Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3510
The Year 267 AH
أَخْبَارِ الزَّنْجِ وَفِي سَنَةُ سَبْعٍ وَسِتِّينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ وَجَّهَ أَبُو أَحْمَدَ الْمُوَفَّقُ وَلَدَهُ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ فِي نَحْوٍ مَنْ عَشْرَةِ آلَافِ فَارِسٍ وَرَاجِلٍ فِي أَحْسَنِ هَيْئَةٍ، وَأَكْمَلِ تَجَمُّلٍ لِقِتَالِ الزَّنْجِ، فَسَارُوا نَحْوَهُمْ، فَكَانَ بَيْنَهُمْ مِنَ الْقِتَالِ وَالنِّزَالِ فِي أَوْقَاتٍ مُتَعَدِّدَاتٍ وَوَقَعَاتٍ مَشْهُورَاتٍ مَا يَطُولُ بَسْطُهُ، وَقَدِ اسْتَقْصَاهُ الْإِمَامُ أَبُو جَعْفَرِ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فِي " تَارِيخِهِ " مَبْسُوطًا. وَحَاصِلُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ آلَ الْحَالُ، وَانْتَهَى الْحَرْبُ وَالْجِلَادُ وَالْجِدَالُ وَالنِّزَالُ إِلَى أَنِ اسْتَحْوَذَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ بْنُ الْمُوَفَّقِ عَلَى مَا كَانَ اسْتَوْلَى عَلَيْهِ الزَّنْجُ بِبِلَادِ وَاسِطَ وَأَرَاضِي دِجْلَةَ، هَذَا وَهُوَ شَابٌّ حَدَثٌ لَا خِبْرَةَ لَهُ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَلَكِنْ سَلَّمَهُ اللَّهُ وَغَنَّمَهُ، وَأَعْلَى كَلِمَتِهِ، وَسَدَّدَ رَمْيَتَهُ، وَأَجَابَ دَعْوَتَهُ، وَفَتَحَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ، وَأَسْبَغَ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَهَذَا الشَّابُّ هُوَ الَّذِي وَلِيَ الْخِلَافَةَ بَعْدَ عَمِّهِ الْمُعْتَمِدُ، وَلُقِّبَ بِالْمُعْتَضِدِ وَكَانَ سَبَبُ مَسِيرِهِ أَنَّ الزَّنْجَ لَمَّا دَخَلُوا وَاسِطَ، وَعَمِلُوا بِأَهْلِهَا مَا ذَكَرْنَا، بَلَغَ ذَلِكَ الْمُوَفَّقَ، فَأَمَرَهُ ابْنُهُ بِتَعْجِيلِ الْمَسِيرِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ إِلَيْهِمْ، فَسَارَ فِي رَبِيعٍ الْآخَرِ سَنَةَ سِتٍّ وَسِتِّينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ، وَشَيَّعَهُ أَبُوهُ، وَسَيَّرَ مَعَهُ عَشَرَةَ آلَافٍ مِنَ الرَّجَّالَةِ وَالْخَيَّالَةِ فِي الْعُدَّةِ الْكَامِلَةِ، أَخَذَ مَعَهُ الشَّذَوَاتِ، وَالسُّمَيْرِيَّاتِ، وَالْمَعَابِرَ لِلرَّجَّالَةِ، فَسَارَ حَتَّى وَافَى دَيْرَ الْعَاقُولِ. وَكَانَ عَلَى مُقَدِّمَتِهِ فِي الشَّذَوَاتِ نُصَيْرٌ، الْمَعْرُوفُ بِأَبِي حَمْزَةَ، فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ نُصَيْرٌ يُخْبِرُهُ أَنَّ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنَ جَامِعٍ قَدْ وَافَى بِخَيْلِهِ وَرَجْلِهِ فِي شَذَوَاتٍ وَسُمَيْرِيَّاتٍ، وَالْجُبَّائِيُّ عَلَى مُقَدِّمَتِهِ، حَتَّى نَزَلَ الْجَزِيرَةَ بِحَضْرَةِ بَرْدَرُويَا، وَأَنَّ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنَ مُوسَى الشَّعْرَانِيَّ قَدْ وَافَى ( مَعْرَابَانَ بِخَيْلِهِ وَرَجْلِهِ فِي سُمَيْرِيَّاتٍ، فَرَكِبَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ حَتَّى وَافَى ) الصِّلْحَ، وَوَجَّهَ طَلَائِعَهُ لِيَعْرِفَ أَخْبَارَهُمْ، فَعَادُوا وَأَعْلَمُوهُ بِمُوَافَاةِ الزَّنْجِ وَجَيْشِهِمْ، وَأَنَّ أَوَّلَهُمْ بِالصِّلْحِ، وَآخِرَهُمْ بِبُسْتَانِ مُوسَى بْنِ بُغَا، أَسْفَلَ وَاسِطَ. وَكَانَ سَبَبُ جَمْعِ الزَّنْجِ وَحَشْدِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا: إِنَّ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ فَتًى حَدَثٌ، غِرٌّ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَالرَّأْيُ لَنَا أَنْ نَرْمِيَهُ بِحَدِّنَا كُلِّهِ، وَنَجْبَهَهُ فِي أَوَّلِ مَرَّةٍ نَلْقَاهُ فِي إِزَالَتِهِ، فَلَعَلَّ ذَلِكَ يَرُوعُهُ فَيَنْصَرِفُ عَنَّا، فَجَمَعُوا، وَحَشَدُوا، فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ قُرْبَهُمْ عَدَلَ عَنْ سُنَنِ الطَّرِيقِ، اعْتَرَضَ فِي مَسِيرِهِ، وَلَقِيَ أَصْحَابُهُ أَوَائِلَ الزَّنْجِ، فَتَطَارَدُوا لَهُمْ، حَتَّى طَمِعُوا فِيهِمْ، وَاغْتَرُّوا وَاتَّبَعُوهُمْ، وَجَعَلُوا يَقُولُونَ: اطْلُبُوا أَمِيرًا لِلْحَرْبِ، فَإِنَّ أَمِيرَكُمْ قَدِ اشْتَغَلَ بِالصَّيْدِ. فَلَمَّا قَرُبُوا مِنْهُ خَرَجَ عَلَيْهِمْ فِيمَنْ مَعَهُ مِنَ الْخَيْلِ وَالرَّجْلِ، وَصَاحَ بِنُصَيْرٍ: إِلَى أَيْنَ تَتَأَخَّرُ عَنْ هَذِهِ الْأَكْلُبِ ! فَرَجَعَ نُصَيْرٌ، وَرَكِبَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ سُمَيْرِيَّةً وَحَفَّ بِهِ أَصْحَابُهُ مِنْ جَمِيعِ الْجِهَاتِ، فَانْهَزَمَتِ الزَّنْجُ، وَكَثُرَ الْقَتْلُ فِيهِمْ، وَتَبِعُوهُمْ إِلَى أَنْ وَصَلُوا قَرْيَةَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، وَهِيَ سِتَّةُ فَرَاسِخَ مِنَ الْمَوْضِعِ الَّذِي لَقُوهُمْ بِهِ، وَأَخَذُوا مِنْهُمْ خَمْسَ شَذَوَاتٍ، وَعِدَّةَ سُمَيْرِيَّاتٍ، وَأُسِرَ جَمَاعَةٌ، وَاسْتَأْمَنَ جَمَاعَةٌ، فَكَانَ هَذَا أَوَّلَ الْفَتْحِ، فَسَارَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ جَامِعٍ إِلَى نَهْرِ الْأَمِيرِ، وَسَارَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ مُوسَى الشَّعْرَانِيُّ إِلَى سُوقِ الْخَمِيسِ، وَانْحَدَرَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ فَأَقَامَ بِالْعُمْرِ وَهُوَ عَلَى فَرْسَخٍ مِنْ وَاسِطَ، وَأَصْلَحَ شَذَوَاتِهِ، وَجَعَلَ يُرَاوِحُ الْقَوْمَ الْقِتَالَ وَيُغَادِيهِمْ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ سُلَيْمَانَ اسْتَعَدَّ وَحَشَدَ، وَجَعَلَ أَصْحَابَهُ فِي ثَلَاثَةِ أَوْجُهٍ، وَقَالُوا: إِنَّهُ حَدَثٌ، غِرٌّ يُغَرِّرُ بِنَفْسِهِ، وَكَمَّنُوا كُمَنَاءَ، فَبَلَغَ الْخَبَرُ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ، فَحَذِرُوا وَأَقْبَلُوا وَقَدْ كَمَّنُوا الْكُمَنَاءَ لِيَغْتَرَّ بِاتِّبَاعِهِمْ فَيَخْرُجَ الْكَمِينُ عَلَيْهِ، فَمَنَعَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ أَصْحَابَهُ أَنْ يَتَّبِعُوهُمْ، فَلَمَّا عَلِمُوا أَنَّ كَيْدَهُمْ لَمْ يَتِمَّ خَرَجَ سُلَيْمَانُ فِي الشَّذَوَاتِ وَالسُّمَيْرِيَّاتِ، فَأَمَرَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ نُصَيْرًا أَنْ يَبْرُزَ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَرَكِبَ هُوَ شَذَاةً مِنْ شَذَوَاتِهِ سَمَّاهَا الْغَزَالَ، وَمَعَهُ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ خَاصَّتِهِ، وَأَمَرَ الْخَيَّالَةَ بِالْمَسِيرِ بِإِزَائِهِ عَلَى شَاطِئِ النَّهْرِ إِلَى أَنْ يَنْقَطِعَ، فَعَبَّرُوا دَوَابَّهُمْ، وَنَشِبَتِ الْحَرْبُ بَيْنَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ، فَوَقَعَتِ الْهَزِيمَةُ عَلَى