reduced their taxes of the Iranians by one quarter. Fadal had all the facilities available to dominate over his ministry and was able to dictate to the Caliph.

He had persuaded Mamoon to keep Merv as the capital. The Arabs were not able to establish their power in Merv. Had Mamoon Rasheed gone to Baghdad, Fadal bin Saha! would not have enjoyed as much power and the Arabs would not have allowed the Caliph to follow Sahal bin Fadal's dictates. Hasan bin Fadal was appointed as the ruler of Irag and Hijaz in order to weaken the Arabs. Harsimah and Tahir were two formidable The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) and powerful generals who performed great feats in the battles that established Mamoon's caliphate. Tahir was more popular than Harsimah but Harsimah's age and length of service raised him in rank and they both enjoyed equal honor at the Caliph's court.

Tahir felt that his killing Ameen hurt Mamoon and this damaged his chance for advancement. Tahir was not given the governorship of the territories he conquered. Saha! bin Fadal was able to appoint his brother, Hasan bin Saha! as the ruler of the Western territories by the order of Mamoon. Tahir was powerless to make any move to break the power of the non-Arabs and bring Mamoon and the government from Merv to Baghdad. Orily Harsimah could have done something to draw the Caliph's attention to it in deference to the wishes of the Arabs. Harsimah knew that no letter or application could reach the Caliph direct without passing through Fadal bin Sahal's hands.

He also knew that no one could see him without the permission of Fadal. Mamoon Rasheed's condition was like that of a prisoner in his own court. This was the first example in the history of Islam that a minister had virtually put the Caliph under house arrest and the latter did not realize it. Following Abu Saraya's death and the departure of the army to Makkah Harsimah found out that the caliph was completely in the dark about the rebellions in Iraq and the Hijaz and the general condition of the country. He immediately departed for Khorasan with the intention of going personally to the Caliph's court and apprising him of all the details of Fadal bin Sahal's activities, which he had concealed from him. Without taking permission from Hasan bin Saha!, Harsimah left for Khorasan.

When Fadal bin Saha! was informed that Harsimah was on the way to the Caliph's court, he had an order sent by Mamoon that he should go to Syria and the Hijaz where he was needed and that it was not necessary for hi~ to come to Khoras~n. Harsimah already realized the reality of Mamoon's court and therefore did not pay attention to Mamoon's order and depending on his service record and special rights continued to Merv. When he approached Merv, he ordered the drums to be beaten as soon as he entered the city so that the Caliph would know that some commander was entering the city and to stop Fadal bin Saha! from preventing him to go before the Caliph. When Fadal came to know that Harsimah did The History of Islam not comply with the Caliph's order and continued marching to Merv and had the intention of lodging a complaint against him, he said to Mamoon Rasheed, "I have come to know through a reliable source that Harsimah incited Abu Saraya to rebel against you and when Harsimah was deputed to punish him, he let him escape, and it was Hasan bin Ali who killed him. Only Allah knows his intention but his boldness and impertinence have exceeded all limits, when you ordered him to go to Syria he disobeyed it and is coming to Merv as if he is the ruler." When Harsimah entered the city with the accompanying uproar of beating drums, Mamoon said, "What is causing this noise?" Fadal said, "Harsimah has arrived and he is entering the city in an insolent manner." Mamoon flew into a rage on hearing this. Finally, Harsimah entered the court but before he could explain the purpose of his visit, Mamoon said, "Why did not you comply with my order?" Harsimah began to offer excuses but Mamoon was so angry that he expelled him from the court dishonorably and sent him to jail.

His past performance and achievement could have helped him and Mamoon might have relented and turned to him after cooling down but Fadal bin Saha! did not let this opportunity slip through his fingers. He had him killed and informed Mamoon that he died of natural causes in the jail. Mamoon was not sorry to hear of his death and the condition of Mamoon' s court that Harsimah tried to change continued as usual. He died a sad death and there was nobody to undertake the job of informing the Caliph of the truth. Commotion in Baghdad When Harsimah was killed in the jail, Hasan bin Saha! was away from Baghdad in Nahrwan. When the news of Harsimah's death reached Baghdad, there was a great outcry and everyb The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) bin Saha!, from Baghdad.

Hasan bin Saha! sent forces from Nahrwan to Baghdad. Mohammad bin Abi Khalid defeated them and made them flee. Hasan bin Saha! went to Wasit and Mohammad bin Abi Khalid left Baghdad with his army and marched towards Wasit. Hasan bin Saha! left Wasit when he learned of Mohammad bin Abi Khalid's approach. He entered Wasit and occupied it and then immediately set out in pursuit of Hasan bin Saha!. Mohammad bin Abi Khalid camped at Jarjaraya and after preparing himself clashed with Hasan bin Saha!.

Several battles were fought. In one of the battles, he was mortally wounded. His son brought him to Baghdad but he succumbed to the injuries. The natives of Baghdad wanted to make Mansoor bin Mehdi bin Mansoor Abbasi caliph but he dedined. Finally, after much persuasion he agreed that Mamoon would remain caliph and his name would continue to be read in the sermon and he would be the Caliph's deputy in place of Hasan bin Saha!. Therefore, in the month of Rabia al-Awwal 201 A.H., Mansoor bin Mehdi took over Baghdad and Isa bin Mohammad bin Abi Khalid was appointed commander-in-chief.

Hasan bin Saha! steadied himself and then sent forces against Mansoor bin Mehdi and a chain of battles started. In Iraq there was an uproar and in Merv Mamoon Rasheed remained in the dark because Fadal bin Saha! had cut off all means of communicating information to him. During the battles between Mansoor bin Mehdi and Hasan bin Sahal, criminals had a chance to commit crimes with impunity. Looting, robbery, theft, rape and oppression were committed openly on a large scale. No one hesitated in committing a crime, when the corruption reached its zenith the noblemen of Baghdad who had grown sick of the lawless deeds in Baghdad nominated Khalid Madryush and Saha! bin Salamah_to begin the work of calling to the good and forbidding evil by sermonizing the masses. Their joint efforts yielded results and the corruption was reduced considerably.

However, Mansoor bin Mehdi and Isa bin Mohammad bin Abi Khalid apprehended rebellion from Saha! bin Salamah. At last Mansoor and Isa reconciled with Hasan bin Saha! on tl;le condition that Hasan bin Saha! should have a pardon for them signed by caliph Mamoon and keep these two men as the rulers of Baghdad. The History of Islam Hasan bin Sahal entered Baghdad, assigned them as rulers of Baghdad on his behalf and went back to Nahrwan. This took place in Ramadan in 201 A.H. While these incidents were taking place, in Merv in Ramadan, 201 A.H. Mamoon Rasheed was nominating Ali Rada bin Musa Kazim bin Jafar Sadiq his heir-apparent and was totally unaware of the events that were taking place in Baghdad.

The Succession of Imam Ali Rada Mamoon Rasheed was completely unaware of the affairs of state under Fadal bin Saha! who ran the government as he wanted. Mamoon didn't even know that he was living the life of a man under house arrest. In 200 A.H., Mamoon called most of the members of the Abbasids to Merv and kept them as his guests for months although none of them merited selection as heir apparent. Finally, Fadal bin Saha! and other supporters of the Prophet's family drew his attention to Ali Rada bin Musa Kazim. The fact was that he was superior to all among the Banu Hashim in respect of his competence and qualification. Mamoon had his daughter married to Ali Rada without any hesitation and in Ramadan 201 A.H. he made Ali Rada bin Musa Kazim his heirapparent and deposed his own brother Motamin who was made heirapparent after Mamoon by Haroon Rasheed.

Haroon had himself authorized Mamoon to remove Mptamin and so Mamoon cannot be accused of deposing Motamin unlawfully. Following this Mamoon stopped wearing black clothes, which was the mark of the Abbasids and began to put on green clothes, which was the mark of the Alawiites. Then all the territories followed suit. Mamoon then ·issued instructions to the governors, officials and soldiers to use green clothes instead of black ones throughout the entire realm. He sent orders to the governors to take the oath from the people for the succession of Ali Rada bin Musa Kazim. When that order was conveyed to the government officials through Fadal bin Saha!, some obeyed it with pleasure and some detested ft.

When Hasan bin Saha! sent that order to Isa bin Mohammad bin Abi Khalid and Mansoor bin Mehdi in Baghdad, it created a new uproar and the people were convinced that Fadal bin Saha! succeeded in taking the The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) caliphate away from the Abbasids and delivered it to the Alawiites. The Abbasids and their supporters could not tolerate it. They knew that Abu Muslim was the first who tried to take the caliphate away from the Abbasids and deliver it to the Alawiites and about another abortive attempt that was made by the Barmuk family. As the distinction between the Arabs and the non-Arabs became apparent, the general Arab masses considered Fadal bin Sahal to be their opponent and the patron of the non-Arabs. The Arab's understood Ali Rada's succession to be a victory for the non-Arabs and a defeat of the Arabs. The Arabs dominated Baghdad and it was the central city of the Abbasids.

The news created great unrest there and caused them to consult with one another on the issue. They had the recent experience of undergoing untold miseries during rebellion and disobedience and caution made.them to decide that it was essential to learn the reaction of the other Islamic provinces and territories to the news of Ali Rada's succession before they considered action. The news reached Baghdad in Ramadan 201 A.H. and for three months, they did not take any steps. Meanwhile the movement to stop the caliphate from being taken away from the Abbasids and given to the Alawiites continued to gather strength. Ibrahim bin Mehdi's Caliphate On 25 Dhul Hijjah 201 A.H., the Abbasids and their supporters chose Ibrahim bin Mehdi for the caliphate and took the oath for him secretly. On 1 Muharram 202 A.H., all of Baghdad took the oath openly and made him caliph and deposed Mamoon.

As soon as Ibrahim assumed power, he promised the soldiers to pay them six months salary as a reward. He captured Kufa and Sa wad and marched to Maclain and was occupied in strengthening his army. He then deputed Abbas Bin Musa ruler of Baghdad and Ishaq bin Musa in the eastern territories. On Hasan bin Sahal's side, Humaid bin Abdul Humaid was in Qasr Ibn Hubairah. He went to Hasan bin Saha!. Ibrahim bin Mehdi sen' Isa bin Mohammad bin Abi Khalid to capture Qasr lbn Hubairah ancl he captured it looting Humaid's military camp.

Hasan bin Sahal gave a letter of governorship to Ali Rada's brother Abbas bin Musa Kazim and sent him to Kufa. He reached Kufa and made an announcement The History of Islam saying, "My brother Ali Rada will succeed to the caliphate after Mamoon. Those of you who are the lovers of the Prophet's family should not recognize Ibrahim bin Mehdi as caliph and any action against Mamoon Rasheed's caliphate is not correct." The Kufans recognized Abbas bin Musa Kazim's governorship and only the Shiites stayed unattached maintaining the position that they supported his brother Ali Rada but wanted nothing to do with Mamoon. Ibrahim bin Mehdi deputed his two generals Sayeed and Abu! Bast to challenge Abbas bin Musa Kazim. Abbas sent his cousin Ali bin Mohammad bin Jafar to fight with him.

The armies clashed, which resulted in the defeat of Ali bin Mohammad. Sayeed camped at Hirah and ordered the army to move on to Kufa. The Kufans and Abbas fought several battles and finally the Kufans and Abbas asked for safety and security. Abbas bin Musa Kazim came out of the house and the victorious army began to enter Kufa. In the meantime, Abbas's men felt enthused and emboldened and prepared to fight again. Sayeed's army defeated them again, occupied Kufa and imprisoned Abbas.

