Zutt Rebellion

Zutt Rebellion was a rebellion by the Zutt (Jats) Who were inhabitants of lower Indus Valley (Pakistan) ^[1][2][3], between 810 and 835 in Iraq during the reign of al-Ma'mun and continued to the era of al-Mu'tasim.

Zutt Rebellion
Map of Iraq in the later 9th century. Zutt primarily inhabited the marshland in lower Iraq.
Date 810–835 Location Iraq, Abbasid Caliphate
Belligerents
Zutt	Abbasid Caliphate
Commanders and leaders
Yusuf ibn Zutt Muhammad Ibn Uthman Samlaq	al-Ma'mun al-Mu'tasim Ujayf ibn Anbasa Isa ibn Yazid al-Juludi Al-Jarrah bin 'Abdallah † Abdallah bin Mu'awiya †

Background

The Rebellion began from the Zutt tribe of Jats, who had migrated into Mesopotamia several centuries ago. They supplied mercenary soldiers for the Ummayyad and Abbasid Caliphate. These soldiers would settle in nowadays Iraq and marry amongst local Arab women. Thus forming the Az-Zutt tribe also known as Banu Zutt.

Rebellion

During circa. 810, Yusuf ibn Zutt began a rebellion against the Abbasid Caliphate which created semi-independent state in the Marshlands of Southern Iraq (Mesopotamian Marshes). Isa ibn Yazid al-Juludi would be sent by caliph Al Ma'mun to crush the rebellion, but would fail to do so. Isa ibn Yazid al-Juludi and Ahmad bin Qutayba would be sent by caliph Al Ma'mun to crush the rebellion, but would fail to do so.^[4]

Under the tribal leader, Muhammad Ibn Uthman, rebellion continued when Kufa, Basra, Wasit, Al-Jazira and surrounding places of Baghdad came under his control. This caused a major disruption of resources and food to Baghdad, putting the Abbasids in danger.

Naval raids

Mu'tasim's army employed similarly meticulous tactics to suppress a Zutt rebellion in southern Iraq. However, the new Turkish troops were not involved, as their strategies were ill-suited for the marshes and densely cultivated palm groves. Instead, other forces blocked off hundreds of reedy canals used by the Zutt for raids in small boats, and then methodically advanced into rebel-held territory.^[5][6]

Capture of Basra

The Capture of Basra was a significant event in the Zutt Rebellion. After a series of successful military engagements and leveraging their control over the region's vital waterways and marshlands, the Zutts launched a assault on the city of Basra. Their guerrilla tactics and their strategic advantage in navigating the waterways allowed them to isolate the city and launch surprise raids. The Abbasid Caliphate forces, struggling against the challenging terrain and the Zutt tactics, failed to mount an effective defense.

Capture of Wasit

The Capture of Wasit was an important moment in the Zutt Rebellion. The Zutts, using their dominance over the marshlands and waterways between Wasit and Basra, launched a coordinated attack on Wasit. Their intimate knowledge of the terrain and reliance on guerrilla tactics enabled them to overwhelm Abbasid defenses and seize control of the city.

The Abbasid forces, commanded by Al-Mu'tasim, suffered heavy casualties as they struggled to counter the Zutt's ambushes in the marshes. The fall of Wasit allowed the Zutts to establish temporary rule over the city and destabilized Abbasid authority in the region.^[7][8][9]

End of Rebellion

After the passing of al-Ma'mun, al-Mu'tasim becomes Caliph of the Abbasids. With a reformed military, he took charge of the dire situation of the rebellion, sending Ujayf ibn Anbasa to successfully crush the rebellion in 835. He then dispersed the Zutt population to different parts of the Caliphate to prevent another rebellion. Muhammad Ibn Uthman still retained the position of tribal leader after rebellion, however with a weaker force.

External sources

• Houtsma, M. Th. (1993). E. J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913–1936, Volume 4. Brill Page 901 & 1030.
• Kennedy, H. (2004). The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates: The Islamic Near East from the 6th to the 11th Century (2nd Edition). Routledge.
• Lewis, B. (1991). The Political Language of Islam. University of Chicago Press.
• Marozzi, J. (2004). The Way of Herodotus: Travels with the Man who Invented History. Da Capo Press.
• The History of Al-Tabari Vol. 33, Page 7
• Outlines of Islamic History From the Rise of Islam to the Fall of Baghdād By Mafizullah Kabir. Page 14, Page 218
• A Short History of Iraq(2014) By Thabit Abdullah
• Warfare in the Dark Ages By Kelly DeVries
• The [European] Other in Medieval Arabic Literature and Culture Ninth-Twelfth Century AD(2012) By Nizar F. Hermes
• Arab-Byzantine Relations in Early Islamic Times(2004) Page 172
• Al-Tabari's "History of the Prophets and Kings"
• Al-Masudi's "The Meadows of Gold and Mines of Gems"
• Ibn Khaldun's "The Muqaddimah

References

1. Westphal-Hellbusch, Sigrid; Westphal, Heinz (1986). The Jat of Pakistan. Duncker & Humblot. p. 67. ISBN 978-3-428-06771-3. ...the Zutt from Pakistan to Iraq, it came from the Indian subcontinent... {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
2. Al Nahyan, Mansoor Bin Tahnoon; Hussain, Jamal; Ghafoor, Asad ul (2019). Tribes of Pakistan. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 108. ISBN 9781527534391. Whether there had or had not been a voluntary immigration as well as a compulsory deportation of Zutt to Iraq from Sindh, we may take it that in the course of the first two centuries of Arab rule, manpower from Pakistan.
3. al-Baladhuri, Ahmad b. Yahya (2022). History of the Arab Invasions: The Conquest of the Lands: A New Translation of Al-Baladhuri's Futuh Al-Buldan. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 9780755637416. Sayábija, the Zutt and the Andighár were members of the army under the Persians who had been taken prisoner and they were recruited from the people of Sind.
4. Crone, Patricia (1980). Slaves on Horses: The Evolution of the Islamic Polity. Cambridge University Press. p. 138. ISBN 9780521529402.
5. Nicolle, David (2024). Armies of the Muslim Conquest. Osprey Publishing. p. 34. ISBN 9781472869296.
6. Eger, A. Asa (2014). The Islamic-Byzantine Frontier: Interaction and Exchange Among Muslim and Christian Communities. Cambridge University Press. p. 303. ISBN 9781107021743. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
7. Ṭabarī (1951). The Reign of Al-Muʻtasim (833-842). American Oriental Society. p. 5.
8. al-Baladhuri, Ahmad b. Yahya (2022). History of the Arab Invasions: The Conquest of the Lands. I.B. Tauris. p. 185. ISBN 9780755637416.
9. Gibb, H.A.R. (2001). The Encyclopaedia of Islam. Vol. 11, Parts 181–182. Brill. p. 168.