Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3526
The Year 269 AH
إِحْرَاقِ قَصْرِ صَاحِبِ الزَّنْجِ لَمَّا صَحَّ الْمُوَفَّقُ مِنْ جِرَاحِهِ عَادَ إِلَى مَا كَانَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ مُحَارَبَةِ الْعَلَوِيِّ، وَكَانَ قَدْ أَعَادَ [ بِنَاءَ ] بَعْضِ الثُّلَمِ فِي السُّورِ، فَأَمَرَ الْمُوَفَّقُ بِهَدْمِ ذَلِكَ، وَهَدْمِ مَا يَتَّصِلُ بِهِ. وَرَكِبَ فِي بَعْضِ الْعَشَايَا، وَكَانَ الْقِتَالُ، ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ مُتَّصِلًا مِمَّا يَلِي نَهْرَ مَنْكِيٍّ، وَالزَّنْجُ مُجْتَمِعُونَ فِيهِ قَدْ شُغِلُوا بِتِلْكَ الْجِهَةِ، وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ لَا يُؤْتَوْنَ إِلَّا مِنْهَا، فَأَتَى الْمُوَفَّقُ وَمَعَهُ الْفَعَلَةُ، وَقَرُبَ مِنْ نَهْرِ مَنْكِيٍّ، وَقَاتَلَهُمْ، فَلَمَّا اشْتَدَّتِ الْحَرْبُ أَمَرَ الَّذِينَ بِالشَّذَوَاتِ بِالْمَسِيرِ إِلَى أَسْفَلِ نَهْرِ أَبِي الْخَصِيبِ، وَهُوَ فَارِغٌ مِنَ الْمُقَاتِلَةِ ( وَالرَّجَّالَةِ، فَقَدِمَ أَصْحَابُ الْمُوَفَّقِ، وَأَخْرَجُوا الْفَعَلَةَ، فَهَدَمُوا السُّورَ مِنْ تِلْكَ النَّاحِيَةِ، وَصَعِدَ الْمُقَاتِلَةُ )، فَقَتَلُوا فِي النَّهْرِ مَقْتَلَةً عَظِيمَةً، وَانْتَهَوْا إِلَى قُصُورٍ مِنْ قُصُورِ الزَّنْجِ فَأَحْرَقُوهَا، وَانْتَهَبُوا مَا فِيهَا، وَاسْتَنْقَذُوا عَدَدًا كَثِيرًا مِنَ النِّسَاءِ اللَّوَاتِي كُنَّ فِيهَا، وَغَنِمُوا مِنْهَا. وَانْصَرَفَ الْمُوَفَّقُ، عِنْدَ غُرُوبِ الشَّمْسِ، بِالظَّفَرِ وَالسَّلَامَةِ، وَبَكَّرَ إِلَى حَرْبِهِمْ، وَهَدْمِ السُّورِ، فَأَسْرَعَ الْهَدْمَ حَتَّى اتَّصَلَ بِدَارِ الْكِلَابِيِّ وَهِيَ مُتَّصِلَةٌ بِدَارِ الْخَبِيثِ، فَلَمَّا أَعْيَتِ الْخَبِيثَ الْحِيَلُ أَشَارَ عَلَيْهِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبَانٍ بِإِجْرَاءِ الْمَاءِ عَلَى السِّبَاخِ، وَأَنْ يَحْفِرَ خَنَادِقَ فِي مَوَاضِعَ عِدَّةٍ تَمْنَعُهُمْ عَنْ دُخُولِ الْمَدِينَةِ، فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ، فَرَأَى الْمُوَفَّقُ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ قَصْدَهُ لِطَمِّ الْخَنَادِقِ، وَالْأَنْهَارِ، وَالْمَوَاضِعِ الْمُغَوَّرَةِ، فَدَامَ ذَلِكَ، فَحَامَى عَنْهُ الْخُبَثَاءُ، وَدَامَتِ الْحَرْبُ، وَوَصَلَ إِلَى الْفَرِيقَيْنِ مِنَ الْقَتْلَى، وَالْجِرَاحِ أَمَرٌ عَظِيمٌ وَذَلِكَ لِتَقَارُبِ مَا بَيْنَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ. فَلَمَّا رَأَى شِدَّةَ الْأَمْرِ مِنْ هَذِهِ النَّاحِيَةِ قَصَدَ لِإِحْرَاقِ دَارِ الْخَبِيثِ، وَالْهُجُومِ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ دِجْلَةَ، فَكَانَ يَعُوقُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ كَثْرَةُ مَا أَعَدَّ الْخَبِيثُ لَهَا مِنَ الْمُقَاتِلَةِ، وَالْحُمَاةِ عَنْ دَارِهِ، فَكَانَتِ الشَّذَا إِذَا قَرُبَتْ مِنْ قَصْرِهِ رُمِيَتْ مِنْ فَوْقِ الْقَصْرِ بِالسِّهَامِ، وَالْحِجَارَةِ مِنَ الْمَنْجَنِيقِ وَالْمِقْلَاعِ، وَأُذِيبَ الرَّصَاصُ، وَأُفْرِغَ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَتَعَذَّرَ إِحْرَاقُهَا لِذَلِكَ، فَأَمَرَ الْمُوَفَّقُ أَنْ تُسْقَفَ الشَّذَا بِالْأَخْشَابِ، وَيُعْمَلَ عَلَيْهَا الْجِبْسُ وَيُطْلَى بِالْأَدْوِيَةِ الَّتِي تَمْنَعُ النَّارَ مِنْ إِحْرَاقِهَا، فَفَرَغَ مِنْهَا، وَرَتَّبَ فِيهَا أَنْجَادَ أَصْحَابِهِ، وَمِنَ النَّفَّاطِينَ جَمْعًا كَثِيرًا. وَاسْتَأْمَنَ إِلَى الْمُوَفَّقِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَمْعَانَ كَاتِبُ الْخَبِيثِ، وَكَانَ أَوْثَقَ أَصْحَابِهِ فِي نَفْسِهِ، وَكَانَ سَبَبُ اسْتِئْمَانِهِ أَنَّ الْخَبِيثَ أَطْلَعَهُ عَلَى أَنَّهُ عَازِمٌ عَلَى الْخَلَاصِ وَحْدَهُ بِغَيْرِ أَهْلٍ وَلَا مَالٍ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِهِ أَرْسَلَ يَطْلُبُ الْأَمَانَ، فَأَمَّنَهُ الْمُوَفَّقُ وَأَحْسَنَ إِلَيْهِ، وَقِيلَ: كَانَ سَبَبُ خُرُوجِهِ أَنَّهُ كَانَ كَارِهًا لِصُحْبَةِ الْخَبِيثِ، مُطَّلِعًا عَلَى كُفْرِهِ وَسُوءِ بَاطِنِهِ، وَلَمْ يُمْكِنْهُ التَّخَلُّصُ مِنْهُ إِلَى الْآنَ فَفَارَقَهُ، وَكَانَ خُرُوجُهُ عَاشِرَ شَعْبَانَ. فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْغَدُ بَكَّرَ الْمُوَفَّقُ إِلَى مُحَارَبَةِ الْخُبَثَاءِ، فَأَمَرَ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ بِقَصْدِ دَارِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْكَرْنَابِيِّ، وَهِيَ بِإِزَاءِ دَارِ الْخَبِيثِ، وَإِحْرَاقِهَا، وَمَا يَلِيهَا مِنْ مَنَازِلِ قُوَّادِ الزَّنْجِ، لِيَشْغَلَهُمْ بِذَلِكَ عَنْ حِمَايَةِ دَارِ الْخَبِيثِ، وَأَمَرَ الْمُرَتَّبِينَ فِي الشَّذَا الْمَطْلِيَّةِ بِقَصْدِ دَارِ الْخَبِيثِ، وَإِحْرَاقِهَا، فَفَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ، وَأَلْصَقُوا شَذَوَاتِهِمْ بِسُورِ قَصْرِهِ، وَحَارَبَهُمُ الْفَجَرَةُ أَشَدَّ حَرْبٍ، وَنَضَحُوهُمْ بِالنِّيرَانِ، فَلَمْ تَعْمَلْ شَيْئًا، وَأَحْرَقَ مِنَ الْقَصْرِ الرَّوَاشِينَ، وَالْأَبْنِيَةَ الْخَارِجَةَ، وَعَمِلَتِ النَّارُ فِيهَا، وَسَلِمَ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا فِي الشَّذَا مِمَّا كَانَ الْخُبَثَاءُ يُرْسِلُونَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ بِالظِّلَالِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ فِي الشَّذَا، وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ سَبَبًا لِتَمْكِينِهِمْ مِنْ قَصْرِهِ. وَأَمَرَ الْمُوَفَّقُ الَّذِينَ فِي الشَّذَا بِالرُّجُوعِ، فَرَجَعُوا، فَأَخْرَجَ مَنْ كَانَ فِيهَا وَرَتَّبَ غَيْرَهُمْ، وَانْتَظَرَ إِقْبَالَ الْمَدِّ، وَعُلُوِّهِ، فَلَمَّا أَقْبَلْ عَادَتِ الشَّذَا إِلَى قَصْرِهِ، وَأَحْرَقُوا بُيُوتًا مِنْهُ كَانَتْ تُشْرِعُ عَلَى دِجْلَةَ، وَأُضْرِمَتِ النَّارُ فِيهَا، وَاتَّصَلَتْ، وَقَوِيَتْ، فَأَعْجَلَتِ الْخَبِيثَ وَمَنْ كَانَ مَعَهُ عَنِ التَّوَقُّفِ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِمَّا كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ، وَالذَّخَائِرِ، وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، فَخَرَجَ هَارِبًا وَتَرَكَهُ كُلَّهُ. وَعَلَا غِلْمَانُ الْمُوَفَّقِ قَصْرَهُ مَعَ أَصْحَابِهِمْ، فَانْتَهَبُوا مَا لَمْ تَأْتِ النَّارُ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ، وَالْفِضَّةِ، وَالْحُلِيِّ، وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، وَاسْتَنْقَذُوا جَمَاعَةً مِنَ النِّسَاءِ اللَّوَاتِي كَانَ الْخَبِيثُ يَأْنَسُ بِهِنَّ مِمَّنْ كَانَ اسْتَرَقَّهُنَّ، وَدَخَلُوا دُورَهُ ( وَدُورَ ابْنِهِ أَنْكِلَايَ )، فَأَحْرَقُوهَا جَمِيعًا، وَفَرِحَ النَّاسُ بِذَلِكَ، وَتَحَارَبُوا هُمْ وَأَصْحَابُ الْخَبِيثِ عَلَى بَابِ قَصْرِهِ، فَكَثُرَ الْقَتْلُ فِي أَصْحَابِهِ، وَالْجِرَاحُ، وَالْأَسْرُ، وَفَعَلَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ فِي دَارِ الْكَرْنَابِيِّ مِنَ النَّهْبِ وَالْهَدْمِ، وَالْإِحْرَاقِ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ، وَقَطَعَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ يَوْمَئِذٍ سِلْسِلَةً عَظِيمَةً كَانَ الْخَبِيثُ قَطَعَ بِهَا نَهَرَ أَبِي الْخَصِيبِ لِيَمْنَعَ الشَّذَا مِنْ دُخُولِهِ، فَحَازَهَا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ، وَأَخَذَهَا مَعَهُ. وَعَادَ الْمُوَفَّقُ بِالنَّاسِ مَعَ الْمَغْرِبِ مُظَفَّرًا، وَأُصِيبَ الْفَاسِقُ فِي مَالِهِ، وَنَفْسِهِ، ( وَوَلَدِهِ، وَمَنْ ) كَانَ عِنْدَهُ مِنْ نِسَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، مِثْلُ الَّذِي أَصَابَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْهُ مِنَ الذُّعْرِ، وَالْجَلَاءِ، وَتَشَتُّتِ الشَّمْلِ، وَالْمُصِيبَةِ، وَجُرِحَ ابْنُهُ أَنْكِلَايُ فِي بَطْنِهِ جِرَاحَةً أَشَفَى مِنْهَا عَلَى الْهَلَاكِ.
