Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

16. Battle of the Zab (Annihilation of the Umayyads)
From Nihawand and considerable force had been sent to Mesopotamia by Qahtabah under his lieutenant Awn al-Azdi. The Hashimid general met Marwan’s troops under his son Abdullah on the little Zab near Shahrazur on 20th Dhu al-Hijah 131/1 Oth August

749. He defeated him there with great slaughter and occupied all the lands east of Mosul. The Caliph now awoke from his deep slumber and took the field in person, but it was too late. Now disaffection had set in, rebellion had broken out and numerous defeats had been suffered as a result the ground was sinking under his feet. He crossed the Tigris and waited on the right bank of the Greater Zab a tributary of the Tigris with an army of 120, 000 consisting of Yamanis and Kharijis who were lukewarm in their loyalty. Awn al-Azdi reached the left bank of the river with 20,000.

•
The chief command of the Abbasid troops was taken by Abdullah ibn Ali, uncle of Abul Abbas. Marwan threw a bridge across the river and crossed it in order to give fight. Awn al-Azdi arrayed his troops for a general action and shouted ’Ya Muhammad ’Ya Mansur which was responded from all sides. Marwan incited his troops by calling each tribe by name but none responded to his call. Failing to raise their morale he gave out that he l».d a large treasure in the camps which he would distribute among the brave and courageous soldiers. Hearing this some ran towards the camps to plunder it which caused general fight among his troops without their having given a fight to the Abbasids. Thereupon to check their fight he destroyed the bridge which caused double destruction to his troops. The majority of them were drowned and the rest were killed on the battle-field. Marwan II was thus defeated in 132/750. This battle sealed the fate of the Umayyads and Syria lay at the feet of Abul Abbas who celebrated the victory by minting coins.
Marwan fled to Harran thence to Hims, Damascus and finally to»Palestine and took refuge with Abu Futrus (Antipatris) an Arab chief. Abdullah advanced in pursuit from the Zab to Mosul

462
Political and Cultural History of Islam

thence to Harran without any opposition. He reached Damascus and besieged the city. He was reinforced under his brother Salih raising his force to 80,000. The city was stormed, the Governor, son-in-law of Marwan, was killed and the Abbasid flag was hoisted on the citadel on the 14th Ramzan 132726th April, 750. Marwan was chased by Salih and Abu Awn from Palestine to Egypt where he had taken refuge in a church at Busir (Busiris) in Lower Egypt, he was overpowered and killed on the 26th Dhu al Hijjah 132/5th August,

750. His head was sent to Abul Abbas, who thanked God for his victory over an ungodly race as he called the Umayyads, and adopted the title al-Saffah (the blood thirsty). Two sons of Marwan fled to Abyssinia, one was killed there another escaped to Palestine whence he was sent later to al-Mahdi. The ladies of Marwan were pardoned and sent to Harran.

Marwan II died at the age of over sixty years after a reign of about six years. He was a brave and good ruler but fate did not favour him. Wasit fell after eleven months and the Governor Yazid ibn Hubayrah submitted on promise of safely but he was executed along with other officials. Thus came to an end the Umayyad dynasty which had relied entirely on temporal power. The seat of the Government was transferred to Kufa and then to Baghdad. The Arabs suffered but the non-/?rabs gained particularly the Khurasanis who formed a kind of military aristocracy. The Umayyads were persecuted f.nd killed. Their graves except that of Umar b. Abdul Aziz were desecrated. One of the Umayyad princes, namely, Abdur Rahman escaped to Spain and founded his dynastic rule there. Thus the dynasty which had been founded by Mu’awiya and consolidated by Abdul Malik and al-Walid met its end at the hands of the Abbasids.