Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3100
The year 196 AH
ذِكْرُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ صَالِحِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ وَمَوْتِهِ قَدْ ذَكَرْنَا قَبْضَ الرَّشِيدِ عَلَى عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ، وَحَبْسَهُ إِيَّاهُ، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ مَحْبُوسًا حَتَّى مَاتَ الرَّشِيدُ، فَأَخْرَجَهُ الْأَمِينُ مِنَ الْحَبْسِ فِي ذِي الْقَعْدَةِ سَنَةَ ثَلَاثٍ وَتِسْعِينَ [ وَمِائَةٍ ]، وَأَحْسَنَ إِلَيْهِ، فَشَكَرَ عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ ذَلِكَ لَهُ. فَلَمَّا كَانَ مِنْ طَاهِرٍ مَا كَانَ دَخَلَ عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ عَلَى الْأَمِينِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَرَى النَّاسَ قَدْ طَمِعُوا فِيكَ، وَجُنْدُكَ قَدْ أَعْيَتْهُمُ الْهَوَامُّ، وَأَضْعَفَتْهُمُ الْحُرُوبُ، وَامْتَلَأَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ هَيْبَةً لِعَدُوِّهِمْ، فَإِنْ سَيَّرْتَهُمْ إِلَى طَاهِرٍ غَلَبَ بِقَلِيلِ مَنْ مَعَهُ كَثِيرَهُمْ، وَهَزَمَ بِقُوَّةِ نِيَّتِهِ ضَعْفَ نَصَائِحِهِمْ وَنِيَّاتِهِمْ، وَأَهْلُ الشَّامِ قَوْمٌ قَدْ ضَرَسَتْهُمُ الْحَرْبُ، وَأَدَّبَتْهُمُ الشَّدَائِدُ، وَكُلُّهُمْ مُنْقَادٌ ( إِلَيَّ مُتَنَازِعٌ إِلَى طَاعَتِي )، وَإِنْ وَجَّهَنِي أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اتَّخَذْتُ لَهُ مِنْهُمْ جُنْدًا يَعْظُمُ نِكَايَتُهُمْ فِي عَدُوِّهِ. فَوَلَّاهُ الْأَمِينُ الشَّامَ وَالْجَزِيرَةَ، وَقَوَّاهُ بِمَالٍ وَرِجَالٍ، وَسَيَّرَهُ سَيْرًا حَثِيثًا. فَسَارَ حَتَّى نَزَلَ الرَّقَّةَ، وَكَاتَبَ رُؤَسَاءَ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، وَأَهْلِ الْقُوَّةِ وَالْجَلَدِ وَالْبَأْسِ، فَأَتَوْهُ رَئِيسًا بَعْدَ رَئِيسٍ، وَجَمَاعَةً بَعْدَ جَمَاعَةٍ، فَأَكْرَمَهُمْ وَمَنَّاهُمْ، وَخَلَعَ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَكَثُرَ جَمْعُهُ، فَمَرِضَ وَاشْتَدَّ مَرَضُهُ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ جُنُودِ خُرَاسَانَ الْمُقِيمِينَ فِي عَسْكَرِ الشَّامِ رَأَى دَابَّةً كَانَتْ أُخِذَتْ مِنْهُ فِي وَقْعَةِ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ تَحْتَ بَعْضِ الزَّوَاقِيلِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ أَيْضًا، فَتَعَلَّقَ بِهَا، وَاجْتَمَعَ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنَ الزَّوَاقِيلِ وَالْجُنْدِ، فَتَضَارَبُوا، وَاجْتَمَعَتِ الْأَبْنَاءُ وَتَأَلَّبُوا، وَأَتَوُا الزَّوَاقِيلَ وَهُمْ غَارُّونَ، فَوَضَعُوا فِيهِمُ السُّيُوفَ، فَقَتَلُوا مِنْهُمْ مَقْتَلَةً عَظِيمَةً، وَتَنَادَى الزَّوَاقِيلُ، فَرَكِبُوا خُيُولَهُمْ، وَنَشَبَتِ الْحَرْبُ بَيْنَهُمْ. وَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ عَبْدَ الْمَلِكِ، فَوَجَّهَ إِلَيْهِمْ يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالْكَفِّ، فَلَمْ يَفْعَلُوا، وَاقْتَتَلُوا يَوْمَهُمْ ذَلِكَ قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، وَأَكْثَرَتِ الْأَبْنَاءُ الْقَتْلَ فِي الزَّوَاقِيلِ، فَأُخْبِرَ عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بِذَلِكَ، وَكَانَ مَرِيضًا مُدْنَفًا، فَضَرَبَ بِيَدِهِ عَلَى يَدِهِ، وَقَالَ: وَاذُلَّاهُ ! تُسْتَضَامُ الْعَرَبُ فِي دُورِهَا وَبِلَادِهَا ! فَغَضِبَ مَنْ كَانَ أَمْسَكَ عَنِ الشَّرِّ مِنَ الْأَبْنَاءِ، وَتَفَاقَمَ الْأَمْرُ، وَقَامَ بِأَمْرِ الْأَبْنَاءِ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ مَاهَانَ، وَأَصْبَحَ الزَّوَاقِيلُ فَاجْتَمَعُوا بِالرَّقَّةِ، وَاجْتَمَعَ الْأَبْنَاءُ وَأَهْلُ خُرَاسَانَ بِالرَّافِقَةِ. وَقَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ حِمْصَ فَقَالَ: يَا أَهْلَ حِمْصَ ! الْهَرَبُ أَهْوَنُ مِنَ الْعَطَبِ، وَالْمَوْتُ أَهْوَنُ مِنَ الذُّلِّ، إِنَّكُمْ قَدْ بَعِدْتُمْ عَنْ بِلَادِكُمْ، تَرْجُونَ الْكَثْرَةَ بَعْدَ الْقِلَّةِ، وَالْعِزَّةَ بَعْدَ الذِّلَّةِ، أَلَا وَفِي الشَّرِّ وَقَعْتُمْ، وَفِي حَوْمَةِ الْمَوْتِ أَنَخْتُمْ، إِنَّ الْمَنَايَا فِي شَوَارِبِ الْمُسَوِّدَةِ وَقَلَانِسِهِمْ، النَّفِيرَ النَّفِيرَ، قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْقَطِعَ السَّبِيلُ، وَيَنْزِلَ الْأَمْرُ الْجَلِيلُ، وَيَفُوتَ الْمَطْلَبُ، وَيَعْسَرَ الْمَهْرَبُ. وَقَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ كَلْبٍ فِي غَرْزِ نَاقَتِهِ، فَقَالَ نَحْوًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَلَا وَإِنِّي سَائِرٌ، فَمَنْ أَرَادَ الِانْصِرَافَ فَلْيَنْصَرِفْ مَعِي ! ثُمَّ سَارَ فَسَارَ مَعَهُ عَامَّةُ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ. وَأَحْرَقَتِ الزَّوَاقِيلُ مَا كَانَ التُّجَّارُ قَدْ جَمَعُوهُ مِنَ الْأَعْلَافِ، وَأَقْبَلَ نَصْرُ بْنُ شَبَثٍ الْعُقَيْلِيُّ، ثُمَّ حَمَلَ وَأَصْحَابُهُ، فَقَاتَلَ قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، وَصَبَرَ الْجُنْدُ لَهُمْ، وَكَانَ أَكْثَرُ الْقَتْلِ فِي الزَّوَاقِيلِ لِكَثِيرِ بْنِ قَادِرَةَ، وَأَبِي الْفِيلِ، وَدَاوُدَ بْنِ مُوسَى بْنِ عِيسَى الْخُرَاسَانِيِّ، وَانْهَزَمَتِ الزَّوَاقِيلُ، وَكَانَ عَلَى حَامِيَتِهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَصْرُ بْنُ شَبَثٍ، وَعَمْرُو بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ السُّلَمِيُّ، وَالْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ زُفَرَ الْكِلَابِيُّ. ثُمَّ تُوُفِّيَ عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ بِالرَّقَّةِ فِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ.