الزَّنْجِ، وَغَنِمَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مِنْهُمْ أَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ شَذَاةً، وَأَفْلَتَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَالْجُبَّائِيُّ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَشْفَيَا عَلَى الْهَلَاكِ، وَبَلَغُوا طَهْثَا، وَأَسْلَمُوا مَا كَانَ مَعَهُمْ. وَرَجَعَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ إِلَى مُعَسْكَرِهِ، وَأَمَرَ بِإِصْلَاحِ مَا أُخِذَ مِنْهُمْ مِنَ الشَّذَوَاتِ وَالسُّمَيْرِيَّاتِ، وَأَقَامَ الزَّنْجُ عِشْرِينَ يَوْمًا لَا يَظْهَرُ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدٌ، وَجَعَلُوا عَلَى طَرِيقِ الْخَيْلِ آبَارًا، وَجَعَلُوا فِيهَا سَفَافِيدَ حَدِيدَ، وَجَعَلُوا عَلَى رُءُوسِهَا الْبَوَارِيَ وَالتُّرَابَ لِيَسْقُطَ فِيهَا الْمُجْتَازُونَ، فَاتَّفَقَ أَنَّهُ سَقَطَ فِيهَا رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْفَرَاغِنَةِ، فَفَطِنُوا لَهَا، وَتَرَكُوا ذَلِكَ الطَّرِيقَ. وَاسْتَمَدَّ سُلَيْمَانُ صَاحِبَ الزَّنْجِ، فَأَمَدَّهُ بِأَرْبَعِينَ سُمَيْرِيَّةٍ بِآلَاتِهَا وَمُقَاتِلَتِهَا، فَعَادُوا لِلتَّعَرُّضِ لِلْحَرْبِ، فَلَمْ يَكُونُوا يَثْبُتُوا لِأَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ ; ثُمَّ سَيَّرَ إِلَيْهِمْ عِدَّةَ سُمَيْرِيَّاتٍ، فَأَخَذَهَا الزَّنْجُ، فَبَلَغَهُ الْخَبَرُ وَهُوَ يَتَغَدَّى، فَرَكِبَ فِي سُمَيْرِيَّةٍ، وَلَمْ يَنْتَظِرْ أَصْحَابَهُ، وَتَبِعَهُ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ خَفَّ، فَأَدْرَكَ الزَّنْجَ، فَانْهَزَمُوا وَأَلْقَوْا أَنْفُسَهُمْ فِي الْمَاءِ، فَاسْتَنْقَذَ سُمَيْرِيَّاتِهِ وَمَنْ كَانَ فِيهَا، وَأَخَذَ مِنْهُمْ إِحْدَى وَثَلَاثِينَ سُمَيْرِيَّةً، وَرَمَى أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ يَوْمَئِذٍ، عَنْ قَوْسٍ حَتَّى دَمِيَتْ إِبْهَامُهُ، فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ أَمَرَ لِمَنْ مَعَهُ بِالْخِلَعِ، وَأَمَرَ بِإِصْلَاحِ السُّمَيْرِيَّاتِ الْمَأْخُوذَةِ مِنَ الزَّنْجِ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ رَأَى أَنْ يَتَوَغَّلَ [ فِي ] مَازَرْوَانَ حَتَّى يَصِيرَ إِلَى الْحَجَّاجِيَّةِ ( وَنَهْرِ الْأَمِيرِ )، وَيَعْرِفَ مَا هُنَاكَ، فَقَدَّمَ نُصَيْرًا فِي أَوَّلِ السُّمَيْرِيَّاتِ وَرَكِبَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ فِي سُمَيْرِيَّةٍ وَمَعَهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ، وَدَخَلَ مَازَرْوَانَ وَهُوَ يَظُنُّ أَنَّ نُصَيْرًا أَمَامَهُ، فَلَمْ يَقِفْ لَهُ عَلَى خَبَرٍ، وَكَانَ قَدْ سَارَ عَلَى غَيْرِ طَرِيقِ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ، وَخَرَجَ مَنْ مَعَ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ مِنَ الْمَلَّاحِينَ إِلَى غَنَمٍ رَأَوْهَا لِيَأْخُذُوهَا، فَبَقِيَ هُوَ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ، فَأَتَاهُمَا جَمْعٌ مِنَ الزَّنْجِ مِنْ جَانِبَيِ النَّهْرِ، فَقَاتَلَهُمْ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ بِالنُّشَّابِ، وَوَافَاهُ زَيْرَكُ فِي بَاقِي الشَّذَوَاتِ، فَسَلَّمَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ وَعَادَ عَسْكَرُهُ. وَرَجَعَ نُصَيْرٌ وَجَمَعَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ جَامِعٍ أَصْحَابَهُ وَتَحَصَّنَ بِطَهْثَا، وَتَحَصَّنَ الشَّعْرَانِيُّ وَأَصْحَابُهُ بِسُوقِ الْخَمِيسِ، وَجَعَلُوا الْغَلَّاتِ إِلَيْهَا، وَكَذَلِكَ اجْتَمَعَ بِالصِّينِيَّةِ، وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِالْمَسِيرِ فِي الْبَرِّ، وَإِذَا عَرَضَ لَهُمْ نَهْرٌ عَبَرُوهُ، وَرَكِبَ هُوَ فِي الشَّذَوَاتِ وَالسُّمَيْرِيَّاتِ، فَلَمَّا أَبْصَرَتِ الزَّنْجُ الْخَيْلَ خَافُوا، وَلَجَئُوا إِلَى الْمَاءِ وَالسُّفُنِ، فَلَمْ يَلْبَثُوا أَنْ وَافَتْهُمُ الشَّذَا مَعَ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ، فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا مَلْجَأً، فَاسْتَسْلَمُوا، فَقُتِلَ مِنْهُمْ فَرِيقٌ، وَأُسِرَ فَرِيقٌ، أَلْقَى نَفْسَهُ فِي الْمَاءِ فَرِيقٌ، أَخَذَ أَصْحَابُ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ سُفُنَهُمْ وَهِيَ مَمْلُوءَةٌ أُرْزًا، أَخَذَ الصِّينِيَّةَ، وَأَزَاحَ الزَّنْجَ عَنْهَا، فَانْحَازُوا إِلَى طَهْثَا وَسُوقِ الْخَمِيسِ. وَكَانَ قَدْ رَأَى أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ كُرْكِيًّا، فَرَمَاهُ بِسَهْمٍ، فَسَقَطَ فِي عَسْكَرِ الزَّنْجِ، ( فَعَرَفَ الزَّنْجُ السَّهْمَ ) فَزَادَ ذَلِكَ فِي خَوْفِهِمْ، وَرَجَعَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ إِلَى عَسْكَرِهِ، وَقَدْ فَتَحَ الصِّينِيَّةَ. وَبَلَغَهُ أَنَّ جَيْشًا عَظِيمًا لِلزَّنْجِ مَعَ ثَابِتِ بْنِ أَبِي دُلَفَ وَلُؤْلُؤٍ الزَّنْجِيَّيْنِ، فَسَارَ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَأَوْقَعَ بِهِمْ وَقْعَةً عَظِيمَةً وَقْتَ السَّحَرِ، فَقَتَلَ مِنْهُمْ خَلْقًا كَثِيرًا، مِنْهُمْ لُؤْلُؤٌ، وَأَسَرَ ثَابِتًا، فَمَنَّ عَلَيْهِ، وَجَعَلَهُ مَعَ بَعْضِ قُوَّادِهِ، وَاسْتَنْقَذَ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ خَلْقًا كَثِيرًا، فَأَمَرَ بِإِطْلَاقِهِنَّ وَرَدِّهِنَّ إِلَى أَهْلِهِنَّ، أَخَذَ كُلَّ مَا كَانَ الزَّنْجُ جَمَعُوهُ، أَمَرَ أَصْحَابَهُ أَنْ يَسْتَرِيحُوا لِلْمَسِيرِ إِلَى سُوقِ الْخَمِيسِ، وَأَمَرَ نُصَيْرًا بِتَعْبِئَةِ أَصْحَابِهِ لِلْمَسِيرِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: إِنَّ نَهَرَ سُوقِ الْخَمِيسِ ضَيِّقٌ، فَأَقِمْ أَنْتَ وَنَسِيرُ نَحْنُ، فَأَبَى عَلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ: إِنْ كُنْتَ لَا بُدَّ فَاعِلًا فَلَا تُكْثِرْ مِنَ الشَّذَا، وَلَا مِنَ الرِّحَالِ، فَإِنَّ النَّهْرَ ضَيِّقٌ. فَسَارَ إِلَيْهِ، وَنُصَيْرٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، إِلَى فَمِ نَهْرِ مُسَاوِرٍ، فَوَقَفَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ، وَتَقَدَّمَهُ نُصَيْرٌ فِي خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ شَذَاةً فِي نَهْرِ بَرَاطِقَ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُؤَدِّي إِلَى مَدِينَةِ الشَّعْرَانِيِّ الَّتِي سَمَّاهَا الْمَنِيعَةَ فِي سُوقِ الْخَمِيسِ، فَلَمَّا غَابَ عَنْهُ نُصَيْرٌ خَرَجَ جَمَاعَةٌ فِي الْبَرِّ عَلَى أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ، فَمَنَعُوهُ مِنَ الْوُصُولِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ، وَقَاتَلُوهُ قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا مِنْ أَوَّلِ النَّهَارِ إِلَى الظُّهْرِ، وَخَفِيَ عَلَيْهِ خَبَرُ نُصَيْرٍ، وَجَعَلَ الزَّنْجُ يَقُولُونَ: قَدْ قَتَلْنَا نُصَيْرًا. وَاغْتَمَّ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ لِذَلِكَ، وَأَمَرَ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ شُعَيْبٍ بِتَعَرُّفِ خَبَرِهِ، فَسَارَ، فَرَآهُ عِنْدَ عَسْكَرِ الزَّنْجِ وَأَحْرَقَهُ وَأَضْرَمَ النَّارَ فِي مَدِينَتِهِمْ، وَهُوَ يُقَاتِلُهُمْ قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، فَعَادَ إِلَى أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ فَأَخْبَرَهُ، فَسُرَّ بِذَلِكَ. وَأَسَرَ نُصَيْرٌ مِنَ الزَّنْجِ جَمَاعَةً كَثِيرَةً، وَرَجَعَ حَتَّى وَافَى أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ فَأَخْبَرَهُ، وَوَقَفَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ يُقَاتِلُهُمْ، فَرَجَعُوا عَنْهُ، وَكَمَّنَ بَعْضَ شَذَوَاتِهِ، وَأَمَرَ أَنْ يُظْهِرَ وَاحِدَةً مِنْهَا، فَطَمِعُوا فِيهَا وَتَبِعُوهَا حَتَّى أَدْرَكُوهَا فَعَلِقُوا بِسُكَّانِهَا، فَخَرَجَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السُّفُنُ الْمُكَمَّنَةُ وَفِيهَا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ، فَانْهَزَمَ الزَّنْجُ، وَغَنِمَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مِنْهُمْ سِتَّ سُمَيْرِيَّاتٍ، وَانْهَزَمُوا لَا يَلْوُونَ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ، وَرَجَعَ إِلَى عَسْكَرِهِ سَالِمًا، وَخَلَعَ عَلَى الْمَلَّاحِينَ وَأَحْسَنَ إِلَيْهِمْ.
Translation
✧ Reports of the Zanj In the year two hundred and sixty-seven, Abū Aḥmad al-Muwaffaq dispatched his son Abū al-ʿAbbās with about ten thousand cavalry and infantry in the finest array and most complete splendor to fight the Zanj. They marched against them, and between them there occurred fighting and dueling at various times and in famous engagements that would take long to describe; the Imām Abū Jaʿfar b. Jarīr, may God have mercy on him, has set it forth exhaustively in his History. The upshot of it is that matters concluded, and the war, the struggle, the contention, and the dueling ended with Abū al-ʿAbbās b. al-Muwaffaq gaining control over what the Zanj had seized in the lands of Wāsiṭ and the territories of the Tigris. This while he was a young man, inexperienced in war, but God preserved him, granted him booty, exalted his word, made his arrow strike true, answered his call, opened conquests at his hands, and lavished His favor upon him. This young man is the one who assumed the caliphate after his uncle al-Muʿtamid and was titled al-Muʿtaḍid. The reason for his march was that when the Zanj entered Wāsiṭ and did to its people what we have mentioned, the news reached al-Muwaffaq, and his son ordered him to hasten the march ahead of him against them. So he set out in Rabīʿ al-Ākhir of the year two hundred and sixty-six, and his father escorted him, sending with