Beautiful Egypt 205 – Al-Mu’tasim Facing Rebellions – May 7, 2017

   In the previous article, we spoke of Abdaweih bin Jablah and Eissa bin Mansur. The latter was al-Mu’tasim’s deputy who made Egypt undergo tumultuous times due to his bad reputation. In effect, Egyptians rebelled and ousted him from al-Fustat. Yet, the Pisin came over to support him. Battles grew fiercer in many parts of Egypt until Caliph al-Ma’mun came over to spend forty-nine days in the country and had matters settle down. Then, he left after assigning Kaydar the country’s affairs who died while getting ready to fight rebels. At that time, al-Ma’mun died and his brother al-Mu’tasim took over.

Caliph al-Mu’tasim (218-227 Hijri) (833-842 A.D.)

   His name is Abu Ishaq Mohammed bin al-Rashid. He was nine years younger than al-Ma’mun. He was brave, strict, and far-sighted, which made al-Ma’mun love him and count him worthy of the caliphate. Thus, he declared him heir apparent instead of his son, al-Abbas. When the soldiers got to know of al-Ma’mun’s death, they rebelled and elected al-Abbas caliph for he was very much loved by them and the Arab tribes. Yet, al-Abbas excused himself in order to carry out his father’s command and hurried to pledge allegiance to his uncle al-Mu’tasim. In effect, everybody pledged allegiance to al-Mu’tasim who took over the State’s affairs after his brother. Historians maintain that al-Mu’tasim hurried to Baghdad after demolishing Tyana edifices, ransacking its weaponry, burning the place, and restoring its indigenous inhabitants to their land.

Tenure 

   Al-Mu’tasim followed his brother’s suit: he gave the Turkish soldiers more privileges than the Arab. So much so that Baghdad became full of them. Likewise, he gave the people the freedom to tackle various affairs. Yet, he was strict regarding some religious issues and punished whoever differed by torture and killing. However, he supported scientific and philosophical development.

The Turkish Army

   Historians maintain that al-Mu’tasim recruited a Turkish army from the Mamluks of Central Asia, Yemen, and Egypt. They were the Caliph’s special guards, just like the praetorian guards who were in charge of protecting Roman Emperors. They had a great influence in the State. Historians assert, “These Turks were highly influential in running the State’s affairs. They were so high in rank and stature that they despised Arabs and Persians a lot.”

   That al-Mu’tasim brought about lots of Turkish soldiers to Baghdad had a negative effect: for they used to attack the city’s population and women, which upset them. Thus, they started fighting the Turks fiercely. Likewise, the inhabitants of Baghdad complained a lot from al-Mu’tasim’s Turkish soldiers. So, the Caliph decided to move from Baghdad to Samarra together with his soldiers, only to make the city the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate for about fifty years. He changed the name of the city from Samarra to Surr Man Ra’a (Happy is Whoever Sees It). Despite the fact that security was restored to Baghdad, the moving of the Caliph and his soldiers affected the former negatively: for they had become quite close to him and affected his decisions. This raised their renown, thereby, affecting the Abbasid State later.

Al-Mu’tasim Facing Rebellions

1. The Jat People

   In the previous article, we spoke of the Indian Jat tribes who rebelled against al-Ma’mun. Yet, he died before overcoming them. So, al-Mu’tasim took care of the matter, especially after their evil had increased and their terrorizing the inhabitants of Basra. In 219 Hijri (834 A.D.), al-Mu’tasim sent commander Ujaif bin Anbasah to fight them. So, he besieged them. War lasted for about nine months, after which they surrendered: for a large number was killed. Commander Ujaif took the population of these tribes, almost twenty-seven thousand, to Baghdad and other cities. They eventually settled at Anazarbus, then were scattered in Europe.

2. Babak Khorramdin

   As we mentioned beforehand, Babak became quite influential in Azerbaijan. Al-Ma’mun sent many of his commanders to overcome him, but they failed. So, al-Mu’tasim took care of the matter and sent him a brave Turkish commander, Pisin Haydar bin Kawos. Haydar led a great army to Qaleh Barzand which fortresses he restored, and got ready to fight Babak. They embarked on a fierce war which lasted for two years until Haydar emerged victorious in 232 Hijri (837 A.D.) Babak fled to Armenia where he was arrested and given up to the Pisin who brought him together with his brother Abdullah to the Caliph. The latter ordered that they be killed. The Pisin was warmly welcomed by al-Mu’tasim and high-ranking officials for he had overcome Babak’s rebellion and evil which endured for twenty years. Historians assert, “Babak overcame six Abbasid commanders, slaughtered 225,000 people, and imprisoned 3300 men and 7600 women. They remained in captivity until the Pisin saved them.”

3. Abu Harb al-Mubarqa (the veiled one)

   Abu Harb al-Mubarqa al-Yamānī rebelled against the Caliph after a Turkish soldier had entered his house in his absence. When Abu Harb’s wife tried to prevent the soldier, he flogged her on the hand. When her husband returned, she told him what had happened. So, he put the soldier to the sword, then escaped to a mountain in Jordan and wore a veil lest anybody recognize him. Abu Harb enticed the people to rebel. So, many Yemeni chiefs joined him. His stature rose and he claimed he was the Sufyani, then a prophet. So, al-Mu’tasim sent him an army that overcame him, and he was taken prisoner.

A Conspiracy

   That al-Mu’tasim made Turkish soldiers more privileged than Arabs had negative effects. One of them was a conspiracy against the Caliph’s life. In fact, Ujaif bin Anbasah got upset, though he previously overcame the Jat people and the Romans, due to the Caliph’s giving more privileges to his Turkish commanders than Ujaif’s. So, he conspired to kill al-Mu’tasim, having convinced al-Abbas bin al-Ma’mun to accept the caliphate. So, he was joined by some Arab troops as well as rebellious Turks. They conspired with the Pisin and Ashnas to kill al-Mu’tasim, after the fall of the Roman Amorium, and that Ujaif will distribute the booties. Yet, this conspiracy was a failure: for the Caliph got to know about it, attacked the conspirators, killed Ujaif and his accomplices. Likewise, he gave up al-Abbas to the Pisin who killed him. Historians assert that this conspiracy resulted in the Caliph’s detention of the Arab and Persian commanders, and making the Turkish ones protect him, which was to have negative effects later.

Treason

   In 225 Hijri (839 A.D.), Maziar, a prince of Tapuria rebelled against the Caliphate for he and Abdullah bin Tahir the proconsul of Khorasan were rivals. So, the Pisin seized this opportunity to oust Abdullah from the reign of the East in order to take his place. The Pisin enticed Maziar to continue rebelling in order that al-Mu’tasim send him to fight him and, in case he emerged victorious, he would take Khorasan over. Yet, matters do not always follow people’s wishes: for al-Mu’tasim assigned the fighting of the rebel to Abdullah who, being supported by the other armies, was able to compel the rebel to surrender and sent him to the Caliph. Maziar enticed the Pisin, sending him the correspondence that was exchanged by them to al-Mu’tasim. So, he got upset, arrested the Pisin, and imprisoned him until he died in 226 Hijri (840 A.D.) Historians maintain, “After a long trial, the Pisin was returned to prison where he died in 226 Hijri due to eating a fruit sent to him by the Caliph…” What a story! Stories never end in Beautiful Egypt.

General Bishop

Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center