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The War of the Two Brothers. HIST 1007 9/25/13. Barmakids and Succession. Abu `Abdullah Musa b. Mahdi al- Hadi (r. 785-786) Yahya b. Khalid, Rabi b. Yunus , and Khayzuran (mother of al- Hadi and Harun ) work to keep Harun in line of succession
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The War of the Two Brothers HIST 1007 9/25/13
Barmakids and Succession • Abu `Abdullah Musa b. Mahdi al-Hadi (r. 785-786) • Yahya b. Khalid, Rabi b. Yunus, and Khayzuran (mother of al-Hadi and Harun) work to keep Harun in line of succession • Harun al-Rashid (r. 786-806) – Golden Age of `Abbasid Empire • Was al-Hadi killed? • What about al-Mahdi?
Harun al-Rashid and the Barmakids • 794 – Harun “invested [Yahya] with the rule of [his] flock.” • Fadl b. Yahya (766-808) – Harun’s “milk brother,” governor of Khurasan, expert administrator • Ja`far b. Yahya (767-803) – Barmakid“playboy,” boon companion of Harun
Why is Harun al-Rashid the Most Famous Caliph? • 1,001 Nights – adventures of Harun and Ja`far • Western influence • Barmacide feast – something that looks desirable, but is illusory and disappointing • Harun al-Roosevelt • Golden Age before Collapse • What happens after Harun’s reign made contemporary writers look back with rose colored glasses Harun al-Rashid in Civilization V
Harun as Third Generation or New Traditionalist • Hajj and Jihad • Caliph as spiritual leader • Caliph as military leader • DarbZubayda • How does this play out publically? • Ibn al-Mubarak and Harun al-Rashid Pool at Aqiq (Saudi Arabia), part of DarbZubayda
Fall of the Barmakids • Why does Harun turn on his number one fans? • `Alid sympathies – Yahya b. `Abdullah • Interest in asserting his own authority • Harem intrigue - Ja`far and Abbasa • 803 – Ja`far beheaded, Yahya and Fadl arrested
New Succession • 802 – pilgrimage to Medina and Mecca • Muhammad b. Harunal-Amin – eldest son with Zubayda, supported by `Abbasid aristocracy • Abu Ja`far `Abdullah b. Harunal-Ma’mun – son with Marajil, supported by the Barmakids • al-Amin -> al-Ma’mun • al-Ma’mun as independent ruler of Khurasan • Agreement signed and deposited in the sanctuary at Mecca
Rebellion in Khurasan • `Ali b. `Isa b. Mahan (d. 812): commander of the guard under al-Mahdi and secretary of the army under Hadi • 796: Harun replaces Fadl b. Yahya with `Ali b. `Isa as governor of Khurasan • Local resistance • 806: Open rebellion under Rafi b. al-Layth • 808: Harun travels to Khurasan
Death of Harun al-Rashid • March 809: Harun al-Rashid dies in Tus (modern Mashhad) • al-Amin becomes caliph as planned • al-Ma’mun becomes ruler of Khurasan as planned • Slowly tensions build Shrine of Imam `Ali al-Rida; Mashhad, Iran
Caliphate Divided • al-Ma’mun holds onto tax revenues • al-Amin holds al-Ma’mun’s wife, children, and property hostage • Fadl b. Rabi pushing to replace al-Ma’mun with Musa b. al-Amin in succession • 810: al-Amin has succession agreement removed from Ka`aba and destroyed
War of the Two Brothers • al-Amin’s forces • Abna al-dawla • 50,000 trained professional soldiers • Under the leadership of `Ali b. `Isa (for some reason) • al-Ma’mun’s forces • On the defensive • 3-4,000 volunteer fighters • Dihqans opposed to `Ali b. `Isa • Tahir b. al-HusaynDhu al-Yaminayn
Battle of Rayy • May 1, 811 • Tahir b. al-Husayn refuses to hide in city • al-Ma’mun’s forces outnumbered 10:1 • `Ali b. `Isa killed in battle • al-Amin’s forces routed • Rallying point for al-Ma’mun • Tahir quickly crosses Zagros
The Siege of Baghdad • al-Amin’s supporters are Baghdad elites • Abnaand the Bedouin • 812: Tahir reaches Baghdad • Only round city is walled, suburbs are not • Over a year of door to door fighting • “The Naked Ones”
The Death of al-Amin • al-Amin attempts to escape by boat • Caught by Tahir’s forces • Assumes he will be imprisoned • Tahir beheads al-Amin and displays his body in the city • Who does this Tahir think he is?
al-Ma’mun • Victory for the east • Keeps capital in Marw until 819 • Declares Shi’ite Imam `Ali al-Rida his successor • Forced back to Baghdad • Has al-Rida killed in Tus • Rise of local rule • Aghlabids – Ifriqiya, 800-909 • Tahirids – Khurasan, 821-873 Marw, Turkmenistan
The Tahirids • Tahir b. al-Husayn named governor of the West and head of the shurta in Baghdad • 821: Tahir given governorship of Khurasan, allowed to name successors • Did Tahir intend to rebel? • Tahirids in Khurasan: 821-873 • Tahirids in Baghdad: 813-891 Coin of Tahir b. al-Husayn