Battle of Dair al-'Aqul
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Dayr al-`Aqul was fought on April 8, 876 between forces of the Saffarid amir Ya`qub bin Laith
and the Abbasid Caliphate. Taking place some 80 km southeast (downstream) of Baghdad
, the battle ended in a decisive victory for the Abbasids, forcing Ya`qub to halt his advance into Iraq
.
The town of (literally "monastery at the river-bend", from a Syriac ʿ "bend") was the main town of the fertile district (ṭassūj) in central Nahravān, making it the most important town on the Tigris between Baghdad and Wāseṭ. The battle itself took place near a village of the town's district, called Estarband, between Dayr al-`Aqul itself and Sīb Banī Kūmā.
in 861, the Abbasid Caliphate had been in a state of turmoil. The Turkish
military establishment, in an effort to preserve the power of its leaders, began to overthrow any caliph who they considered unsatisfactory. Between the death of al-Mutawakkil and the ascension of al-Mu'tamid
in 870, three caliphs met violent ends. With the Turks
exercising unprecedented control over the empire while the finances of the caliphate
were increasingly unable to support them, the prestige of the caliphs reached its lowest point thus far.
As the situation in the capital declined, various groups in different parts of the empire took advantage of this period of weakness. In Tabaristan a Zaydi dynasty came to power in 864. In 868 the Turk Ahmad ibn Tulun
gained control of Egypt
and gradually asserted his independence from Samarra
. In Lower Iraq
and Khuzistan, the Zanj Rebellion
began in 869 and posed a serious threat to the Abassid Caliphate in the region.
In Persia, meanwhile, the most significant threat against the caliphate came in the form of the Saffarid Ya`qub bin Laith. Ya`qub first came to power in 861 in Sistan
, a province which had been held by 'ayyar bands since 854. From there he rapidly expanded, and in 873 he extinguished the rule of the Tahirids, who were governors loyal to the Abbasids, in Khurasan
. This left him in control of much of eastern and central Iran plus parts of Afghanistan
.
Back in Samarra, reconciliation between the Turks and the caliphs had begun during the reign of al-Mu'tamid
(870-892). Al-Mu'tamid's brother, Al-Muwaffaq
, was the driving force behind this success; he had good relations with the Turkish leaders such as Musa bin Bugha and he gradually gained more and more power until he was the actual administrator of the empire. Musa bin Bugha held the governorships of several of the eastern provinces, but his failure to make any headway against the rebels caused him to resign from these governorships in frustration, after which Al-Muwaffaq took over the positions.
The Abbasids were concerned about the threat the Saffarids posed, especially after Ya`qub conquered Fars from Muhammad bin Wasil in 875. From Fars Ya`qub moved on to Khuzestan, taking possession of Ramhormoz
in December of 875. This move put the Saffarid army close to Iraq. It also put Ya`qub close to the Zanj revolt; the Abbasids feared that the Saffarids and Zanj would band together against the caliphate, although Ya`qub's later rejection of an offer by the Zanj to become allies casts doubt on this possibility. In any case it was an alarming development, as the caliph did not feel that he had the resources to stop Ya`qub. All of Ya`qub's supporters in Baghdad, who had been imprisoned in 873 following his conquest of Khurasan
, were released, and al-Mu'tamid sent an embassy to Ya`qub to grant him the governorships of Khurasan, Tabaristan, Fars, Gurgan
, and Ray
.
Ya`qub, sensing that the offer was made due to the weakness of the caliph, rejected it and wrote back that he would be advancing to the capital. The offer also alienated the Turks of Samarra, who felt that Ya`qub represented a threat to their interests. Seeing that an agreement with the Saffarid was impossible, al-Mu'tamid decided upon war and pronounced a formal curse upon Ya`qub. On March 7, 876 he left Samarra, leaving his son Al-Muwaffid in charge of the capital. On March 15 he arrived at Baghdad, before arriving near Kalwadha and setting up camp. From there his army marched to Sib Bani Kuma, where al-Mu'tamid's general Masrur al-Balkhi joined him after slowing down Ya`qub's army (see below). While there the caliph gathered more troops to his side.
