Al-Abbas ibn al-Ma'mun
Encyclopedia
Al-Abbas ibn al-Ma'mun was an Arab
prince and general, the son of the Abbasid Caliph al-Ma'mun
(r. 813–833 CE). A distinguished military leader in the Byzantine–Arab Wars, he was passed over in the succession in favour of his uncle al-Mu'tasim
(r. 833–842 CE). He was arrested for his involvement in a failed conspiracy against Mu'tasim, and died in prison.
and the Mesopotamian frontier (thughur) with the Byzantine Empire
. Abbas distinguished himself in the expeditions against Byzantium for his bravery. In the summer of 830, Abbas led an expedition against the Khurramite rebels of Babak Khorramdin
in Azerbaijan
. The campaign was accompanied by a contingent of Byzantine captives under the renegade general Manuel the Armenian
, who, given Abbas's relative inexperience, may have been the actual commander of the army. Abbas's force met with some success against the Khurramites, and began its return. As it passed near the Byzantine frontier at Adata
, Manuel, having earned the confidence of Abbas and his Arab officers, persuaded Abbas to cross the nearby passes and raid Byzantine territory. Once there, Manuel took advantage of a hunt to disarm Abbas and his entourage and defect back to the Empire, along with some of the other Byzantine captives. Abbas with his men were left behind and after rejoining their army, they retreated back over the mountains into the Caliphate.
In the next year however, Abbas accompanied his father and uncle in a major expedition into Byzantine Anatolia
. After the Arab army crossed the Cilician Gates
and took Heraclea Cybistra
in early July, it divided in three corps, headed by the Caliph, Mu'tasim and Abbas, and proceeded to raid across Cappadocia
. The other two forces achieved little of consequence in the already repeatedly devastated area, but Abbas met with more success: he forced the town of Tyana
to capitulate and razed it, and met and defeated the Byzantine army under the emperor Theophilos
(r. 829–842) in a minor skirmish. Ma'mun kept up the pressure on Byzantium in 832, with his army capturing the strategically important fortress of Loulon, and in late 832 the Caliph began gathering a huge army and announced that he intended to conquer and colonize Anatolia step by step, and finally subjugate the Empire by capturing Constantinople
itself. Consequently, on 25 May 833, Abbas with the advance force marched into Byzantine territory and began creating a military base at the site of Tyana. The site had been fortified and awaited the arrival of the Caliph's army, which in early July crossed into Anatolia. At his juncture however, luck intervened for the Byzantines, as Ma'mun fell ill and died, although some modern scholars speculate that his death may have been the result of a coup.
Although Abbas was Ma'mun's son, the Caliph apparently had named his brother Mu'tasim as his heir shortly before his death. Abbas swiftly swore allegiance to Mu'tasim, but this turn of events was not popular among the assembled army, which tried to proclaim Abbas caliph. Abbas refused, and managed to assuage the troops' anger. Nevertheless, Mu'tasim's hold on the throne was still shaky, and he abandoned Ma'mun's campaign; the new base at Tyana was razed, and the army returned to the Caliphate. Despite his acceptance of his uncle's succession, Abbas became the focus of the factions opposed to Mu'tasim, and in particular his increasing reliance on and favour shown to his Turkish
slave-soldiers (ghilman
). This discontent resulted in a conspiracy led by the general 'Ujayf ibn 'Anbasa which aimed to kill Mu'tasim and place Abbas, who was aware of the plot, on the throne. The conspiracy was uncovered while Mu'tasim was campaigning against the Byzantines, with the Caliph informed of it just after his army had sacked Amorium
. The resulting investigation, headed by Mu'tasim's trusted Turkish general Ashinas
, resulted in the execution of most conspirators. This was broadened into a virtual purge of the army, in which the hitherto dominant Khurasani
element was replaced with Mu'tasim's favoured Turks. Abbas himself was imprisoned and died in prison at Manbij in 838, while his male descendants were imprisoned and executed by Ashinas.
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
prince and general, the son of the Abbasid Caliph al-Ma'mun
Al-Ma'mun
Abū Jaʿfar Abdullāh al-Māʾmūn ibn Harūn was an Abbasid caliph who reigned from 813 until his death in 833...
(r. 813–833 CE). A distinguished military leader in the Byzantine–Arab Wars, he was passed over in the succession in favour of his uncle al-Mu'tasim
Al-Mu'tasim
Abu Ishaq 'Abbas al-Mu'tasim ibn Harun was an Abbasid caliph . He succeeded his half-brother al-Ma'mun...
(r. 833–842 CE). He was arrested for his involvement in a failed conspiracy against Mu'tasim, and died in prison.
Life
Abbas was the only son of Ma'mun, who in 828–829 appointed him as governor of Al-Jazira (Upper Mesopotamia)Al-Jazira, Mesopotamia
Upper Mesopotamia is the name used for the uplands and great outwash plain of northwestern Iraq and northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey which is known by the traditional Arabic name of Al-Jazira , variously transliterated into Roman script as Djazirah, Djezirah and Jazirah...
and the Mesopotamian frontier (thughur) with the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. Abbas distinguished himself in the expeditions against Byzantium for his bravery. In the summer of 830, Abbas led an expedition against the Khurramite rebels of Babak Khorramdin
Babak Khorramdin
Bābak Khorram-Din was one of the main Persian revolutionary leaders of the Iranian Khorram-Dinān , which was a local freedom movement fighting the Abbasid Caliphate. Khorramdin appears to be a compound analogous to dorustdin and Behdin "Good Religion" , and are considered an offshoot of...
in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
. The campaign was accompanied by a contingent of Byzantine captives under the renegade general Manuel the Armenian
Manuel the Armenian
Manuel the Armenian was a prominent Byzantine general of Armenian origin, active from ca. 810 until his death in 838. After reaching the highest military ranks, a palace conspiracy forced him to seek refuge in the Abbasid court in 829. He returned to Byzantine service the next year, receiving the...
