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Zuṭṭ is an Arabicised form of
Jat The Jat people (, ), also spelt Jaat and Jatt, are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, many Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in l ...
. Originally inhabitants of lower
Indus Valley The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans- Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northwest through the disp ...
, Jats were present in
Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...
from the 5th century AD since the times of the
Sasanian Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...
, although their main migration occurred after the establishment of
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 ...
. They were one of the prominent ethnic groups in lower Iraq during the
Islamic Golden Age The Islamic Golden Age was a period of scientific, economic, and cultural flourishing in the history of Islam, traditionally dated from the 8th century to the 13th century. This period is traditionally understood to have begun during the reign o ...
, supplying mercenary soldiers to the Muslim states. Their mention fades from Arab chronicles after the 11th century.


History


Original homeland

At the time of
Umayyad conquest of Sindh The Umayyad conquest of Sindh took place in 711 AD and resulted in Sindh being incorporated as a province into the Umayyad Caliphate. The conquest resulted in the overthrow of the last Hindu dynasty of Sindh, the Brahmin dynasty, after the death ...
in the early 8th century, Zutt (Jats) populated
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 ...
and
Turan Turan (; ; , , ) is a historical region in Central Asia. The term is of Iranian origin and may refer to a particular prehistoric human settlement, a historic geographical region, or a culture. The original Turanians were an Iranian tribe of th ...
(including Qiqan, modern Kalat) as far as the east bank of
Indus The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans- Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northwest through the dis ...
river, where cities of
Mansura Mansoura (; ' , rural: ) is a city in Egypt located on the eastern bank of the Damietta branch of the Nile river. The city is the capital of the Dakahlia Governorate and has a population of 621,953 as of 2021. Etymology ''Mansoura'' in Arabic ...
and
Multan Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...
were located. According to
Ibn Khordadbeh Abu'l-Qasim Ubaydallah ibn Abdallah ibn Khordadbeh (; 820/825–913), commonly known as Ibn Khordadbeh (also spelled Ibn Khurradadhbih; ), was a high-ranking bureaucrat and geographer of Persian descent in the Abbasid Caliphate. He is the aut ...
, Jats safeguarded the entire trade route in the region which was known as ''bilād al-Zāt'' (land of the Jats). Makran had a significant number of Zutt at the time (or before) the Muslim conquest who had moved eastward into
Sind Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind or Scinde) is a province of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest provin ...
as well in the following centuries. Goeje says Zutt were a people originating from Sind and claims that they were distributed throughout the
Sassanid Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...
.
Al-Khwarizmi Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi , or simply al-Khwarizmi, was a mathematician active during the Islamic Golden Age, who produced Arabic-language works in mathematics, astronomy, and geography. Around 820, he worked at the House of Wisdom in B ...
also elucidates their origins, attributing their roots to Sind and noting the Arabicization of their original name, ''Jit'', to Zuṭṭ and further highlights that the Zutt were employed to protect ''badhraqa'' (roads). In Arabic literature, however, ''Sind'' referred to a larger region than the present province of
Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
and Makran, and the "land of Sind" designated the
Indus valley The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans- Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northwest through the disp ...
or the area traversed by Indus river.


In early Islamic Arabia

The commercial activities of Zutt lead to their settlements in
Arabia The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world. Geographically, the ...
. They were evidently present in Arabia before the advent of Islam, mainly around the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
and are known to have interacted with
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
. Muhammad reportedly compared
Musa Musa may refer to: Places *Mūša, a river in Lithuania and Latvia * Musa, Azerbaijan, a village in Yardymli Rayon * Musa, Iran, a village in Ilam province, Iran * Musa, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran * Musa Kalayeh, Gilan province, Iran * Abu M ...
(Moses) with them in physique, and stated him to be of brown complexion, straight hair and tall stature, resembling Zutt. On another occasion, when
Aisha Aisha bint Abi Bakr () was a seventh century Arab commander, politician, Muhaddith, muhadditha and the third and youngest wife of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. Aisha had an important role in early Islamic h ...
fell ill, her nephew sent for a Zutt physician to treat her. According to
al-Tabari Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr ibn Yazīd al-Ṭabarī (; 839–923 CE / 224–310 AH), commonly known as al-Ṭabarī (), was a Sunni Muslim scholar, polymath, historian, exegete, jurist, and theologian from Amol, Tabaristan, present- ...
, some Zutt participated in the
Ridda Wars The Ridda Wars were a series of military campaigns launched by the first caliph Abu Bakr against rebellious Arabian tribes, some of which were led by rival prophet claimants. They began shortly after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in ...
against Muslims.


