- Civil War in Palestine (793–796)
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Civil in War in Palestine Date First phase: 793 CE
Second phase: 796 CELocation Palestine and Transjordan Result Abbasid and Yamani victory; destruction of Gaza, Bayt Jibrin, Ascalon, and Sariphaea Belligerents Mudhar tribal federation Yamani tribal federation
Abbasid CaliphateCommanders and leaders Amir Abu al-Haytham al-Murri Ja'far ibn Yahya al-Barmaki Casualties and losses 660 dead 880 dead (not including Abbasid army casualties) The Civil War in Palestine occurred between two Arab tribal federations in Palestine, Mudhar and Yamani, between 793-796, under the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate.
Contents
Background
The Abbasid Caliphate rose to power after the defeat of the Umayyads in 750. The capital of the Islamic Caliphate thus moved from Damascus to Baghdad, and Palestine lost its central position and became a distant district whose affairs were not tended as carefully as they were under the Umayyads.[1]
In the 8th century CE, Palestine was divided into two administrative districts: Jund Filastin and Jund al-Urdunn. The former stretched from Rafah to Lajjun, encompassing much of the coastal plain of Palestine and included Samaria and Mount Hebron, while Jund al-Urdunn covered most of the Galilee, southern Lebanon, and Transjordan east of the Jordan River. Both districts were a part of the larger province of Bilad ash-Sham.
Various Arab tribes populated the region and formed federations. The Mudhar, or Qais faction dominated the north, while the Yamani faction controlled the south.[2] Enmity and skirmishes between the two tribal federations were reported as early as 790.[1] Ibrahim bin Salih, the governor of Bilad ash-Sham and a cousin of the caliph al-Mahdi, regularly dealt with the affairs in Jund Filastin. He and his aide, Ishaq bin Ibrahim inclined to favor the Yamani tribe in disputes with the Mudhar.[3]
Outbreak of war
First phase
Hostilities commenced after a quarrel occurred when a member of the northern Banu al-Qayn tribe came to grind his wheat at a various place in Transjordan and stole marrows and watermelons from one of southern tribesmen (most likely from the Banu Judham or Lakhm tribes).[3] Battles between the two sides sparked up throughout Palestine, particularly in the Jordan Valley and around Jerusalem. During a major confrontation near Jerusalem, Ibn al-Athir stated there was no clear winner and that one side suffered 80 dead and the other 60 dead.[4] Casualties rose considerably as tribes of the Golan Heights and Jund al-Urdunn joined the war as allies of the Yamani coalition. The strife was brought to an end and matters calmed down on December 29, 793, after decisive intervention by the caliph Harun al-Rashid and his brothers.[3]
Second phase
In 796, battles between the Mudhar and Yamani tribes broke out for unspecified reasons. It is believed by early Arab and Persian historians that northern Mudhar tribes instigated the hostilities and that the focus of their attacks was not directed only against the Yamani federation, but the Abbasid regime itself. Harun al-Rashid viewed this as a rebellion and sent a large army under Ja'far ibn Yahya al-Barmaki to quell the revolt. According to historian Moshe Gil, "he put down the rebels with an iron hand and much blood was spilled."[2]
Throughout the revolt, anarchy became widespread in Palestine. The cities of Gaza, Bayt Jibrin, Ascalon in Jund Filastin and the town Sariphaea in Jund al-Urdunn were completely destroyed in the conflict by Bedouin tribes.[2] Several towns and villages in western Palestine were also sacked. In addition, the main roads of the district were rendered impassable due to the presence of hostile Bedouin bands.[5] Various Arab tribes who previously attempted to attack the Christian monasteries of the Jordan Valley region, but were prevented from doing so by the authorities, took advantage of the situation and raided several of them. The St. Chariton Monastery was robbed and twenty monks at Mar Saba were reportedly suffocated to death.[2] The monasteries of St. Cyriacus, St. Sabas, St. Theodosius, and St. Euthymius were also attacked.[1] The combined casualties of the tribal federations in 796 totaled roughly 1,200.[4]
Ja'far appointed Salih bin Sulayman as his representative in Balqa, Transjordan while he appointed Issa bin al-Akki as his representative for the whole province of al-Sham. The reason a separate person was put in charge of Jund al-Urdunn—which is normally under the administration of Damascus—was because of Ja'far's belief that the epicenter of the rebellion was in this area.[3]
References
Bibliography
- Gil, Moshe (1997), A History of Palestine, 634-1099, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521599849, http://books.google.com/?id=M0wUKoMJeccC&pg=PA42&dq=Ijnadayn+Lajjun
- Shagrir, Iris; Ellenblum, Roni; Riley-Smith, Christopher (2007), In Laudem Hierosolymitani: Studies in Crusades and Medieval Culture in Honour of Benjamin Z. Kedar, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., ISBN 0754661407, 9780754661405, http://books.google.com/?id=AXiNOmp6wIcC&pg=PA22&dq=War+of+the+Watermelon+Palestine
- Patrich, Joseph (2001), The Sabaite heritage in the Orthodox Church from the fifth century to the present, Peeters Publishers, ISBN 9042909765, 9789042909762, http://books.google.com/?id=O4pj9YNdgJYC&pg=PA65&dq=796+tribal+war+in+Palestine
Categories:- 8th-century conflicts
- Muslim civil wars
- Civil wars involving the states and peoples of Asia
- History of Palestine
- 8th century in Asia
- 790s
- Military history of the Abbasid Caliphate
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