The People of Baghdad Swear Allegiance to Ibrāhīm ibn al-Mahdī
When the news reached Baghdad that al-Maʾmūn had appointed ʿAlī al-Riḍā ibn Mūsā heir apparent, the city split: some accepted, others rejected, and the great majority of the Abbasids refused. Egging them on and leading the opposition were Ibrāhīm and Manṣūr, the two sons of al-Mahdī.
On Tuesday, five days before the end of Dhuʾl-Ḥijjah, the Abbasids openly pledged allegiance to Ibrāhīm ibn al-Mahdī, styling him “al-Mubārak”—he was dark-skinned—and, after him, to his nephew Isḥāq ibn Mūsā ibn al-Mahdī. They thereby deposed al-Maʾmūn.
On Friday, with two nights of Dhuʾl-Ḥijjah remaining, they intended to mention al-Maʾmūn first in the Friday sermon and then Ibrāhīm. The general populace objected, shouting, “We will accept none but Ibrāhīm!” Strife and turmoil ensued; the Friday congregational prayer was not performed. Instead, the people prayed four rakʿahs individually (1).
In this same year the governor of Ṭabaristān captured its mountain regions along with the districts of al-Lāraz (2) and al-Shayzar. Ibn Jarīr (3) reports that Salm al-Khāsir composed verses on the event.
Ibn al-Jawzī and others, however, state that Salm (4) had died several years earlier (5)—and Allah knows best.
That year a severe famine struck Khurasan, Rayy, and Isfahan; food became extremely scarce.
During the same year Bābak al-Khurramī rose in rebellion, and bands of rabble and ignoramuses rallied to him. He espoused the doctrine of metempsychosis—may Allah disgrace and curse him. The outcome of his affair will be discussed in due course (6).
(1) The report is found in al-Tabari’s History (vol. 8, p. 555), in Ibn al-Athir’s al-Kamil (vol. 6, p. 327), and in Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’ (vol. 10, p. 557).
(2) In manuscripts A and Z the name appears as al-Baladhir. The reading preserved in manuscript T and by al-Tabari is considered more reliable.
(3) In manuscripts A and T the phrase reads “Ibn Hazm, tahrif” (i.e., a corrupt reading). The report also occurs in al-Tabari’s History (vol. 9, p. 556).
(4) In manuscript A the name is Salaman; in Z it is Sulayman. Al-Tabari identifies him as Salam ibn ‘Amr ibn Hammad, a mawla poet from Basra who settled in Baghdad and was notorious for his licentiousness. He composed panegyrics for al-Mahdi and Harun al-Rashid and appears in anecdotes alongside Bishr ibn al-Bard and Abu al-‘Atahiya. He was nicknamed al-Khasir (“the loser”) because he sold a Mushaf to purchase an oud. He died in 186 AH, several years before this conquest, according to Ibn al-Jawzi (A‘lam, 3/110). Al-Tabari (vol. 8, p. 556) further notes that the governor of Tabaristan was ‘Abd Allah ibn Khurdadhba, and he records Salam al-Khasir’s couplet:
“Inna lanamulu fatḥ al-Rum wa al-Ṣīn
… biman adāla lanā min mulk Sharwīn
Fa-ashdud yadayka bi-‘Abd Allāh inna lahu
ma‘a al-amānah ra’yun ghayru mawhūn”
(Translation: “We indeed hope for the conquest of the Romans and China / by one whom He has entrusted with a Sharwīn kingdom for us. So strengthen your hand for ‘Abd Allah, for he, together with trustworthiness, holds an opinion that is not weak.”)
(5) Ibn Kathir lists him among those who died in 16 AH.
(6) He will be mentioned again under the events of 221, 222, and 223 AH.