In Sassanid Empire

Sassanid emperor
Bahram V Bahram V (also spelled Wahram V or Warahran V; ), also known as Bahram Gur (New Persian: , "Bahram the onager unter), was the Sasanian Empire, Sasanian King of Kings (''shahanshah'') from 420 to 438. The son of the incumbent Sasanian shah Ya ...
(43138) is said to have adopted a policy of tribal resettlement in the coastal regions. Due to it, a number of Zutt migrated, often with great herds of water buffalo, to the marshland of southern Iraq where they introduced large-scale rice farming. They may have come in the search of pastures there, and their presence is indicated by a canal called ''Nahr al-Zuṭṭ'' in Iraq, as well as a district called ''Zutt'' in
Khuzistan Khuzestan province () is one of the 31 Provinces of Iran. Located in the southwest of the country, the province borders Iraq and the Persian Gulf, covering an area of . Its capital is the city of Ahvaz. Since 2014, it has been part of Iran's ...
or
Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
. They also inhabited the city of ''Haumat al-Zutt'' in Khuzistan. Last Sassanid emperor,
Yazdegerd III Yazdegerd III (also Romanized as ''Yazdgerd'', ''Yazdgird'') was the last Sasanian Empire, Sasanian King of Kings from 632 to 651. His father was Shahriyar (son of Khosrow II), Shahriyar and his grandfather was Khosrow II. Ascending the throne a ...
, called Zutt from Sind to help in his war against Arabs. They fought as mercenary cavalry men for the
Sassanian Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...
, later defecting to the side of Muslims. When Muslims besieged the city of
Ahwaz Ahvaz (; ) is a city in the Central District of Ahvaz County, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is home to Persians, Arabs and other groups such as Qashqai and Kurds. Languages spok ...
in Iran in 640, Zutt put up a strong resistance in the defence of the city along with Persian ''
Aswaran The Aswārān (singular aswār), also spelled Asbārān and Savaran, was a cavalry force that formed the backbone of the army of the Sasanian Empire. They were provided by the aristocracy, were heavily armored, and ranged from archers to cataphr ...
''. Later, as did Aswaran, who were known as ''
Asawira The Asawira () were a military unit of the Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphate. The unit consisted of Iranian noblemen who were originally part of the '' aswaran'' unit of the Sasanian army. It was disbanded in 703 by al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. Etymology Th ...
'' during the caliphate period, they settled in Basra as allies of
Banu Tamim The Banū Tamīm () are an Arab tribe that originated in Najd and Hejaz in the Arabian Peninsula. It is mainly present in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Jordan and Lebanon, and has a strong presence in Algeria, and Morocco, Palestine, ...
.


In Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates

Zutt formed a large population of the garrison town 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 ...
, where they became allies of the Arab tribe of Banu Hanzala in the inter-tribal warfare. The treasury of Basra was guarded by 40 or 400 Zutt soldiers during the reign of
Ali Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until his assassination in 661, as well as the first Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib an ...
under their chief Abu Salama al-Zutti, who were, according to the version narrated by
Abu Mikhnaf Lut ibn Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Azdi (; –773/775), commonly known by his Abu Mikhnaf (), was an early Muslim historian. Life Abu Mikhnaf was born in . His given name was Lut and his father was Yahya ibn Sa'id ibn Mikhnaf, who belonged to a noble c ...
, killed while protecting ''
bayt al-mal ''Bayt al-mal'' () is an Arabic term that is translated as "House of money" or "House of wealth". Historically, it was a financial institution responsible for the administration of taxes in Islamic states, particularly in the early Islamic Calip ...
'' when rebels under
Talha Talha or Thalha is an Arabic masculine given name, meaning "fruitful tree from heaven". Talha is the name of a well-known sahabi (companion) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Talha ibn Ubayd Allah. He is renowned for saving Muhammad's face from an a ...
and Zubayr occupied the city. Zutt regiments had fought along with Ali at the
battle of Camel The Battle of the Camel, also known as The Battle of Basra () took place outside of Basra, Iraq, in 36 AH (656 CE). The battle was fought between the army of the fourth caliph Ali (), on one side, and the rebel army led by Aisha, Talha and ...
in 656 under their chief, Ali bin Danūr. In 670, a large number of Zutt, along with Aswaran, were moved into coastal cities of Syria, such as
Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; , ) "Antioch on Daphne"; or "Antioch the Great"; ; ; ; ; ; ; . was a Hellenistic Greek city founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC. One of the most important Greek cities of the Hellenistic period, it served as ...
,
Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
and
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis (from , meaning "three cities") may refer to: Places Greece *Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in the Pelasgiotis district, Thessaly, near Larissa ...
, replacing earlier Greek population, and a quarter in Antioch came to be known after them. This was an attempt by Umayyad caliph
Mu'awiya I Mu'awiya I (–April 680) was the founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, ruling from 661 until his death. He became caliph less than thirty years after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and immediately after the four Rashid ...
to ward off any possible naval invasion by
Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...
. During this period, the role of Zutt and the associated groups was to guard the governors of different provinces, as well as to suppress revolts. They also acted as special troops to guard provincial treasuries. Zutt had been in Mesopotamia for long enough that they were considered distinct from Sindhis or Indians. In Iraq and elsewhere, they had their separate units under their own leaders, giving them a status of distinct sub-tribe in the Muslim society.


