Tarikh (al-Tabari) 4174
Then the year 351 AH began
ذِكْرُ اسْتِيلَاءِ الرُّومِ عَلَى مَدِينَةِ حَلَبَ ( وَعَوْدِهِمْ عَنْهَا بِغَيْرِ سَبَبٍ ) فِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ اسْتَوْلَى الرُّومُ عَلَى مَدِينَةِ حَلَبَ دُونَ قَلْعَتِهَا. وَكَانَ سَبَبُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الدُّمُسْتُقَ سَارَ إِلَى حَلَبَ، وَلَمْ يَشْعُرْ بِهِ الْمُسْلِمُونَ ; لِأَنَّهُ كَانَ قَدْ خَلَّفَ عَسْكَرَهُ بِقَيْسَارِيَّةَ وَدَخَلَ بِلَادَهُمْ كَمَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ، فَلَمَّا قَضَى صَوْمَ النَّصَارَى، خَرَجَ إِلَى عَسْكَرِهِ مِنَ الْبِلَادِ جَرِيدَةً، وَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِهِ أَحَدٌ، وَسَارَ بِهِمْ عِنْدَ وُصُولِهِ، فَسَبَقَ خَبَرَهُ، وَكَبَسَ مَدِينَةَ حَلَبَ، وَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِهِ سَيْفُ الدَّوْلَةِ بْنُ حَمْدَانَ وَلَا غَيْرُهُ. فَلَمَّا بَلَغَهَا وَعَلِمَ سَيْفُ الدَّوْلَةِ الْخَبَرَ، أَعْجَلَهُ الْأَمْرُ عَنِ الْجَمْعِ وَالِاحْتِشَادِ، فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ فِيمَنْ مَعَهُ، فَقَاتَلَهُ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ قُوَّةُ الصَّبْرِ لِقِلَّةِ مَنْ مَعَهُ، فَقُتِلَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْ أَوْلَادِ دَاوُدَ بْنِ حَمْدَانَ أَحَدٌ، قُتِلُوا جَمِيعُهُمْ، فَانْهَزَمَ سَيْفُ الدَّوْلَةِ فِي نَفَرٍ يَسِيرٍ، وَظَفِرَ الدُّمُسْتُقُ بِدَارِهِ، وَكَانَتْ خَارِجَ مَدِينَةِ حَلَبَ، ( تُسَمَّى الدَّارَيْنَ )، فَوُجِدَ فِيهَا لِسَيْفِ الدَّوْلَةِ ثَلَاثِمِائَةِ بُدْرَةٍ مِنَ الدَّرَاهِمِ، وَأَخَذَ لَهُ أَلْفًا وَأَرْبَعَمِائَةِ بَغْلٍ، وَمِنْ خَزَائِنِ السِّلَاحِ مَا لَا يُحْصَى، فَأَخَذَ الْجَمِيعَ، وَخَرَّبَ الدَّارَ، وَمَلَكَ الْحَاضِرَ، وَحَصَرَ الْمَدِينَةَ، فَقَاتَلَهُ أَهْلُهَا. وَهَدَمَ الرُّومُ فِي السُّورِ ثُلْمَةً، فَقَاتَلَهُمْ أَهْلُ حَلَبَ عَلَيْهَا، فَقُتِلَ مِنَ الرُّومِ كَثِيرٌ، وَدَفَعُوهُمْ عَنْهَا، فَلَمَّا جَنَّهُمُ اللَّيْلُ عَمَّرُوهَا، فَلَمَّا رَأَى الرُّومُ ذَلِكَ، تَأَخَّرُوا إِلَى جَبَلِ جَوْشَنَ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ رِجَّالَةَ الشُّرْطَةِ بِحَلَبَ قَصَدُوا مَنَازِلَ النَّاسِ، وَخَانَاتِ التُّجَّارِ لِيَنْهَبُوهَا، فَلَحِقَ النَّاسُ أَمْوَالَهُمْ لِيَمْنَعُوهَا، فَخَلَا السُّورُ مِنْهُمْ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى الرُّومُ السُّورَ خَالِيًا مِنَ النَّاسِ، قَصَدُوهُ وَقَرُبُوا مِنْهُ، فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْهُمْ أَحَدٌ، فَصَعِدُوا إِلَى أَعْلَاهُ، فَرَأَوُا الْفِتْنَةَ قَائِمَةً