Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3142
The Year 200 AH
ذِكْرُ مَسِيرَةِ هَرْثَمَةَ إِلَى الْمَأْمُونِ وَقَتْلِهِ لَمَّا فَرَغَ هَرْثَمَةُ مِنْ أَبِي السَّرَايَا رَجَعَ فَلَمْ يَأْتِ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ سَهْلٍ، وَكَانَ بِالْمَدَائِنِ، بَلْ سَارَ عَلَى عَقْرَقُوفَ حَتَّى أَتَى الْبَرَدَانَ، وَالنَّهْرَوَانَ، وَأَتَى خُرَاسَانَ، فَأَتَتْهُ كُتُبُ الْمَأْمُونِ فِي غَيْرِ مَوْضِعٍ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ إِلَى الْشَّامِ وَالْحِجَازِ، فَأَبَى وَقَالَ: لَا أَرْجِعُ حَتَّى أَلْقَى أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. إِدْلَالًا مِنْهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَلِمَا يَعْرِفُ مِنْ نَصِيحَتِهِ لَهُ وَلِآبَائِهِ، وَأَرَادَ أَنْ يُعَرِّفَ الْمَأْمُونَ مَا يُدَبِّرُ عَلَيْهِ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ سَهْلٍ، وَمَا يَكْتُمُ عَنْهُ مِنَ الْأَخْبَارِ، وَأَنَّهُ لَا يَدَعُهُ حَتَّى يَرُدَّهُ إِلَى بَغْدَاذَ لِيَتَوَسَّطَ سُلْطَانَهُ. فَعَلِمَ الْفَضْلُ بِذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ لِلْمَأْمُونِ: إِنَّ هَرْثَمَةَ قَدْ أَثْقَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْبِلَادَ وَالْعِبَادَ، وَدَسَّ أَبَا السَّرَايَا، وَهُوَ مِنْ جُنْدِهِ، وَلَوْ أَرَادَ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ، وَقَدْ كُتِبَ إِلَيْهِ عِدَّةُ كُتُبٍ لِيَرْجِعَ إِلَى الشَّامِ وَالْحِجَازِ فَلَمْ يَفْعَلْ، وَقَدْ جَاءَ مُشَاقًّا يُظْهِرُ الْقَوْلَ الشَّدِيدَ، فَإِنْ أُطْلِقَ ( هَذَا كَانَ مَفْسَدَةً ) لِغَيْرِهِ. فَتَغَيَّرَ قَلْبُ الْمَأْمُونِ، وَأَبْطَأَ هَرْثَمَةُ إِلَى ذِي الْقِعْدَةِ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَرْوَ خَشِيَ أَنْ يَكْتُمَ قُدُومَهُ عَنِ الْمَأْمُونِ، فَأَمَرَ بِالطُّبُولِ فَضُرِبَتْ لِكَيْ يَسْمَعَهَا الْمَأْمُونُ، فَسَمِعَهُ فَقَالَ: مَا هَذَا ؟ قَالُوا: هَرْثَمَةُ قَدْ أَقْبَلَ يُرْعِدُ وَيُبْرِقُ. فَظَنَّ هَرْثَمَةُ أَنَّ قَوْلَهُ الْمَقْبُولُ، فَأَمَرَ الْمَأْمُونُ بِإِدْخَالِهِ، فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ لَهُ الْمَأْمُونُ: مَالَأْتَ أَهْلَ الْكُوفَةِ الْعَلَوِيِّينَ، وَوَضَعْتَ أَبَا السَّرَايَا، وَلَوْ شِئْتَ أَنْ تَأْخُذَهُمْ جَمِيعًا لَفَعَلْتَ. فَذَهَبَ هَرْثَمَةُ يَتَكَلَّمُ وَيَعْتَذِرُ، فَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ مِنْهُ، فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَدِيسَ بَطْنُهُ، وَضُرِبَ أَنْفُهُ، وَسُحِبَ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ، وَقَدْ أَمَرَ الْفَضْلُ الْأَعْوَانَ بِالتَّشْدِيدِ عَلَيْهِ، فَحُبِسَ، فَمَكَثَ فِي الْحَبْسِ أَيَّامًا، ثُمَّ دَسَّ إِلَيْهِ مَنْ قَتَلَهُ، وَقَالُوا: مَاتَ.
Translation
✧ Account of Harthama's journey to al-Maʾmūn and his killing When Harthama had finished with Abū al-Sarāyā, he returned and did not go to al-Ḥasan b. Sahl, who was at al-Madāʾin; rather, he traveled by way of ʿAqrqūf until he reached al-Baradān and al-Nahrawān, and then he went to Khurāsān. Letters from al-Maʾmūn came to him in more than one place, instructing him to go to Syria and the Hijaz, but he refused and said: 'I will not turn back until I meet the Commander of the Faithful.' He did this out of a sense of entitlement toward him and because of what he knew of his own sincere advice to him and to his forefathers. He also wanted to inform al-Maʾmūn of what al-Faḍl b. Sahl was plotting against him and of the news he was concealing from him, and that he would not leave him alone until he brought him back to Baghdādh, so that his authority might be centered there. Al-Faḍl learned of this and said to al-Maʾmūn: 'Harthama has burdened you with the lands and the people, and he secretly instigated Abū al-Sarāyā, who is one of his own troops; had he wanted, he would not have done that. Several letters have been written to him telling him to return to Syria and the Hijaz, but he has not done so. He has now come as a rebel, making harsh statements, and if he is let go, this will be a source of corruption for others.' Al-Maʾmūn's heart was changed, and Harthama delayed until Dhū al-Qiʿdah. When he reached Marw, he feared that his arrival would be kept hidden from al-Maʾmūn, so he ordered the drums to be beaten so that al-Maʾmūn might hear them. Al-Maʾmūn heard it and said: 'What is this?' They said: 'Harthama has arrived, thundering and flashing.' Harthama thought that his word would be accepted, and al-Maʾmūn ordered that he be admitted. When he entered into his presence, al-Maʾmūn said to him: 'You allied with the ʿAlawīs of Kufa and you placed Abū al-Sarāyā in position; had you wished, you could have seized them all.' Harthama began to speak and offer excuses, but al-Maʾmūn would not accept his excuses. He ordered that his belly be trampled, his nose struck, and he was dragged away from before him. Al-Faḍl had ordered the guards to treat him harshly, and he was imprisoned. He remained in prison for some days, and then al-Faḍl secretly sent someone to kill him, and they said: 'He died.'
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.