For his part, Ya`qub traveled through Khuzestan, during which he gained the defection of a former general of the caliph's, Abi'l-Saj Devdad
, and entered Iraq. The caliphal general Masrur al-Balkhi managed to slow down his progress by flooding the land outside Wasit
, but the Saffarid army was able to get through this and he entered Wasit on March 24. Leaving Wasit, he set for the town of Dayr al-`Aqul, which was about fifty miles from Baghdad. According to one source, Ya`qub did not actually expect the caliph to offer battle; instead he would give in to any demands that the Saffarid had. Al-Mu'tamid, however, sent al-Muwaffaq to stop him. The two armies met at Istarband, between Dayr al-`Aqul and Sib Bani Kuma.
The fighting raged on for most of the day. The Saffarid army was somewhat reluctant to directly fight the caliph and his army. Despite this, there were heavy losses on both sides, and several Abbasid and Saffarid commanders were killed. Ya`qub himself was wounded, but he did not leave the field. As evening approached, reinforcements arrived to support Al-Muwaffaq. The mawla
Nusayr created a diversion by attacking the Saffarid rear from boats on the Tigris
and setting fire to the Saffarid baggage train, giving the Abbasids a further advantage.
Eventually the Saffarid army began to flee from the battle. Ya`qub and his bodyguards continued to fight, but were forced to leave the field as the army retreated, leaving them behind. The caliph had apparently flooded the lands behind the Saffarids before the battle, and this made a retreat difficult; many men drowned attempting to escape the Abbasid army. With the Saffarids making their hasty exit, Al-Muwaffaq was able to capture Ya`qub's baggage. Several political prisoners that Ya`qub had brought with him, such as the Tahirid Muhammad bin Tahir
, also fell into Abbasid hands and were freed.
concluded a peace with the caliph that lasted for a few years. The Abbasids were able to continue to work reasserting their authority in several provinces; the Zanj were defeated in 883, and Egypt and Fars would eventually return to the Abbasid fold.
Ya'qub bin Laith as-Saffar
Ya'qub bin Laith as-Saffar or Ya'qub-i Laith Saffari was the founder of the Saffarid dynasty in Sistan, with its capital at Zaranj . He ruled territories that are now in Iran and Afghanistan, as well as portions of West Pakistan...
and the Abbasid Caliphate. Taking place some 80 km southeast (downstream) of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, the battle ended in a decisive victory for the Abbasids, forcing Ya`qub to halt his advance into Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
The town of (literally "monastery at the river-bend", from a Syriac ʿ "bend") was the main town of the fertile district (ṭassūj) in central Nahravān, making it the most important town on the Tigris between Baghdad and Wāseṭ. The battle itself took place near a village of the town's district, called Estarband, between Dayr al-`Aqul itself and Sīb Banī Kūmā.
Background
Ever since the assassination of the caliph al-MutawakkilAl-Mutawakkil
Al-Mutawakkil ʻAlā Allāh Jaʻfar ibn al-Muʻtasim was an Abbasid caliph who reigned in Samarra from 847 until 861...
in 861, the Abbasid Caliphate had been in a state of turmoil. The 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...
military establishment, in an effort to preserve the power of its leaders, began to overthrow any caliph who they considered unsatisfactory. Between the death of al-Mutawakkil and the ascension of al-Mu'tamid
Al-Mu'tamid
This article is about the Abbasid Caliph al-Mu'tamid of Baghdad. For the Andalusi Arabic poet who was also the Abbadid king of Seville, see Muhammad Ibn Abbad Al Mutamid...
in 870, three caliphs met violent ends. With the Turks
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...
exercising unprecedented control over the empire while the finances of the caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
were increasingly unable to support them, the prestige of the caliphs reached its lowest point thus far.
As the situation in the capital declined, various groups in different parts of the empire took advantage of this period of weakness. In Tabaristan a Zaydi dynasty came to power in 864. In 868 the Turk Ahmad ibn Tulun
Ahmad ibn Tulun
Ahmad ibn Ṭūlūn was the founder of the Tulunid dynasty that ruled Egypt briefly between 868 and 905 AD. Originally sent by the Abbasid caliph as governor to Egypt, ibn Ṭūlūn established himself as an independent ruler.-Biography:...
gained control of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and gradually asserted his independence from Samarra
Samarra
Sāmarrā is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad-Din Governorate, north of Baghdad and, in 2003, had an estimated population of 348,700....