Translation
✧ The Burning of the Palace of the Leader of the Zanj When al-Muwaffaq recovered from his wounds, he returned to what he had been doing in fighting the ʿAlawī. He had already restored [the construction of] some of the breaches in the wall, so al-Muwaffaq ordered that to be demolished, and the demolition of what was connected to it. He rode out one evening. The fighting that day was continuous from the direction of the Nahr Mankī, and the Zanj were gathered there, occupied with that direction, thinking that they would not be attacked except from it. Al-Muwaffaq came with the workmen and approached the Nahr Mankī and fought them. When the battle intensified, he ordered those on the shadhas (river boats) to proceed to the lower part of the Nahr Abī al-Khaṣīb, which was empty of fighters and infantry. Al-Muwaffaq's men arrived, brought out the workmen, and they demolished the wall from that side, and the fighters climbed up. They killed a great number in the river and reached some of the Zanj's palaces, burning them and plundering what was in them. They rescued a large number of the women who were in them and took booty from them. Al-Muwaffaq returned at sunset with victory and safety. He went early to fight them and demolish the wall, hastening the demolition until it reached the house of al-Kilābī, which was connected to the house of the Wicked One (al-Khabīth, i.e., the Zanj leader). When the Wicked One was at his wits' end, ʿAlī b. Abān advised him to run water over the salt flats and to dig trenches in several places to prevent them from entering the city. He did that. Al-Muwaffaq decided to focus on filling in the trenches, canals, and sunken places. This continued, and the wicked ones defended against it, and the war raged on. Both sides suffered enormous casualties and wounds because of the proximity between the two forces. When he saw the severity of the situation from this direction, he aimed to burn the house of the Wicked One and attack it from the Tigris. What hindered that was the large number of fighters and defenders the Wicked One had prepared for his house. When the shadhas approached his palace, they were shot at from above the palace with arrows and stones from mangonels and slings, and molten lead was poured on them. Burning it was thus impossible. Al-Muwaffaq ordered the shadhas to be roofed with timber, plastered with gypsum, and coated with substances that prevent fire from burning them. This was completed, and he assigned his brave men and a large group of naphtha throwers to them. Muḥammad b. Samʿān, the Wicked One's secretary, sought safety from al-Muwaffaq. He was the most trusted of his companions to him. The reason for his seeking safety was that the Wicked One informed him that he was determined to escape alone, without family or wealth. When he saw that resolve, he sent to request amnesty. Al-Muwaffaq granted him amnesty and treated him well. It is said: the reason for his departure was that he disliked the company of the Wicked One, aware of his disbelief and evil inner nature, and he had not been able to free himself from him until now, so he left him. His departure was on the tenth of Shaʿbān. The next day, al-Muwaffaq went early to fight the wicked ones. He ordered Abū al-ʿAbbās to aim for the house of Muḥammad al-Karnābī, which was opposite the house of the Wicked One, and to burn it and the adjacent residences of the Zanj commanders, to distract them from defending the house of the Wicked One. He ordered those assigned to the coated shadhas to aim for the house of the Wicked One and burn it. They did so, bringing their shadhas alongside the wall of his palace. The wicked fought them fiercely and sprayed them with fire, but it had no effect. The fire burned the wooden balconies and outer structures of the palace, and the fire took hold in them. Those on the shadhas were safe from what the wicked ones hurled at them because of the awnings on the shadhas. This was the reason they were able to reach his palace. Al-Muwaffaq ordered those on the shadhas to return, so they returned. He took out those who were on them and assigned others, and waited for the tide to come in and rise. When it came in, the shadhas returned to his palace and burned some of its houses that overlooked the Tigris. The fire was kindled in them, spread, and intensified, forcing the Wicked One and those with him to abandon everything he had of wealth, treasures, and other things. He fled, leaving it all behind. Al-Muwaffaq's Ghilmān (servants/soldiers) climbed his palace with their companions and plundered what the fire had not consumed of gold, silver, jewelry, and other things. They rescued a group of women whom the Wicked One had kept for company, whom he had enslaved. They entered his houses (and the houses of his son Ankalāy) and burned them all. The people rejoiced at that. They fought with the companions of the Wicked One at the gate of his palace, and there were many killed, wounded, and captured among his companions. Abū al-ʿAbbās did the same in the house of al-Karnābī in terms of plundering, demolition, and burning. That day, Abū al-ʿAbbās cut a great chain with which the Wicked One had blocked the Nahr Abī al-Khaṣīb to prevent the shadhas from entering it. Abū al-ʿAbbās took it and carried it away with him. Al-Muwaffaq returned with the people at sunset, victorious. The sinner was afflicted in his wealth, his person, his son, and the Muslim women who were with him, with the same kind of terror, displacement, scattering, and calamity that the Muslims had suffered from him. His son Ankalāy was wounded in his belly, a wound from which he was on the verge of death.
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