Hearing the news Sayeed left Hirah and came to Kufa and after making an inquiry if Abbas had violated the agreement after asking for safety and security released him. He had some killed for violation of the peace and after appointing a governor in Kufa went to Baghdad. Hasan bin Saha! sent Humaid bin Abdul Humaid to Kufa. The governor in Kufa fled without a fight. Ibrahim bin Mehdi sent Isa bin Mohammad bin Abi Khalid to Wasit to attack Hasan bin Saha!. Hasan bin Sahal defeated and forced Isa bin Mohammad to flee to Baghdad. ln short, 202 A.H. passed and 203 A.H. began with these upheavals.

Ibrahim left no store unturned in strengthening his caliphate in all possible ways. In the beginning of 203 A.H., Baghdad saw an upheaval, which p'..lt his caliphate and government in peril. Humaid bin Abdul Hl.,naid made up his mind to go to Baghdad and fight with Ibrahim bin Mehdi after gaining control over Kufa. Ibrahim bin Mehdi's general was Isa bin Mohammad bin Abi Khalid. Humaid conspired with Isa bin Mohammad bin Abi Khalid by sending to him messages surreptitiously therefore, he avoided and evaded a confrontation with Humaid. When Isa's brother Haroon bin The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) Mohammad found out about thr conspiracy, he informed Ibrahim bin Mehdi.

Ibrahim bin Mehdi called Isa to his court, humiliated him and threw him into prison. When the soldiers heard of his imprisonment, they became restless and Isa's deputy Abbas entered into a coalition with them and proposed the overthrow of Ibrahim bin Mehdi. Most of the inhabitants of Baghdad joined the coup and imprisoned Ibrahim's officials and agents. Then Abbas wrote to Humaid, "Come to Baghdad at once. I shall hand over Baghdad to you". Humaid arrived in Baghdad with his army and gained control over a part of the city.

The other part was under the control of Ibrahim bin Mehdi. A few battles were fought in the city. Finally, becoming frustrated Ibrahim bin Mehdi went into hiding and the whole of the city fell under the control of Hasan bin Sahal's generals Humaid bin Abdul Humaid and Ali bin Hisham. Thus, the caliphate of Ibrahim bin Mehdi ended on 17 Dhul Hijjah 203 A.H. The Death of Fadal bin Sabal It has been mentioned that whatever news Fadal bin Saha] wanted to communicate to Mamoon he passed it on and whatever he wished to conceal from him he withheld it. He therefore withheld from him the news of Ibrahim bin Mehdi' s assuming power as caliph in Baghdad and none dared to acquaint Mamoon with the state of affairs in Iraq.

Fadal had deputed Tahir bin Husain as the ruler of Riqqah. Tahir was a famous general whose services could have been utilized in putting an end to the unrest in Iraq but Fadal bin Saha! considered him to be like Harsimah. So, by appointing him governor of an ordinary state he had virtually paralyzed him. In Iraq unrest continued to increase unabated and the masses began to hate Hasan bin Saha! even more. A few persons therefore gathered courage and ran the risk of undertaking the journey to Merv and called on Ali Rada bin Musa Kazim, the heir apparent to the caliphate, and ·said, "No one else dares to make Mamoon aware of the real state of affairs except you. So kindly settle this issue." Although Ali Rada did not regard Fadal bin Saha! as his opponent and always looked at him as a supporter, it was the purity of his heart and intention that convinced him to do the job.

He briefed Mamoon The History of Islam Rasheed in detail about Fadal bin Sahal' s and Hasan bin Saha I's improper activities, the murder of Harsimah, neutralizing the power of Tahir, the riot in Iraq and the caliphate of Ibrahim bin Mehdi and said, "The masses are getting sick and your caliphate is in danger." While informing him of all these details he also said to him clearly, "Because you have made me your heir apparent Banu Abbas and their supporters are displeased with you." After hearing about all these matters Mamoon said to him, "Is anybody else aware of these things_ other than you?" He said, "Your chiefs and companions also know these things but they are paralyzed with fear of Fadal bin Sahal and they dare not tell you." Mamoon called those officers in private and inquired of them. They all declined to speak · but when he assured them that Fadal would not harm them, they opened their months and told him everything and confirmed what Ali Rada had informed him. Hearing this he intended to leave. Merv and go to Iraq. When Fadal came to know about the disclosures, he persecuted the leaders who had acquainted Mamoon with the real state of affairs. He imprisoned some of them and some were insulted and lashed but it was too late to change anything.

Mamoon took the wise step that he did not let Fadal bin Saha! become afraid or frustrated. He made Fadal bin Sahal's cousin Ghassan bin Abbad the governor of Khorasan and left Khorasan and went to Iraq. He arrived at Sarkhas. There Fadal bin Saha! was attacked and killed by four persons in his bathroom. The killers escaped. Mamoon announced that whosoever captured the killers would be given 10,000 dinars.

They were duly arrested and killed by his orders. Their heads were sent to Hasan bin Saha!. Mamoon wrote a consolatory letter to Hasan bin Saha! and made him his minister in Fadal bin Sahal's place. He then visited Fadal's mother to console her. He said to her, "Just as Fadal was your son, I am your son also." After a few days, he married Hasan bin Sahal's daughter Boran and thereby raised Hasan's prestige. In short, Fadal bin Sahal's murder took place in the same way in which )afar Barmuk's murder had taken place.

It goes without saying that it was Ma moon Rasheed who had him murdered and those four men who killed him in his bathroom were ordered by Mamoon Rasheed. Fadal had proved The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) himself deserving to be killed. In this respect, Mamoon followed his father Haroon Rasheed with the difference that the Haroon had Jafar Barmuk killed and then punished the entire Barmuk family and took the blame of his murder upon himself, while Mamoon had Fadal killed and bestowed so much favor on his family that no one could dare condemn or slander him or prove him guilty to such an extent that even Fadal's brother, father and mother did not complain. The murder took place at Sarkhas on 2 Shaban 202 A.H. The Death of Imam Ali Rada bin Musa Kazim Caliph Mamoon· Rasheed had already had his daughter Umm Habib married to Ali Rada. During the journey to Iraq, he married his second daughter to Ali Rada' s son Mohammad bin Ali Rada but the departure to her husband's house was deferred until she came·of age some years later.

Mamoon left Merv in Rajab 202 A.H. and reached Baghdad on 15 Safar 204 A.H. He covered the journey in one year and six months and came to Baghdad after halting at many places on the way. The journey fully acquainted him with the situation in the country and the people favorably responded to him upon his arrival in Baghdad. During the 15ame journey, he sent Ali Rada's brother [brahim bin Musa Kazim as the leader of the pilgrimage and gave him the governorship of Yemen. He halted at Tus and came to his father's grave and prayed for him. He stayed in Tus for over a month.

What happened while they were there was that the heir apparent Imam Ali Rada died while eating grapes. Mamoon was extremely shocked about his death. He accompanied the funeral procession bare headed and said, "0 Abul Hasan! Where should I go and what should I do after you?" For three days, he halted at the grave and lived on bread and salt. He had his father Haroon Rasheed's grave dug out and put Ali Rada's dead body into it so that Haroon Rasheed should be benefited from Ali Rada's grace. Mamoon Rasheed was dedicated to Ali Rada.

The popular suspicion that it was Mamoon Rasheed who had his grapes poisoned seems to be totally baseless since he was not compelled to choose him as his heir apparent, which he did of his own accord. He married his daughters to Ali Rada and to his son willingly. He made Ali Rada's The History of Islam brother governor of Yemen and leader of the pilgrimage. He could not have served a man so much whom he wanted to have killed. Furthermore, how could he put the body of a man he had killed into his father's grave? To have him buried in his father's grave is ample proof of his true and deep love for him, which was not tainted by hypocrisy or pretense.

His deep mourning over his death also indicates this fact. Mamoon Rasheed always dealt kindly with the Alawiites during his caliphate and appointed them to high posts, which cannot be overlooked. All these sufficiently demonstrate that he did not hate the Alawiites. He wanted to improve their lot and help them. Had he removed Ali Rada by poison, he could not have continued to behave with them in the manner that he did. It is possible that Banu Abbas or one of their supporters poisoned his grapes because they were displeased with Mamoon Rasheed for making Ali Rada his heir-apparent.

Imam Ali Rada died in Safar 203 A.H. when he was 55. He was born at Madinah. Tahir bin Husain's Reappearance Tahir bin Husain bin Mus'ab bin Zuraiq bin Hamam has been mentioned above. His grandfather, Zuraiq was the slave of the famous Talha bin Obaidullah. Zuraiq's son Mus'ab bin Zuraiq was a clerk to Banu Abbas's Naqeeb Sulaiman bin Kaseer and was eventually the Ameer of Herat. Mus'ab's son Tahir bin Husain was born at Merv in 159 A.H.

Fadal bin Saha! gave him the governorship of Riqqah and sent him to fight with Nasr bin Sheeth. Nasr bin Sheeth captured Halab and its eastern territories and set himself up as its ruler. Since Tahir did not get the expected and suitable reward following Ameen's death and the victory of Baghdad and since he did not get sufficient encouragement from Fadal bin Saha!, he lived at Riqqah and fought with Nasr bin Sheeth but without enthusiasm. Nasr announced that he did not want to obey Mamoon because he had preferred the non-Arabs to the Arabs. On this point, Tahir agreed with him. When Mamoon became aware of the real state of affairs and left for Baghdad, he wrote to Tahir asking to see him at Nahrwan before reaching Baghdad.

Mamoon left Tus and arrived at Jurjan. He stayed there for over a The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) month. Continuing in this way, he arrived in Nahrwan after stopping at several places. Tahir had also arrived there after making his nephew lshaq bin Ibrahim his deputy in Riqqah, and in Nahrwan he met Mamoon. As he was approaching Baghdad, Ibrahim bin Mehdi's caliphate had met its end before he actually entered Baghdad and Ibrahim was in hiding there. After leaving Nahrwan, Mamoon entered Baghdad on 15 Safar 204 A.H.

He held court there and keeping in view Tahir's conquests and sacrifices, asked him to express his wish. Tahir said, "Please give up wearing green clothes and permit all others to wear the traditional black clothes and adopt the ways of the Abbasids." Mamoon agreed and acted accordingly. This met with popular appreciation all over Baghdad and Banu Abbas' s grievances were redressed. This happened on 23 Safar 204 A.H. Appointment of Governors and Important Events Jn the month of Safar 204 A.H., Mamoon Rasheed entered Baghdad and attended to improving his administration. He appointed Tahir bin Husain officer of the Police Department and City Magistrate of Baghdad, which were very important posts . compared to the governorship of Jazirah and Sawad.

The governorship of Kufa was given to his brother Abu Isa and that of Basra to another brother Saleh. Hijaz was given to Abdullah bin Husain bin Abbas biri Ali bin Abi Talib, Mousil to Syed bin Anas Azdi, Riqqah to Abdullah bin Tahir bin Husain, Jazirah to Yahya bin Ma'az and Armenia and Azerbaijan to lsa bin Mohammad bin Abi Khalid. The same year saw the death of the governor of Egypt, Sirri bin Mohammad bin Hakam. After his death, his son Abdullah bin Sirri succeeded him. Dawood bin Yazid, the governor of Sindh, also died the same year. His place was taken over by Bishr bin Dawood on the condition that he yVould send yearly 10,000 dirhams to Mamoon as tax.

The same year Hasan bin Sabal went mad and his condition deteriorated so much that he had to be physically confined. Mamoon appointed Ahmed bin Abi Khalid as his prime minister. There lived a group near the Persian Gulf known by the name Zutt, who numbered fifteen to twenty thousand. They committed highway robbery making The History of Islam the road to Basra perilous. Mamoon instructed the governor of Jazirah, Yahya bin Ma'az, to punish them but they were not fully subdued. Tahir the Governor of Khorasan Mamoon Rasheed deputed Isa bin Yazid Jaludi in charge of the expedition against the Zutt.

In the same year, Tahir visited Mamoon on the occasion of a normal gathering. Seeing Tahir reminded Mamoon of his brother Ameen and tears rushed to his eyes. He was also reminded of Tahir's oppressive measures, which he had used in arresting, humiliating and killing Ameen. When Tahir asked him the reason of his tears, he said, "There is something which is humiliating if expressed and painful if concealed but who in the world is free from pain and sorrow. I also tolerate this pain." Tahir did not say anything at the moment put later on he ordered one of Mamoon's courtiers Husain who was also p'resent on the occasion to ask him the cause and sent him 100,000 dirhams through his clerk Mohammad bin Haroon as a reward. Finding an opportune moment, Husain asked Mamoon the reason tears were brought to his eyes.

He, on condition of not revealing it to anyone, said, "My eyes were filled with tears to see Tahir on that particular day because I thought it was the same Tahir who humiliated and killed my brother Ameen and today he gives me so much respect." When Husain conveyed this information to Tahir, he was very worried and began to envision his own death assuming that Mamoon would certainly harm him one day. Keeping it in his heart he said to the Prime Minister Ahmad bin Abi Khalid, "I want to live away from Baghdad. Please send me as the governor of a province and I won't forget this service of yours." When Mamoon set out to Baghdad from Khorasan, he had made Ghassan bin Abbad the governor of Khorasan. Ahmad bin Abi Khalid went to Mamoon and said to him, "The thought of Ghassan bin Abbad and Khorasan did not allow me to have a wink of sleep last night because news is coming from the border that the Turks (Mongols) are going to rebel soon. If this happens, Ghassan bin Abbad won't be abk to save Khorasan. A more able and experienced man is needed there." Mamoon said, "Yes, it is a matter of great concern.

Can you tell me who should be sent there?" Ahmad bin Abi Khalid said, "I don't see The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) anybody better than Tahir bin Husain." Mamoon said, "Tahir bin Husain may also rebel." Ahmad bin Abi Khalid said, "I stand surety on behalf of Tahir. He won't rebel." Mamoon sent for Tahir and made him the ruler of all the provinces of the east from Baghdad to Khorasan up to Sindh, Balkh and Bukhara and sent him off to the capital of Khorasan, Merv. His son Abdullah was appointed the city magistrate and chief of police in Baghdad. Tahir was given 1,000,000 dirhams plus a slave as a reward at the time of departure. Mamoon said to him, "This is the reward for your excellent service." Mamoon had briefed the slave that if he saw Tahir bent upon rebellion he should remove him with poison. Tahir left Baghdad at the end of Dhul Qada 205 A.H. and went to Khorasan.

Abdullah bin Tahir' s Governorship The news reached in 206 A.H. that Yahya bin Mu'az, the governor of Jazirah, and Sirri bin Mohammad Hakam, the governor of Egypt, died and they made their sons Ahmad and Obaidallah the governors of Jazirah and Egypt respectively. Nasr bin Sheeth began to advance towards Jazirah and Obaidallah raised the flag of rebellion in Egypt. Mamoon appointed Ishaq bin Ibrahim bin Husain bin Mus'ab officer to the Police Department in place of Obaidullah. Then he appointed Abdullah bin Tahir, governor of Jazirah and sent him off with the instructions first to fight Nasr bin Sheeth and after completing this, send the forces to Egypt. Abdullah bin Tahir at once left with the military forces, halted in between Riqqah and Egypt and spread out groups of his soldiers to besiege Nasr bin Sheeth. When Tahir bin Husain received the news in Khorasan that the Caliph had made Abdullah governor of Jazirah and in charge of all the western provif\.ces, he wrote a letter to Abdullah, which contained his views on the principles of administration, grand ethics and politics.

Historically, it is considered to be one of the best documents on ethics and the principles of administration. Mamoon learned about it, had it copied and sent a c_opy to each of his governors. Imam Ibn Khaldoon in his book A Preface to History and Ibn Atheer in his book A Complete Riston; have recorded it. It is considered The History of Islam essential to include it in the study of ettiics. The same year Fadal bin Rabi who went into hiding for fear of Mamoon and then eventually went to Ibrahim bin Mehdi and joined his companionship and hid himself when Ibrahim went underground, begged for forgiveness and Mamoon forgave him. A series of battles continued to be fought between Abdullah bin Tahir and Nasr bin Sheeth and due to this disturbance no expedition could be sent to Egypt.

Abdur Rahman bin Ahmad became an insurgent in Yemen but he was defeated in the same year. Marnoon sent Dinar bin Abdullah to Yemen, Abdur Rahman bin Ahmad requested Dinar to grant him security and pardon and left Yemen for Baghdad and Yemen came under the control of Dinar bin Abdullah. The Death of Tahir bin Husain the Governor of Khorasan Having arrived in Khorasan, he easily succeeded in establishing his government and authority and he put an end to all the disturbances there. It is a fact that he was the best choice for the governorship of Khorasan. As mentioned above, Tahir was not satisfied with Marnoon. He could have possibly avoided Marnoon and captured a vast territory in order to protect him from corning into his grip.

He had seen the end of Fadal bin Saha! and the Barrnuks and had read about Abu Muslim Khorasani. He also knew Marnoon's view about him, which he had gathered from Husain Nadeem. In brief in Jurnad-alThani 207 A.H., Tahir made a sermon on Friday at the Central Mosque in which he neither named Caliph Marnoon Rasheed nor did he offer prayers for him. He simply prayed for the correction of the community and stepped down from the pulpit. Kulthum bin Thabit, an agent of the caliph was present there and he at once sent the information to Mamoon in Baghdad. When Marnoon read the report, he sent for the Prime Minister, informed him of the events and instructed him to leave with the army for Khorasan without any delay.

He said to him," As you stand surety, you should go to Khorasan and save it from his mischief and bring back Tahir as a captive." Ahmad bin Abi Khalid prepared for departure. The next day another report arrived that Tahir had fallen ill on Friday and suddenly The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) died on Saturday. The slave who was given to Tahir on the occasion of his appointment to the rank of governor probably poisoned him when he found out Tahir's negative intention about Mamoon. Upon hearing the news of Tahir's death, Mamoon Rasheed said," All praise is due to Allah who caused his death before mine." Then he made his son Talha bin Tahir governor of Khorasan and sent Ahmad bin Abi Khalid to Khorasan to establish Talha bin Tahir firmly there so that there might not be any possibility of rebellion and disobedience there. It was a trademark of Mamoon that he would penalize a rebel or revolutionary and nothing ever stopped him from destroying him but he never harmed the guilty party's family and relatives. He usually would endear himself to them even more by serving them.

Ahmad bin Abi Khalid went to Khorasan and Mawaraunnahr and punished the insurgents. When he was informed that Tahir's brother Husain bin Husain bin Mus'ab rebelled in Kerman he went there, arrested him and presented him to Mamoon. Mamoon excused him. When Ahmad bin Abi Khalid was returning from Khorasan to the capital Baghdad. Talha bin Tahir presented to him 3,000,000 dirhams in cash and goods worth 100,000 dirhams as gift. He gave Ahmed's clerk 500,000 dirhams.

The same year Mamoon removed Isa bin Yazid Jaludi and assigned Dawood bin Manjoor commander of the expedition to Zutt and put the territories of Basra, Dajlah, Yamama and Bahrain under his control. He made Mohammad bin Hafiz the ruler of Tabristan. The same year the tribe of Banu Shaiban revolted against Mamoon. Mamoon sent Syed bin Anas to punish and discipline them. The clash with Banu Shaiban took place at Waskarah and they were defeated. The same year Mamoon Rasheed sent Mohammad bin Jafar Amri as ambassador to Nasr bin Sheeth who had been continuously suffering defeat at the hands of Abdullah bin Tahir, who persuaded him to obey.

Nasr bin Sheeth said, "I am ready to reconcile with Mamoon Rasheed provided I should not be forced to .go to his court." He came to Mamoon and conveyed Nasr's condition. Mamoon swore that he would not rest until he forced Nasr to present himself in his court. Nasr said to his companions who were all Arabs, "How can Mamoon Rasheed, who failed to subdue the toads of the Zutt community, get the better of us?" He then geared up to give him a tougher fight than before. The History of Islam The Insurrection in Africa North Africa, this province included central Tunis and Qairwan situated between Egypt and Morocco, was given to Ibrahim bin Aghlab in 184 A.H. on lease for 40,000 dinars as tax annually during Haroon Rasheed's regime. He ruled over Africa very efficiently. In Mamoon Rasheed's regime the ruler of North Africa was Ibrahim's son Zeyadatullah bin Ibrahim bin Aghlab.

In 208 A.H., there was a revolt in Tunis, which was engineered by Mansoor bin Naseer. Mansoor bin Naseer captured most parts of Tunis and besieged Zeyadatullah in the capital Qairwan. Zeyadatullah defeated and forced Mansoor bin Naseer to flee but Mansoor rallied his forces again and came to fight and the tug of war continued from 208 A.H. to 211 A.H. At last, Mansoor bin Naseer was killed by one of his own men and Zeyadatullah ruled over Africa easily. 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 theAlawiites 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 Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) The Murder of lbn 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 bin Hakam had nominated his son Obaidullah as his heir-apparent at the time of his death. Immediately after assuming power Obaidullah revolted. Busy fighting Nasr bin Sheeth, Abdullah bin Tahir was not able to pay attention to Egypt and Mamoon because The History of Islam 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 Obaidullah'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. Obaidullah 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. Obaidullah bin Sirri fought but Abdullah bin Tahir, defeated and surrounded him. Compelled by the siege Obaidullah 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 The Caliphate of the Abbas ids (Second Phase) 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 adultry as lawful. ft 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 there 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 The History of Islam 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 Ma moon. Abdullah bin Tahir arrived in Khorasan and succeeded in putting down the rebellion of the Khwarij. Miscellaneous Events Mamoon Rasheed's Prime Minister Ahmad bin Abi Khalid was very wise, noble-hearted and good-natured, died the same year, 212 A.H. Mamoon appointed Ahmad bin Yusuf in his place. Ahmad bin Abi Khalid was a Syrian slave of Bani Amir he was a talented author and administrator. Ahmad bin Yusuf was a scribe in an undistinguished office.

As Mamoon knew his merit, he appointed him the post of prime minister. In 212 A.H., Ahmad bin Muhammad Omari alias Ahmar al-Ain (Red Eye) revolted in Yemen. Caliph Mamoon deputed Mohammad bin Abdul Humaid popularly known as Abur Razi in Yemen. In 213 A.H., Mamoon deputed his own son Abbas in Jazirah, Thagoor and Awasim The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) and his own brother Abu Ishaq Motasim in Syria and Egypt. Abu Ishaq on his own behalf sent Ibn Omairah Baz Isa as the ruler of Egypt. In 214 A.H., groups of the Qais and Yemenia tribes created chaos and wanted to kill ibn Omairah and revolted.

Motasim himself went to Egypt, subdued the insurgents and appointed administrators and peace was restored there. In 213 A.H., Mamoon appointed Ghassan bin Abbas the governor of Sindh. The same year saw the death of Abur Razi, the governor of Yemen, at the hands of rebels. Having been compelled Mamoon gave the state of Yemen to Mohammad bin Ibrahim Ziyadi who descended from Zeyad bin Abi Sufyan. He went there, founded the city of Zubaid, he made it his head911arter and began to rule over Yemen. He used to send presents and gifts to the Caliph and read his name in the sermon.

He governed independently until his death in 245 A.H. After him, his descendents and slaves ruled there until 533 A.H. In 214 A.H., Mamoon made Ali bin Hisham the governor of Jabal, Qum, Isfahan and Azerbaijan. In 214 A.H., Abu Bilal Sabi Shari revolted. Mamoon sent his son Abbas to punish and discipline him. Abu Bilal was killed in the fighting and the malevolence ended.

