Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2546
The Year 117
عَزْلِ عَاصِمٍ عَنْ خُرَاسَانَ وَوِلَايَةِ أَسَدٍ وَفِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ عَزَلَ هِشَامُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ عَاصِمَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ خُرَاسَانَ، وَوَلَّاهَا خَالِدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْقَسْرِيَّ، فَاسْتَخْلَفَ خَالِدٌ عَلَيْهَا أَخَاهُ أَسَدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ. وَكَانَ سَبَبُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ عَاصِمًا كَتَبَ إِلَى هِشَامٍ: أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ الرَّائِدَ لَا يَكْذِبُ أَهْلَهُ، وَإِنَّ خُرَاسَانَ لَا تَصِحُّ إِلَّا [ أَنْ ] تُضَمَّ إِلَى [ صَاحِبِ ] الْعِرَاقِ، فَتَكُونَ مَوَادُّهَا وَمَعُونَتُهَا مِنْ قَرِيبٍ لِتَبَاعُدِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ [ عَنْهَا ] وَتَبَاطُؤِ غِيَاثِهِ. فَضَمَّ هِشَامٌ خُرَاسَانَ إِلَى خَالِدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْقَسْرِيِّ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ: ابْعَثْ أَخَاكَ يُصْلِحْ مَا أَفْسَدَ، فَإِنْ كَانَ رَجِيَّةً كَانَتْ بِهِ. فَسَيَّرَ خَالِدٌ إِلَيْهَا أَخَاهُ أَسَدًا. فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ عَاصِمًا إِقْبَالُ أَسَدٍ، وَأَنَّهُ قَدْ سَيَّرَ عَلَى مُقَدِّمَتِهِ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ الْهَمْدَانِيَّ صَالَحَ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ سُرَيْجٍ، وَكَتَبَا بَيْنَهُمَا كِتَابًا عَلَى أَنْ يَنْزِلَ الْحَارِثُ أَيَّ كُوَرِ خُرَاسَانَ شَاءَ، وَأَنْ يَكْتُبَا جَمِيعًا إِلَى هِشَامٍ يَسْأَلَانِهِ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَسُنَّةِ نَبِيِّهِ ﷺ فَإِنْ أَبَى اجْتَمَعَا عَلَيْهِ، فَخَتَمَ الْكِتَابَ بَعْضُ الرُّؤَسَاءِ، وَأَبَى يَحْيَى بْنُ حُضَيْنِ بْنِ الْمُنْذِرِ أَنْ يَخْتِمَ وَقَالَ: هَذَا خَلْعٌ لِأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، فَانْفَسَخَ ذَلِكَ. وَكَانَ عَاصِمٌ بِقَرْيَةٍ بِأَعْلَى مَرْوَ، وَأَتَاهُ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ سُرَيْجٍ، فَالْتَقَوْا وَاقْتَتَلُوا قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، فَانْهَزَمَ الْحَارِثُ وَأُسِرَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ أَسْرَى كَثِيرَةٌ، مِنْهُمْ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو الْمَازِنِيُّ رَأْسُ أَهْلِ مَرْوِ الرُّوذِ، فَقَتَلَ عَاصِمٌ الْأَسْرَى، وَكَانَ فَرَسُ الْحَارِثِ قَدْ رُمِيَ بِسَهْمٍ فَنَزَعَهُ الْحَارِثُ، وَأَلَحَّ عَلَى الْفَرَسِ بِالضَّرْبِ وَالْحُضْرِ لِيَشْغَلَهُ عَنْ أَثَرِ الْجِرَاحَةِ، وَحَمَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، فَلَمَّا قَرُبَ مِنْهُ مَالَ الْحَارِثُ عَنْ فَرَسِهِ ثُمَّ اتَّبَعَ الشَّامِيَّ فَقَالَ لَهُ: أَسْأَلُكَ بِحُرْمَةِ الْإِسْلَامِ فِي دَمِي ! فَقَالَ: انْزِلْ عَنْ فَرَسِكَ. فَنَزَلَ عَنْ فَرَسِهِ، فَرَكِبَهُ الْحَارِثُ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ عَبْدِ الْقَيْسِ فِي ذَلِكَ: تَوَلَّتْ قُرَيْشٌ لَذَّةَ الْعَيْشِ وَاتَّقَتْ بِنَا كُلَّ فَجٍّ مِنْ خُرَاسَانَ أَغْبَرَا فَلَيْتَ قُرَيْشًا أَصْبَحُوا ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ يَعُومُونَ فِي لُجٍّ مِنَ الْبَحْرِ أَخْضَرَا وَعَظَّمَ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ يَحْيَى بْنَ ( حُضَيْنٍ لِمَا صَنَعَ فِي نَقْضِ الْكِتَابِ، وَكَتَبُوا كِتَابًا بِمَا كَانَ وَبِهَزِيمَةِ الْحَارِثِ مَعَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ الْعَنْبَرِيِّ. فَلَقِيَ أَسَدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بِالرَّيِّ، وَقِيلَ بِبَيْهَقَ، فَكَتَبَ إِلَى أَخِيهِ ) يَنْتَحِلُ أَنَّهُ هَزَمَ الْحَارِثَ وَيُخْبِرُهُ بِأَمْرِ يَحْيَى، فَأَجَازَ خَالِدٌ يَحْيَى بِعَشَرَةِ آلَافِ ( دِينَارٍ وَ [ كَسَاهُ ] مِائَةَ حُلَّةٍ. وَكَانَتْ وِلَايَةُ عَاصِمٍ أَقَلَّ مِنْ سَنَةٍ، فَحَبَسَهُ أَسَدٌ وَحَاسَبَهُ، وَطَلَبَ مِنْهُ مِائَةَ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ ) وَقَالَ: إِنَّكَ لَمْ تَفُزْ، وَأَطْلَقَ عُمَارَةَ بْنَ حُرَيْمٍ وَعُمَّالَ الْجُنَيْدِ. فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ أَسَدٌ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِعَاصِمٍ إِلَّا مَرْوُ وَنَيْسَابُورُ، وَالْحَارِثُ بِمَرْوِ الرُّوذِ، وَخَالِدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْهَجَرِيُّ بِآمُلَ مُوَافِقٌ لِلْحَارِثِ، فَخَافَ أَسَدٌ إِنْ قَصَدَ الْحَارِثَ بِمَرْوِ الرُّوذِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ الْهَجَرِيُّ مِنْ قِبَلِ آمُلَ، وَإِنْ قَصَدَ الْهَجَرِيَّ قَصَدَ الْحَارِثُ مَرْوَ مِنْ قِبَلِ مَرْوِ الرُّوذِ. فَأَجْمَعَ عَلَى تَوْجِيهِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ نُعَيْمٍ فِي أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ وَالشَّامِ إِلَى الْحَارِثِ بِمَرْوِ الرُّوذِ، وَسَارَ أَسَدٌ بِالنَّاسِ إِلَى آمُلَ، فَلَقِيَهُ خَيْلُ آمُلَ عَلَيْهِمْ زِيَادٌ الْقُرَشِيُّ مَوْلَى حَيَّانَ النَّبَطِيِّ وَغَيْرُهُ، فَهُزِمُوا حَتَّى رَجَعُوا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ، فَحَصَرَهُمْ أَسَدٌ وَنَصَبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَجَانِيقَ وَعَلَيْهِمُ الْهَجَرِيُّ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْحَارِثِ، فَطَلَبُوا الْأَمَانَ، فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَسَدٌ: مَا تَطْلُبُونَ ؟ قَالُوا: كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَسُنَّةَ نَبِيِّهِ، ﷺ، وَأَنْ لَا تَأْخُذَ أَهْلَ الْمُدُنِ بِجِنَايَتِنَا. فَأَجَابَهُمْ إِلَى ذَلِكَ، فَاسْتَعْمَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ يَحْيَى بْنَ نُعَيْمِ بْنِ هُبَيْرَةَ الشَّيْبَانِيَّ وَسَارَ يُرِيدُ بَلْخًا، فَأُخْبِرَ أَنَّ أَهْلَهَا قَدْ بَايَعُوا سُلَيْمَانَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ خَازِمٍ، فَسَارَ حَتَّى قَدِمَهَا وَاتَّخَذَ سُفُنًا وَسَارَ مِنْهَا إِلَى تِرْمِذَ، فَوَجَدَ الْحَارِثَ مُحَاصِرًا لَهَا، وَبِهَا سِنَانٌ الْأَعْرَابِيُّ، فَنَزَلَ أَسَدٌ دُونَ النَّهْرِ وَلَمْ يُطِقِ الْعُبُورَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يُمِدُّهُمْ، وَخَرَجَ أَهْلُ تِرْمِذَ مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ فَقَاتَلُوا الْحَارِثَ قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، وَاسْتَطْرَدَ الْحَارِثُ لَهُمْ، وَكَانَ قَدْ وَضَعَ كَمِينًا، فَتَبِعُوهُ، وَنَصْرُ بْنُ سَيَّارٍ مَعَ أَسَدٍ جَالِسٌ يَنْظُرُ، فَأَظْهَرَ الْكَرَاهِيَةَ، وَعَرَفَ أَنَّ الْحَارِثَ قَدْ كَادَهُمْ، وَظَنَّ أَسَدٌ أَنَّمَا ذَلِكَ شَفَقَةٌ عَلَى الْحَارِثِ حِينَ وَلِيَ، وَأَرَادَ مُعَاتَبَةَ نَصْرٍ، وَإِذَا الْكَمِينُ قَدْ خَرَجَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَانْهَزَمُوا. ثُمَّ ارْتَحَلَ أَسَدٌ إِلَى بَلْخٍ، وَخَرَجَ أَهْلُ تِرْمِذَ إِلَى الْحَارِثِ فَهَزَمُوهُ وَقَتَلُوا جَمَاعَةً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصَائِرِ، مِنْهُمْ: عِكْرِمَةُ وَأَبُو فَاطِمَةَ. ثُمَّ سَارَ أَسَدٌ إِلَى سَمَرْقَنْدَ فِي طَرِيقِ زُمَّ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ زُمَّ بَعَثَ إِلَى الْهَيْثَمِ الشَّيْبَانِيِّ، وَهُوَ فِي حِصْنٍ مِنْ حُصُونِهَا، وَهُوَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْحَارِثِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ أَسَدٌ: إِنَّمَا أَنْكَرْتُمْ [ عَلَى قَوْمِكُمْ ] مَا كَانَ مِنْ سُوءِ السِّيرَةِ، وَلَمْ يَبْلُغْ ذَلِكَ السَّبْيَ وَاسْتِحْلَالَ الْفُرُوجِ وَلَا غَلَبَةَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ عَلَى مِثْلِ سَمَرْقَنْدَ، وَأَنَا أُرِيدُ سَمَرْقَنْدَ، وَلَكَ عَهْدُ اللَّهِ وَذِمَّتُهُ أَنْ لَا يَنَالَكَ مِنِّي شَرٌّ، وَلَكَ الْمُوَاسَاةُ وَالْكَرَامَةُ وَالْأَمَانُ ( وَلِمَنْ مَعَكَ، وَإِنْ أَبَيْتَ مَا دَعَوْتُكَ إِلَيْهِ فَعَلَيَّ عَهْدُ اللَّهِ إِنْ أَنْتَ رُمِيتَ بِسَهْمٍ أَنْ لَا أُؤَمِّنَكَ بَعْدَهُ، وَإِنْ جَعَلْتُ لَكَ أَلْفَ أَمَانٍ لَا أَفِي لَكَ بِهِ. فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ عَلَى الْأَمَانِ )، وَسَارَ مَعَهُ إِلَى سَمَرْقَنْدَ، ثُمَّ ارْتَفَعَ إِلَى وَرَغْسَرَ، وَمَاءِ سَمَرْقَنْدَ مِنْهَا، فَسَكَّرَ الْوَادِيَ وَصَرَفَهُ عَنْ سَمَرْقَنْدَ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى بَلْخٍ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ أَمْرَ أَسَدٍ وَأَصْحَابِ الْحَارِثِ كَانَ سَنَةَ ثَمَانِي عَشْرَةَ.
Translation
✧ The dismissal of ʿĀṣim from Khurāsān and the appointment of Asad In this year, Hishām b. ʿAbd al-Malik dismissed ʿĀṣim b. ʿAbd Allāh from Khurāsān and appointed Khālid b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Qasrī over it. Khālid appointed his brother Asad b. ʿAbd Allāh as his deputy over it. The reason for that was that ʿĀṣim wrote to Hishām: “To proceed: the scout does not lie to his people. Khurāsān cannot be set right unless it is joined to the governor of Iraq, so that its supplies and support come from nearby, because of the remoteness of the Commander of the Faithful from it and the slowness of his relief.” So Hishām joined Khurāsān to Khālid b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Qasrī and wrote to him: “Send your brother to repair what has been spoiled. If it was a hope, it was through him.” So Khālid dispatched his brother Asad to it. When news reached ʿĀṣim that Asad was approaching, and that he had sent Muḥammad b. Mālik al-Hamdānī at the head of his vanguard, he made peace with al-Ḥārith b. Surayj. They wrote between them a document on the condition that al-Ḥārith would settle in whichever district of Khurāsān he wished, and that they would both write to Hishām asking him to follow the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Prophet ﷺ. If he refused, they would combine against him. Some of the chiefs sealed the document, but Yaḥyā b. Ḥuḍayn b. al-Mundhir refused to seal it and said: “This is deposing the Commander of the Faithful.” So that was annulled. ʿĀṣim was in a village in Upper Marw. Al-Ḥārith b. Surayj came to him, and they met and fought a fierce battle. Al-Ḥārith was defeated and many prisoners were taken from his companions, among them ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAmr al-Māzinī, the chief of the people of Marw al-Rūdh. ʿĀṣim executed the prisoners. Al-Ḥārith’s horse had been shot with an arrow, which al-Ḥārith pulled out. He urged the horse on with blows and spurring to distract it from the effect of the wound. A man from Syria charged him. When he came near, al-Ḥārith leaned off his horse, then went after the Syrian and said to him: “I ask you by the sanctity of Islam regarding my blood!” He said: “Dismount from your horse.” So he dismounted, and al-Ḥārith rode it. A man from ʿAbd al-Qays said about that: Quraysh turned away from the pleasure of life, and through us they shielded every dusty pass of Khurāsān. Would that Quraysh might one night find themselves swimming in a green abyss of the sea. The people of Syria greatly honored Yaḥyā b. Ḥuḍayn for what he had done in breaking the document. They wrote a letter about what had happened and about the defeat of al-Ḥārith, and sent it with Muḥammad b. Muslim al-ʿAnbarī. He met Asad b. ʿAbd Allāh at al-Rayy, or it is said at Bayhaq. Asad wrote to his brother claiming that he had defeated al-Ḥārith and informing him of Yaḥyā’s action. Khālid rewarded Yaḥyā with