Muslim ibn Sa'id ibn Aslam ibn Zur'ah ibn Amr ibn Khuwaylid al-Sa'iq al-Kilabi () was governor of
Khurasan
KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West Asia, West and Central Asia that encompasses wes ...
for the
Umayyad Caliphate
The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member o ...
in 723–724. He is best known for his efforts to conciliate the native population of
Transoxiana
Transoxiana or Transoxania (, now called the Amu Darya) is the Latin name for the region and civilization located in lower Central Asia roughly corresponding to eastern Uzbekistan, western Tajikistan, parts of southern Kazakhstan, parts of Tu ...
and for the major military defeat at the "
Day of Thirst" against the
Türgesh.
Life
Muslim had a distinguished ancestry: his grandfather
Aslam served as governor of
Khurasan
KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West Asia, West and Central Asia that encompasses wes ...
in 671–675, and his father
Sa'id was a partisan of the powerful
governor of Iraq,
al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf
Abu Muhammad al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf ibn al-Hakam ibn Abi Aqil al-Thaqafi (; ), known simply as al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf (), was the most notable governor who served the Umayyad Caliphate. He began his service under Caliph Abd al-Malik (), who successiv ...
, who rewarded his loyalty by appointing him as governor of
Makran
Makran (), also mentioned in some sources as ''Mecran'' and ''Mokrān'', is the southern coastal region of Balochistan. It is a semi-desert coastal strip in the Balochistan province in Pakistan and in Iran, along the coast of the Gulf of Oman. I ...
. They were the Basran branch of a clan of the
Kilab tribe that was mostly concentrated in the
Jazira
Jazira, al-Jazira, Jazeera, al-Jazeera, etc. are all transcriptions of Arabic language, Arabic meaning "the island" or "the peninsula".
The term may refer to:
Business
*Jazeera Airways, an airlines company based in Kuwait
Locations
* Al-Jazir ...
(Upper Mesopotamia) (see
Zufar ibn al-Harith al-Kilabi).
When his father was killed during his governorship, Muslim was raised as a foster-son by al-Hajjaj, alongside his own sons. His first official post was as a provincial sub-governor under the governor of
Basra
Basra () is a port city in Iraq, southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the List of largest cities of Iraq, third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq bor ...
,
Adi ibn Artat, and he reportedly acquitted himself well. During the rebellion of
Yazid ibn al-Muhallab
Yazid ibn al-Muhallab al-Azdi (; 672/673–24 August 720) was a commander and statesman for the Umayyad Caliphate in Lower Mesopotamia, Iraq and Greater Khorasan, Khurasan in the early 8th century. In 720, he led the last of a series of wide scal ...
in 720, he fled to
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
carrying the province's tax revenues with him.
Muslim became a companion to the governor of Iraq,
Umar ibn Hubayra, who in 722/723 appointed him as governor of
Khurasan
KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West Asia, West and Central Asia that encompasses wes ...
, replacing
Sa'id ibn Amr al-Harashi
Sa'id ibn Amr al-Harashi (, ) was a prominent Arab general and governor of the Umayyad Caliphate, who played an important role in the Arab–Khazar wars.
Biography
Sa'id ibn Amr al-Harashi was a Qaysi from Qinnasrin, Syria.Crone (1980), p. 144 ...
. He took office at a sensitive time, as widespread unrest among the native
Iranian
Iranian () may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Iran
** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran
** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia
** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...
and
Turkic populations of newly conquered
Transoxiana
Transoxiana or Transoxania (, now called the Amu Darya) is the Latin name for the region and civilization located in lower Central Asia roughly corresponding to eastern Uzbekistan, western Tajikistan, parts of southern Kazakhstan, parts of Tu ...
had been brutally suppressed by al-Harashi. When appointing him to the post, Ibn Hubayra advised him to seek conciliation with the native populations, and especially the converts (''
mawali
''Mawlā'' (, plural ''mawālī'' ), is a polysemous Arabic word, whose meaning varied in different periods and contexts.A.J. Wensinck, Encyclopedia of Islam 2nd ed, Brill. "Mawlā", vol. 6, p. 874.
Before the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the te ...