Second migration

After the conquest of Sindh in 712, a second influx of Zutt occurred from Makran into Iraq. As a nomadic pastoral community, they did not originally profess Hinduism and instead followed their tribal religion. Zutt were barely integrated into the Hindu society of Sindh, and as they were always prone to rebellion,
Brahman dynasty The Brahmin dynasty (), also known as the Chacha dynasty or Silaij dynasty, was a Sindhi Hindu dynasty that ruled the Sindh region, after usurping and overthrowing the Buddhist Rai dynasty of Sindh. Most of the information about its existence c ...
had imposed discriminatory measures upon them, which were maintained by Arabs, and in some cases, even intensified after a long series of rebellions. Four thousand Zutt became captive of Muslims during the early Muslim incursions into Makran, and later they participated as auxiliaries in the conquest of Sindh. The two chief tribal groupings in Sindh at the time of Arab conquest were Zutt and '' Meds''. Unlike Jats, however, Meds were seafaring people. Some of them carried piracy in the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
as ''
Bawarij Bawarij (; ) were pirates from India and Sindh, who were named for their distinctive ''barja'' warships (which means "large vessels of war" in Arabic) who were active between 251 and 865 AD. They looted Arab shipping bound for the Indian subcon ...
''. The incident in which they captured two treasure ships coming from Ceylon to Basra became ''casus belli'' for the Umayyad invasion of Sindh. In addition to Zutt, several other groups from Indus Valley had permanently settled into Mesopotamia, including ''Sāyabija'' and ''Andāghar'', who were at times considered as part of Jats, and sometimes described separately. Muslim accounts describe these soldiers as originally inhabitants of Sind. An important sub-group of Zutt were ''Qayqāniyya'', who inhabited the region of Qayqan (also known as Qiqān, modern Kalat). Many of them had been taken as captives between 659 and 664 by Abd Allah bin Sawwar al-Abdi to Iraq, who was appointed as governor of regions surrounding Sindh. He was himself killed in one of the wars against Qiqani Zutt in 667 and Qiqan was re-conquered by them. Always armed with arrows, whether cavalry or infantry, these Zutt Qayqaniyya units were master archers of the caliphate, and acted as auxiliary group for ''
shurta ''Shurṭa'' () is the common Arabic term for police. Its literal meaning is that of a "picked" or elite force. The ''shurṭa'' or police force were established in the early days of the Caliphate, perhaps as early as the caliphate of Uthman (644 ...
''. Qiqaniyya as well as ''Bukhariyya'', an Iranian unit of soldiers, were sent to suppress
revolt of Zayd ibn Ali The Revolt of Zayd ibn Ali was a revolt led by Zayd ibn Ali against the Umayyad Caliphate, which had taken over the Rashidun Caliphate since the death of his great-grandfather, Ali. Revolt Unlike his brother, Muhammad al-Baqir, the fifth Im ...
in 740 by Umayyad Caliphate. Another group associated with Zutt was that of ''Qufs'', or "mountain dwellers", who were dark-skinned soldiers from Kerman. They had been recruited by Sassanids as auxiliaries and later, actively supported Arabs against Sassanids. However, they had married among Persians and had assimilated to the Persian culture. Jats (with their very name being synonymous with dromedary-men or cameleers) in Makran reportedly reared fine-quality camels which were in demand as far as Khurasan, and tall ''Qīqāni'' horses, which were presented to Mu'awiya I. In Basra, they manufactured a distinct variety of cloth called ''zuttī'' or ''zuttiyah''. In the first half of 8th century, many of them were settled with herds of buffalo in the regions of Massisa and
Amanus The Nur Mountains (, "Mountains of Holy Light"), formerly known as Alma-Dağ, the ancient Mount Amanus (), medieval Black Mountain, or Jabal al-Lukkam in Arabic, is a mountain range in the Hatay Province of south-central Turkey. It begins sout ...
(present-day Turkey) to combat the large number of lions found there.


In Abbasid Caliphate

The position of Zutt as mercenary soldiers remained stable for some time after the Abbasid revolution and establishment of the
Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...
. They still formed part of the armed forces of Basra during the governorship of Abbasid Sulayman bin Ali. During the Abbasid civil war (809 813), al-Sāri ibn al-Hakam al-Zutti gained control of the lower Egypt, including the capital city of
Fustat Fustat (), also Fostat, was the first capital of Egypt under Muslim rule, though it has been integrated into Cairo. It was built adjacent to what is now known as Old Cairo by the Rashidun Muslim general 'Amr ibn al-'As immediately after the Mus ...
in 813 and ruled it till his death in 820. He was a Zutt soldier of '' abna’ al-dawla'', the elite Khurasani troops of Abbasid caliphate. His two sons, Abu Nāsr () and Ubāydallah () succeeded him as the emirs of Egypt. During this period, Egypt was independent from the Abbasids. Ubaydallah's reign came to an end in 826, when al-Ma'mun sought to achieve control over the country by dispatching to it the
Tahirid The Tahirid dynasty (, ) was an Arabized Sunni Muslim dynasty of Persian dehqan origin that ruled as governors of Khorasan from 821 to 873 as well as serving as military and security commanders in Abbasid Baghdad until 891. The dynasty was f ...
general Abdallah ibn Tahir. Ubaydullah chose to fight against him, but his forces were defeated and he was forced into exile in
Samarra Samarra (, ') is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Saladin Governorate, north of Baghdad. The modern city of Samarra was founded in 836 by the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim as a new administrative capital and mi ...
, where he died in 865. According to the Arabist
Thierry Bianquis Thierry Bianquis (3 August 1935 – 2 September 2014) was a French Orientalism, Orientalist and Arabist. His main interest was the medieval Islamic Middle East, most notably the Fatimid era of Egypt and Syria (region), Syria, which was the subject ...
, the succession of al-Sari by his sons signals the first attempt at creating an autonomous dynasty ruling Egypt, heralding the more successful
Tulunids The Tulunid State, also known as the Tulunid Emirate or The State of Banu Tulun, and popularly referred to as the Tulunids () was a Mamluk dynasty of Turkic peoples, Turkic origin who was the first independent dynasty to rule Egypt in the Middle ...
and
Ikhshidids The Ikhshidid dynasty (, ) was a Turkic dynasty of governors of mamluk origin, who governed Egypt and parts of the Levant from 935 to 969 on behalf of the Abbasid Caliphate. The dynasty carried the Arabic title "Wāli" reflecting their position a ...
. According to Juan Signes Codoñer, Zutt may have been also involved in
Thomas the Slav Thomas the Slav (,  – October 823) was a 9th-century Byzantine military commander, most notable for leading a wide-scale revolt in 821–23 against Emperor Michael II the Amorian (). An army officer of Slavic origin from the Pontus reg ...
's revolt against the
Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...
in 821–23. Jats produced a number of well-known people during the
Islamic Golden Age The Islamic Golden Age was a period of scientific, economic, and cultural flourishing in the history of Islam, traditionally dated from the 8th century to the 13th century. This period is traditionally understood to have begun during the reign o ...
. Famous theologian,
Abu Hanifa Abu Hanifa (; September 699 CE – 767 CE) was a Muslim scholar, jurist, theologian, ascetic,Pakatchi, Ahmad and Umar, Suheyl, "Abū Ḥanīfa", in: ''Encyclopaedia Islamica'', Editors-in-Chief: Wilferd Madelung and, Farhad Daftary. and epony ...
, who was the founder of
Hanafi school The Hanafi school or Hanafism is the oldest and largest Madhhab, school of Islamic jurisprudence out of the four schools within Sunni Islam. It developed from the teachings of the Faqīh, jurist and theologian Abu Hanifa (), who systemised the ...
of thought, is considered by some to be one of them. His grandfather, named Zuttā, was brought as captive by Muslim armies in the late 7th century to lower Iraq. Other Zutt scholars include Ibn Ulayya, who was from Qayqan, and
al-Awza'i Abū ʿAmr ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAmr al-Awzāʿī (; 707–774) was a Sunni Muslim ulama, scholar, faqīh, jurist, aqidah, theologian, and the chief representative and eponym of the Awza'i school of Islamic jurisprudence. Biography Awzāʿ ...
. As they were earliest of the people from Indus Valley to have interacted with Muslims, "Zutt" became a general term for the people from Sind and Multan who were living in Syria, which included scholars and governors like Ibn al-A'rabi, Ibn Shahak and Abu al-Khasib. During this period, Zutt increasingly intermingled with other non-Arab foreign people in Basra, a cosmopolitan port at the time. They, along with Sayabija and
Zanj Zanj (, adj. , ''Zanjī''; from ) is a term used by medieval Muslim geographers to refer to both a certain portion of Southeast Africa (primarily the Swahili Coast) and to its Bantu inhabitants. It has also been used to refer to Africans col ...
, were designated as one of the
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
peoples (Arabic: ''as-swadan'') by Arabs. Grandfather of
al-Jahiz Abu Uthman Amr ibn Bahr al-Kinani al-Basri (; ), commonly known as al-Jahiz (), was an Arab polymath and author of works of literature (including theory and criticism), theology, zoology, philosophy, grammar, dialectics, rhetoric, philology, lin ...
, the famous 9th century author, was reportedly a black cameleer. The term ''Black'', however, was apparently applied to Berbers and Indians as well.


