Prominent Abbasi khulafa: Al-Mansur

 Consolidation under Al-Mansur

 

• As-Saffah was succeeded by his brother Abu Jafar Abdullah who assumed the title of Al-Mansur, the Victorious, on accession 
• He was the son of Muhammad, a great grandson of Hadhrat (RA) uncle of the Prophet (SAW),
• He was the son of a Berber mother Salamah,

• He was forty-one years old at the time of coming to the throne and ruled for  Twenty-one year
•  He was the real founder of the Abbasid rule
• At the very outset of his reign. Al-Mansur had to meet the revolt of Abdullah ibn Ali, his uncle who was the Governor of Syria
• Abdullah Ibn Ali was the victor of the battle of Zab, which had liquidated the rule of the Umayyads.
• He claimed that after the battle of Zab, As-Saffah had assured him that he was to be his successor,
• Peace negotiations between the parties failed and there was no option but to resolve the issue by resort to arms.
• Al-Marwar sent force to Syria under the command of Abu Muslim.
• In the battle of Nisibin (754 CE) Abu Muslim inflicted a crushing defeat Abdullah.
• Abdullah fled with his family to Basra where his brother Suliman won the Governor,
• Al-Mansur deprived Sulaiman of his charge and imprisoned Abdullah.
• Abdullah was lodged in a house but over the foundation of salt.
• During the rains, the house crumbled, and Abdullah was crushed to death.
• After the death of Abdullah, there was no rival of Al-Mansur among the Abbasids.

• Al-Mansur felt that as long as Abu Muslim was alive he would not be secure on the throne.
• Abu Muslim was the architect of the Abbasid rule.
• He had sponsored the cause of the abbasids and led successful revolt against the Umayyads.

• Al-Mansur was not in a position to deploy a force against Abu Muslim

• He therefore resorted to a stratagem to dispose of Abu Musli

• Abu Muslim was induced to turn aside from his march, and visit the Khalifal court before proceeding to Khurasan,

• At the Khalifal court, Abu Muslim was given almost real reseption, and shown all honour and consideration.

• He was lodged in the royal palace as the personal guest of the Khalifa.
• One day the retainers of Abu Muslim were disarmed, and he was assessnated wanted under the orders of Al-Mansor.

• That was the tragic end of the man who had made the greatest contribution to the building up of the Abbasid power.

• As a reaction to the assassination of Abu Muslims, serious protests were carried out in 755 C.E. in Khurasan and the followers of Abu Muslim formed a sect called Khurrami 

• They regarded Abu Muslim  as an incarnation of God.

• Al-Mansur sent a large force to Khurasan and there were bloody confrontation

• at various places in Khurasan leading to considerable loss of life on both sides

• Ultimately, the Khurasanians were defeated, and the revolt was suppressed 

• After crushing the revolt in Khurasan, the royal forces attacked Tabaristan.