him ten thousand infantry and cavalry in full equipment. He took with him shadhawāt, sumayriyyāt, and ferries for the infantry, and he marched until he reached Dayr al-ʿĀqūl. At his vanguard in the shadhawāt was Nuṣayr, known as Abū Ḥamza. Nuṣayr wrote to him informing him that Sulaymān b. Jāmiʿ had arrived with his cavalry and infantry in shadhawāt and sumayriyyāt, with al-Jubbāʾī at his vanguard, until he encamped at al-Jazīra in the vicinity of Bardarūyā, and that Sulaymān b. Mūsā al-Shaʿrānī had arrived at Maʿrabān with his cavalry and infantry in sumayriyyāt. So Abū al-ʿAbbās rode until he reached al-Ṣulḥ, and he dispatched his scouts to learn their news. They returned and informed him of the arrival of the Zanj and their army, and that their vanguard was at al-Ṣulḥ and their rear at the orchard of Mūsā b. Bughā, below Wāsiṭ. The reason for the Zanj's gathering and mustering was that they said: "Abū al-ʿAbbās is a young man, inexperienced in war. Our best course is to strike him with all our force and confront him at the first encounter to drive him off. Perhaps that will frighten him and make him withdraw from us." So they gathered and mustered. When Abū al-ʿAbbās learned of their proximity, he turned aside from the main road, took a cross route in his march, and his companions met the Zanj's vanguard. They skirmished with them until the Zanj grew eager and deluded, pursuing them and saying: "Seek out a commander for the war, for your commander is occupied with hunting." When they drew near him, he came out against them with the cavalry and infantry he had, and he shouted to Nuṣayr: "Where are you falling back from these dogs!" So Nuṣayr returned, and Abū al-ʿAbbās boarded a sumayriyya, and his companions surrounded him on all sides. The Zanj were routed, and great slaughter fell upon them. They pursued them until they reached the village of ʿAbd Allāh, which is six parasangs from the place where they had met them. They captured from them five shadhawāt and several sumayriyyāt, and a group was taken prisoner and a group sought amnesty. This was the first conquest. Then Sulaymān b. Jāmiʿ marched to Nahr al-Amīr, and Sulaymān b. Mūsā al-Shaʿrānī marched to Sūq al-Khamīs. Abū al-ʿAbbās went downstream and encamped at al-ʿUmr, which is a parasang from Wāsiṭ, and he repaired his shadhawāt and kept alternating battle with the enemy and attacking them morning after morning. Then Sulaymān prepared and mustered, dividing his men into three fronts. They said: "He is a young man, inexperienced, who risks himself," and they set ambushes. The news reached Abū al-ʿAbbās, so they were on guard and advanced, and they themselves set ambushes so that the enemy would be deluded in pursuing them and the ambush would fall upon them. But Abū al-ʿAbbās forbade his men to pursue them. When they realized their ruse had failed, Sulaymān came out in the