In 215 A.H., the Emperor Michael died and his son Nofil succeeded him. When he noticed signs of disobedience and enmity from the Romans, Mamoon assigned Ishaq bin Ibrahim bin Mus' ab to the governorship of Sawad, Halwan and Euphrates, left a deputy in Baghdad and he invaded the Romans. He passed through Mousil, Antakia, Masisa and Tartoos and entered Roman territory. He captured the fort of Qarah and pulled down its fortifications. Then he sent Ashnas to the fort of Sundus, and Ajeef and Jafar to the fort of Sanan with a division of the army and these two forts were captured. Abbas bin Mamoon Rasheed conquered the city of Maltiah.

Motasim, who lived in Egypt, returned and called on Ma moon. The Romans were humbled and begged ·to be forgiven. Caliph Mamoon returned and went to Damascus. He was still on the way when the Romans rallied their forces and suddenly invaded Tartoos and Masisa. The civilians of the two cities were off their guards thinking that the Romans had reconciled with the Muslims and they were massacred mercilessly. As soon as Mamoon heard this news, he retraced his steps causing fear in the Roman The History of Islam territories.

The Islamic Army began to conquer fort after fort and city after city. Caliph Mamoon continued to advance after conquering many forts and territories and Motasim attacked and captured thirty forts. On another flank, Yahya bin Aksam was busy conquering cities and captured many Roman soldiers. Finally, the Roman emperor begged to be excused for his impertinence. Caliph Mamoon then ordered the army to return . He returned to Damascus and then turned his attention to Egypt.

He punished the rebels severely and put things in order there. He left Egypt and went to Syria. He took one year for this invasion and the return journey. In 217 A.H., the Romans became involved in some rebellious activities and Mamoon had to attack them again. Several battles were waged and eventually Nofil, the Roman Emperor, again begged for reconciliation. Mamoon again forgave him and then he returned from the Roman territory.

In 218 A.H., he had to punish and discipline the Romans again. On his return, he ordered his son Abbas to build the city of Tawana as a memorial. He constructed a fort one-mile square. He had fortifications eight miles in circumference built and populated the city with people from different cities. Mamoon's Death On the return from the Roman territories, Mamoon halted at Baznadoon River, near Riqqah. He came down with a fever on 13 Jumad-al-Thani 218 A.H. and died on Thursday 18 Rajah 218 A.H.

Before his death, he assembled the noblemen, officials, scholars and legal experts he made his will and gave instructions regarding his burial. He forbade them and others to weep noisily after his death. He called his brother Abu Ishaq Motasim, whom he had made his heir apparent, advised him and drew his . attention to the principles of running an administration. He continued to recite Qur'anic verses. At the end he was heard saying, "O! You whose kingdom is eternal take pity on him whose kingdom is decaying" after which, he breathed his last.

His brother Abu lshaq Motasim and his son Abbas brought him from Riqqah to Tartoos and buried him there. He was 48 and he ruled for 20 years and six months. The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) His entire regime was passed in fighting battles and putting down rebellions. He left the expedition of Zutt and Babak Khurmi incomplete both of these problems could not be suppressed and resolved during his caliphate. The era of his conquests against the Romans had just begun when he was overtaken by death. At the end of his life, he gave proof of his ability as a valiant general.

He fought against the Romans over several years continuously and he died in a state of war on the battlefield. Independence of Provinces and Countries While the caliphs of Banu Umayyah were in power, Damascus was the center and capital of the entire Islamic world. The Abbasids inherited the caliphate of Banu Umayyah and Abdullah Saffah the first Abbasid caliph in 132 A.H. became the inheritor of Banu Umayyah and the ruler of the entire Islamic world. However, in a short span of six years, from 138 A.H. Andulus was taken away from the control of the Abbasids and a separate caliphate of Banu Umayyah was established there. 172 A.H. another independent territory was established in Morocco, which came to be known as the sultanate of the Idrisids and Morocco left the jurisdiction of the Abbasids forever. In 184 A.H., the territories of Tunis and Algeria, called the province of North Africa, remained under the control of Banu Abbas in name only.

An independent kingdom was established by Ibrahim bin Aghlab, which continued to exist for long years. In 205 A.H., Mamoon Rasheed fixed Tahir bin Husain as the Governor of Khorasan and Tahir's family ruled over Khorasan from that time. North Africa was nominally under the Abbasid rule, similarly Khorasan under Tahir's rule was only nominally under the Abbasids and only a small amount of taxes were paid to the caliph. The name of the Abbasid caliph was read at the Friday sermons but in the remaining affairs, Tahir and his descendants were quite independent. In A.H., Mohammad bin Ibrahim Zeyadi was given the governorship of Yemen and this kingdom remained with his family for a long years. Yemen became technically free like Khorasan and North Africa.

In brief, between 138 A.H. and 213 A.H. a span of 75 years, five independent states were established. The Umayyahs in The History of Islam Andulus, the Idrisids in Morocco, the Aghlabs in North Africa, Tahir and his descendants in Khorasan and the Zeyadis in Yemen all established independent states. Academic Developments Mamoon Rasheed's regime was constantly involved in betrayal and rebellion and he remained busy maintaining order in the administration of the territories and provinces and punishing insurgents. It is beyond expectation that a man who had to constantly monitor the situation and the latest developments in his caliphate, could have paid attention to the acquisition of knowledge and the development of the arts. It is surprising that during his administration the sciences and arts developed greatly. Mamoon achieved many remarkable feats in the field of learning he patronized scholarship in an unprecedented manner exceeding that of any other age.

That is why his fame is so enduring. Haroon Rasheed founded in Baghdad the institute of Translation and the institute of Compilation called the House of Wisdom, where educated of different foreign countries, followers of different religions and scholars of various languages were always found at work. Mamoon was interested in having Aristotle's works translated. He wrote to the Roman Emperor requesting him to send all of Aristotle's works available with him. The Emperor hesitated. He consulted his Christian scholars.

They said to him, The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) civilization, when Indian kings knew the intererts of Mamoon they sent Sanskrit scholars of repute to him as a gift to please him. The translators at the institute of Translation received salaries up to 2,500 and these scholars number~d in the hundreds. Famous among them are Yaqub Kindi, Hunain bin Ishaq, Costa bin Luka Balbakki, Abu Jafar Yahya bin Adi, and Jibrail bin Bakhtishu. Besides salaries, the translators used to receive gold or silver equal to the weight of the books they translated. The books brought from Palestine, Egypt, Alexandria, Sicily, Rome, Iran and India were translated into Arabic. Most of the translators themselves authored books on sciences and arts.

Some meritorious translators were deputed for correction and revision of previous translations. It was during Mamoon Rasheed's regime that a famous scholar Muhammad bin Musa Khwarzami wrote a book on Algebra in a competition sponsored by Mamoon in which he formulated the principles of Algebra and till this age those principle were not brokend not amended. When the study of the Greek books revealed to him that the earth was round, he called the scholars of Geography and Astronomy and ordered them to measure the circumference of the earth by selecting a vast and level field and measuring one degree of it. The level field of Sanjar was chosen. At a point an angle was formed with the height of the North Pole and then measuring with a surveyor's measuring chain they moved straight towards the north. When they had gone 69 and 2/3 miles to the North, one degree had increased in the angle of the height of the North Pole.

Therefore, if a distance of one degree on the surface of the earth is 69 and 2/3 miles, the circumference of the whole earth should be approximately 25,000 miles. 360 degrees multiplied by 69 and 2/3 miles is approximately 25,000 miles. When the experiment was repeated on the plains of Kufa, the same results were arrived at. [Editors note: The actual circumference of the earth is 24,902 miles. It makes an interesting footnote since this event took place more than 650 years before the time of Columbus.] He had an observatory built at Shamsiyah by Khalid bin Abdul Malik Marwrozi and Yahya bin Mansoor, and appointed scholars of Astronomy to study the heavenly bodies. He called scholars and those The History of Islam who were enlightened from all areas of the caliphate by order. He held academic seminars and symposia and participated in them in person. Scholars of literature, poets, orators, doctors, in short, the leaders in all fields the like of whom one could have hardly found in the whole world at that time, were present in Baghdad.

Asmai was the most eminent scholar of Arabic compilation, syntax and literature could not leave Kufa due to old age. His salary was sent to him there. Important problems were sent to him in Kufa for solution. Farra Nahwi collected and compiled the Science of Syntax with many books written on this subject. A separate room in the royal palace was vacated and reserved for him. Scholars used to come to be benefited as his students.

It was during Mamoon's regime that books on calligraphy were written and its principles and rules were collected, classified and set in order. In brief, it was due to Mamoon's patronage of learning that the Muslims were fully exposed to the sciences and arts of Greece, Iran, Egypt and India all in one place, the city of Baghdad. Although the Muslims needed no other sciences and arts in the presence of the Qur' an and Hadith, they turned to the ancient philosophers and the physical sciences and systemized them as if they were newly formulated. They worked with absolute freedom. Although these foreign sciences and philosophies clashed with the Qur' an at times, the servants of Islam had the opportunity to prove these philosophies and principles wrong. A chain of clashes between religion and science began.

The academic superiority that Islam achieved surpassed the conquests of territory achieved during the dynasty of Banu Umayyah. These academic conquests elevated the status of the caliphate of the Abbasids to be on par with Banu Umayyah. However, from the standpoint of worldly conquests the caliphate of the Abbasids can never be equal to the caliphate of Banu Umayyah. On the contrary, if we evaluate on the basis of worldly conquests the caliphate of Banu Abbas totally failed because it was not able to hold all the territory it acquired from Banu Umayyah. Rebuttal of a Charge In some history books it was recorded wrongly that Mamoon Rasheed Abbasi invaded an Indian king of Rajputana named Bapa Rawal 22 times and every time he was defeated and chased away by Bapa The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) Rawal. It is said that the same distortion has also been recorded in some other books used in the Indian school system.

Those who read in their youth that Mamoon was defeated 22 times by Bapa, automatically have a low image about Mamoon who, in order to subdue an ordinary feudal lord, had to use all his might throughout the long period of his Caliphate in vain. In the above pages, the conditions of Mamoon Rasheed Abbasi's regime have been recorded including the activities he was engaged in before he became Caliph. After becoming the ruler of Khorasan, he lived in Merv. It was at that time that Haroon Rasheed died at Tus. After that, Mamoon remained in Tus six years and did not leave. It is correct that his armies put down the rebellion in Kandahar and Kabul and Islam came to be accepted in that territory by 200 A.H.

During that period, the king of Tibet embraced Islam and sent his images of gold and silver to Caliph Mamoon Rasheed at Merv. Sind was a part of his Caliphate and the governors, appointed by the Caliph's court, ruled there. However, Mamoon never went there in person. He left Merv and went to Baghdad. The details of that journey are recorded in historical documents. However, there is no mention of his journey to Sind or his invasion of India.

After arriving in Baghdad, he lived there for a long period. At the end of his life, he left Baghdad to launch attacks on Roman territory. He also went to Syria and Egypt. While he was returning from the campaigns against the Romans, he died. It defies reason to find the period in which to record his supposed attacks on India. It is possible that some governor of Sind might have sent a division of an army to Rajputana to discipline and punish some feudal Lord.

But it probably was such an insignificant expedition that it was not recorded in the historical documentation. If it is said the governor of Sind sent an army, which was defeated by Bapa and the Muslims did not record it to preserve their reputation. Such an objection exposes the objector's dishonesty for he justifies falsehood in the recording of history, in all other cases the Muslim historians never concealed the defeats of Ma moon's armies and the many failures of his generals. While mentioning the plundering by the Zutt, they have mentioned Nasr bin Sheeth's taunt that Marnoon could not even defeat the few toads of Zutt. The historians, who The History of Islam who were enlightened from all areas of the caliphate by order. He held academic seminars and symposia and participated in them in person.

