This volume deals with the caliphate
of Yazid. Yazid was not accepted as a legitimate caliph by many of the
leading Muslims of the time, and, therefore, al-Tabari has concentrated his
account of Yazid's caliphate almost entirely on the opposition to him. This
opposition had its leadership in two of the leading Islamic figures of the
time, al-Husayn, the son of the caliph 'Ali, and Ibn al-Zubayr, a leading
Muslim who felt that he had had some claims to the caliphate himself. The
first revolt was led by al-Husayn. This revolt, although ineffectual in
military terms, is very important for the history of Islam, as al-Husayn
came to be regarded by Shi'ite Muslims as the martyred imam; his martyrdom
is still commemorated every year by them.
In his account al-Tabari has preserved for us some of the earliest
historical writing on the subject. The amount of space he devotes to this
event shows the importance it had already assumed by his own time. The
second revolt, that of Ibn al-Zubayr, was much more serious in immediate
terms. The revolt or civil war can be divided into two stages. This volume
covers the first stage, ending with the timely death of Yazid, which saved
Ibn al-Zubayr from defeat.
Table Of Contents
Preface
Translator's Foreword
The Events of the Year 60
(cont'd) (680)
The Attack of `Amr b. al-Zubayr
The Kufans' Invitation to Husayn
and the Mission of Muslim b. `Aqil
Continuation of `Ammar al-Duhni's
Account from AbuJa`far
Abu Mikhnaf's Account
Al-Husayn's Departure from Mecca
for al-Kufah
Continuation of `Ammar al-Duhni's
Account from AbuJa`far
The Events of the Year 61
(6801681)
The Names of the Banu Hashim Killed
with al-Husayn and the Number of Those Killed from Every
Tribe Which Fought against Him
The Death of Mirdas b. `Amr b.
Hudayr
The Appointment of Salm b. Ziyad
Yazid's Dismissal of `Amr b. Sa`id
as Governor of Medina and His Appointment of al-Walid b. `Utbah
The Events of the Year 62
(681/682)
The Arrival of a Delegation of the
People of Medina to Yazid b. Mu`awiyah
The Events of the Year 63
(682/683)
The Events of the Year 64
(683/684)
The Death of Muslim b. `Uqbah and
the Bombardment and Burning of the Ka`bah
The Cause of the Burning of the
Ka`bah
The Number of Yazid b. Mu`awiyah's
Sons
Bibliography of Cited Works
Index |
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