Nasr Ibn Shabath
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Nasr ibn Shabath al-Uqayli () was the leader of a rebellion of the
Qays Qays ʿAylān (), often referred to simply as Qays (''Kais'' or ''Ḳays'') were an Arab tribal confederation that branched from the Mudar group. The tribe may not have functioned as a unit in pre-Islamic Arabia (before 630). However, by the ea ...
tribe in the
Jazira Jazira, al-Jazira, Jazeera, al-Jazeera, etc. are all transcriptions of Arabic language, Arabic meaning "the island" or "the peninsula". The term may refer to: Business *Jazeera Airways, an airlines company based in Kuwait Locations * Al-Jazir ...
against the central
Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 C ...
government during the civil war of the
Fourth Fitna The Fourth Fitna, Fourth Muslim Civil War, or Great Abbasid Civil War resulted from the conflict between the brothers al-Amin and al-Ma'mun over the succession to the throne of the Abbasid Caliphate. Their father, Caliph Harun al-Rashid, had name ...
.


Life

Nasr appears in 811/812, when Caliph
al-Amin Abū Mūsā Muḥammad bin Hārūn al-Amīn (; April 787 – 24/25 September 813), better known by just his laqab of al-Amīn (), was the sixth Abbasid caliph from 809 to 813. Al-Amin succeeded his father, Harun al-Rashid, in 809 and ruled unt ...
() sent his general,
Abd al-Malik ibn Salih ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Ṣāliḥ ibn ʿAlī () (, ''Abimelech'', in Greek sources; 750–812 CE) was a member of the Banu Abbas who served as general and governor in Syria and Egypt. He distinguished himself in several raids against the Byzantine Em ...
, to
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
to recruit troops for the
civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
against his brother,
al-Ma'mun Abū al-ʿAbbās Abd Allāh ibn Hārūn al-Maʾmūn (; 14 September 786 – 9 August 833), better known by his regnal name al-Ma'mun (), was the seventh Abbasid caliph, who reigned from 813 until his death in 833. His leadership was marked by t ...
(). The Syrians heeded Abd al-Malik's call and assembled at
Raqqa Raqqa (, also , Kurdish language, Kurdish: ''Reqa'') is a city in Syria on the North bank of the Euphrates River, about east of Aleppo. It is located east of the Tabqa Dam, Syria's largest dam. The Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine city and b ...
, but soon a fierce and bloody conflict broke out between the
Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 C ...
regular troops, the , and a group known in the sources by the term , probably
Qays Qays ʿAylān (), often referred to simply as Qays (''Kais'' or ''Ḳays'') were an Arab tribal confederation that branched from the Mudar group. The tribe may not have functioned as a unit in pre-Islamic Arabia (before 630). However, by the ea ...
i brigands, when a soldier of the discovered one of the riding his own stolen horse. The bulk of the Syrian levies left Raqqa, but Nasr led an attack by the against the Abbasid army, which was defeated with heavy losses for the . As the civil war continued, the Abbasid government's hold on the region of Syria, the
Jazira Jazira, al-Jazira, Jazeera, al-Jazeera, etc. are all transcriptions of Arabic language, Arabic meaning "the island" or "the peninsula". The term may refer to: Business *Jazeera Airways, an airlines company based in Kuwait Locations * Al-Jazir ...
and other provinces collapsed, with local magnates taking hold of the cities and districts as autonomous rulers. Nasr was able to gather enough support from the to secure control over much of the Jazira, frequently co-operating with another leader, Abbas ibn Zufar al-Hilali of
Cyrrhus Cyrrhus (; ) is a city in ancient Syria founded by Seleucus Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals. Other names for the city include Coricium, Corice, Hagioupolis, Nebi Huri (), and Khoros (). A false etymology of the sixth century conne ...
, and the Qaysi tribal leader Uthman ibn Thumama in northern Syria. Nasr and his followers did not oppose the Abbasids or Caliph al-Ma'mun outright, but rather sought to defend the traditional position of the Arab tribes against what they saw as the increasing domination of the Abbasid government by the mostly Iranian supporters (derisively called by the Arabs) of al-Ma'mun. Nasr was heavily involved in the power struggles of the region. Thus when the tribe of
