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

Ma’mun Ruled Baghdad from Mery
After Amin his brother Ma’mun became the sole master of the Abbasid territory but while he was still at Merv and under the influence of his wazir Fazal Ibn Sahl he embraced dogmas of the and persuasion which was dangerous for the stability of the dynasty because the Alids were not liked by the people in the West (Syria and Egypt) as well as by many at Baghdad. His continued absence from Baghdad was exploited by the Alids in Iraq to fish in the troubled waters.
Rebellions in Baghdad and the West
Although Tahir the governor of Iraq was a great general and a good administrator he was moneyless and could not give bounty to the soldiers who had been receiving this from Amin. Baghdad rose against Tahir for the murder of the caliph and the banishment of Zubaydah, Tahir was therefore replaced by a new viceroy Hasan Ibn Sahl brother of the chief minister Fazal. This appointment besides alienating Tahir antagonised the western provinces all the more because they feared the increasing influence of the Persians. In 198 A.H./813 A.D. championing the cause of the Arabs and the fallen Caliph, an Arab chief Nasr Ibn Shabath rose in rebellion in Asia Minor. At a head of host of Arabs he occupied the country between Aleppo and Sumiesat. A reconciliation took place and Tahir had new appointment as incharge of Syria and Mesopotamia with the headquarter at Raqqah. He was deputed to take up arms against Nasr.
He did take up arms but did not fight with the same spirit as before. Heartless as he was after his removal from Baghdad, he fought a few unsuccessful battles. Nasr Ibn Shabath dominated the borderlands of Asia Minor and Tahir remained inactive at Raqqah. In the following year (199/814-5) an adventurer, namely Abu Saraya at the head of many fickle-minded Kufans, who were opposed to the Abbasids for their patronage of the Persians rose against Ma’mun and set up a descendant of an, nameiy Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim, Ibn Tabataba, as its ruler. He also occupied Basrah a great part of Iraq for him and defeated the Baghdad troops sent in columns successively. Coins were even minted in the name of the and protege and ambassadors were sent to Arabia and other places. This, however, could not be tolerated long and Harthamah was deputed against Abu Saraya who was forced to take refuge at Kufah.
The city was besieged. Deserted by the Kufans Abu Saraya escaped with 800 followers but he was pursued across the Tigris taken prisoner and beheaded and his head was sent to Ma’mun in

200/815. Thus the rebellion was suppressed within two months and the cruelties of his governor ended. A rival caliph was also set up at Makkah but he submitted and was pardoned. He was a son of imam Jafar al-Sadiq. On suppressing the rebellion, Harthamah was appointed viceroy of Arabia and Syria but before taking charge of his new office and paying a visit to the viceroy of Baghdad namely Hasan, he proceeded to Merv to apprise the caliph of the situation at Baghdad and the connivance of the wazir which threatened to cause

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Political and Cultural History of Islam
the West to slip away from his hand. But before he could fulfill his mission Fazal got the scent and instigated the caliph to kill Harthamah on his Arrival.
Ma’mun acted accordingly in Zhiqad 200/June 816 and killed a genera! who had helped him in achieving victory over his brother Amin and fought for him in Khurasan and Iraq. The citizens of Baghdad became annoyed with Ma’mun for his action against Harthamah the favourite of the West. There was a military rising, Hasan was driven from Baghdad to Medina whence he retired to Wasit in the beginning of 201/816 and the city remained in a state of confusion for about six months. Being tired of anarchy the populace offered the throne to Mahdi’s son Mansur who declined the offer. They ultimately submitted to Hasan on the promise amnesty, six months pay to the soldiers and allowances to the people according to their stipendiary roll.
Babak
About this time there arose a free-booter of the name of Babak Khimarni or Shadmani in the northern provinces including Azerbijan and Armenia in 201/816 He preached the doctrine of the transmigration of souls and the incarnation of the deity initiated by Abu Muslim and his pupi! al Muqannah. He gained many followers as he preached the complete freedom in worldly gain. He received the old Mazd religion of Persia and created trouble for long twenty years and routed ro>al troops sent against him. He professed the eastern mystic tenets of transmigration of sou! and incestuous marriage and hence known as Khurramiyah (Voluptuaries). Babak was the scourge of the empire. Receiving order from the caliph, Abdullah son of Tahir after reducing Egypt to submission marched towards Babak in 214’ March 829-30 but before he could fight against him, rebellion broke out in Naysabur and he was appointed viceroy of Khuiasan There he remained engaged in fighting against the Greeks who had made common cause with Babak on the confines of Armenia. The letter was therefore left undisturbed for the time being.1