Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2850
Then the year 151 AH began
ذِكْرُ وِلَايَةِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عُمَرَ بْنِ حَفْصٍ إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ . فِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ اسْتَعْمَلَ الْمَنْصُورُ عَلَى إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ عُمَرَ بْنَ حَفْصٍ مِنْ وَلَدِ قَبِيصَةَ بْنِ أَبِي صُفْرَةَ أَخِي الْمُهَلَّبِ، وَإِنَّمَا نُسِبَ [ إِلَى ] بَيْتِ الْمُهَلَّبِ لِشُهْرَتِهِ. وَكَانَ سَبَبُ مَسِيرِهِ إِلَيْهَا أَنَّ الْمَنْصُورَ لَمَّا بَلَغَهُ قَتْلُ الْأَغْلَبِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ خَافَ عَلَى إِفْرِيقِيَّةَ، فَوَجَّهَ إِلَيْهَا عُمَرَ وَالِيًا، فَقَدِمَ الْقَيْرَوَانَ فِي صَفَرٍ سَنَةَ إِحْدَى وَخَمْسِينَ وَمِائَةٍ فِي خَمْسِمِائَةِ فَارِسٍ، فَاجْتَمَعَ وُجُوهُ الْبَلَدِ فَوَصَلَهُمْ وَأَحْسَنَ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَأَقَامَ وَالْأُمُورُ مُسْتَقِيمَةٌ ثَلَاثَ سِنِينَ. فَسَارَ إِلَى الزَّابِ لِبِنَاءِ مَدِينَةِ طُبْنَةَ بِأَمْرِ الْمَنْصُورِ، وَاسْتَخْلَفَ عَلَى الْقَيْرَوَانِ حَبِيبَ بْنَ حَبِيبٍ الْمُهَلَّبِيَّ، فَخَلَتْ إِفْرِيقِيَّةُ مِنَ الْجُنْدِ، فَثَارَ بِهَا الْبَرْبَرُ، فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ حَبِيبٌ فَقُتِلَ، وَاجْتَمَعَ الْبَرْبَرُ بِطَرَابُلُسَ وَوَلَّوْا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبَا حَاتِمٍ الْإِبَاضِيَّ، وَاسْمُهُ يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ مَوْلَى كِنْدَةَ. وَكَانَ عَامِلُ عُمَرَ بْنِ حَفْصٍ عَلَى طَرَابُلُسَ الْجُنَيْدَ بْنَ بَشَّارٍ الْأَسَادِيَّ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَى عُمَرَ يَسْتَمِدُّهُ، فَأَمَدَّهُ بِعَسْكَرٍ، فَالْتَقَوْا وَقَاتَلُوا أَبَا حَاتِمٍ الْإِبَاضِيَّ، فَهَزَمَهُمْ فَسَارُوا إِلَى قَابِسٍ، وَحَصَرَهُمْ أَبُو حَاتِمٍ وَعُمَرُ مُقِيمٌ بِالزَّابِ عَلَى عِمَارَةِ طُبْنَةَ، وَانْتَقَضَتْ إِفْرِيقِيَّةُ مِنْ كُلِّ نَاحِيَةٍ. وَمَضَوْا إِلَى طُبْنَةَ فَأَحَاطُوا بِهَا فِي اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ عَسْكَرًا، مِنْهُمْ: أَبُو قُرَّةَ الصُّفْرِيُّ فِي أَرْبَعِينَ أَلْفًا، ( وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ رُسْتُمٍ فِي خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ أَلْفًا ) وَأَبُو حَاتِمٍ فِي عَسْكَرٍ كَثِيرٍ، وَعَاصِمٌ السَّدِرَاتِيُّ الْإِبَاضِيُّ فِي سِتَّةِ آلَافٍ، وَالْمَسْعُودُ الزَّنَاتِيُّ الْإِبَاضِيُّ فِي عَشَرَةِ آلَافِ فَارِسٍ، وَغَيْرُ مَنْ ذَكَرْنَا. فَلَمَّا رَأَى عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ إِحَاطَتَهُمْ بِهِ عَزَمَ عَلَى الْخُرُوجِ إِلَى قِتَالِهِمْ، فَمَنَعَهُ أَصْحَابُهُ وَقَالُوا: إِنْ أُصِبْتَ تَلِفَ الْعَرَبُ. فَعَدَلَ إِلَى إِعْمَالِ الْحِيلَةِ، فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى أَبِي قُرَّةَ مُقَدَّمِ الصُّفْرِيَّةِ يَبْذُلُ لَهُ سِتِّينَ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ لِيَرْجِعَ عَنْهُ، فَقَالَ: بَعْدَ أَنْ سَلَّمَ عَلَيَّ بِالْخِلَافَةِ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً أَبِيعُ حَرْبَكُمْ بِعَرَضٍ قَلِيلٍ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا ؟ فَلَمْ يُجِبْهُمْ [ إِلَى ] ذَلِكَ. فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى أَخِي أَبِي قُرَّةَ فَدَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ أَرْبَعَةَ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ وَثِيَابًا عَلَى أَنْ يَعْمَلَ فِي صَرْفِ أَخِيهِ وَالصُّفْرِيَّةِ، فَأَجَابَهُمْ وَارْتَحَلَ مِنْ لَيْلَتِهِ وَتَبِعَهُ الْعَسْكَرُ مُنْصَرِفِينَ إِلَى بِلَادِهِمْ، فَاضْطَرَّ أَبُو قُرَّةَ إِلَى اتِّبَاعِهِمْ. فَلَمَّا سَارَتِ الصُّفْرِيَّةُ سَيَّرَ عُمَرُ جَيْشًا إِلَى ابْنِ رُسْتُمٍ وَهُوَ فِي تَهُوذَا، ( قَبِيلَةٍ مِنَ الْبَرْبَرِ )، فَقَاتَلُوهُ، فَانْهَزَمَ ابْنُ رُسْتُمٍ إِلَى تَاهَرْتَ، فَضَعُفَ أَمْرُ الْإِبَاضِيَّةِ عَنْ مُقَاوَمَةِ عُمَرَ، فَسَارُوا عَنْ طُبْنَةَ إِلَى الْقَيْرَوَانِ، فَحَصَرَهَا أَبُو حَاتِمٍ، وَعُمَرُ بِطُبْنَةَ يُصْلِحُ أُمُورَهَا وَيَحْفَظُهَا مِمَّنْ يُجَاوِرُهُ مِنَ الْخَوَارِجِ، فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ ضِيقَ الْحَالِ بِالْقَيْرَوَانِ سَارَ إِلَيْهَا. وَلَمَّا سَارَ عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ إِلَى الْقَيْرَوَانِ اسْتَخْلَفَ عَلَى طُبْنَةَ عَسْكَرًا. فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ أَبُو قُرَّةَ بِمَسِيرِ عُمَرَ بْنِ حَفْصٍ سَارَ هُوَ إِلَى طُبْنَةَ فَحَصَرَهَا، فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ مَنْ بِهَا مِنَ الْعَسَاكِرِ وَقَاتَلُوهُ، فَانْهَزَمَ مِنْهُمْ وَقُتِلَ مِنْ عَسْكَرِهِ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ. وَأَمَّا أَبُو حَاتِمٍ فَإِنَّهُ لَمَّا حَصَرَ الْقَيْرَوَانَ كَثُرَ جَمْعُهُ وَلَازَمَ حِصَارَهَا وَلَيْسَ فِي بَيْتِ مَالِهَا دِينَارٌ وَلَا فِي أَهْرَائِهَا شَيْءٌ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ، فَدَامَ الْحِصَارُ ثَمَانِيَةَ أَشْهُرٍ، وَكَانَ الْجُنْدُ يَخْرُجُونَ فَيُقَاتِلُونَ الْخَوَارِجَ طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ حَتَّى جَهَدَهُمُ الْجُوعُ وَأَكَلُوا دَوَابَّهُمْ وَكِلَابَهُمْ. وَلَحِقَ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا بِالْبَرْبَرِ، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ غَيْرُ دُخُولِ الْخَوَارِجِ إِلَيْهَا، فَأَتَاهُمُ الْخَبَرُ بِوُصُولِ عُمَرَ بْنِ حَفْصٍ مِنْ طُبْنَةَ، فَنَزَلَ الْهَرِيشَ، وَهُوَ فِي سَبْعِمِائَةِ فَارِسٍ، فَزَحَفَ الْخَوَارِجُ إِلَيْهِ بِأَجْمَعِهِمْ وَتَرَكُوا الْقَيْرَوَانَ، فَلَمَّا فَارَقُوهَا سَارَ عُمَرُ إِلَى تُونِسَ، فَتَبِعَهُ الْبَرْبَرُ، فَعَادَ إِلَى الْقَيْرَوَانِ مُجِدًّا وَأَدْخَلَ إِلَيْهَا مَا يَحْتَاجُ مِنْ طَعَامٍ وَدَوَابَّ وَحَطَبٍ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، وَوَصَلَ أَبُو حَاتِمٍ وَالْبَرْبَرُ إِلَيْهِ فَحَصَرُوهُ، فَطَالَ الْحِصَارُ حَتَّى أَكَلُوا دَوَابَّهُمْ، وَفِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُمْ قِتَالٌ وَحَرْبٌ. فَلَمَّا ضَاقَ الْأَمْرُ بِعُمَرَ وَبِمَنْ مَعَهُ قَالَ لَهُمْ: الرَّأْيُ أَنْ أَخْرُجَ مِنَ الْحِصَارِ، وَأُغِيرَ عَلَى بِلَادِ الْبَرْبَرِ، وَأَحْمِلَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْمِيرَةَ. قَالُوا: إِنَّا نَخَافُ بَعْدَكَ، قَالَ: فَأُرْسِلُ فُلَانًا وَفُلَانًا يَفْعَلَانِ ذَلِكَ، فَأَجَابُوهُ، فَلَمَّا قَالَ لِلرَّجُلَيْنِ قَالَا: لَا نَتْرُكُكَ فِي الْحِصَارِ وَنَسِيرُ عَنْكَ. فَعَزَمَ عَلَى إِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِهِ إِلَى الْمَوْتِ، فَأَتَى الْخَبَرُ أَنَّ الْمَنْصُورَ قَدْ سَيَّرَ إِلَيْهِ يَزِيدَ بْنَ حَاتِمِ بْنِ قُتَيْبَةَ بْنِ الْمُهَلَّبِ فِي سِتِّينَ أَلْفَ مُقَاتِلٍ، وَأَشَارَ عَلَيْهِ مَنْ عِنْدَهُ بِالتَّوَقُّفِ عَنِ الْقِتَالِ إِلَى أَنْ يَصِلَ الْعَسْكَرُ، فَلَمْ يَفْعَلْ وَخَرَجَ وَقَاتَلَ، فَقُتِلَ مُنْتَصَفَ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ سَنَةَ أَرْبَعٍ وَخَمْسِينَ وَمِائَةٍ. وَقَامَ بِأَمْرِ النَّاسِ حُمَيْدُ بْنُ صَخْرٍ، وَهُوَ أَخُو عُمَرَ لِأُمِّهِ، فَوَادَعَ أَبَا حَاتِمٍ وَصَالَحَهُ عَلَى أَنَّ حُمَيْدًا وَمَنْ مَعَهُ لَا يَخْلَعُونَ الْمَنْصُورَ وَلَا يُنَازِعُهُمْ أَبُو حَاتِمٍ فِي سَوَادِهِمْ وَسِلَاحِهِمْ، وَأَجَابَهُمْ إِلَى ذَلِكَ وَفُتِحَتْ لَهُ الْقَيْرَوَانُ، وَخَرَجَ أَكْثَرُ الْجُنْدِ إِلَى طُبْنَةَ، وَأَحْرَقَ أَبُو حَاتِمٍ أَبْوَابَ الْقَيْرَوَانِ وَثَلَمَ سُورَهَا. وَبَلَغَهُ وُصُولُ يَزِيدَ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ، فَسَارَ إِلَى طَرَابُلُسَ، وَأَمَرَ صَاحِبَهُ بِالْقَيْرَوَانِ بِأَخْذِ سِلَاحِ الْجُنْدِ، وَأَنْ يُفَرِّقَ بَيْنَهُمْ، فَخَالَفَ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِهِ وَقَالُوا: لَا نَغْدِرُ بِهِمْ، وَكَانَ الْمُقَدَّمَ عَلَى الْمُخَالِفِينَ عُمَرُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الْفِهْرِيُّ، وَقَامَ فِي الْقَيْرَوَانِ وَقَتَلَ أَصْحَابَ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ، فَعَادَ أَبُو حَاتِمٍ، فَهَرَبَ عُمَرُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ إِلَى تُونِسَ، وَعَادَ أَبُو حَاتِمٍ إِلَى طَرَابُلُسَ لِقِتَالِ يَزِيدَ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ. فَقِيلَ: كَانَ بَيْنَ الْخَوَارِجِ وَالْجُنُودِ مِنْ لَدُنْ قَاتَلُوا عُمَرَ بْنَ حَفْصٍ إِلَى انْقِضَاءِ أَمْرِهِمْ ثَلَاثُمِائَةٍ وَخَمْسٌ وَسَبْعُونَ وَقْعَةً.
Translation
✧ Mention of the governorship of Abū Jaʿfar ʿUmar b. Ḥafṣ over Ifrīqiyah. In this year al-Manṣūr appointed over Ifrīqiyah Abū Jaʿfar ʿUmar b. Ḥafṣ, of the descendants of Qabīṣah b. Abī Ṣufrah, the brother of al-Muhallab; he was ascribed to the house of al-Muhallab because of its fame. The reason for his going there was that when al-Manṣūr learned of the killing of al-Aghlab b. Sālim, he feared for Ifrīqiyah, so he sent ʿUmar to it as governor. He arrived in al-Qayrawān in Ṣafar of the year 151 AH with five hundred horsemen. The notables of the city gathered, and he gave them gifts and treated them kindly. He remained there with affairs in good order for three years. Then