shadhawāt and sumayriyyāt. Abū al-ʿAbbās ordered Nuṣayr to advance against them, and he himself boarded one of his shadhawāt, which he named al-Ghazāl, with a group of his elite. He ordered the cavalry to march parallel to him along the riverbank until it ended, and they crossed their mounts. Battle broke out between the two parties, and defeat fell upon the Zanj. Abū al-ʿAbbās captured from them fourteen shadhawāt. Sulaymān and al-Jubbāʾī escaped after they had been on the brink of destruction, and they reached Ṭahthā, abandoning what they had with them. Abū al-ʿAbbās returned to his camp and ordered the repair of the shadhawāt and sumayriyyāt taken from them. The Zanj remained twenty days without any of them showing themselves. They dug pits along the cavalry road and placed iron spits in them, covering their tops with mats and earth so that passersby would fall into them. It happened that a man of the Farāghina fell into one, so they became aware of them and abandoned that road. Sulaymān sought reinforcements from the leader of the Zanj, and he sent him forty sumayriyyāt with their equipment and fighters. They returned to provoke battle, but they could not hold their ground against Abū al-ʿAbbās. Then he sent several sumayriyyāt against them, and the Zanj captured them. The news reached him while he was eating lunch, so he boarded a sumayriyya without waiting for his companions, and those who were quick followed him. He caught up with the Zanj, and they fled and threw themselves into the water. He recovered his sumayriyyāt and those in them, and captured from them thirty-one sumayriyyāt. That day Abū al-ʿAbbās shot with a bow until his thumb bled. When he returned, he ordered robes of honor for those with him and ordered the repair of the sumayriyyāt taken from the Zanj. Then Abū al-ʿAbbās decided to penetrate into Māzarwān until he reached al-Ḥajjājiyya and Nahr al-Amīr and to learn what was there. He sent Nuṣayr ahead in the first of the sumayriyyāt, and Abū al-ʿAbbās boarded a sumayriyya with Muḥammad b. Shuʿayb. He entered Māzarwān thinking that Nuṣayr was ahead of him, but he found no trace of him, for Nuṣayr had taken a different route. The sailors with Abū al-ʿAbbās went off to some sheep they had seen to seize them, leaving only him and Muḥammad b. Shuʿayb. A group of Zanj came at them from both banks of the river, and Abū al-ʿAbbās fought them with arrows. Zayrak arrived with the rest of the shadhawāt, and Abū al-ʿAbbās was saved and returned to his camp. Nuṣayr returned, and Sulaymān b. Jāmiʿ gathered his men and fortified himself at Ṭahthā, while al-Shaʿrānī and his men fortified themselves at Sūq al-Khamīs, bringing the grain there. Likewise, they gathered at al-Ṣīniyya. Abū al-ʿAbbās ordered his men to march by land, and if a river blocked them, to cross it, while he himself rode in the shadhawāt and sumayriyyāt. When the Zanj