Slave Soldiers and Islam_ The Genesis of a Military System - Daniel Pipes

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.