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

Amin Declares Deposition of Ma’mun
On the advice of his Prime Minister Fazal Ibn al-Rabi’ who held the same office under Harun al-Rashid and who hated Ma’mun for his ability and his love for the Barmakids. Amin declared Ma’mun deposed and appointed his son Musa as heir-apparent and had the two documents suspended by his father at Ka’bah torn in

194/810. But by character Amin who had inherited the material culture of Baghdad was meek and easeloving and unequal to the task he had ahead. As champion of the west whose sentiment he represented he was popular in Baghdad a city of sensuous living because of his bounty to the soldiers and the commoners. He lived in the company of astrologers, song stresses and other paras>ticai elements. He was fond of wine, women and song and was a votary of the hundred beautiful maidens in a banquet hall furnished with couches and carpets for his amusement pleasure-boats had been constructed in the shape of animals and birds etc. Like lion, elephant, horse, eagle and serpent on the bank of the Tigris.

Thus in the contest the dissipated Amin was no match for the hardy and laborious Ma’mun. Amin resolved to reduce Ma’mun by force of arms and charged the marshal AH Ibn Isa who was hated him the east for his audacity in proceeding against him at the head of

50,000 soldiers. Near al-Rayy he was opposed by a small force of about 40,000 under Ma’mun’s marshal Tahir bin Hussain Khurasan! A battle ensued with its single combats in which AH was killed and the Iraqi troops took to flight. Tahir who later on became the founder

SM Imamuddin, P 114.

548 Political and Cultural History of Islam

of the Tahirid dynasty was ordered by Ma’mun to march on ’Iraq himself in 195/811. He proceeded to Hamadan and defeated successfully two Baghdad! troops sent in succession under Abdur Rahman b. Jabalah Anbari and Kathir b. Qadirah. Then he marched on Halwan in 196/812. Harthamah who had meanwhile come with a strong reinforcement from Merv was left in charge of Halwan and Tahir himself marched on al-Ahwaz and Sus and then threatened Baghdad itself. Rise of a Pretender in Syria
Meanwhile some new developments took place in Syria and in Baghdad itself. A new pretender arose in Syria towards the end of

195/811. He claimed his descent from Ali as well as Mu’awiya and occupied Damascus and its environment. He would have practically established a new the Madars and the Himyars after creating trouble in Syria for about two years. Siege of Baghdad

Amin’s general in Syria namely Hussain son of Ali Ibn Isa, drew lesson from his father’s fate and alienating his Syrian troops in favour of Ma’mun marched on Baghdad in 169/812 with a view to depose Amin. The caliph and Zubaydah were imprisoned in one of the palaces. Baghdad was occupied and Ma’mun was proclaimed caliph although the new monarch had no money to conciliate the troops and the populace who were in the habit of receiving largesses from Amin. As a result within a few days a counter movement took place, Amin was reinstated and Hussain was killed. The Prime Minister Fazal Ibn al-Rabi who was in league with Hussain fled to remain in hiding. Tahir and Harthamah
Meanwhile all the lands east of the Tigirs had been occupied by Tahir who had his military head quarters at Ahwaz. Arabia too with Makkah and Medina had fallen into the hands of Ma’mun who was always favourable to the house of Ali. The Abbasid Governor of Makkah namely Da’ud b. Isa who was a descendant of Hazrat Ali became annoyed with Amin when he destroyed the documents suspended within the four walls of Ka’bah. He took the oath of fealty from the populace in favour of Ma’mun. Tahir on his part crossed the Tigris at Mada’in, captured Wasit and Kufah. Thus the whole of Mesopotamia with the exception of Baghdad fell into his hands. By Dhul Hijjah 196/August 812, Tahir encamped at the Anbar gate of Baghdad and Harthamah on the other side of the river to destroy the
Muhammad Al-Amm 549
capital by using catapults. The siege continued for a year and the beautiful palaces of Baghdad the work of fifty years, were ruined. The city was stormed and the bridge was blown off. Amin with his family took shelter in the citadel which Mansur had built on the Tigris.