he marched to al-Zāb to build the city of Tubnah by al-Manṣūr's command, and he left as his deputy over al-Qayrawān Ḥabīb b. Ḥabīb al-Muhallabī. Ifrīqiyah became empty of troops, and the Berbers revolted in it. Ḥabīb went out against them and was killed. The Berbers assembled at Ṭarābulus and appointed over themselves Abū Ḥātim al-Ibāḍī, whose name was Yaʿqūb b. Ḥabīb, a client of Kindah. The governor of ʿUmar b. Ḥafṣ over Ṭarābulus was al-Junayd b. Bashshār al-Asadī. He wrote to ʿUmar seeking reinforcements, and ʿUmar sent him an army. They met and fought Abū Ḥātim al-Ibāḍī, who defeated them. They went to Qābis, and Abū Ḥātim besieged them while ʿUmar was staying at al-Zāb overseeing the construction of Tubnah. Ifrīqiyah broke into revolt on every side. They marched to Tubnah and surrounded it with twelve armies. Among them were: Abū Qurrah al-Ṣufrī with forty thousand men, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Rustum with fifteen thousand, Abū Ḥātim with a large army, ʿĀṣim al-Sadirātī al-Ibāḍī with six thousand, and al-Masʿūd al-Zanātī al-Ibāḍī with ten thousand horsemen, besides others we have mentioned. When ʿUmar b. Ḥafṣ saw they had surrounded him, he resolved to go out to fight them, but his companions forbade him, saying: "If you are struck down, the Arabs will perish." So he turned to the use of stratagem. He sent to Abū Qurrah, the leader of the Ṣufriyyah, offering him sixty thousand dirhams to withdraw from him. Abū Qurrah said: "After he has saluted me with the caliphate for forty years, shall I sell your war for a paltry portion of this world?" He would not agree to that. Then ʿUmar sent to the brother of Abū Qurrah and gave him four thousand dirhams and garments on condition that he work to make his brother and the Ṣufriyyah depart. The brother agreed, and that night he departed, and the army followed him, returning to their lands. Abū Qurrah was forced to follow them. When the Ṣufriyyah had gone, ʿUmar sent an army against Ibn Rustum, who was among the Tahūdhah, a Berber tribe. They fought him, and Ibn Rustum was defeated and fled to Tāhart. The cause of the Ibāḍiyyah became too weak to resist ʿUmar, so they marched from Tubnah to al-Qayrawān. Abū Ḥātim besieged it while ʿUmar was at Tubnah putting its affairs in order and guarding it against the Kharijites who were his neighbors. When he learned of the dire situation in al-Qayrawān, he marched there. When ʿUmar b. Ḥafṣ marched to al-Qayrawān, he left a garrison as his deputy over Tubnah. When Abū Qurrah heard of ʿUmar b. Ḥafṣ's march, he himself went to Tubnah and besieged it. Those of the troops who were in it went out and fought him, and he was defeated by them, and many of his army were killed. As for Abū Ḥātim, when he besieged al-Qayrawān, his forces increased and he kept up the siege. There was not a dinar in