Translation
✧ Mention of ʿAbd al-Malik b. Ṣāliḥ b. ʿAlī and his death We have already mentioned al-Rashīd’s seizure of ʿAbd al-Malik b. Ṣāliḥ and his imprisonment of him. He remained imprisoned until al-Rashīd died, then al-Amīn released him from prison in Dhū al-Qaʿdah of the year one hundred and ninety-three, and treated him kindly, and ʿAbd al-Malik thanked him for that. When what happened with Ṭāhir happened, ʿAbd al-Malik entered upon al-Amīn and said to him: “O Commander of the Faithful, I see that the people have become greedy toward you, and your troops have been wearied by vermin and weakened by wars, and their hearts are filled with awe of their enemy. If you send them against Ṭāhir, he will overcome their many with the few who are with him, and defeat their weak counsel and intentions by the strength of his resolve. The people of Syria are a people whom war has hardened and hardships have disciplined. All of them are obedient to me and eager for my obedience. If the Commander of the Faithful dispatches me, I will make for him from them an army whose harm against his enemy will be great.” So al-Amīn appointed him over Syria and the Jazīrah, strengthened him with money and men, and sent him off with a swift dispatch. He traveled until he encamped at al-Raqqah, and corresponded with the leaders of the people of Syria and the people of strength, hardiness, and courage. They came to him leader after leader and group after group, and he honored them, gave them hope, and bestowed robes of honor upon them, and his gathering grew large. Then he fell ill and his illness became severe. Then some of the troops of Khurāsān stationed in the army of Syria saw a mount that had been taken from him in the battle of Sulaymān b. Abī Jaʿfar under one of the zawāqīl of the people of Syria as well, so he laid claim to it. A group of the zawāqīl and the troops gathered and struck one another, and the abnāʾ gathered and banded together, and came upon the zawāqīl while they were heedless, and put the swords to them, killing a great number of them. The zawāqīl called out to one another, mounted their horses, and war broke out between them. That reached ʿAbd al-Malik, so he sent to them commanding them to desist, but they did not do so, and fought fiercely that day of theirs. The abnāʾ inflicted much killing among the zawāqīl. ʿAbd al-Malik was informed of that, and he was ill and wasting away, so he struck one hand upon the other and said: “What humiliation! Are the Arabs to be oppressed in their own homes and lands?” Then those of the abnāʾ who had held back from evil became angry, and the matter grew worse. Al-Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī b. ʿĪsā b. Māhān took charge of the affair of the abnāʾ, and the zawāqīl gathered at al-Raqqah, and the abnāʾ and the people of Khurāsān gathered at al-Rāfiqah. A man of the people of Ḥimṣ stood up and said: “O people of Ḥimṣ! Flight is easier than destruction, and death is easier than disgrace. You have gone far from your lands, hoping for increase after decrease and honor after humiliation. Indeed, you have fallen into evil, and have made your camels kneel in the thick of death. Death is in the mustaches and caps of the musawwidah. To flight, to flight, before the road is cut off, the great affair descends, the goal is missed, and escape becomes difficult.” A man of Kalb stood up in the stirrup of his she-camel and said something similar, then said: “Indeed, I am leaving. Whoever wishes to depart, let him depart with me!” Then he set out, and the general body of the people of Syria set out with him. The zawāqīl burned the fodder that the merchants had gathered. Naṣr b. Shabath al-ʿUqaylī approached, then he and his companions charged and fought fiercely, and the troops held firm against them. Most of the killing among the zawāqīl was of Kathīr b. Qādirah, Abū al-Fīl, and Dāwūd b. Mūsā b. ʿĪsā al-Khurāsānī. The zawāqīl were defeated. In command of their rearguard that day were Naṣr b. Shabath, ʿAmr b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Sulamī, and al-ʿAbbās b. Zufar al-Kilābī. Then ʿAbd al-Malik b. Ṣāliḥ died at al-Raqqah in this year.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.