فِي الْبَلَدِ بَيْنَ أَهْلِهِ، فَنَزَلُوا وَفَتَحُوا الْأَبْوَابَ، وَدَخَلُوا الْبَلَدَ بِالسَّيْفِ يَقْتُلُونَ مَنْ وَجَدُوا، وَلَمْ يَرْفَعُوا السَّيْفَ إِلَى أَنْ تَعِبُوا وَضَجِرُوا. وَكَانَ فِي حَلَبَ أَلْفٌ وَأَرْبَعُمِائَةٍ مِنَ الْأَسَارَى، فَتَخَلَّصُوا، وَأَخَذُوا السِّلَاحَ وَقَتَلُوا النَّاسَ، وَسُبِيَ مِنَ الْبَلَدِ بِضْعَةَ عَشَرَ أَلْفَ صَبِيٍّ وَصَبِيَّةٍ، وَغَنِمُوا مَا لَا يُوصَفُ كَثْرَةً، فَلَمَّا لَمْ يَبْقَ مَعَ الرُّومِ مَا يَحْمِلُونَ عَلَيْهِ الْغَنِيمَةَ أَمَرَ الدُّمُسْتُقُ بِإِحْرَاقِ الْبَاقِيَ، وَأَحْرَقَ الْمَسَاجِدَ، وَكَانَ قَدْ بَذَلَ لِأَهْلِ الْبَلَدِ الْأَمَانَ عَلَى أَنْ يُسَلِّمُوا إِلَيْهِ ثَلَاثَةَ آلَافِ صَبِيٍّ وَصَبِيَّةٍ ( وَمَالًا ذَكَرَهُ )، وَيَنْصَرِفُ عَنْهُمْ، فَلَمْ يُجِيبُوهُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ، فَمَلَكَهُمْ كَمَا ذَكَرْنَا، وَكَانَ عِدَّةُ عَسْكَرِهِ مِائَتَيْ أَلْفِ رَجُلٍ، مِنْهُمْ ثَلَاثُونَ أَلْفَ رَجُلٍ بِالْجَوَاشِنِ، وَثَلَاثُونَ أَلْفًا لِلْهَدْمِ، وَإِصْلَاحِ الطُّرُقِ مِنَ الثَّلْجِ، وَأَرْبَعَةُ آلَافِ بَغْلٍ يَحْمِلُ الْحَسَكَ الْحَدِيدَ. وَلَمَّا دَخَلَ الرُّومُ الْبَلَدَ، قَصَدَ النَّاسُ الْقَلْعَةَ، فَمَنْ دَخَلَهَا نَجَا بِحُشَاشَةِ نَفْسِهِ، وَأَقَامَ الدُّمُسْتُقُ تِسْعَةَ أَيَّامٍ، وَأَرَادَ الِانْصِرَافَ عَنِ الْبَلَدِ بِمَا غَنِمَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ أُخْتِ الْمَلِكِ، وَكَانَ مَعَهُ: هَذَا الْبَلَدُ قَدْ حَصَلَ فِي أَيْدِينَا، وَلَيْسَ مَنْ ( يَدْفَعُنَا عَنْهُ )، فَلِأَيِّ سَبَبٍ نَنْصَرِفُ عَنْهُ ؟ فَقَالَ الدُّمُسْتُقُ: قَدْ بَلَغَنَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنِ الْمَلِكُ يُؤَمِّلُهُ، وَغَنِمْنَا وَقَتَلْنَا، وَخَرَّبْنَا وَأَحْرَقْنَا، وَخَلَّصْنَا أَسْرَانَا، وَبَلَغْنَا مَا لَمْ يُسْمَعْ بِمِثْلِهِ، فَتَرَاجَعَا الْكَلَامَ إِلَى أَنْ قَالَ لَهُ الدُّمُسْتُقُ: انْزِلْ عَلَى الْقَلْعَةِ فَحَاصِرْهَا، فَإِنَّنِي مُقِيمٌ بِعَسْكَرِي عَلَى بَابِ الْمَدِينَةِ، فَتَقَدَّمَ ابْنُ أُخْتِ الْمَلِكِ إِلَى الْقَلْعَةِ، وَمَعَهُ سَيْفٌ وَتُرْسٌ، وَتَبِعَهُ الرُّومُ، فَلَمَّا قَرُبَ مِنْ بَابِ الْقَلْعَةِ، أُلْقِيَ عَلَيْهِ حَجَرٌ فَسَقَطَ، وَرُمِيَ بِخَشَبٍ فَقُتِلَ، فَأَخَذَهُ أَصْحَابُهُ وَعَادُوا إِلَى الدُّمُسْتُقِ، فَلَمَّا رَآهُ قَتِيلًا، قَتَلَ مَنْ مَعَهُ مِنْ أَسْرَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَكَانُوا أَلْفًا وَمِائَتَيْ رَجُلٍ، وَعَادَ إِلَى بِلَادِهِ، وَلَمْ يَعْرِضْ لِسَوَادِ حَلَبَ، وَأَمَرَ أَهْلَهُ بِالزِّرَاعَةِ وَالْعِمَارَةِ لِيَعُودَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِزَعْمِهِ.
