Al-Mansur (Abbasid)

History

Regarded as the true founder of the Abbasid Caliphate, Al-Mansur was born with Al-Humaymah. His/her father was Muhammad, grandson of Abbas and his mother a slave Berbère. Although having been indicated by his/her brother Abû Al `Abbâs like its successor, Abû Ja `far Al-Mansûr was disputed by certain those which had put his/her brother at the capacity. Abû Muslim helped Al-Mansûr to demolish its adversaries.

Omeyyades in Spain

After the takeover in Spain by Abd Al-Rahman, survivor of the massacre of the Omeyyades by the Abbasids, Al-Mansûr decided to send an embassy near the king of the Francs, Pépin the Brief, which remained several years in Gaulle before returning. The request to attack `rear-Rahman Abd not having been received, they would have obtained that the king of the Francs opposes an direct action of Omeyyades against the Abbasids.

Murder of Abû Muslim

Al-Mansûr, concerned of the solidity of the empire and undoubtedly jealous of successes of Abû Muslim, that which made assassinate had however been with the source of the Abbasid victory on the Omeyyades. Al-Mansûr had named Abû Muslim governor of Egypt, a means of moving away it from its partisans of Khorasan, and had named one of principal lieutenants de Abû Muslim in Khorasan, a way of paying it its treason. Abû Muslim refused its nomination, but because of the treason as of his it could not fight any more and was solved with going to the Al-Mansûr meeting. The caliph made mine want to honor Abû Muslim by receiving it with ostentation. During a last meeting, Al-Mansûr made kill in its presence Abû Muslim with blows of saber, calling it on this occasion “Abû Mujrim”. After the death of Abû Muslim, one of his/her friends living desired Nichapour to avenge it by invading the Iraq. Arrived at Ray this army was demolished by the Abbasid army.

Al-Mansûr thought that the capacity of the Abbasids was not to be disputed. By cumulating the religious and royal functions, it reproduced the diagram of the capacity omeyyade thus alienating the Shiite which had however been the instruments of the takeover by Abû Al `Abbâs and claimed the caliphate for their Imams.

In 758, Al-Mansûr had to face a revolt kharijite in the area of Bassora (Al-Basra). Again employing the same stratagem of the false reception of reconciliation, it could insulate its adversaries and make them carry out.

Fight against Alides

Al-Mansûr called “Al-Mahdî” his/her son Muhammad and sent it to fight against the Shiite opponents in the Khorasan. It had succeeded in stopping the Imam `Ali Zayn Al “Âbidîn, in 758 at the time of its pilgrimage with Mecque, but since it vainly sought two wire of `Abd Allah Ben Al-Hassan: Muhammad and Ibrâhîm. The second had taken nickname of Hadî and Muhammad that of Mahdî. Thus the son of the Imam was it “Muhammad Al-Mahdî of the family of `Alî”, and the Al-Mansûr son “Muhammad Al-Mahdî of the family of the prophet”.

For more safety the two wire of `Abd Allah Ben Al-Hassan, Muhammad and Ibrâhîm separated. Ibrâhîm took refuge with Bassora. Muhammad continued to traverse the Hedjaz and his/her son `Alî left for Egypt. Al-Mansûr made stop `Alî and its grandfather `Abd Allah as well as other family members (~761). One year after, `Ali and `Abd Allah were put at died: The following year, Al-Mansûr made put at dead `Ali, wire of Muhammad, which had been stopped in Egypt. It made it kill with whiplashes. `Abd Allah, wire of Hassan, were killed after him. `Ali, wire of Hassan, were strangled. Muhammad, wire of lbrâhîm, were placed alive in a tiny room which one walled then.

Revolt of Muhammad Ben `Abd Allah

In 762, Muhammad informed Ibrâhîm that it was going to hold up the standard of the revolt against Al-Mansûr. Ibrâhîm fell sick what prevented it from joining his/her brother with Mecque. Muhammad made captive the governor of Médine. During this time Al-Mansûr was in the surroundings of Baghdad which it started to make build. Learning the capture from the governor of Médine, Al-Mansûr went in Koufa; From there there was an exchange of letters. December 4th 762, the armies of the caliph arrived at Médine. The small troop of Muhammad could not resist and Muhammad was killed out of a blow of saber. Its head was sent to Al-Mansûr.

Revolt of Ibrâhîm Ben `Abd Allah

Ibrâhîm which was in Bassora, recruited troops to support his/her brother. The governor of Bassora sought to stop it like his partisans, also Ibrâhîm left Bassora. He went towards Ahvaz to the Khuzestân. Al-Mansûr sent an army coming from Syria which was beaten by the troops of Ibrâhîm. There were also insurrectionists with Koufa and Mosul. The latter wanted to join Bassora by means of boats on the Tigre. This project was thwarted by the Al-Mansûr soldiers who destroyed the fleet and killed the partisans of Ibrâhîm. Al-Mansûr was very anxious, it did not take any more share with the pleasures of the court and the harem.

A battle took place around Koufa. It was a victory for the troops of Ibrâhîm. At midday, the Al-Mansûr army counted nothing any more but five hundreds of the eighteen miles combatants starting. An army of reinforcement sent of Bassora took the troops of Ibrâhîm with reverse. The runaways of the first combat were stopped by a channel which they could not cross, thus Ibrâhîm was encircled and was killed by an arrow. The head was sliced to him.

Al-Mansûr was at this time there in Koufa and was on the point of leaving towards Ray to take refuge there because he had just learned the rout undergone by his armies in the morning. At this point in time one brought the head of Ibrâhîm to him placed on a shield. Then Al-mansûr changed clothing and took again its pleasures.

Fight against the Imams

To stop wire of `Ali Zayn Al-Âbidîn, the caliph will make several campaigns with the Khorasan and Médine, always vainly.

Ja `far have-Sâdiq sixth Imâm Chiite died the September 10th 765, at the 63 years age. It is buried with Médine with the Al-Baqî cemetery.

The governor of Khorasan was not very sure. Pretexting need to fight the Turks at the borders, Al-Mansûr made a campaign in Khorasan while getting rid of its governor. In same time the Tabaristan rebelled, it was conquered in 760.

Successor nomination

He had also to fight his uncle `Isâ who claimed with the succession in spite of his great age. Al-Mansûr required council of Khâlid of the family barmécide. It charged it with questioning `Isâ on its intentions with three other right-hand men. In spite of the negative answer of `Isâ, they said to Al-Mansûr that this one was ready to give up its rights publicly. When `Isâ saw Al-Mansûr, he denied to have agreed to give up; it was the occasion to show it perjury. `Isâ, discredited, renonça finally with its death tax and Al-Mahdî became the designated successor (towards 765).

The policy

The tolerance of the Abbasids towards the nonArab populations allowed the expression of arts. In Persia, a movement against Arab preeminence developed, the “chu `ûbîya” proclaiming the superiority of the culture Persian on the Arab culture.

Many nonArabic converted with Islam, although the caliphate did not encourage it because it was a loss of revenues from taxes: the Moslems did not pay the personal tax (Jizya) to which were subjected the Dhimmi S. During the Al-Mansûr reign the proportion of Moslems in the population doubled almost, passing from 8% to 15%.

It built Baghdad and made its capital of it. He was the first Arab sovereign to be interested in sciences.

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