Scholars of literature, poets, orators, doctors, in short, the leaders in all fields the like of whom one could have hardly found in the whole world at that time, were present in Baghdad. Asmai was the most eminent scholar of Arabic compilation, syntax and literature could not leave Kufa due to old age. His salary was sent to him there. Important problems were sent to him in Kufa for solution. Farra Nahwi collected and compiled the Science of Syntax with many books written on this subject. A separate room in the royal palace was vacated and reserved for him.

Scholars used to come to be benefited as his students. It was during Mamoon's regime that books on calligraphy were written and its principles and rules were collected, classified and set in order. In brief, it was due to Mamoon's patronage of learning that the Muslims were fully exposed to the sciences and arts of Greece, Iran, Egypt and India all in one place, the city of Baghdad. Although the Muslims needed no other sciences and arts in the presence of the Quran and Hadith, they turned to the ancient philosophers and the physical sciences and systemized them as if they were newly formulated. They worked with absolute freedom. Although these foreign sciences and philosophies clashed with the Qur' an at times, the servants of Islam had the opportunity to prove these philosophies and principles wrong.

A chain of clashes between religion and science began. The academic superiority that Islam achieved surpassed the conquests of territory achieved during the dynasty of Banu Umayyah. These academic conquests elevated the status of the caliphate of the Abbasids to be on par with Banu Umayyah. However, from the standpoint of worldly conquests the caliphate of the Abbasids can never be equal to the caliphate of Banu Umayyah. On the contrary, if we evaluate on the basis of worldly conquests the caliphate of Banu Abbas totally failed because it was not able to hold all the territory it acquired from Banu Umayyah. Rebuttal of a Charge In some history books it was recorded wrongly that Mamoon Rashee Abbasi invaded an Indian king of Rajputana named Bapa Rawat 2 times and every time he was defeated and chased away by Bap The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) Rawal.

It is said that the same distortion has also been recorded in some other books used in the Indian school system. Those who read in their youth that Mamoon was defeated 22 times by Bapa, automatically have a low image about Mamoon who, in order to subdue an ordinary feudal lord, had to use all his might throughout the long period of his Caliphate in vain. In the above pages, the conditions of Mamoon Rasheed Abbasi's regime have been recorded including the activities he was engaged in before he became Caliph. After becoming the ruler of Khorasan, he lived in Merv. It was at that time that Haroon Rasheed died at Tus. After that, Mamoon remained in Tus six years and did not leave.

It is correct that his armies put down the rebellion in Kandahar and Kabul and Islam came to be accepted in that territory by 200 A.H. During that period, the king of Tibet embraced Islam and sent his images of gold and silver to Caliph Mamoon Rasheed at Merv. Sind was a part of his Caliphate and the governors, appointed by the Caliph's court, ruled there. However, Mamoon never went there in person. He left Merv and went to Baghdad. The details of that journey are recorded in historical documents.

However, there is no mention of his journey to Sind or his invasion of India. After arriving in Baghdad, he lived there for a long period. At the end of his life, he left Baghdad to launch attacks on Roman territory. He also went to Syria and Egypt. While he was returning from the campaigns against the Romans, he died. It defies reason to find the period in which to record his supposed attacks on India.

It is possible that some governor of Sind might have sent a division of an army to Rajputana to discipline and punish some feudal Lord. But it probably was such an insignificant expedition that it was not recorded in the historical documentation. If it is said the governor of Sind sent an army, which was defeated by Bapa and the Muslims did not record it to preserve their reputation. Such an objection exposes the objector's dishonesty for he justifies falsehood in the recording of history, in all other cases the Muslim historians never concealed the defeats of Mamoon' s armies and the many failures of his generals. While mentioning the plundering by the Zutt, they have mentioned Nasr bin Sheeth's taunt that Mamoon could not even defeat the few toads of Zutt. The historians, who The History of Islam supposedly committed the crime of distorting facts to favor him, could have easily deleted the Zutt incident because after a short time, that community was totally wiped off the surface of the earth by the Romans and the incident could have remained hidden.

However, this baseless lie was fabricated to extol Bapa's valor. This is the same kind of joking lie that the Hindu historians have stated about Vikrmaditya, without any shame that he went to Italy and defeated the Roman emperor Julius €aesar in Rome. This is probably a reply to Alexander's invasion of India where they harmlessly even the historical score with their fabrication. Such light talk may provide a momentary pleasure at village meetings but it is not the recording of history. Nature and Habits In respect to prudence, determination, tolerance, scholarship and valor Caliph Mamoon Rasheed was superior to all amongst the Banu Abbas dynasty. He used to say," Amir Muawiya ~ needed Amr bin Aas and Abdul Malik needed Hajjaj but I needed no one." He had a predilection to the Shiite way he felt that the Alawiites deserved respect and the Caliphate more than all others.

That was why he removed his brother Motamin and made Ali Raza his successor and had his daughter married to him. He had a mind to vacate his Caliphate and install him as Caliph in his own presence. However, after the passage of ten years and during the last period of his Caliphate he changed his mind following the betrayal and rebellion of the Alawiites. He also wanted to issue instructions that none should remember Amir Muawiya .;. with respect and he should be declared a wrong doer but he did not do so at the instance of the people. He was also very fond of reading the Qur' an. During some Ramadan, he finished the Quran once everyday.

When he made Ali Raza his heir-apparent, a few from among Banu Abbas said to him, "Please don't hand over the Caliphate to the Alawites." Mamoon said, "During his regime Ali bin Abi Talib .;. had deputed Banu Abbas to govern most of the provinces. I want to reciprocate and give power and the Caliphate to their descendants." When Mamoon provided an opportunity to the followers of all faiths and religions to give vent to their opinions openly at Darul Munazirah, The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) the institution that he created to allow free exchange of thought, academic discussions began to take place in an unrestrained way. Hair splitting and sophistic techniques more dedicated to debate than the seeking of truth evolved. The points of debate, which had little to do with the science of the religion, produced antagonistic parties over frivolous philosophies. Mamoon was drawn into these debates and became a participant in this competition. These unrestrained religious debates resulted in the creation of unnecessary ·and insignificant problems.

There w~s a debate about the creation of the Quran. Mamoon was convinced by the school of thought that maintained that the Quran was created and he began to perpetrate atrocities on those who did not agree .with him. The consequence of that pressure and oppression was disastrous. The scholars of the opposite points of view began to oppose him more vehemently and that generated even more rigid antagonism and prejudice to the extent that even after his death some scholars of Islam have been greatly agonized on account of this unreal and unnecessary problem. Abu Muhammad Yazidi says that he used to teach Mamoon in his childhood. Once the servants complained to him saying, "When you go away, he beats the servants and behaves wantonly with them." Yazidi struck him with his stick seven times.

Mamoon was weeping and wiping his eyes when the Prime Minister Jafar Barmuk appeared while Yazidi left. Jafar talked to Mamoon until he laughed and then left. Yazidi came back to him and said, "I was fearing that you would complain to Jafar." Mamoon said, "Leave Jafar I can not complain to my father for you had beaten me for my benefit." Yahya bin Aksam says: "One day I was sleeping in Mamoon Rasheed's room, Mamoon was also asleep. He awakened me saying, 'Please see if there is something near my feet?' I looked but found nothing but he was not satisfied. He called the servants. They lighted a lamp and saw that a snake was sitting under his bed.

I said to him, 'you possess the knowledge of the unseen along with your other merits.' He said I seek refuge in Allah! What are you saying?' The fact is that I just haq a dream in which somebody warned me against the danger of a naked sword. I at once woke up and I felt that some ugly incident would take place very soon. The bed was the nearest thing. So I looked into it and the snake was found." _ij .~ 't The History of Islam Mohammad bin Mansoor says: "Mamoon used to say that 'a noble man is he who bears the atrocities perpetrated against him by his superior and does not persecute him who is inferior to him."' Sayeed bin Muslim says: "Mamoon once said, 'If the criminals come to know how much I love forgiveness, their fear will vanish and their hearts will be filled with joy."' Mamoon said to a criminal, "By Allah, I shall slay you." He said, "Please be tolerant for softness is.half of forgiveness." Mamoon said, "Now I have sworn an oath." He said, "If you go to Allah as a violator of an oath, it is better than to go to Him as a killer." Mamoon forgave him. Abdus Salam bin Salah says: "One day I was sleeping in Mamoon's room.

The lamp was going out. He found that his servant was asleep. Mamoon left the bed, set the wick right and went back to sleep." In another incident Mamoon would say, "Often it happens that I am in the bathroom and the servants abuse and accuse me. They think that I have not heard them but I hear and forgive them and never let them know that I have heard them." One day Mamoon was sailing in a boat on the Tigris River. There was a curtain hanging separating the compartments on the boat. On the opposite side were sitting some sailors who did not know that Mamoon was there.

One of them said, "Mamoon must be thinking that I have love and honor for him in my heart but he does not understand that I have no love and honor left in my heart for a man who had his own brother killed." Mamoon began to smile and said, "Friends! Tell me how I can endear myself to this great man." Yahya bin Aksam says, "I was sleeping in Mamoon's room. I was about to fall asleep when Mamoon wanted to cough. He stuffed his mouth with the lower part of his shirt to prevent making a disturbance for the other sleepers." He used to say, "To me the domination of an argument appears to be better than the domination of nature or power for the latter will vanish with the passing away of nature or power and the former never meets its end." He used to say, "Love of flattery is bad for a king. Worse is a judge's narrow heartedness, which precedes the comprehension of the issue concerned. Still worse is the lack of wisdom on the part of the legal scholars in the matters of religion.

Worse still is the miserliness of th The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) rich, making fun of the elders, laziness of the youth and display of cowardice on the battlefield." Ali bin Abdur Raheem Marwrozi says, "Mamoon used to say, 'The man is an enemy to his own self who wants the nearness of the person who likes to be away from him, honors the man who does not respect him and feels delighted at the praise of a man whom he does not know."' Hudba bin Khalid says, "One day I was partaking of a meal with Mamoon. When the tablecloth was removed, I began to pick up the small pieces of food that had fallen on the floor and eat them. Mamoon said, 'Are you still hungry?' I said, 'I have had my fill but a Hadith says that one who eats the fallen bits of food after the removal of the tablecloth will never be poor.' He then gave me 1000 dinars." Once Haroon Rasheed visited Kufa after Hajj and requested the presence of the scholars of Hadith from there. All of them came except Abdullah bin Idris and Isa bin Yunus who refused to come. Haroon Rasheed sent his two sons Ameen and Mamoon. When they went to Abdullah bin Idris, he addressed Ameen and narrated a hundred Hadiths to him.

Mamoon was sitting and listening. When he stopped narrating, Mamoon said, "If you permit me, I can narrate all those Hadith." He granted permission and Mamoon narrated all the Hadiths quite correctly. Ibn Idris was stunned by Mamoon's sharp memory. He said, "I was never stunned into silence by the reply of a person except once by the inhabitants of Kufa. They came and complained against the governor of Kufa. I said, "You lie that governor is very just." They said, "Undoubtedly we are liars and Amir al-Muminin is truthful.

But why has our city alone been selected and reserved for his justice. Please send him to some other city so that, another city should also be benefited from his justice as our city has been benefited." l had to say under compulsion, "Well then, go. I have dismissed him." Yahya bin Aktham states, "One night I was sleeping in Mamoon's room. I felt thirst in middle of the night. I grew restless and began to turn from one side to the other. Mamoon asked me the reason.

