Abu al-Khasib

Abu al-Khaṣīb Marzuq was an Abbasid general and administrator during the reign of Abu Ja'far al-Mansur. A mawla of Mansur in his early life, Abu al-Khasib rose to the position of Hajib (chamberlain) in 755.^[1][2] In 760, he was sent by Mansur to conquer Tabaristan from its Dabuyid ruler, Khurshid.^[1] After the conquest of Tabaristan, he was appointed as its first Abbasid governor, a position he retained till c. 763.^[1][3]

Abu al-Khasib
Abbasid Governor of Tabaristan
In office 760–763
Monarch	al-Mansur
Preceded by	Khurshid (as Dabuyid ruler)
Succeeded by	Khazim b. Khuzaymah
Military service
Allegiance	Abbasid Caliphate

Biography

Abu al-Khasib was from Sind.^[1] He had been earlier a client (mawali) of Muthanna b. al-Hajjaj b. Qutayba b. Muslim according to Ibn Isfandiyar.^[1] He is first mentioned in 755, when he was sent by Mansur as his chamberlain to Abu Muslim Khurasani for calculating what he had acquired by defeating Abdullah ibn Ali, caliph's uncle.^[2][1] When Abu Muslim refused to handover the wealth, Abu al-Khasib returned to Mansur and told him about Abu Muslim's intention.^[4] This sowed seeds of distrust between caliph and Abu Muslim, which ultimately lead to Abu Muslim's execution a few months later.^[5] Abu al-Khasib also helped Ma'n ibn Za'ida to go into hiding and sought protection for him, ultimately helping him in gaining indemnity.^[6]

In 759, Dabuyid Ispahbadh of Tabaristan, Khurshid, rebelled and killed Muslims living in Tabaristan. Thus, Mansur sent Abu al-Khasib along with Khazim b. Khuzaymah and Rawh b. Hatim against him.^[7] They besieged his fortress, however, when siege prolonged, Abu al-Khasib resorted to a stratagem, ultimately conquering the fortress. Khurshid later committed suicide by licking poison.^[8] Abu al-Khasib was appointed as governor of Tabaristan, holding the position till 763.^[3]

Although no coins are known from Abu al-Khasib's tenure as governor of Tabaristan, he is known to have built a great mosque in the city of Sari, probably in 761.^[3] He may have been same as Abdul Hamid, father of al-Khasib who was governor of Egypt during the reign of Harun ar-Rashid, although this is uncertain.^[9] Abu al-Khasib also ordered the excavation of Abu al-Khasib canal in Basra, named after him, which in turn gave its name to the present-day Abu Al-Khaseeb District.^[10]

See also

• Al-Sindi ibn Shahak
• Al-Sari ibn al-Hakam

References

1. Crone, Patricia 1980, p. 190.
2. al-Tabari 2015, p. 17.
3. Malek, Hodge M. 2004, p. 16.
4. Ṭabarī 1988, p. 13.
5. al-Tabari 2015, p. 18.
6. al-Tabari 2015, p. 67.
7. Frye 1975, p. 200.
8. al-Tabari 2015, p. 78–79.
9. Brockelmann, Carl (2017). History of the Arabic Written Tradition Supplement Volume 1. BRILL. p. 115. ISBN 978-90-04-33462-5.
10. Khudayyir, Muhammad (2020-05-05). Basrayatha: The Story of a City. Verso Books. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-78960-381-1.

Sources

• Malek, Hodge M. (2004). The Dābūyid Ispahbads and Early 'Abbāsid Governors of Tabaristān: History and Numismatics. Royal Numismatic Society. ISBN 978-0-901405-83-8.
• Crone, Patricia (1980). Slaves on Horses: The Evolution of the Islamic Polity. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-52940-2.
• al-Tabari (2015). The History of al-Ṭabarī Vol. 28: 'Abbasid Authority Affirmed: The Early Years of al-Manṣūr A.D. 753-763/A.H. 136-145. State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-1-4384-1232-0.
• Ṭabarī (1988). The Early ʻAbbāsī Empire: The reign of Abū Jaʻfar al-Manṣūr, A.D. 754-775. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-32662-9.
• Frye, Richard N., ed. (1975). "The Minor Dynasties of Northern Iran". The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 4: From the Arab Invasion to the Saljuqs. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-20093-8.