Tanukh The Tanukh (, sometimes referred to as the Tanukhids (, ), was an Arab tribal group whose history in the Arabian Peninsula and the Fertile Crescent spanned the 2nd century CE to the 17th century. The group began as a confederation of Arab tribes ...
tried to take the city of
Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...
from the Salih family, a branch of the Abbasids, Nasr and his ally Abbas came to the aid of the latter, defeating and dispersing the Tanukh. In 812, he assaulted
Harran Harran is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Şanlıurfa Province, Turkey. Its area is 904 km2, and its population is 96,072 (2022). It is approximately southeast of Urfa and from the Syrian border crossing at Akçakale. ...
, threatening to destroy its great Christian church, and left only after receiving a payment of 5,000 ''
dirham The dirham, dirhem or drahm is a unit of currency and of mass. It is the name of the currencies of Moroccan dirham, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates dirham, United Arab Emirates and Armenian dram, Armenia, and is the name of a currency subdivisi ...
s'' in ransom. In 814, al-Ma'mun appointed
Tahir ibn Husayn Ṭāhir ibn Ḥusayn (, ''Tahir bin al-Husayn''), also known as Dhul-Yamīnayn (, "the ambidextrous"), and al-Aʿwar (, "the one-eyed"), was a general and governor during the Abbasid Caliphate. Specifically, he served under al-Ma'mun during the ...
to subdue Nasr and his followers. Tahir at first made Harran his base, but the unruliness of his troops forced him to flee at night and encamp at
Raqqa Raqqa (, also , Kurdish language, Kurdish: ''Reqa'') is a city in Syria on the North bank of the Euphrates River, about east of Aleppo. It is located east of the Tabqa Dam, Syria's largest dam. The Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine city and b ...
, which became his base of operations. Despite his ability, Tahir failed to make any progress against Nasr and the Arab tribesmen, who continued to raid and terrorize the region for a further decade. When Tahir was appointed governor of
Khurasan KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West Asia, West and Central Asia that encompasses wes ...
and the eastern caliphate in 821, he left Syria and the Jazira in the hands of his son
Abdallah ibn Tahir al-Khurasani Abdallah ibn Tahir (, ) (ca. 798–844/5) was a military leader and the Tahirid governor of Khurasan from 828 until his death. He is perhaps the most famous of the Tahirids. His career spanned twenty-five years under three caliphs, al-Ma'mun, ...
. Over the next five years, Abdallah gradually reduced Nasr's territory and killed off his followers, until he was driven to his last refuge, the fortress of Kaysum. In the end, in 824 or 825, Nasr was forced to offer his surrender in exchange for a document guaranteeing his safety—preserved by
al-Tabari Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr ibn Yazīd al-Ṭabarī (; 839–923 CE / 224–310 AH), commonly known as al-Ṭabarī (), was a Sunni Muslim scholar, polymath, historian, exegete, jurist, and theologian from Amol, Tabaristan, present- ...
along with a letter sent to him exhorting him to lay down arms—a request which was granted by al-Ma'mun. The fortress of Kaysum was torn down by Abdallah, and Nasr was brought to
Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
. Nothing is known of him thereafter.


See also

*
List of people who disappeared {{Short description, Lists of people of unknown locations and statusLists of people who disappeared include those whose current whereabouts are unknown, or whose deaths are unsubstantiated: Many people who disappear are eventually declared dead ' ...


References


Sources

* * * * * * * {{Authority control 8th-century births 9th-century Arab people 9th-century deaths Arab rebels Banu Uqayl People of the Fourth Fitna Missing person cases in Iraq Rebels from the Abbasid Caliphate Upper Mesopotamia under the Abbasid Caliphate 9th-century rebels