I said, 'I am thirsty.' He left his bed, brought water and made me drink it. I said, 'Why didn't you call a servant?' He said, 'My father heard from The History of Islam his father and he heard from his grandfather and he heard from Uqba bin Amir '*, that the Prophet ~ said, 'The leader of the people is their servant."' The most praiseworthy and remarkable thing about the acts and achievements of Caliph Mamoon Rasheed is the fact that while nominating his successor he gave proof of his good intention and great courage and was not trapped by his paternal affection as the Caliphs before him who continued the injustice of choosing their sons as their successor and thereby strengthened the curse of hereditary rule on the Islamic Caliphate. By nominating Imam Ali Raza as his heir-apparent and depriving the dynasty of the Abbasids he acted freely, selected the best man for the job in the way adopted by Abu Bakr ~ in making Umar bin Khattab ,;.. his successor. However, Mamoon came to know very soon that the Abbasids would not accept it willingly and it would lead the Islamic world into trouble by creating disorder and riots. Imam Ali Raza' s death nipped Ma moon's wishes in bud. Then he selected his own brother Abu Ishaq, Motasim as his successor and deprived his own son Abbas of the throne despite the latter's ability to run the administration and the Caliphate.

Since Motasim was more capable than Abbas in administrative affairs, he selected Motasim and did not prefer his son. Mamoon's predecessors had continuously committed the fault of fixing two successors in place of one. Had he followed them, he would have nominated his own son Abbas and been satisfied that his own son would be Caliph after Motasim but he disliked and rejected this act that had no Islamic precedent. He is admired for many things but for this deed, he is not appreciated as much as he deserves. Motasim Billah Abu Ishaq Motasim bin Haroon Rasheed was born of a slave girl named Barwah at Zabtarah in Roman territory in 180 A.H. when Caliph Haroon Rasheed himself was attacking the Roman territories. Haroon loved him most and.whenever he distributed anything among his children, he used to give him the largest share.

Motasim was not interested in acquiring education. He spent his childhood days in games and sports. Haroon had assigned a slave to live with him and The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) educate him whenever he had a chance. When the slave died Haroon said to Motasim, "Now your slave has died. Say what is your intention now?" Motasim said, "Amir al-Muminin! Yes, the slave is dead and I have gotten rid of the books." This indicates that Motasim was not fond of studying.

The fact is that he had only a little formal education. Since he was brought up in the company of the royal family and scholars and had seen the educational meetings during Haroon and Mamoon' s regimes, his knowledge was sufficient. Motasim was a heavily built wrestler and a brave man. He was also a good general. Ibn Abi Dawood says: "Motasim often outstretched his arm towards me and said, 'Bite it as hard as you can.' I bit and he said, 'I did not feel anything.' I bit again but in vain. He often broke the wrist of his opponents with the pressure of only two fingers." Motasim sometimes composed poems and honored the poets.

He was also infected with the problem concerning the debate about the creation of the Quran like his brother Mamoon Rasheed. Just as Mamoon persecuted the scholars in connection with this problem, Motasim Billah Abbasi also followed suit. He mercilessly tortured Imam Ahmad bin Hambal 11 u-) in connection with this problem. Motasim Billah was the governor of Syria and Egypt during the Caliphate of Mamoon Rasheed. When Mamoon invaded the Roman territory, Motasim exhibited such bravery that Mamoon was pleased and made him his heir apparent and deprived his own son, Abbas. The oath for the Caliphate of Motasim Billah was taken the day after the death of Mamoon at Tartoos on 19 Rajab 218 A.H. corresponding to 10 August 833 A.D.

Fadal bin Marwan was his Christian assistant. When the news of Mamoon's death reached Baghdad, Fadal bin Marwan took the oath for Motasim's Caliphate from the inhabitants of Baghdad. Having reached Baghdad, Motasim made Fadal bin Marwan his Prime Minister. When the oath for Motasim was taken, most of the military personnel wanted Abbas bin Mamoon saying that he deserved the Caliphate more than anybody else. Motasim sent for Abbas and he took the oath at Motasim's hands. After the oath, the unrest subsided by itself.

The city of Towanah was built under the supervision of Abbas. Immediately after becoming Caliph, Motasim ordered The History of Islam Towanah to be demolished and rendered desolate and the citizens were sent back from where they had come. After its desolation, he brought all the goods, which he could, from there to Baghdad and burned the rest. The Revolt of Mohammad bin Qasim Mohammad bin Qasim bin Ali bin Omar bin Ali bin Husain bin Ali bin Abi Talib lived near the mosque in Madinah and spent his time in prayer. A Khorasani visited him and coaxed him saying that he deserved the Caliphate and that he should take the oath from the people secretly. He therefore began to gather those people who came from Khorasan to perform Hajj and passed through Madinah.

They would take the oath for his Caliphate. Thus when a good number of followers gathered in Khorasan, Mohammad bin Qasim went to Jurjan with the same Khorasani who originally incited him and went into hiding there safely organizing himself. Oaths of supporters continued to be taken there secretly. The rich and the noble visited him. At last Mohammad bin Qasim revolted. The governor of Khorasan Abdullah bin Tahir sent an army to quell the riots.

There were several fights on the outskirts of Talqan. Mohammad bin Qasim was defeated in every battle. Finally, he escaped alone to save his life. He was arrested in Nasa and brought to Abdullah bin Tahir who sent him to Motasim in Baghdad. He put him under the custody of Masroor Kabeer. Mohammad bin Qasim arrived in Baghdad on 15 Rabi-al-Awwal 219 A.H. and escaped unnoticed from captivity on the first night of Shawwal which corresponds to the Islamic holiday Eid al-Fitr following Ramadan in 219 A.H.

The Extermination of the Zutts In Jumad-al-Thani 219 A.H., Caliph Motasim deputed his general Ajeef bin Ambasa to finish the battle of Zutt. He had been at war with those plunderers for seven months an at last he forced them to ask for safety and pardon by themselves in Dhul Hijjah 219 A.H. and they surrendered themselves to Ajeef. Ajeef took them numbering 17,000 including women and children to Baghdad. That included 12,000 men who were physically fi.t to fight. Ajeef entered Baghdad on 10 The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) Muharram 220 A.H. Motasim himself boarded a boat and came to Shamamah.

He inspected the Zutt captives and ordered that they should be settled near Zarbah close to the Roman border. They were therefore resettled there. The Romans later decided to attack the Islamic territories and led a surprise night attack in this area and massacred them not sparing a single soul. Thus, the group of Zutt met their end. The City of Samarra Caliph Motasim was a soldier. He turned his attention more towards the military.

His predecessors, the Abbasi Caliphs, attached more importance to the Khorasanis. They had rarely relied on the Arab army. Although they faced dangers from the Khorasanis more than once, they depended more on the Khorasanis and the Iranians in comparison with the Arabs on the whole. The Arab elements continued to become weaker. Motasim Billah concentrated on the organiZuttion and improvement of the military from the beginning of his Caliphate. He purchased thousands of Turkish slaves and formed an army.

He also had Turks from Farghana and Ashrosna (Turkistan) recruited. He liked their style of fighting and their ability to bear extreme hardship. Until this time the army was composed of Arabs and the Iranians and they were always at war with the Turks along the borders of the Islamic territory. The Turks and their leaders were subjugated and had to pay taxes, then they revolted and fought against their conquerors. They were not considered reliable to be recruited into the army. Motasim however, recruited them into his army in such large numbers and appointed them to so many high posts that they were on par with the Iranian military in respect to their number.

The Arab tribes continued to decrease until only the Egyptian and Yemeni tribes were left in the Caliph's army. The Caliph combined all the Arab divisions and formed a separate army and called it Magharba. The Turk army was made up of soldiers from Samarkand, Faraghana and Ashrosna, which was very powerful and was named Faraghna. The Khorasani army developed an enmity with the Faraghna army. Since Caliph Motasim had organized the new Turkish army with great The History of Islam care, all facilities were made available to its soldiers. Their uniforms were more beautiful, their horses were better and their salaries and allowances were more than the others. ,The Khorasanis began to quarrel with them in Baghdad.

Observing the situation, Motasim set up a military cantonment at a distance of 90 miles from Baghdad on the Qatoon tributary of the Tigris River. He b~ilt a palace for himself, houses for the soldiers, a large market and a central mosque. Other necessary buildings were erected and he settled the Turks there and then he moved to the newly built city. He called it Surra man Raa, which came be known as Samarra in common usage. It was built in 220 A.H. and the same year it was declared the capital in place of Baghdad. In a short time, it was on par with Bi'tghdad in respect of its beauty and population and the Turks instead of the Arabs and Khorasanis came to dominate over the . capital and the Caliph.

The same year Mohammad bin Ali Raza bin Musa bin Qasim bin Jafar Sadiq died and was buried in Baghdad. The Removal of Fadal bin Maawan The same year, 220 A.H:, the Caliph received complains of corruption and dishonesty against his Prime Minister Fadal bin Marwan. He assigned auditors to take account bf the expenditures. They found a discrepancy of 1,000,000 dinars. The Caliph deducted this sum from his goods and belongings and put him under surveillance in a village near Mousil. He then appointed Mohammad bin Abdul Malik bin Abban bin Hamza as his Prime Minister in place of Fadal.

Mohammad bin Abdul Malik was known as Ibn Zayyat because his grand father Abban lived in a village and brought oil from there and sold it in Baghdad. Mohammad bin Abdul Malik was brought up and educated in Baghdad and achieved high qualifications. The period he was Prime Minister extended to the regimes of Motasim, Wathiq and Motawakkil. Just as Qadi Yahya bin Aksam during Haroon Rasheed's regime was not a minister, yet he was more powerful and influential than the Prime Minister and always accompanied Mamoon, similarly Qadi Yahya bin Aksam's disciple Ahmed bin Abi Dawood lived with Motasim. Though he too was not a minister, he enjoyed as much power and authority as the Prime Minister did. It is said that whatever The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) atrocities Mamoon and Motasim perpetrated on the scholars in connection with the debate about the created nature of the Quran were done at the insistence and instigation of these two men.

However, it was Ibn Abi Dawood at Motasim's court, who supported the Arabs and it was due to him that they commanded some respect in the capital otherwise the Turks and the Iranians dominated everywhere. Babak Khurmi and Afsheen Haider It has already been mentioned that all the generals of Mamoon Rasheed who went to fight against Babak Khurmi were defeated. They had made the city Buz their headquarters and the people of the adjoining areas recognized his rule. All the governors and noblemen were afraid of him and entertained his men to win his pleasure. Caliph Motasim assigned Abu Sayeed Mohammad bin Yusuf to punish Babak. Abu Sayeed first had all the forts situated between Ardabil and Azerbaijan repaired which Babak had damaged or demolished.

Then he gathered the necessary provisions of food and weapons and then he marched towards Babak. A division of Babak's army launched a night attack on one of the cities. When Abu Sayeed was informed of the night attack, he took his army and set out in pursuit. He caught up with them and fought and defeated Babak's army. Many of his men were killed and captured and the goods they~ had looted were recovered. This was the first setback, which Babak' s army received.

Its impact was that those leaders who supported Babak out of fear but were actually against him began to sympathize with the Islamic forces. One of Babak' s generals Asmat came to stay at the fort of Azerbaijan, Mohammad bin Bayeeth the caretaker, made arrangements for a feast, and lodged his men as usual. He treated them with honor but arrested them at night and sent him to Caliph Motasim and killed his men. Caliph Motasim made him divulge the secrets of Babak's cities and forts. He told him everything in the hope of being released. Motasim imprisoned Asmat and decided to send a more powerful and veteran general to fight with Babak and put an end to his evil for good.

Haider bin Kaoos was Motasim' s greatest general. He was the son of the king of Ashrosna whose family name was Afsheen. He had The History of Islam embraced Islam and his Islamic name was Haider and was known as Afsheen Haider. He was the commander in chief of the entire Faraghna or Turkish army. He had accepted Islam at Motasim's hands during Mamoon Rasheed's Caliphate and was constantly in his service. During the period of his governorship of Syria and Egypt, Motasim had tested his military services and found him to be a real veteran.