Translation
✧ Mention of the Byzantines' seizure of the city of Aleppo (and their withdrawal from it without cause) In this year, the Byzantines seized the city of Aleppo but not its citadel. The reason for this was that the Domesticus marched to Aleppo without the Muslims being aware of it, because he had left his army at Caesarea and entered their lands as we have mentioned. When he had completed the Christians' fast, he went out to his army from the lands as a raiding party, without anyone knowing, and marched with them upon his arrival, so his news preceded him, and he fell upon the city of Aleppo unawares, without Sayf al-Dawla b. Hamdan or anyone else knowing. When he reached it and Sayf al-Dawla learned the news, the matter prevented him from gathering and mustering, so he went out against him with those who were with him and fought him, but he had no power to endure because of the fewness of those with him, so most of them were killed, and no one remained of the sons of Dawud b. Hamdan; they were all killed. Sayf al-Dawla fled with a small band, and the Domesticus gained possession of his residence, which was outside the city of Aleppo (called al-Darayn), and in it were found for Sayf al-Dawla three hundred purses of dirhams, and he took from him one thousand four hundred mules, and from the armories weapons beyond count. He took all of it, destroyed the residence, took possession of the outskirts, and besieged the city, and its people fought him. The Byzantines made a breach in the wall, and the people of Aleppo fought them at it, and many of the Byzantines were killed, and they repelled them from it. When night fell upon them, they repaired it. When the Byzantines saw that, they withdrew to Mount Jawshan. Then the foot soldiers of the police in Aleppo headed for the people's houses and the merchants' khans to plunder them, and the people caught up with their wealth to prevent them, so the wall was emptied of them. When the Byzantines saw the wall empty of people, they made for it and approached it, and no one stopped them, so they climbed to its top and saw the strife raging in the city among its people, so they descended and opened the gates, and entered the city with the sword, killing whomever they found, and they did not sheathe the sword until they were weary and exasperated. In Aleppo there were one thousand four hundred prisoners, and they were freed, took weapons, and killed people. Some ten thousand boys and girls were taken captive from the city, and they gained booty beyond description. When the Byzantines had no means left to carry the booty, the Domesticus ordered the remainder to be burned, and he burned the mosques. He had offered the people of the city safe-conduct on condition that they hand over to him three thousand boys and girls (and a sum of money he specified), and he would depart from them, but they did not respond to him, so he took possession of them as we have mentioned. His army numbered two hundred thousand men, of whom thirty thousand were with breastplates, thirty thousand for demolition and clearing the roads of snow, and four thousand mules carrying iron caltrops. When the Byzantines entered the city, the people made for the citadel, and whoever entered it saved his life, and the Domesticus stayed nine days and wanted to depart from the city with what he had gained. The nephew of the king, who was with him, said to him: "This city has fallen into our hands, and there is no one to repel us from it, so for what reason should we depart from it?" The Domesticus said: "We have achieved what the king did not hope for, and we have gained booty, killed, destroyed, burned, freed our prisoners, and attained what no one has heard of the like." They exchanged words until the Domesticus said to him: "Go down to the citadel and besiege it, for I am encamped with my army at the gate of the city." The nephew of the king advanced to the citadel with a sword and shield, and the Byzantines followed him. When he drew near the gate of the citadel, a stone was thrown at him and he fell, and wood was hurled at him and he was killed. His companions took him and returned to the Domesticus. When he saw him slain, he killed the Muslim prisoners who were with him, who numbered one thousand two hundred men, and returned to his own lands. He did not molest the cultivated lands of Aleppo, and he ordered its people to sow and build, so that he might return to them, as he claimed.
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