Al-Mansur

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For other uses, see Al-Mansur (disambiguation).
Al-Mansur
أبو جعفر عبدالله بن محمد المنصور
Abbasid Dinar - Al Mansur - 140 AH (758 AD).JPG
Gold dinar of al-Mansur
2nd Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate
Reign 754 AD – 775 AD
Predecessor as-Saffah
Successor al-Mahdi
Born 714 AD
Syria
Died 775 AD
near Mecca
Spouse Arwa bint Mansur
Hammadah bint Isa
Issue Al-Mahdi
Full name
Abu Ja'far Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Mansur
Father Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abdallah
Mother Sallamah
Religion Islam

Al-Mansur or Abu Ja'far Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Mansur (95 AH – 158 AH (714 AD – 775 AD);[1] Arabic: أبو جعفر عبدالله بن محمد المنصور‎‎) was the second Abbasid Caliph reigning from 136 AH to 158 AH (754 AD – 775 AD)[2][3] and succeeding his brother Abu al-'Abbas al-Saffah. Al-Mansur is generally regarded as the real founder of the Abbasid Caliphate, one of the largest polities in world history, for his role in stabilizing and institutionalizing the dynasty.[4] He is also known for founding the 'round city' of Madinat al-Salam which was to become the core of imperial Baghdad.[5]

Biography

Al-Mansur was born at the home of the 'Abbasid family after their emigration from the Hejaz in 95 AH (714 CE). "His father, Muhammad, was reputedly a great-grandson of Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the youngest uncle of Mohammad; his mother, as described in the 14th-century Moroccan historical work Rawd al-Qirtas was one Sallama, "a Berber woman given to his father." [6] He reigned from Dhu al-Hijjah 136 AH until Dhu al-Hijjah 158 AH (754 CE – 775 CE). In 762 he founded as new imperial residence and palace city Madinat as-Salam (the city of peace), which became the core of the Imperial capital Baghdad.[7] Al-Mansur was concerned with the solidity of his regime after the death of his brother Abu'l `Abbas (later known as as-Saffah). In 754 he defeated Abdallah ibn Ali's bid for the Caliphate, and in 755 he arranged the assassination of Abu Muslim. Abu Muslim was a loyal freed man from the eastern Iranian province of Khorasan who had led the Abbasid forces to victory over the Umayyads during the Third Fitna in 749–750; he was subordinate to al-Mansur but also the undisputed ruler of Iran and Transoxiana. The assassination seems to have been made to preclude a power struggle in the empire; some findings suggest[citation needed] that Abu Muslim became incredulous and paranoid and that this 'necessitated' the assassination.

When Isa ibn Musa, al-Mansur's intended successor, fell under suspicion of corruption, al-Mahdi was appointed in his stead and publicly swore allegiance. Like his elder brother Saffah he wanted to unite the land, so he got rid of all of his opposition.[citation needed]

During his reign, Islamic literature and scholarship in the Islamic world began to emerge in full force, supported by the Abbasid promotion of scholarly research, best exemplified by the Abbasid-sponsored Translation Movement. It was under al-Mansur that a committee, mostly made up of Syriac-speaking Christians, was set up in Baghdad with the purpose of translating extant Greek works into Arabic. Due to the Abbasid's orientation toward the East, many Persians came to play a crucial role in the Empire, both culturally as well as politically. This was in contrast to the preceding Umayyad era, in which non-Arabs were kept out of these affairs. The Umayyads actively tried to discourage conversion in order to continue the collection of the jizya (tax on non-Muslims). The inclusiveness of the al-Mansur's regime (which would continue under subsequent Abbasid rulers) saw the spread of Islam within Abbasid borders: from 750 to 775, the Muslim population of the caliphate increased from 8% to 15%.[citation needed] Shu'ubiya emerged at this time, due to the rising of Iranian autonomy; it was a literary movement among Persians which expressed their belief in the superiority of Persian art and culture, and catalyzed the emergence of Arab-Persian dialogues in the 9th century CE.