After assuming power he organized the Faraghna army, he appointed Afsheen Haider, Itakh, Ashnas, Ajeez, Waseef and Bagha Kabeer all Turks, leaders of the army. Afsheen Haider was made the commander in chief. He had palaces built for all these commanders in Samarra. After assessing Babak's power and the difficult terrain of mountain passages and passes, Caliph Motasim sent Afsheen Haider to fight him. Besides divisions of Turks, Khorasani and Arab armies were also sent under his command. A number of local fighters also set out for the purpose of Jihad.

After reaching there, Afsheen began a chain of battles very carefully and efficiently. Having sent him with full equipage and men, Motasim later dispatched Itakh with a fresh army as reinforcements. After a few days, he sent Bagha Ka beer with arms and necessary provisions. Afsheen received 10,000 dirhams daily in addition to all military expenditures, food and other necessities when at war and siege and 5,000 dirhams from the Caliph's treasury besides his salary when at peace during the entire period of war with Babak. The war continued for a year and a half. Afsheen reached Ardabil and continued establishing outposts at short distances in order to facilitate food supply and communication.

Then he entered the mountains, which were under Babak's occupation and fixed the army at strategic locations, setup communications and coordinated the movements of his commanders by flags or messengers and marched on by pushing Babak' s army back towards the fort of Buz. He also made careful defensive arrangements against night attacks and ambushes. The climate and the severe cold of winter made the Arabs and the Iraqis more uncomfortable than the Khorasanis and the Turks. Jafar bin Dinar Khayyat was the chief of the local fighters who had come out for Jihad. He, Bagha and Itakh fought heroically. Babak and The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) his generals Azeen and Tarah Khan exhibited considerable military skill.

Abu Sayeed who had been at war with Babak long before Afsheen's arrival began to work under him along with his army. The long chain of battles resulted in Babak Khurmi's defeat and captivity. He was sent to Caliph Motasim at Samarra. Babak and his brother were arrested in Shawwal 222 A.H. and Afsheen was went to Samarra in Saffar 223 A.H. At the receipt of the news of victory and Babak's capture, Motasim passed orders that Afsheen should be presented at all the stages between Barzand (Azerbaijan) to Samarra with a robe of honor and a well-saddled horse and accorded a royal and grand reception. When Afsheen approached the capital Samarra, the Caliph's son Wathiq received him at the city gate.

When he appeared in the Caliph's court, he was seated on a golden chair and a crown was put on his head. A very expensive robe of honor and a sum of 2,000,000 dirhams was given to him as a reward and 1,000,000 dirhams was given to be distributed among his soldiers. Babak was slain by the order of Caliph Motasim at Samarra. _His brother was sent to Baghdad where he was killed. Their dead bodies were hung up for display. Babak had maintained his influence for about 20 years. During that period, he killed 155,000 people. 7,600 Muslim men and women were rescued and released from his captivity.

Afsheen arrested 17 men and 30 women from Babak's family. The Capture of Amurya and the Battle of Rome When Babak Khurmi felt desperate during the siege by the Islamic army he dispatched a letter to Nofil bin Michael, the Roman emperor stating: "Motasim has sent all his forces against me. Baghdad, Samarra and all the provinces are quite defenseless at this time and all the leaders of the army are at war with me. You will not get a better chance to capture these territories don't let it slip through your fingers and march on Baghdad conquering the Islamic territories." Babak ~It that if the Roman emperor invaded, the Islamic army would have to be divided into two parts reducing its pressure on him. The Roman emperor read the letter and attacked with 100,000 soldiers but by that time the war with Babak had erded, and the Islamic army was poised to stop him. Nofil first launched a night attack on Zabtarah and killed The History of Islam all the men who fought against him and captured their women and children.

Then he turned to Maltiya and did the same thing there. The news of the capture and ruin of Zabtarah and Maltiya reached Motasim on 29 Rabia Thani 223 A.H. The narrator also told of a Roman soldier dragging away a Hashimite woman and she was shouting, "O Motasim, 0 Motasim." As soon as he heard this, Motasim stood up from the throne of Caliphate saying, "Labbaik, Labbaik" (I am here, I am here). He jumped on his horse and ordered the drum of departure to be beaten. The soldiers and their leaders came and joined him. All the royal army and a group of Mujahideen (those fighting for the cause of Allah) followed him.

He sent Ajeef bin Ambasa and Omar Farghani ahead with a fast moving vanguard to reach Zabtarah as soon as possible and console and boost the moral of the people there and drive away the Romans but the Romans had left by the time the two commanders arrived there. Then Caliph Motasim arrived with his army. He wanted to know the strongest and most important city of the Romans in that area. He was told that Amurya was such a strong and fortified fort and city. It was very important also because it was the birth place of the Roman emperor Nofil. Motasim said, "Zabtarah is my birth-place.

The Roman emperor has ruined it and in retaliation I will ruin his birth place Amurya." He therefore made available equipage and war material on an unprecedented scale. Then he made Ashnas the commander of the vanguard. Mohammad bin Ibrahim bin Mus'ab was made the supplier of reinforcements to him. Then he fixed Itakh on the right flank and Jafar bin Dinar Khayyat on the left flank, giving the middle part to Ajeef bin Ambasa. Having made these arrangements, he entered Roman territory and made Ajeef bin Ambasa the supreme commander of all the forces. He arrived at Saluqiya and encamped along the tributary San, which was at a distance of one day's journey from Tartoos.

Here it must be remembered that Motasim had already sent Afsheen to Armenia as ,governor of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Afsheen with his army entered Roman territory. A part of the Islamic army marched forward and occupied Angoora where it captured a big stock of grain, which the Muslims needed to continue the fight. The Roman emperor The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) wanted to confront the Islamic army at Angoora and had made all the necessary materials and food available there. However, the army stationed there and their commanding officer had a falling out and as a result, the army retreated. Meanwhile the Roman emperor himself had gone to the Armenian border to stop Afsheen's advance.

After being defeated, he turned back to Angoora but the Muslims had already captured it. Being compelled he then turned to Amurya and made the necessary provisions of all war materials available there. He collected the army from all comers of his empire and became busy securing all kinds of military weapons. At Angoora Motasim encamped and waited for Afsheen, where he called upon the Caliph and joined him on the expedition. At the end of Shaban 223 A.H., Caliph Motasim along with his army left Angoora to declare war. He fixed Afsheen on the right flank and Ashnas on the left and he remained in the middle.

The Islamic army marched forward and laid siege to Amurya, and aftermaking fortifications started moving towards the battlements. From 6 Ramadan 223 A.H. to the end of Shawwal 223 A.H., 55 days in all, they kept Amurya encircled and finally conquered it. They captured or killed the people there. Motasim continued to sell the booty for five days and what remained was consigned to flames. Then he ordered Amurya to be pulled down and leveled to the ground. The army destroyed it completely.

Emperor Nofil fled and went to Constantinople and Caliph Motasim divided the captives among his generals and marched towards Tartoos. The Death of Abbas bin Mamoon Ajeef and Afsheen were rivals. Caliph Motasim often criticized Ajeef's activities and that amounted to his humiliation in Afsheen's eyes. Consequently, Ajeef's loyalty underwent a change and he began to hatch a conspiracy against the Caliph. On the occasion of the invasion of the Roman Empire, he said to Abbas Mamoon who was with him on the journey, "You committed a blunder mistake by taking the oath at Motasim' s hands. Had you expressed your mind to be Caliph yourself, all the army chiefs were ready to lend you support." This inducement and more set Abbas thinking.

Ajeef mentioned such The History of Islam things so many times that Abbas decided to revolt. It was proposed that first of all the army chiefs should be converted to their views and then by killing Motasim, Afsheen and Ashnas simultaneously, they would declare Abbas's Caliphate. They acted as proposed and many soldiers were persuaded to recognize Abbas as Caliph. While returning from Amurya after its conquest, Motasim stumbled upon the conspiracy. Motasim first imprisoned Abbas and handed him over to Afsheen. Then Masha bin Saha!, Omar Farghani and Ajeef were arrested one after another and thrown into captivity.

First Masha bin Saha! was slain. Then they reached Banj and put Abbas into a sack and stitched it closed and caused him to die of suffocation. Then they reached Nasiban, had a ditch dug out and buried Farghani in it alive. Then they reached Mousil and there Ajeef was also stuffed into tJ.·sack and sewn closed leading to his suffocation and death. After entering Samarra, Motasim had all the descendants of Caliph Mamoon Rasheed rounded up and put under house arrest until they died. During this journey, Caliph Motasim picked up all the suspects and hachhem killed.

The Revolt of Tabristan Mazyar bin Qarin, the ruler of Tabristan, was the subordinate and paid taxes to the governor of Khorasan, Abdullah bin Tahir. There developed an estrangement between them. Mazyar said, "I shall send the taxes directly to the capital but not directly to Abdullah bin Tahir." Abdullah bin Tahir took it as an affront to his rule and disliked it. The quarrel continued for sometime as Mazyar continued to send the taxes directly to the capital where Abdullah bin Tahir's man continued receiving it. During the war with Babak, Afsheen was empowered to spend money freely and Motasim continued to dispatch all types of goods and money to him. Afsheen was highly economical in spending it and the rest he used to send. to his native land Ashrosna (Turkistan).

These goods meant for Azerbaijan used to pass through Khorasan. When Abdullah bin Tahir came to know that Afsheen was sending provisions, arms, and money to his motherland, he realized that somethiRg was wrong. He caught and imprisoned the men who The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) carried these goods, seized them and wrote to Afsheen, "Some of your soldiers were carrying such and such goods, I arrested and jailed them and distributed the goods among my soldiers because I am preparing to invade Turkistan. Though they told me that they were sent by you, their statement appears to be absolutely false because had they not been thieves and been sent by you, you would have definitely informed me." At the sight of the letter, Afsheen felt extremely ashamed and wrote back to him that they were not thieves but his men. At the receipt of the letter Abdullah bin Tahir released them but the goods he had seized were not returned. He sent a secret report about it to Caliph Motasim although he did not pay any obvious attention to it.

Afsheen wanted to establish his own government in Ashrosna and he was making preparations for it in advance. When he returned to Samarra after the war with Babak was over, he hoped that Motasim would make him the governor of Khorasan and he would have an opportunity to found his own kingdom. But Motasim made him the governor of Armenia and Azerbaijan instead and this disturbed his plan. Immediately after that, the Roman war took place and Afsheen had to participate, Motasim himself was present and the man he made the commander-in-chi~f was Ajeef who considered himself to be the rival of Afsheen. What happened to Ajeef has been mentioned above. Now Afsheen thought out a new plan, he wrote a confidential letter to Mazyar the ruler of Tabristan, and instigated him to rise against Abdullah bin Tahir.

It read: There is none to patronize and promote the Zoroastrian religion except you and me. Babak tried to support it but he met his end due to his own foolishness. He did not act upon my advice. Now there is still a golden chance at present. You simply rise in revolt. They will only send me to face you.

Now I have a very powerful army. I shall conspire with you· and we shall join forces. Then only the westerners, Arabs and Khorasanis will fight against us. The westerners are very few. An ordinary division of our army will be sufficient to face them. As for the Arabs, give them a morsel and then pound their heads with stones.

As far as the Khorasanis are concerned, their enthusiasm is just The History of Islam like boiling milk it rises and then the next moment it falls. With a small amount of determination, they will be finished quickly. If you gear up a little then the religion, which saw its rise during the regimes of the non-Arab kings, may again be established and promoted. Mazyar was overjoyed reading the letter. He rose in revolt. He collected taxes from his subjects for a year in advance, procured the weapons of war, repaired the forts and was ready to face the most powerful army.