. In Lower Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Khuzistan, the Zanj Rebellion
Zanj Rebellion
The Zanj Rebellion was the culmination of series of small revolts. It took place near the city of Basra, located in southern Iraq over a period of fifteen years . It grew to involve over 500,000 slaves who were imported from across the Muslim empire and claimed over “tens of thousands of lives in...
began in 869 and posed a serious threat to the Abassid Caliphate in the region.
In Persia, meanwhile, the most significant threat against the caliphate came in the form of the Saffarid Ya`qub bin Laith. Ya`qub first came to power in 861 in Sistan
Sistan
Sīstān is a border region in eastern Iran , southwestern Afghanistan and northern tip of Southwestern Pakistan .-Etymology:...
, a province which had been held by 'ayyar bands since 854. From there he rapidly expanded, and in 873 he extinguished the rule of the Tahirids, who were governors loyal to the Abbasids, in Khurasan
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...
. This left him in control of much of eastern and central Iran plus parts of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Back in Samarra, reconciliation between the Turks and the caliphs had begun during the reign of al-Mu'tamid
Al-Mu'tamid
This article is about the Abbasid Caliph al-Mu'tamid of Baghdad. For the Andalusi Arabic poet who was also the Abbadid king of Seville, see Muhammad Ibn Abbad Al Mutamid...
(870-892). Al-Mu'tamid's brother, Al-Muwaffaq
Al-Muwaffaq (vizier)
Abu Ahmad ibn al-Mutawakkil , better known as al-Muwaffaq , was the brother and regent of the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mu'tamid....
, was the driving force behind this success; he had good relations with the Turkish leaders such as Musa bin Bugha and he gradually gained more and more power until he was the actual administrator of the empire. Musa bin Bugha held the governorships of several of the eastern provinces, but his failure to make any headway against the rebels caused him to resign from these governorships in frustration, after which Al-Muwaffaq took over the positions.
The Abbasids were concerned about the threat the Saffarids posed, especially after Ya`qub conquered Fars from Muhammad bin Wasil in 875. From Fars Ya`qub moved on to Khuzestan, taking possession of Ramhormoz
Ramhormoz
Ramhormoz is a city in and the capital of Ramhormoz County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 49,822, in 10,966 families....
in December of 875. This move put the Saffarid army close to Iraq. It also put Ya`qub close to the Zanj revolt; the Abbasids feared that the Saffarids and Zanj would band together against the caliphate, although Ya`qub's later rejection of an offer by the Zanj to become allies casts doubt on this possibility. In any case it was an alarming development, as the caliph did not feel that he had the resources to stop Ya`qub. All of Ya`qub's supporters in Baghdad, who had been imprisoned in 873 following his conquest of Khurasan
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...
, were released, and al-Mu'tamid sent an embassy to Ya`qub to grant him the governorships of Khurasan, Tabaristan, Fars, Gurgan
Gürgan
Gürgan is a village in Baku, Azerbaijan. It forms part of the municipality of Gürgən-Pirallahı....
, and Ray
Ray, Iran
Rey or Ray , also known as Rhages and formerly as Arsacia, is the capital of Rey County, Tehran Province, Iran, and is the oldest existing city in the province....
.
Ya`qub, sensing that the offer was made due to the weakness of the caliph, rejected it and wrote back that he would be advancing to the capital. The offer also alienated the Turks of Samarra, who felt that Ya`qub represented a threat to their interests. Seeing that an agreement with the Saffarid was impossible, al-Mu'tamid decided upon war and pronounced a formal curse upon Ya`qub. On March 7, 876 he left Samarra, leaving his son Al-Muwaffid in charge of the capital. On March 15 he arrived at Baghdad, before arriving near Kalwadha and setting up camp. From there his army marched to Sib Bani Kuma, where al-Mu'tamid's general Masrur al-Balkhi joined him after slowing down Ya`qub's army (see below). While there the caliph gathered more troops to his side.
