Whilst thinking of the Abbasid period (as usual), I had an interesting thought. This thought had to do with the peculiar and particularly bloody fall of the Abbasid power. I then decided to write this, to get people's opinions on the overarching collapse.
In the late 9th and early 10th century, the Abbasid fought endless rebellions and wars was engaged on nearly all fronts. Amazingly, the Abbasid essentially neutralized all foes one after another. A testament to their incredible base power within Iraq (central) and having some of the most skilled military generals in Islamic history. I will give a short list of all the wars and enemies in which the Abbasid faced in this period and wars between the opposition against other forces. (==== signifies wars with Abbasids)
Abbasid Caliphate \Active entire time\
Allies: Assyrian Christians, Militias of Iraq, Kurdish chiefs, Syrian Bedouin, Paulicians, varied, etc...
Enemies: All listed below and at various times.
Outcome: Close Victory
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Imamiyyah of Yahya bin Umar \864-865\
Allies: Shi'i villages, local guards of Karabala, etc....
Enemies: None
Shi'i militant rebellion based out of Karbala. Yahya bin Umar gained the support of a Shi'i followers who hailed him as the Imam of Islam and the savior of the world. He claimed to bring the sword of fire unto the decadent tongue of the Abbasid for their transgressions. The fear Yahya bin Umar inspired in such a short time inspired further insurrection in the Islamic World as immediately, his poems were spread throughout the land. His ambitious rebellion and failure at the hands of subversion (likely by the Abbasids), became a rallying call for the most rebellious in the Islamic world.
Outcome: Decisive Abbasid victory
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Byzantine Empire of the East \828-???\
Allies: Armenian militia
Enemies: Tulunids (inconclusive)
The Byzantine reawakening under Basil I, led to a rapid change in the frontier of the Islamic world. Since the ascendance of the Abbasid throne, the Abbasid hegemony had bloodied the Byzantines all across the frontier. Abbasid clients, Arab emirs with armies of loot starved warriors traversed the lands to seek battle against the Byzantines. The system was the same as the Umayyad and worked well against the Byzantines. Further, Paulicians, dualist heretics of the Byzantine holdings fled persecution of the Romans entered under the service of Abbasid masters. One which, they would serve well. Paulician-Arab armies became famed for their ferocity and were the scourge of the Anatolians and Armenians.
However, the power of the Abbasids rapidly declined in the region when the Byzantines defeated the army of Umar al-Aqta and Karbeas at Poson/Lalakan. Umar al-Aqta the principle emir of the Abbasid armies in the north, was slayed as well as the highest command in the Paulician forces. The result was devastating. Then, 9 years later, Byzantine forces utterly decimated the Paulicians at Bythas Ryax. The Abbasid from then on, had zero control over Armenia and Anatolia and only defense from the Byzantines was mutual enemies.
Outcome: Decisive Byzantine victory and unspoken peace (conquest of vast tracts of Islamic held lands/disbanding of most Abbasid clients)
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Khawarij Armies of Musawir/Claimed the Khalifah of Islam (866-896)
Allies: Zanj armies, Muslim Kurdish chiefdoms, Shi'i villages
Enemies: Yazidi (Khawarij victory, massacred Yazidi), Assyrians (Decisive Khawarij victory, sack of Mosul and Assur), Saffarids (Saffarid small victory), Arab tribes of Anbar (decisive Arab tribal victory)
The Northern Khawarij revolt was a fantastic event started by a petty crime and bloodlust of a father, that led to a rapid and escalating war. War in the north rapidly turned when due to crime, the mob that was now hunted by Abbasid authorities, joined the faction of the Khawarij and rose the flag of victory. Within days, their armies went upon a vicious rampage across the north of Iraq. Abbasid forces were unable to keep up with the fast moving marauders who specialized in subverting towns and cities and then sacking them with the highest disregard for life.
