THE HISTORY OF
AL-T'ABARI
VOLUME XXXIII (38)
Storm and Stress along the Northern Frontiers of the
'Abbasid Caliphate
The Caliphate of al-Mu'tas'im, A.D. 833-842/A.H. 218-227
Translated by C. E. Bosworth
261 pages January 1991 paperback
Price: £18.00
This section of al-T'abari's History covers the eight-year reign of
al-Mu'tas'im (833-42), immediately following the reign of his elder brother al-Ma'mun,
when the Islamic caliphate was once more united after the civil strife and
violence of the second decade of the ninth century A.D. Al-Mu'tas'im's reign is
notable for the transfer of the administrative capital of the caliphate from
Baghdad north to the military settlement of Samarra on the Tigris, where it was
to remain for some 60 years. This move meant a significant increase in the
caliphs' dependence on their Turkish slave guards. Al-Mu'tasi'm's reign was also
marked by periods of intense military activity along the northern fringes of the
Islamic lands: against the Byzantines in Anatolia; against the sectarian Babak
and his followers--the "wearers of red," the Khurramiyyah--in
northwestern Persia; and against the politically ambitious local prince Mazyar
in the Caspian provinces of Persia. These episodes take up the greater part of
al-T'abari's account of al-Mu'tas'im's reign, and he has provided graphic and
detailed narratives of the respective campaigns, including valuable details on
military organization and tactics during this period.
A volume in the SUNY series,
Near Eastern Studies
- Tarikh al-Rusul wa'l muluk by Abu Ja'far Muhammad b Jarir al-Tabri - Full 39 Volume List : History of al Tabari
- Also available:
A CHROBOLOGY OF
ISLAMIC HISTORY
570-1000 CE
by: H.U. RAHMAN
Paper Back 283 Pages
Ref: 116t Price: £7.00
This book list and describes the principle events from the birth
of the prophet Muhammad (SAW) in 570 CE to the year 1000 CE(Common or
Christian Era) Contemporary events from the history of the Byzantine and
Persia empires are also included. Descriptions are purely factual and
presented without interpretation or historical analysis, although background
information explaining the significance of events is provided where
necessary. Precise locations are given for places that may no longer exist
or are known by a different name.
This revised edition of the chronology is a unique reference source for
schools and university teachers and students. And for the general reader
interested in Islamic history and culture.
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