TheUnfree
inMuslim
Warfare,
2-205/624-820
135
ledbyamawlawhothenrebelled
against
the
caliph,
ls6
Another
mawla
rebelled
Khfiriji
in Khurasan foralmost
thirty years,
175/791to213/828.
ls
WhenCAlib.C]sfi,a
leading
Abbasid
figure,
rebelled
against
al-Ma’mfinin 195/811,amawlaofal-Mahdi’s
joined
himand
fought
aduelonhisbehalf?
ss
Abfi’s-Sarfiyfi,aformercomman-
derforbothal-Aminandal-Ma’mfin,leda
major
revolt
against
al-Ma’mfin in
199-200/815-167
s9
One account states that
Abfi’s-Sarfiyfi
hadbeentheslaveofHarthamab.
ACyan,the
Ab-
basid
general.
19
Washeinfactafreedslave?Our
sourcesdonot
providean
unambiguous
answer.AI-Mahdi’ssonIbrfihimre-
belledshortlyafteral-Ma’mfincameto
power,
andoneofhis
leadershad
mawlas
fighting
forhimin
202/818791
WiththeAbbasids
against
Rebels,132-205/750-820.After
coming
to
power,
theAbbasidsfirstusedmawlasin134/752intwore-
mote
regions,
OmanandSind.Sevenhundred
highly
trusted
troops,including mawlas,fought
the
Khfirijis
inOmanand
4,000soldiers,
againincludingmawlas,suppressed
the
uprising
ofthe Abbasid
governor
ofSind,
Mans.fir
b.
Jamhfir.
12
A1-
Mans.fi
appointed
amawlaasleaderof2,000elite
troops
in
137/755sent
tofight
the
Khftriji
rebel,Mulabbad
b..Harmala
ash-Shaybfini;
alsoamawlacommandedtheAbbasidleft
wing
onthis
expedition?
3
Unfree
soldiers held
important positions
in the
struggle
against the
ShiCi
rebels,
Mu.hammad
b. CAbdallfih and his
brotherIbrfihim.Amawlaledtheattackon
Muh.
ammadb.
CAb-
dallfihin
144/761
andthe
caliph’s
mawlas
participated?
94
The
186.
FB,
pp.
331,330.
187.
Spuler,p.
169.
188.T,3:801.
189.
H.
A.R.Gibb,
"Abfi’l-Sary,"
inEI2;A.Arioli,"LarivoltadiAbfi
Sarya:appuntiperunatipologiadelleaderislamico,"AnnalidellaFacoltdi
lingue
eletteraturestranierediCa’Foscari
(serieorientale),
5
(1974):189-97,draws
interesting
conclusionsabouthisrevolt.
190.Balearni,4:499.
191.T,
3:1028.
192.
Oman:
T,3:78.
Sind:
T,3:80.
193.2,000elite
troops:
T,
3:120.
left
wing:T,3:123.
194.Led;T,3:167.
Caliph’s
mawlas:MDh,3:309.