However, the Abbasids in the 890s took the offensive after being eluded for decades by the seemingly teleporting Khawarij. Abbasid forces utilized smaller forces but spread out over wider distances to catch the Khawarij at river crossings. Finally, Al-Hasan ibn Ali Qurah engaged the forces of Harun ibn Abdallah al-Bajali, the warlord of the Khawarij and chief mastermind of the revolt, at the Zab canal and defeated him after a vicious battle. From then on, Harun al-Bajali was broken and subsequently unable to loot and unable to defend his holdings. He was after, captured and executed brutally.
Outcome: Decisive Abbasid victory, desolation of Northern Iraq
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Saffard Empire \867-880\
Allies: Ayyars of Afghanistan
Enemies: Zanj (decisive Zanj victory), Khawarij rebels (Saffarid victory), Zayydids (white peace)
The Saffarid Empire under Ya'qub ibn Layth al-Safar was an enigma. Claiming in 867 the crown of Shahanshah, he directly opposed the order of the Islamic World more than any other. His rebellion was further perplexed by his title as the Lion of Islam and Pillar of Faith, that he gained as a general for the Abbasid Caliphate. His armies were feared across the land as the terror of the East and for their former Zabuli Pashtuns, the most zealous of all warriors on the fringes of Islam. As well, all quaked in fear of the fantastic warlord and his army of stone warriors.
However, Ya'qub ibn Layth's invasion of Iraq was met with a vast and sprawling defense. Abbasid forces flooding vast regions to stop the movement of cavalry and also emplaced troops north to force the Saffarids to the south where the Zanj were fresh off massive gains. Saffarid armies thus, in an attempt to maneuver the Abbasid armies and gain notoriety amongst Iraqi, engaged the Zanj. Zanj welcomed the new foe, claiming he a heretic. In a fantastic turn of events, the Zanj effectively defeated the Safarids across the swamplands and pushed the armies out of the entire region. In defiance, Ya'qub moved directly west to immediately remedy his defeat by taking Baghdad. Here though, Ya'qub, was defeated decisively and his army was torn to shreds by the armies of Iraq. The world shook at his defeat and he later fled and died supposedly of sorrow. His life was one ended terribly for such a promising general. A true shame.
Outcome: Decisive Abbasid victory, discrediting of Saffarid powers in Iran.
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Zanj rebels/Connection \869-883\
Allies: Qarmatians, Khawarij, runaway slaves, Bedouin Shi'i villages
Enemies: Saffarids (Zanj victory), plantation owners (Zanj victory), Arab tribes (Zanj victory), Ilami peasants (Zanj victory)
The most famous of all rebellions in the Abbasid period. The most organized slave army in history, the Zanj were a force of feared fighters that fought with amazing morale and organization. Using the swamps they defeated early Abbasid armies and shocked the world with the sack of Basra. Zanj rebels then amazingly defeated Abbasid armies in clear fronts, as they gathered weapons from fallen soldiers. Their numbers were covered by slaves, criminals, revolutionary, zealots, alike. Zanj seemed unstoppable after their constant victories.
Yet, the Abbasid began to counter the Zanj by flooding the swamp lands then launching strikes of decentralized groups to pick off the Zanj command unit. A curious situation whereby the established government turned the tables by using the enemies' tactics. Part of this too, was luring Zanj armies into ambushes or simply feigned attacks with heavy armored cataphract like knights. This war in and of itself, is fascinating both for the period and for the Abbasids. Regardless, the Abbasid targeting of Zanj command, was extremely effective and by 882, the Zanj were a powerful force with weak command and thus the revolt ended soon after. Zanj forces without command, evaporated into small autonomous enclaves of rebel activity which would last until the Saljuq period.
Outcome: Abbasid victory, desolation of Southern Iraq. Creation of vast tracts of land ruled by criminal groups running rackets and pirate tolls. This would become the height of piracy and banditry in the Iraqi River valley.
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Tulunids \877-906\
Allies: None
Enemies: Qarmatians (inconclusive)
Ahmad ibn Tulun, a famed warrior of Turkic descent (his father is said to have been born in Tocharia), gained favor with al-Musta'in by protecting an attacked caravan from Bedouin. This act, made him famous and with great glee, was given governorship of Egypt by al-Mu'Tazz (cousin of al-Musta'in). Here, he built a powerful vassal state that rapidly devolved into an independent nation at the height of the Saffarid wars. Khumarawayh ibn Ahmad al-Tulun, became famed after his father for leading the height of Egypt-Iraqi/Tulunid-Abbasid conflicts in the 880s.