When Abdullah bin Tahir was informed of Mazyar's revolt, he sent his own uncle Hasan bin Husain with an ari:ry towards him. When Motasim found out, he issued orders for the dispatch of armies from the capital and other places to reinforce Abdullah bin Tahir. He did not allow Afsheen to go to the conflict. Consequently, Mazyar was arrested and presented before Abdullah bin Tahir who in turn sent him to Motasim. Motasim sent him to jail. When Hasan bin Husain caught Mazyar, he seized Afsheen' s letter to him.

Other letters of the same nature sent by Afsheen were also recovered from him. Abdullah bin Tahir sent those letters to Caliph Motasim, who took and kept them under his custody and outwardly did not attach any importance to them. This happened in 224 A.H. The Revolt in Kurdistan The revolt in Tabristan had hardly been stamped out when Jafar bin Fahar, a Kurd, collected a huge number of Kurds in the adjoining areas of Mousil and rose in revolt. Although its border touched the borders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Motasim sent Abdullah bin Sayyed bin Anas to punish Jafar and did not send Afsheen on this expedition. Abdullah bin Sayyed arrived there and marshaled his troops in battle array.

The battles continued until Motasim sent another general Itakh with a strong army. Jafar bin Fahar was killed in action and his men were caught and killed. This revolt probably engineered by Afsheen ended in 225 A.H. The Revolt in Armenia and Azerbaijan After having made one of his relatives Mankajur his deputy and having handed the governership of Azerbaijan over to him, Afsheen settled in the capital. Mankajur somehow found a large treasure of The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) Babak Khurmi in a certain village. He did not inform the Caliph and kept it himself.

Motasim's informant told him. When Mankajur knew of this, he decided to murder him. The poor reporter sought safety from the people of Ardabil and they tried to stop Mankajur but he was ready to kill them too. When informed, Motasim sent an order for Mankajur's removal to Afsheen and dispatched Bagha Kabeer with an army to Azerbaijan to take his place. When Mankajur heard that he was deposed and that Bagha Kabeer was coming to take ch~_rge he revolted. He left Ardabil fought and was defeated.

Bagha Kabeer moved forward and captured Ardabil. Mankajur fled and took refuge in a fort in Azerbaijan. He remained there for about a month. Finally, one of his own men captured him when he was off his guard and handed him over to Bagha Kabeer. Bagha Kabeer returned to Samarra with him and brought him to Caliph Motasim who put him in jail. The Death of Afsheen The above-mentioned incident strengthened Caliph Motasim' s suspicion against Afsheen and he became sure of his involvement in it.

Afsheen also realized that the Caliph had become suspicions about him. He therefore began to think of ways how to flee the capital. First, he thought of going to Azerbaijan and Armenia and from there to his native country Ashrosna via Khirz. However, he could not execute this plan simply because Caliph Motasim had sent his deputy in Mankajur' s place as Afsheen' s deputy and Afsheen knew that he would not be safe in Azerbaijan. At last, he made up his mind to host a feast for the Caliph, courtirs and chiefs of the government. He wanted to keep them busy eating and drinking for the whole day and when they went to sleep, he would slip away.

He had hardly decided on his final plan when by chance he got angry with his servant who was also his confident and abused him. The servant in retaliation went to ltakh and disclosed Afsheen' s intentions to him. Itakh at once took the servant with him and went to Caliph Motasim and informed him that Afsheen was preparing to escape. Motasim called him at once, had him stripped of rank and sent him to jail and did not show any concern about it. Then he wrote to the governor of Khorasan, Abdullah bin Tahir to arrest The History of Islam and send Afsheen's son Hasan bin Afsheen who was the ruler of Mawaraunnahr and was living in Ashrosna. Hasan bin Afsheen often complained against the ruler of Bukhara, Nuh bin Asad.

Abdullah bin Tahir wrote to Hasan bin Ashfeen, "I hand over to you the rule of Bukhara go to Bukhara, show this order of mine to Nuh bin Asad and take charge of Bukhara." Hasan bin Afsheen was overjoyed at the letter and immediately left for Bukhara. Abdullah bin Tahir had already written to the ruler of Bukhara Nuh bin Asad, "I have sent Hasan bin Afsheen to you on this pretext. Arrest him as soon as he enters Bukhara and send him to me." By this ploy, he was arrested and brought to Abdullah bin Tahir in Merv. Abdullah bin Tahir sent him to Motasim. When Hasan bin Afsheen was brought as a captive, Motasim commissioned a committee comprised of his Prime Minister Mohammad bin Abdul Malik, Qadi Ahmad bin Abi Dawood, Ishaq bin Ibrahim and other members of the government and asked them to probe Afsheen's affairs and award him the punishment which he deserved. Though Caliph Motasim could have had him slain immediately, he took this very wise step in order to counter act any possible move in the army against him for killing Afsheen.

Motasim was perfectly aware of Afsheen' s evil designs and he had come to know during the war against Babak that he was stealing and sending the stolen royal goods to his son who he had already appointed the ruler of his native land Ashrosna. Since Afsheen was at war with an enemy who had not been able to be subdued for 20 years, Motasim remained patient. The success of the expedition against Babak was no ordinary feat and to keep Afsheen deprived of reward and take him to task for his betrayal might have proved fatal to Motasim and no power on the earth could have saved him from the anger of his military. Furthermore; Afsheen was expected to undergo a real change for the better but when his letters a"nd policy proved him a traitor, Motasim was justified in what he did. The commission of the Prime Minister and other leaders began the hearing and investigating Afsheen's case very carefully and methodically. He was brought daily to the court and statements of witnesses and documentary proof were presented in his presence.

The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) Mazyar who was still in jail was brought before Afsheen. Afsheen's letters were read and shown to Afsheen. Afsheen pleaded guilty. Mazyar also spoke plainly and stated the facts clearly. Then things about Afsheen's denial of Islam came under discussion, which proved Afsheen a hypocrite. He desecrated the Quran, the mosques and the Imams of the mosques, he had the Zoroastrian books recited daily and kept them with him all the time, insolence against Islam and the Prophet Mohammad ~ while offering prayer with the Muslims and practicing all the tenets of Islam outwardly.

In short, it was proved solidly, absolutely and convincingly that Afsheen was not a Muslim at heart rather he was engaged in defrauding the Muslims, bringing about the overthrow of the government and ending the Islamic government and establishing a Zoroastrian kingdom. The hearing of this case closed peacefully and the final verdict was this that Mazyar should be given 400 lashes and Afsheen was given capital punishment. Mazyar could not bear 400 lashes and he died. Afsheen was sent to the gallows and his dead body was put on public display. This took place in Shaban 226 A.H. Ishaq bin Yahya bin Mu'az took over as the Commander-in-chief in place of Afsheen.

The Death of Motasim After ending the threat from Afsheen, Caliph Motasirn Billah surveyed the borders of his occupied territories. When · he was satisfied that there was no danger of any unrest or revolt, he said, "While Banu Umayyah were rulers and Caliphs, we did not get anything from their kingship and power. However, when we received the Caliphate, Banu Umayyah's kingdom and government continued in Andalus. Therefore, we should move towards the west and take Andalus from Banu Umayyah." He had his treasury, war and traveling expenses estimated and began to prepare to invade Andalus. During that period, he was informed that Abu Harb Yemeni who lived in Palestine and claimed to belong to the dynasty of Banu Urnayyah, had collected a 100,000 man army and was about to revolt. As stated, Abu Harb lived in Palestine.

One day when he was out, a soldier came to his house and stayed there. The women folk forbade him to do so. The soldier beat them up and occupied the outer part of i The History of Islam the house meant for male guests by force. When Abu Harb came back, he attacked the soldier and killed him. Out of fear of the officials, he went to hide in the mountains of Jordan. He wore a veil over his face and began to preach to the local people.

They became his devotees. He started criticizing and speaking ill of the Caliph. In this way, about lOD.,000 people became his disciples, collected under his banner and were ready to rebel against the Caliph. Motasim deputed Raja bin Ayyub with 1,000 soldiers to punish him. But Raja bin Ayyub was overawed by the greater number of Abu Harb' s followers and hesitated in waging the battle. He decided to wait for the planting season, letting Abu Harb's followers who were mostly farmers, become busy with their agricultural activities, before attacking.

During this time, Caliph Motasim Billah died on 30 Rabi-al-Awwal 227 A.H. and his trial of strength against Banu Umayyah remained unfulfilled. After his death, his son Wathiq Billah became Caliph and the people took the oath at his hands. Wathiq led Motasim's burial service and he was buried at Samarra. The Characteristics of Motasim's Caliphate As Caliph Motasim himself was not an educated man, the academic activities, which began during Haroon'.s rule and reached their pinnacle under Mamoon's regime, dwindled. Motasim was interested more in war and conquest. During his regime, territories of Rome, Khizr (the area north of the Black Sea), Mawaraunnahr, Kabul and Sistan were conquered.

He fought the Roman emperor very hard and surpassed any previous successes by Muslim forces against the Romans. The killing of 30,000 and capturing an equal number of Romans, in the conquest of Amurya, made the Romans extremely terrified of Motasim. The number of kings who assembled at Motasim's door had never been seen assembling at any other Caliph's door. Motasim was also fond of constructing buildings. The daily expenses of his kitchen were 1,000 dinars. He purchased many Turk slaves and increased their number.

He made a few select Turk slaves his commanders and generals. During his regime, the Turks progressed, rapidly, became cultured and brave and began to exhibit valor. By increasing the Turk armies and letting them The Caliphate of the Abbasids (Second Phase) progress he wanted to break the power of the Khorasanis who had earlier reduced and ruined the Arab power. These same Turks later on would be responsible for the ruin of the Abbasi Caliphate. Motasim committed an error in making a third nation powerful. He should have helped the Arabs to be a match for the Khorasanis.

However, since his ancestors from · the very beginning of their rule regarded the Arabs as their enemie~ and relied more on the Khorasanis and distrusted the Arabs he dared not disturb this age-old family tradition. Motasim had heard about the Khorasani's rebellions and conspiracies and knew how his forefathers had faced their intrigues repeatedly. He also knew that his family's old rivals, the Alawiites, commanded respect and popularity among the Khorasanis and the Arabs and used their support against him. Therefore, Motasim made a third nation powerful, which had not been influenced by the Alawiites. This third nation, the Turks, had not yet grown intimate and attached to Islam due to their ignorance and barbarism. Though the Turks had been made subservient and subdued for some time, Islam was not preached to them as it should have been.

Another reason was that only Turk chiefs ruled over the Turk territories of Mawaraunnahr (present day Uzbekistan) and they paid taxes to the Islamic governments. When these Turk converts made sudden progress and saw that they were themselves a powerful Islamic force they started dreaming about putting an end to the Abbasid Caliphate as is evident from Afsheen's case. Although Caliph Motasim was uneducated, he was wise. He recruited the Turks into the armed forces by empowering them yet he retained the ability to neutralize the dangers in this strategy. Therefore, they were not able to harm the Islamic government as long as he lived. Had his successors been as capable as he was or had he ruled for a longer period, the flaws that developed later on might have been corrected.

Truly, these are only speculations after the fact and not the most fundamental factors in the condition of the Caliphate. The real and the grossest error was the Muslims had accorded recognition to the reign of succession in the Islamic Caliphate and the son was entitled to l , 1 The History of Islam succeed his father as Caliph. This sinful practice has always inflicted great harm on Islamic rule and the Muslims. Forgetting the tradition of Abu Bakr ~ and Omar bin Khattab ~ led them to see these unfortunate days . .:., __,..,,.1J .,i, 1,;1J .1 1,;1 It is from Motasim's Caliphate that the Turks political life cycle starts. Motasim may also be called the Caliph with a connection to the number