, who, given Abbas's relative inexperience, may have been the actual commander of the army. Abbas's force met with some success against the Khurramites, and began its return. As it passed near the Byzantine frontier at Adata
Adata
Adata , in Arabic al-Ḥadath al-Ḥamrā , was a town and fortress in the mountains of Cilicia , which played an important role in the Byzantine–Arab Wars....
, Manuel, having earned the confidence of Abbas and his Arab officers, persuaded Abbas to cross the nearby passes and raid Byzantine territory. Once there, Manuel took advantage of a hunt to disarm Abbas and his entourage and defect back to the Empire, along with some of the other Byzantine captives. Abbas with his men were left behind and after rejoining their army, they retreated back over the mountains into the Caliphate.
In the next year however, Abbas accompanied his father and uncle in a major expedition into Byzantine Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
. After the Arab army crossed the Cilician Gates
Cilician Gates
The Cilician Gates or Gülek Pass is a pass through the Taurus Mountains connecting the low plains of Cilicia to the Anatolian Plateau, by way of the narrow gorge of the Gökoluk River. Its highest elevation is about 1000m....
and took Heraclea Cybistra
Heraclea Cybistra
Heraclea Cybistra , under the name Cybistra, had some importance in Hellenistic times owing to its position near the point where the road to the Cilician Gates enters the hills. It lay in the way of armies and was more than once sacked by the Arab invaders of Asia Minor...
in early July, it divided in three corps, headed by the Caliph, Mu'tasim and Abbas, and proceeded to raid across Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
. The other two forces achieved little of consequence in the already repeatedly devastated area, but Abbas met with more success: he forced the town of Tyana
Tyana
Tyana or Tyanna was an ancient city in the Anatolian region of Cappadocia, in modern south-central Turkey. It was the capital of a Luwian-speaking Neo-Hittite kingdom in the 1st millennium BC.-History:...
to capitulate and razed it, and met and defeated the Byzantine army under the emperor Theophilos
Theophilos (emperor)
Theophilos was the Byzantine emperor from 829 until his death in 842. He was the second emperor of the Phrygian dynasty, and the last emperor supporting iconoclasm...
(r. 829–842) in a minor skirmish. Ma'mun kept up the pressure on Byzantium in 832, with his army capturing the strategically important fortress of Loulon, and in late 832 the Caliph began gathering a huge army and announced that he intended to conquer and colonize Anatolia step by step, and finally subjugate the Empire by capturing Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
itself. Consequently, on 25 May 833, Abbas with the advance force marched into Byzantine territory and began creating a military base at the site of Tyana. The site had been fortified and awaited the arrival of the Caliph's army, which in early July crossed into Anatolia. At his juncture however, luck intervened for the Byzantines, as Ma'mun fell ill and died, although some modern scholars speculate that his death may have been the result of a coup.
Although Abbas was Ma'mun's son, the Caliph apparently had named his brother Mu'tasim as his heir shortly before his death. Abbas swiftly swore allegiance to Mu'tasim, but this turn of events was not popular among the assembled army, which tried to proclaim Abbas caliph. Abbas refused, and managed to assuage the troops' anger. Nevertheless, Mu'tasim's hold on the throne was still shaky, and he abandoned Ma'mun's campaign; the new base at Tyana was razed, and the army returned to the Caliphate. Despite his acceptance of his uncle's succession, Abbas became the focus of the factions opposed to Mu'tasim, and in particular his increasing reliance on and favour shown to his Turkish
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
slave-soldiers (ghilman
Ghilman
Ghilman Ghilman Ghilman (singular ghulam describes either young servants in paradise or slave-soldiers in the Ottoman, Mughal and Persian Empires.-Islamic Theology:...
). This discontent resulted in a conspiracy led by the general 'Ujayf ibn 'Anbasa which aimed to kill Mu'tasim and place Abbas, who was aware of the plot, on the throne. The conspiracy was uncovered while Mu'tasim was campaigning against the Byzantines, with the Caliph informed of it just after his army had sacked Amorium
Sack of Amorium
The Sack of Amorium by the Abbasid Caliphate in mid-August 838 was one of the major events in the long history of the Byzantine–Arab Wars. The Abbasid campaign was led personally by the Caliph al-Mu'tasim , in retaliation to a virtually unopposed expedition launched by the Byzantine emperor...
. The resulting investigation, headed by Mu'tasim's trusted Turkish general Ashinas
Ashinas
Abu Ja'far Ashinas was a general of the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim, possibly of the sacred clan of the First Turkic empire, transcribed in Chinese as Ashina 阿史那. While a folk etymology of his name is given in al-Tabari, al-Mu'tasim gave him the first rank among his Turkish generals and a text of...
, resulted in the execution of most conspirators. This was broadened into a virtual purge of the army, in which the hitherto dominant Khurasani
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
element was replaced with Mu'tasim's favoured Turks. Abbas himself was imprisoned and died in prison at Manbij in 838, while his male descendants were imprisoned and executed by Ashinas.