its treasury nor any food in its granaries. The siege lasted eight months. The troops would go out and fight the Kharijites at both ends of the day until hunger exhausted them, and they ate their riding beasts and their dogs. Many of the inhabitants joined the Berbers, and nothing remained but the entry of the Kharijites into the city. Then news came to them of the arrival of ʿUmar b. Ḥafṣ from Tubnah. He encamped at al-Harīsh with seven hundred horsemen. The Kharijites all advanced against him and abandoned al-Qayrawān. When they left it, ʿUmar marched to Tunis, and the Berbers followed him. He hastened back to al-Qayrawān and brought into it the food, mounts, firewood, and other things it needed. Abū Ḥātim and the Berbers caught up with him and besieged him. The siege dragged on until they ate their riding beasts, and every day there was fighting and battle between them. When the situation became dire for ʿUmar and those with him, he said to them: "The right course is for me to break out of the siege, raid the Berber lands, and bring supplies to you." They said: "We fear for what may happen after you leave." He said: "Then I will send so-and-so and so-and-so to do that." They agreed. But when he spoke to the two men, they said: "We will not leave you in the siege and go away from you." So he resolved to throw himself into death. Then news came that al-Manṣūr had sent to him Yazīd b. Ḥātim b. Qutaybah b. al-Muhallab with sixty thousand fighting men. Those with him advised him to refrain from fighting until the army arrived, but he refused, went out, and fought. He was killed in the middle of Dhū al-Ḥijjah in the year 154 AH. Ḥumayd b. Ṣakhr, ʿUmar's half-brother on his mother's side, took charge of the people's affairs. He made peace with Abū Ḥātim on the condition that Ḥumayd and those with him would not depose al-Manṣūr, and Abū Ḥātim would not dispute with them over their baggage and weapons. Abū Ḥātim agreed to that, and al-Qayrawān was opened to him. Most of the troops went out to Tubnah. Abū Ḥātim burned the gates of al-Qayrawān and breached its wall. When he learned of the arrival of Yazīd b. Ḥātim, he marched to Ṭarābulus, and he ordered his deputy in al-Qayrawān to seize the weapons of the troops and to separate them. But some of his companions opposed him and said: "We will not act treacherously toward them." The leader of those who opposed was ʿUmar b. ʿUthmān al-Fihrī. He rose up in al-Qayrawān and killed the followers of Abū Ḥātim. Abū Ḥātim returned, and ʿUmar b. ʿUthmān fled before him to Tunis, while Abū Ḥātim went back to Ṭarābulus to fight Yazīd b. Ḥātim. It is said that between the Kharijites and the troops, from the time they fought ʿUmar b. Ḥafṣ until the end of their affair, there were three hundred and seventy-five engagements.
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