Khumarawayh was an interesting case, for he was a decadent prince who enjoyed leisure and relaxation. However, he was also a general with natural leadership and courage. Defeating the Abbasid at Tawahin in 885, the Tulunid reigned supreme in Syria. Their army of professional warriors was famed, especially for its eccentric use of Greek, European and Sub Saharan warriors. As well, Khumarawayh created unique divisions to his liking and covered his bodyguard with 'Sudanese' warriors.
Despite all this, Khumarawayh was brutally murdered by one of his slaves after his 'decadence' became too much. His successors were then unable to control his unruly and diverse standing army. Taking advantage, Abbasid armies plowed through the Tulunid divided command and broke the Tulunid powers in Jordan. By the time Harun al-Tulun could react, the Abbasids assaulted Egypt and captured Fustat.
Outcome: Decisive Abbasid victory/ set the stage for the future Fatimid Caliphate.
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Qarmatians \899-975\
Allies: Fatimids, Zanj, Khawarij, al-Batihah
Enemies: Byzantines (inconclusive), Oman(Qarmatians victory), Nejd tribes (Qarmatian crushing victory), Makkah and Madinah (Qarmatian victory)
It's origins in the Shumaytiyyah movement of the early 9th century, the Qarmatians sprang forth from radical Shi'ism of the period. Ghulat of the greatest calibre, they rejected but offered support from Bahrain to a young al-Dibaj (Imam of the Zanj rebels) in the 870s. However, by 898, the da'i Qarmat sent from the new Fatimid caliph in Tunisia, subverted the ancient Shi'i community in Bahrain. From there, he began his work of leading the group into a worthy state to serve the bidding of the lords in Tunisia. Though, rapidly, the group adopted extreme ideas, one of which included fanatical millenialism and hatred for Islam.
By 900, the Qarmatians had began an ambitious war against the Abbasids. Taking advantage of the Zanj revolt, they conquered Eastern Arabia and began sending fidayeen ( those who sacrifice) to Iraq to launch attacks and terrorize denizens of the Abbasid throne. As well, they preached the end of the world to onlooking citizens, demanding the time was now for the Shi'i to reveal themselves and unleash their hatred upon the murderers of Husayn ibn Ali. Their rampage knew no end, once powerful enough, they invaded all of Arabia, ravaging across the land and putting anyone they could find to the sword. Massacring pilgrims on hajj and massacring the population of Masqat. Then they invaded Iraq in 925, ripping across the land by gaining an alliance with the former Zanj.
Then in the height of the calamity, they conquered Makkah and Madinah, defacing the entire cities. Stuffing bodies in the Zamzam wells, peeing along the holy sites, burning prayer rugs, destroying the minarets and finally, dismantling and mocking the Kaaba before taking it to their capital in Qatar. The Muslim world was shocked, the Abbasids were forced to pay ransom for the Kaaba while the Qarmatians had become the most powerful nation in the Middle East, only surpassed by the Byzantines.
Despite this, a sense of urgency came over the weakened caliphate. The ascendente Qarmatians further, were now at conflict with their Fatimid patrons. Also, Qarmatian inner conflict, opened the door and the Abbasids led an all-out assault with its allies from Iran, into Arabia and Syria. The effect was a crushing Abbasid victory. By 976, the Qarmatians back was broke and it would cease to be a threat again.
Outcome: Phyrric Abbasid victory/ end of Abbasid hegemony, nearly the entire last gasp of life was given to defeat the Qarmatians. From then on, the Abbasid throne relied upon subversion and schemes to gain power.
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Hope this interested the site. It is with gladness, that I create things such as these for the education of the site on an intriguing and dramatic period of history, the death of an empire. One no less dramatic than the fall of Rome or Tang.
Perhaps this will lead to some interest that capitalizes on a tl. If there is any questions, please ask and I or another, will gladly answer.
Thank you.