him, and he promised to carry it out in the narrow mountain pass on the return journey. When the army set out for home, however, al-Muʿtaṣim learned of the plot. He ordered heightened vigilance, reinforced the guard, adopted every precaution, and summoned al-Ḥārith al-Samarqandī. After questioning him, the man confessed the entire affair: he had secured the oath of allegiance for al-ʿAbbās ibn al-Maʾmūn from a group of commanders whose names he gave. Al-Muʿtaṣim found their number alarming, so he sent for his nephew al-ʿAbbās, fettered him, vented his anger on him, and humiliated him. Then he pretended to be reconciled, declared his forgiveness, removed the shackles, and set him free.

That night the Caliph summoned him to a private drinking session, kept him alone until he had plied him with wine, and pressed him for details of the conspiracy he had devised. Al-ʿAbbās unfolded the whole affair and related the story to the end; it proved to be exactly as al-Ḥārith al-Samarqandī had reported.

At daybreak the Caliph had al-Ḥārith brought in again, secluded him, and questioned him a second time. He repeated the same account word for word. Al-Muʿtaṣim said to him, “Woe to you! I had been eager to spare him, but your truthful disclosure of this affair has left me no way to do so.”

He then ordered that his nephew al-ʿAbbās be placed back in irons and handed over to al-Afshīn. He likewise instructed that ʿUjayf and the remaining implicated commanders be taken into custody, and they were duly surrounded. The Caliph then devised various forms of retribution for them, killing each man in a different manner. Al-ʿAbbās ibn al-Maʾmūn died at Manbij and was buried there. His death came about after he had been subjected to extreme hunger; an abundant meal was set before him and he ate, then he asked for water, but it was withheld until he died. Al-Muʿtaṣim commanded that he be cursed from the pulpits and referred to him as “the accursed.” He also executed several other sons of al-Maʾmūn (1).

In that same year Amorium was conquered, as mentioned above, and the pilgrimage was led by Muḥammad ibn Dāwūd.

Among the notable figures who died that year were: Bābak al-Khurramī, who was killed and crucified, as we have previously related in detail; Khālid ibn Khidāsh (2); and ʿAbd Allah ibn Ṣāliḥ, the scribe of al-Layth ibn Saʿd (3).