Zutt rebellion

As the central power of caliphate broke down after the mid-9th century, Zutt came to be viewed as outlaws and brigands instead of allies. Zutt, Asawira and other troops were effectively demilitarized at the start of century. Some of Zutt later turned into ''Banu Sasan'', who were members of what
C. E. Bosworth Clifford Edmund Bosworth FBA (29 December 1928 – 28 February 2015) was an English historian and Orientalist, specialising in Arabic and Iranian studies. Life Bosworth was born on 29 December 1928 in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire (now ...
calls "Islamic Underworld". The Qiqaniyya, who had reputation as sea-faring people, turned to piracy along the coast of Baluchistan and Makran. The continued political suppression, as well as relative weakness of Abbasid control after the devastating civil war, encouraged the Zutt living in lower Iraq to rise in rebellion in 820 under the leadership of Muhammad ibn Uthman. Early Abbasid efforts to defeat Zutt proved unsuccessful, and they continued to levy taxes over caravans and to raid neighbouring regions of Basra. After the defeat of Ahmad bin Sa'd al-Bahili, Abbasids sent a large force of more than 10,000 under their general Ujayf ibn Anbasa in 834 to
Wasit Wasit (, ) was an early Islamic city in Iraq. It was founded in the 8th century by the Umayyad viceroy of Iraq, al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, to serve as the region's seat and as the garrison of the Syrian troops who enforced Umayyad rule there. It was ...
, which was a stronghold of Zutt. Abbasid forces blocked the waterways to the Iraqi marshes and thus cut down the communication lines of Zutt. The war continued for nine months, and included amphibious operations, until Zutt leaders agreed to surrender. They were ultimately deported to a village at the Byzantine frontier of Cilicia in 835. In 855, Byzantine army made an unexpected raid on the city of
Anazarbus Anazarbus, also known as Justinopolis (, medieval Ain Zarba; modern Anavarza; ), was an ancient Cilician city. Under the later Roman Empire, late Roman Empire, it was the capital of Cilicia Secunda. Roman emperor Justinian I rebuilt the city ...
(`Ain Zarbah) and took many of them to
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
. The Zutt rebellion lasted for 14 years before finally being put down.
Al-Tabari Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr ibn Yazīd al-Ṭabarī (; 839–923 CE / 224–310 AH), commonly known as al-Ṭabarī (), was a Sunni Muslim scholar, polymath, historian, exegete, jurist, and theologian from Amol, Tabaristan, present- ...
, a 9th-century historian, quoted a long poem by a Zutt poet when they were being deported to Cilicia. in it, poet taunted people of
Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
, where caliph was based, for their cowardice as they could not defeat Zutt and had to employ Turkic slave-soldiers against them. The poet held these Turks in military posts in low regard and instead glorified austerity of the Zutt.