''). Indeed, al-Kilabi appointed officials that would be acceptable to the locals, such as
Bahram Sis, a
Zoroastrian
Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...
who was appointed as ''
marzban
Marzbān, or Marzpān (Middle Persian: 𐭬𐭫𐭱𐭰𐭠𐭭𐭯 transliteration: mrzwpn, derived from Middle Persian: 𐭬𐭫𐭱 ''marz'' "border, boundary" and the Middle Persian suffix: 𐭡𐭭𐭯 ''-pān'' "guardian"; Modern Persian: ...
'' of
Merv
Merv (, ', ; ), also known as the Merve Oasis, was a major Iranian peoples, Iranian city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, near today's Mary, Turkmenistan. Human settlements on the site of Merv existed from the 3rd millennium& ...
.
In the next year, he resolved to launch an expedition with the goal of seizing the
Ferghana Valley
The Fergana Valley (also commonly spelled the Ferghana Valley) in Central Asia crosses eastern Uzbekistan, southern Kyrgyzstan and northern Tajikistan.
Encompassing three former Soviet republics, the valley is ethnically diverse and relation ...
, which had been lost during the unrest of the previous years. The campaign faced difficulties already in its early stages, when the news arrived of the accession of a new Caliph,
Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik
Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (; 6 February 743) was the tenth Umayyad caliph, ruling from 724 until his death in 743.
Early life
Hisham was born in Damascus, the administrative capital of the Umayyad Caliphate, in AH 72 (691–692 CE). Hi ...
, and the appointment of a new governor of Iraq,
Khalid al-Qasri. This brought the
long-simmering tribal rivalries of the Arabs of Khurasan came to the fore: anticipating the immediate recall of al-Kilabi, the
Yemen
Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...
i (southern Arab) troops in
Balkh
Balkh is a town in the Balkh Province of Afghanistan. It is located approximately to the northwest of the provincial capital city Mazar-i-Sharif and approximately to the south of the Amu Darya and the Afghanistan–Uzbekistan border. In 2021 ...
refused to join the campaign, and had to be coerced by a force of
Mudar
The Mudar () was a principal grouping of the northern Arab tribes.
History
The Mudar and Rabi'a are recorded in central Arabia in the Arabic histories of the pre-Islamic period; the kings of the Kindah bore the title of "king of the Ma'add ( ...
is (northern Arabs) under
Nasr ibn Sayyar
Naṣr ibn Sayyār al-Lāythi al-Kināni (; 663 – 9 December 748) was an Arab general and the last Umayyad governor of Khurasan in 738–748. Nasr played a distinguished role in the wars against the Turgesh, although he failed to decisively co ...
, who clashed with them at
Baruqan. The campaign eventually went ahead as Khalid al-Qasri wrote to al-Kilabi, urging him to proceed with it until his replacement, Khalid's brother
Asad, arrived in Khurasan.
Al-Kilabi moved his army up the
Jaxartes
The Syr Darya ( ),; ; ; ; ; /. historically known as the Jaxartes ( , ), is a river in Central Asia. The name, which is Persian, literally means ''Syr Sea'' or ''Syr River''. It originates in the Tian Shan Mountains in Kyrgyzstan and eastern ...
valley to Ferghana and laid siege to its main settlement, but news of the approach of the
Türgesh forced him to hastily retreat south. After several days, with the Türgesh in close pursuit, the Umayyad army found its path blocked by the native princes who had allied with the Türgesh. In the so-called "
Day of Thirst", the Arabs were forced to break through the enemy lines to cross the Jaxartes and reach safety, suffering heavy casualties in the process. Al-Kilabi surrendered the leadership of the army to
Abd al-Rahman ibn Na'im al-Ghamidi, who led the remnants of the army back to Samarkand. This debacle led to the almost complete collapse of Muslim rule in Transoxiana over the next few years.
Some of the Khurasani Arabs are said to have lashed Muslim after his dismissal, for his role in causing the battle at Baruqan, but al-Ghamidi interceded to make them stop. His successor, Asad al-Qasri, treated him well, and allowed him to return to Iraq.
References
Sources
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8th-century Arab people
8th-century people from the Umayyad Caliphate
Banu Kilab
Umayyad governors of Khurasan
Year of birth unknown
Year of death unknown
Generals of the Umayyad Caliphate