In 756, al-Mansur sent over 4,000 Arab mercenaries to assist the Chinese in the An Shi Rebellion against An Lushan; after the war, they remained in China.[8][9][10][11][12] Al-Mansur was referred to as "A-p'u-ch'a-fo" in the Chinese T'ang Annals.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19] [20][21][22][23][24]

Al-Mansur died in 775 on his way to Mecca to make hajj. He was buried somewhere along the way in one of hundreds of graves dug in order to hide his body from the Umayyads. He was succeeded by his son, al-Mahdi.

According to a number of sources, Abu Hanifa an-Nu'man (who founded a school of jurisprudence) was imprisoned by al-Mansur. Malik ibn Anas, the founder of another school, was flogged during his rule, but al-Mansur himself did not condone this – in fact, it was his cousin, the governor of Madinah at the time, who ordered it (and was punished for doing so).[25]

Character

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A mancus issued under the Saxon king Offa of Mercia (757–796), copied from a gold dinar of Al-Mansur's reign. It combines the Latin legend OFFA REX with Arabic legends. The date of A.H. 157 (773–774 CE) is readable.[26] British Museum.

Al-Masudi in Meadows of Gold tells of a blind poet, on two occasions, reciting poems of praise for the Umayyads to one he didn't realize was this Abbasid; al-Mansur nonetheless rewarded the poet for the verses. Another tale describes an arrow, with verses inscribed on feathers and shaft, landing near al-Mansur; these verses prompt him to investigate a notable from Hamadan who had been unjustly imprisoned, and release him. There is also an account of foreboding verses al-Mansur saw written on the wall just before his death.

When al-Mansur died, the caliphate's treasury contained 600,000 dirhams and fourteen million dinars.[citation needed]

In 2008, MBC 1 depicted the life and leadership of al-Mansur in a historical series aired during the holy month of Ramadan.

References

  1. ↑ Al-Souyouti, Tarikh Al-Kholafa'a (The History of Caliphs)
  2. ↑ Stanley Lane-Poole, The Coins of the Eastern Khaleefahs in the British Museum
  3. ↑ Axworthy, Michael (2008); A History of Iran; Basic, USA; ISBN 978-0-465-00888-9. See p.81.
  4. ↑ The Cambridge History of Islam, volume 1: The Formation of the Islamic World, ed. Chase F Robinson, March 2011, page 265
  5. ↑ The Cambridge History of Islam, volume 1: The Formation of the Islamic World, ed. Chase F Robinson, March 2011, page 270
  6. ↑ World's Great Men of Color vol. II
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.Original from the University of California
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.Original from Princeton University
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.Original from the University of California
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.Original from the New York Public Library
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.(Original from the University of Michigan )
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.(Original from the University of Michigan, Library of Catalonia )
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.(Original from the University of California )
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.(Original from Indiana University )
  25. ↑ Ya'qubi, vol.III, p. 86; Muruj al-dhahab, vol.III, p. 268–270.
  26. ↑ Medieval European Coinage By Philip Grierson p.330

Bibliography

  • Mas'udi, The Meadows of Gold, The Abbasids, transl. Paul Lunde and Caroline Stone, Kegan Paul, London and New York, 1989
  • Kennedy, Hugh, When Baghdad Ruled The Muslim World, Cambridge, Da Capo Press, 2004

Time line

Al-Mansur
of the Ahl al-Bayt
Clan of the Banu Quraish
Born: ≈ 714 CE Died: ≈ 775 CE
Shia Islam titles
Preceded by Abu Ja`far `Abdu'llāh ibn Muhammad "al-Imām"
Ninth and the last Imam of
Hashimiyya Kaysanites Shia
9 June 754 - 775		 Succeeded by
Abu `Abdu'llāh Muhammad "al-Mahdi"
Adopted Sunni Islam as state religion
Al-Mansur
Born: 714 Died: 775
Sunni Islam titles
Preceded by Caliph of Islam
754–775		 Succeeded by
Al-Mahdi
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