Later period

Zutt also participated in the later
Zanj Zanj (, adj. , ''Zanjī''; from ) is a term used by medieval Muslim geographers to refer to both a certain portion of Southeast Africa (primarily the Swahili Coast) and to its Bantu inhabitants. It has also been used to refer to Africans col ...
and
Qarmatian The Qarmatians (; ) were a militant Isma'ili Shia movement centred in Al-Ahsa in Eastern Arabia, where they established a religious state in 899 CE. Its members were part of a movement that adhered to a syncretic branch of Sevener Ismaili ...
rebellions against the caliphate, with Abu Hatim al-Zutti being one of the major Qarmatian Da'is. Becoming active in 907, Abu Hatim prohibited his followers to slaughter animals and so they came to be known as '' Baqliyya'', or "Green Grocers". They were a major sub-sect of Qarmatians in lower Iraq and staged multiple uprisings against the Abbasids. A certain Abū al-Faraj Muḥammad al-Zutti was a Buyid minister in Baghdad in 990. Zutt, along with Turks and Daylamis, formed part of army of Buyid prince Abu Nasr Shah-Firuz, ruler of Fasa, when he waged war against
Baha' al-Dawla Abu Nasr Firuz Kharshadh (; died December 22, 1012), better known by his ''laqab'' of Baha al-Dawla () was the Buyid amir of Iraq (988–1012), along with Fars and Kerman (998–1012). His early reign was dominated by struggles with his rival rel ...
for the control of province of Fars in 1000 AD. They were described as most numerous and bravest of the warriors of Fars by Abbasid vizier al-Rudhrawari. Little is known about them any further, although they seem to have gained certain degree of notoriety along with
Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish language ** Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) **Central Kurdish (Sorani) **Southern Kurdish ** Laki Kurdish *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern ...
and
Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu ( ; , singular ) are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia (Iraq). The Bedouin originated in the Sy ...
tribes. Abbasid caliphate itself disintegrated after the
anarchy at Samarra The Anarchy at Samarra () was a period of extreme internal instability from 861 to 870 in the history of the Abbasid Caliphate, marked by the violent succession of four caliphs, who became Puppet ruler, puppets in the hands of powerful rival milit ...
, and the regions of Makran, Sind and Multan became independent under Ma'danids, Hābbarids and Munābbihids, respectively. Owing to these developments, the movement of Jats into Iraq ceased. During the same period, Jats left Makran and moved upward to the fertile but thinly populated Punjab plains, which, since 16th century, have been dominated by them.


Descendants

Afterwards, Jats lost their distinct identity in the Mesopotamia that they had previously. The 19th century Dutch orientalist De Goeje attempted to link Zutt with
Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnic groups * Romani people, or Roma, an ethnic group of Indo-Aryan origin ** Romani language, an Indo-Aryan macrolanguage of the Romani communities ** Romanichal, Romani subgroup in the United Kingdom * Romanians (Romanian ...
of Europe. However, there is no evidence of any direct relation between the two groups, as Romani language does not contain any significant Arabic loan words, and his thesis remains unproven. Similarly, the identification of Zutt or Jats, who were northwestern Indo-Aryans, with the present day
Dom people The Dom (also called Domi; / ALA-LC: ', / , Ḍom / or , or sometimes also called Doms) are descendants of the Dom caste with origins in the Indian subcontinent, who through ancient migrations are found scattered across the Middle East and ...
(also called Nawar) is also spurious, as Dom are speakers of central Indo-Aryan
Domari language Domari is an endangered Indo-Aryan language, spoken by Dom people scattered across the Middle East and North Africa. The language is reported to be spoken as far north as Azerbaijan and as far south as central Sudan, in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Isr ...
, and migrated from
central India Central India refers to a geographical region of India that generally includes the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The Central Zonal Council, established by the Government of India, includes these states as well as Uttar Prades ...
instead. However, the term ''
Zott ''Zott'' (; singular ''Zottī'') is the Arabic term for gypsies, Romani people, and Dom people. The Zott were musicians who migrated in great numbers from northern India to the Middle East about 1000 years ago. Their name was later applied to any ...
'' has persisted in Arab countries, albeit in a pejorative way, to describe them because of their Indian origins. It is believed that the Zutt later became what are now known as
Marsh Arabs The Marsh Arabs (Arabic: عرب الأهوار ʻArab al-Ahwār "Arabs of the Marshlands"), also referred to as Ahwaris, the Maʻdān (Arabic: معدان "dweller in the plains") or Shroog ( "those from the east")—the latter two often conside ...
of Iraq. However, genetic studies show that the Marsh Arabs harbor mtDNAs and Y chromosomes that are predominantly of Middle Eastern origin and despite the cultural influence from the Indian subcontinent, the genetic input is marginal.


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *{{cite book, last1=Asher, first1=Catherine Ella Blanshard, last2=Talbot, first2=Cynthia, title=India before Europe, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZvaGuaJIJgoC&pg=PA269, year=2006, publisher=Cambridge University Press, isbn=978-0-521-80904-7, page= Ethnic groups in Iraq Jat