ten thousand dinars and clothed him with one hundred robes. ʿĀṣim’s tenure had lasted less than a year. Asad imprisoned him and audited him, demanding from him one hundred thousand dirhams, and said: “You have not escaped.” He released ʿUmārah b. Ḥuraym and al-Junayd’s agents. When Asad arrived, ʿĀṣim had only Marw and Naysābūr, while al-Ḥārith was at Marw al-Rūdh, and Khālid b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Hajarī was at Āmul in agreement with al-Ḥārith. Asad feared that if he aimed for al-Ḥārith at Marw al-Rūdh, al-Hajarī would come from the direction of Āmul, and if he aimed for al-Hajarī, al-Ḥārith would aim for Marw from the direction of Marw al-Rūdh. He resolved to send ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Nuʿaym with the people of Kufa and Syria against al-Ḥārith at Marw al-Rūdh, while Asad himself marched with the troops to Āmul. The cavalry of Āmul, led by Ziyād al-Qurashī, the client of Ḥayyān al-Nabaṭī, and others, met him. They were defeated and retreated to the city. Asad besieged them and set up mangonels against them. Al-Hajarī, one of al-Ḥārith’s companions, was in command over them. They sought amnesty. Asad sent to them: “What do you seek?” They said: “The Book of God and the Sunnah of His Prophet ﷺ, and that you not hold the people of the cities responsible for our offense.” He granted them that. He appointed Yaḥyā b. Nuʿaym b. Hubayrah al-Shaybānī over them, and marched intending to go to Balkh. He was informed that its people had pledged allegiance to Sulaymān b. ʿAbd Allāh b. Khāzim. He marched until he reached it, procured boats, and traveled from there to Tirmidh. He found al-Ḥārith besieging it, with Sinān al-Aʿrābī inside. Asad encamped on the near side of the river, unable to cross to them or reinforce them. The people of Tirmidh came out of the city and fought al-Ḥārith fiercely. Al-Ḥārith feigned retreat, having placed an ambush. They pursued him. Naṣr b. Sayyār was sitting with Asad watching, and he expressed disapproval, knowing that al-Ḥārith had tricked them. Asad thought that was merely sympathy for al-Ḥārith since he had governed before, and he intended to reproach Naṣr, when the ambush came out upon them and they were routed. Then Asad moved on to Balkh. The people of Tirmidh came out against al-Ḥārith and defeated him, killing a group of the people of al-Baṣāʾir, among them ʿIkrimah and Abū Fāṭimah. Then Asad marched to Samarqand by way of Zamm. When he reached Zamm, he sent to al-Haytham al-Shaybānī, who was in one of its fortresses and was one of al-Ḥārith’s companions. Asad said to him: “You only objected to your people’s bad conduct, which had not reached the point of taking captives, violating women’s chastity, or the polytheists gaining the upper hand over a city like Samarqand. I intend to go to Samarqand. You have the covenant of God and His protection that no harm will come to you from me, and you will have support, honor, and safety for yourself and those with you. If you refuse what I call you to, then I swear by God’s covenant that if you are struck by a single arrow, I will never grant you safety afterward, and even if I give you a thousand assurances, I will not fulfill them for you.” So he came out to him under that safe-conduct, and marched with him to Samarqand. Then he went up to Waragh Sar, from which Samarqand’s water comes. He dammed the river and diverted it away from Samarqand, then returned to Balkh. It is said that the affair of Asad and al-Ḥārith’s companions took place in the year eighteen.
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