the war of the two brothers
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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 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The War of the Two Brothers
HIST 10079/25/13
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,” booncompanion 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• Darb Zubayda• How does this play out publically?• Ibn al-Mubarak and Harun al-Rashid
Pool at Aqiq (Saudi Arabia), part of Darb Zubayda
al-Raqqa
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. Harun al-Amin – eldest son with
Zubayda, supported by `Abbasid aristocracy• Abu Ja`far `Abdullah b. Harun al-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-Husayn Dhu 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• Abna and 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