For his part, Ya`qub traveled through Khuzestan, during which he gained the defection of a former general of the caliph's, Abi'l-Saj Devdad
Abi'l-Saj Devdad
Abi'l-Saj Devdad was an Abbasid military commander and the eponym of the Sajid dynasty of Azerbaijan. His father was named Devdasht.-Career:...
, and entered Iraq. The caliphal general Masrur al-Balkhi managed to slow down his progress by flooding the land outside Wasit
Wasit
Wasit is a place in Wasit Governorate, south east of Kut in eastern Iraq.-History:During Ottoman times, it was the head city of the sanjak of Wasit.To quote UNESCO:...
, but the Saffarid army was able to get through this and he entered Wasit on March 24. Leaving Wasit, he set for the town of Dayr al-`Aqul, which was about fifty miles from Baghdad. According to one source, Ya`qub did not actually expect the caliph to offer battle; instead he would give in to any demands that the Saffarid had. Al-Mu'tamid, however, sent al-Muwaffaq to stop him. The two armies met at Istarband, between Dayr al-`Aqul and Sib Bani Kuma.
The battle
The battle took place on April 8. Before the battle, Ya`qub reviewed his troops, who apparently numbered about ten thousand. The Abbasids, however, had a numerical superiority and the additional advantage of fighting on familiar territory. The center of the Abbasid army was commanded by Al-Muwaffaq. Musa bin Bugha had command of the right wing, and Masrur al-Balkhi the left. A final appeal was made to the Saffarids to restore their loyalty to the caliph, and the battle began.The fighting raged on for most of the day. The Saffarid army was somewhat reluctant to directly fight the caliph and his army. Despite this, there were heavy losses on both sides, and several Abbasid and Saffarid commanders were killed. Ya`qub himself was wounded, but he did not leave the field. As evening approached, reinforcements arrived to support Al-Muwaffaq. The mawla
Mawla
The word Mawlā or patron has two meanings. Mawla is an Arabic word "مولی", prominently used in Islamic literature which means protector.“Call them by their fathers: that is juster in the sight of Allah. But if you know not their father'sthey are your Brothers in faith and those entrusted to you...
Nusayr created a diversion by attacking the Saffarid rear from boats on the Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
and setting fire to the Saffarid baggage train, giving the Abbasids a further advantage.
Eventually the Saffarid army began to flee from the battle. Ya`qub and his bodyguards continued to fight, but were forced to leave the field as the army retreated, leaving them behind. The caliph had apparently flooded the lands behind the Saffarids before the battle, and this made a retreat difficult; many men drowned attempting to escape the Abbasid army. With the Saffarids making their hasty exit, Al-Muwaffaq was able to capture Ya`qub's baggage. Several political prisoners that Ya`qub had brought with him, such as the Tahirid Muhammad bin Tahir
Muhammad of Khorasan
Muhammad bin Tahir was last the Tahirid governor of Khurasan, from 862 until 873.-Governor of Khurasan:When Muhammad's father Tahir bin 'Abd-Allah died in 862, the caliph wanted to replace him with Muhammad b. 'Abd-Allah, but after the latter refused he appointed Muhammad as governor...
, also fell into Abbasid hands and were freed.
Aftermath
The battle completely halted Ya`qub's advance, stopping what was arguably one of the greatest threats to the caliphate in the latter part of the 9th century. Ya`qub did not make any subsequent campaigns against Iraq. Al-Mu'tamid, following the victory, restored several individuals to their governorships in Iran, such as Muhammad bin Wasil to Fars and Muhammad bin Tahir to Khurasan, but they were unable to enforce their claims against the Saffarids. Ya`qub died three years later, in 879; his brother and successor, AmrAmr bin Laith
Amr-i Laith Saffari was the second ruler of the Saffarid dynasty of Iran who ruled .In the beginning he was a mule-hirer. He was Yaqub bin Laith as-Saffar's younger brother who fought alongside his older brother and in 875 became Governor of Herat....
concluded a peace with the caliph that lasted for a few years. The Abbasids were able to continue to work reasserting their authority in several provinces; the Zanj were defeated in 883, and Egypt and Fars would eventually return to the Abbasid fold.