Episode 74: The false prophet of Basra

Now that the anarchy was over, a reduced but reunited Abbasid military could finally face up to the multitude of threats facing the caliphate. A slave insurrection in the south of Iraq was one of the earliest challenges it had to contend with, and the state’s slow and faltering response revealed the extent of the decline of Abbasid power. The caliphate did ultimately come out on top, thanks to the assiduous regent general Talha, and his worthy son Ahmad.

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Glossary

• Ali ibn Mohammad: the leader of the rebels gave his full name as Ali ibn Mohammad ibn Ali ibn Issa ibn Zayd ibn Ali ibn Hussain ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib. If this were true it would make him a Zaydi, the branch of Hashemites that believed that any member of the clan strong enough to seize power was entitled to rule. His delusions of prophecy became less relevant as his movement grew, though we do find some diverting narrations with stories about the tricks he used to play on people. For example, to convince some people of his power he would send someone to spy on them, then release a black or white pigeon to indicate something, say whether or not a certain person had gone somewhere, then he’d surprise them with knowledge of this distant event, saying an angel told him. Basically amateurish tricks to con the credulous.
• Talha: the Abbasid general accumulated great power throughout the length of this conflict. By its end he had become the Abbasid regent and had been granted the royal title al Muwaffaq; the successful through god’s favor. The city built to rival al Mokhtara and named after this commander was called al Muwaffaqeea. His defeat of al Saffarids in 876 followed by his liberation of thousands of enslaved women and children in 880 made him a hero to the umma.
• Musa ibn Bugha: the supreme leader of the Turkish troops served Talha loyally until his death in 877. His sons continued their father’s legacy and fought bravely with Talha’s son against the rebellion. 
• Ya’qub ibn Laith al Saffar: we’ll have a lot more to say about the coppersmith who founded the Saffarid dynasty next time. As far as his impact on the rebellion, the chaos he precipitated distracted the Abbasids from keeping it in check. His death led to a turning point in the fight against it.
• Ahmad ibn Talha: several of Talha’s sons followed in his military footsteps, but Ahmad was the best of the bunch. His victories against the rebel made him popular among both the umma and its soldiers. He had strong relationships to several Turkish leaders who went on to become extremely influential down the line.