saw the cavalry, they were afraid and fled to the water and the ships. Before long, the shadhawāt with Abū al-ʿAbbās reached them, and they found no refuge, so they surrendered. Some of them were killed, some taken prisoner, and some threw themselves into the water. Abū al-ʿAbbās's men seized their ships, which were full of rice. He took al-Ṣīniyya and drove the Zanj from it, and they withdrew to Ṭahthā and Sūq al-Khamīs. Abū al-ʿAbbās had seen a crane and shot an arrow at it, and it fell into the Zanj's camp. The Zanj recognized the arrow, and that increased their fear. Abū al-ʿAbbās returned to his camp, having conquered al-Ṣīniyya. News reached him that a great army of the Zanj was with Thābit b. Abī Dulaf and Luʾluʾ, the two Zanj leaders. He marched against them and inflicted a great defeat upon them at dawn, killing many of them, including Luʾluʾ, and capturing Thābit, to whom he showed favor and placed with one of his commanders. He rescued many women and ordered them released and returned to their families. He took all that the Zanj had collected. He ordered his men to rest for the march to Sūq al-Khamīs, and he ordered Nuṣayr to organize his men for the march. Nuṣayr said to him: "The canal of Sūq al-Khamīs is narrow, so you stay here and we will march." But he refused. Muḥammad b. Shuʿayb said to him: "If you must do it, do not bring many shadhawāt or baggage, for the canal is narrow." So he marched there, with Nuṣayr ahead of him, to the mouth of Nahr Musāwir. Abū al-ʿAbbās halted, and Nuṣayr advanced ahead of him with fifteen shadhawāt into Nahr Barāṭiq, which leads to the city of al-Shaʿrānī, which he named al-Manīʿa, in Sūq al-Khamīs. When Nuṣayr disappeared from his sight, a group came out on land against Abū al-ʿAbbās and prevented him from reaching the city. They fought him fiercely from early morning until noon, and he lost news of Nuṣayr. The Zanj kept saying: "We have killed Nuṣayr." Abū al-ʿAbbās was distressed by that and ordered Muḥammad b. Shuʿayb to find out his news. He went and saw him at the Zanj's camp, where he had burned it and set fire to their city while fighting them fiercely. He returned to Abū al-ʿAbbās and told him, and he rejoiced at that. Nuṣayr captured a large group of the Zanj and returned to Abū al-ʿAbbās to inform him. Abū al-ʿAbbās stood fighting them, and they withdrew from him. He concealed some of his shadhawāt and ordered one of them to show itself, so they became eager for it and pursued it until they caught up with it and clung to its rudder. Then the concealed ships came out against them, with Abū al-ʿAbbās aboard, and the Zanj fled. Abū al-ʿAbbās captured six sumayriyyāt from them, and they fled without pausing for anything in their fear. He returned to his camp safely and bestowed robes of honor on the sailors and treated them well.
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