The History of al-Ṭabarī Vol. 33: Storm and Stress along the Northern Frontiers of the ʿAbbasid Caliphate: The Caliphate of al-Muʿtaṣim A.D. 833-842/A.H. 218-227SUNY Press, 1991 M01 1 - 239 pages This section of al-Ṭabarī's History covers the eight-year reign of al-Muʿtaṣim (833-42), immediately following the reign of his elder brother al-Ma'mun, when the Islamic caliphate was once more united after the civil strife and violence of the second decade of the ninth century A.D. Al-Mu'tasim's reign is notable for the transfer of the administrative capital of the caliphate from Baghdad north to the military settlement of Samarra on the Tigris, where it was to remain for some 60 years. This move meant a significant increase in the caliphs' dependence on their Turkish slave guards. Al-Muʿtaṣim's reign was also marked by periods of intense military activity along the northern fringes of the Islamic lands: against the Byzantines in Anatolia; against the sectarian Babak and his followers--the "wearers of red," the Khurramiyyah--in northwestern Persia; and against the politically ambitious local prince Mazyar in the Caspian provinces of Persia. These episodes take up the greater part of al-Tabari's account of al-Muʿtaṣim's reign, and he has provided graphic and detailed narratives of the respective campaigns, including valuable details on military organization and tactics during this period. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Abbasid Abdallah Abi Duwad Abna Abū Sa'id Adhin Aḥmad al-'Abbās al-Afshin al-Badhdh al-Fadl al-Farghānī al-Hasan al-Haytham al-Husayn al-Jazirah al-Jibal al-Khalil al-Ma'mun al-Mazyar al-Mu'tažim al-Nahr al-Wathiq Ammūriyyah Anqirah Arabic Ardabil Armenia army Ashnās attack Aytākh Bābak Baghdad Barthold Barzand battle Borgomale brother brought Bugha Buldān Byzance Byzantine C. E. Bosworth Cairo edition Caliph camp captives captured cavalrymen Commander Daylam Dīnār dirhams Dozy E. M. Wright El² encampment Faithful farsakhs foot soldiers fortress governor guard hand Ḥayyan Herzfeld Ibn al-Athir Ibn Sunbāt Ibrāhīm Iranian Ishaq Islamic Ja'far Khurasan Khurramiyyah killed Kitāb al-'uyun Lands latter Marwan Mas'ūdī Māzyār mentioned Minorsky mountain Mu'jam Muḥammad Murūj Mūsā Muslim night ordered palace Persian Qarin reached Rekaya replied road rode Rūdh Sadighi Sahl Ṣāliḥ Samarra Sariyah Sarkhāstān Sharwin slave Sourdel squadron Strange Ta'rīkh Tabari Tabaristan Tahir told town trans trench troops Turkish Ujayf Vasiliev wrote Ya'qubi Yaqut
Popular passages
Page xvii - Were Ancient Heresies National or Social Movements in Disguise?