A Messianic Uprising in Kufa: al-Mukhtar’s Revolt in 685-687
Al-Mukhtar’s two-year rebellion was an episode of a greater historical event known as the Second Civil War or Second Fitna (680-692).
The Scourges of the Desert: The Triumph and Fall of the Qaramita of Bahrayn
In the second part of this look at the Qaramita, it is revealed how they challenged both the Abbasids and Fatimids before ultimately disappearing in the eleventh century.
The Warlord Missionary: Abu Sa‘id al-Jannabi and the Rise of the Qaramita of Bahrayn
Fierce desert tribesmen, united by a sectarian missionary, emerged in Eastern Arabia in the 9th century. Under the leadership of this warlord missionary, they established a powerful predatory polity in Bahrayn that would terrorize the neighboring regions for 150 years.
The Battle of the Pass: An Umayyad Military Disaster
The Battle of the Pass, also referred to as the Battle of the Defile, was fought during the summer of 731.
How to Understand Medieval Arabic Names
Even though medieval Arabic names can get very long and look daunting, they reveal much about the person carrying them.
The Abbasid Civil War: Chaos in Iraq (813-819)
Despite al-Ma’mun’s victory in the war against his brother, al-Amin, the fighting did not end in Iraq. The six years after the siege of Baghdad were punctuated by factional fighting, violence, bloodshed, and social and political turmoil and unrest.
The Abbasid Civil War: The War of the Brothers (811-813)
The war between the sons of Harun al-Rashid caused irreparable damage to the economic, political, and military structure of the Abbasid caliphate. The struggle for the throne led to the caliphate’s eventual disintegration and the reduction of the Abbasid caliphs’ power and authority.
From Slave to Traveler to Writer: The Story of Yaqut al-Hamawi
Yaqut al-Hamawi is a celebrated medieval scholar, geographer, and traveler who lived in the Abbasid caliphate during the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He is famous for the books he composed and his travels throughout the Muslim world.
The Pirate Queen of the Mediterranean: The Story of Al-Sayyida al-Hurra
When it came to piracy on the Mediterrean Sea, one of the most feared and formidable leaders was a woman by the name of Al-Sayyida al-Hurra. Here is her story.
Fighting against the Abbasids: Rebellions of the Khurramiyya in the 8th century
There were several other rebellions by Khurramiyya groups in Khurasan, Sogdia, and the Jibal region that are described to some extent in the sources and sometimes even just mentioned in passing.
Babak’s Revolt of 816-837
Babak’s revolt in Azerbaijan was the longest and last major Khurramiyya rebellion in the wake of the Abbasid Revolution.
Al-Muqanna‘: The Veiled Prophet of Transoxiana
One of the most serious revolts against the still young Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th century was led by a man best known in the sources as al-Muqanna‘, or “the veiled one.”
The First Khurramiyya Revolts: Mazdak and Sunbadh’s Rebellions
Abu Muslim’s betrayal and murder by the Abbasid caliph, al-Mansur, in 755 was the spark that ignited a series of revolts against caliphal rule by the various groups of Khurramiyya in the chaotic decades that followed the Abbasid Revolution. The largest and longest Khurramiyya revolts took place during the years 755-833.
Khurramism: The story of a medieval religious movement
A look at the beliefs and religious practices of the Khurramiyya, and what happened when they came into contact with Zoroastrianism and Islam.
Abu Muslim: The Architect of the Abbasid Revolution
He lived an extraordinary life; he was a servant/slave, a partisan, a revolutionary, a soldier, and rose to be the most powerful man in the caliphate.
Demons, Djinns, and Devils of the Medieval Islamic World
Throughout the medieval world there was a strong belief in supernatural beings. If you lived in the Middle East, they would be called djinn, demons or devils. If you dare want to know more about these monsters, read on!
The Struggle for Power within the Mamluk Sultanate
The Mamluks had a long tradition of deposing and/or killing their own rulers. Only a few sultans could meet the challenges posed by revolts, civil wars, and internal struggles.
Mamluks vs. Mongols
The Mongols presented the greatest threat to the early Mamluk sultanate.
Mamluks vs Crusaders
This column will focus on the wars between the Mamluks and the Crusaders / Franks in the Near East. It was a struggle that began in the thirteenth century and would last until the end of the Middle Ages.
The Mamluk Military: A Professional Medieval Army
How was the Mamluk military system organized? Which types of units could be found in their armies? What was the size of these forces?
Slave, Soldier, Lord, and Sovereign: The Story of Baybars
Baybars’ story is exemplary of the careers of many slave soldiers of the medieval and early modern Muslim world. He rose from being a refugee and slave to become a soldier, officer, and then a ruler.
The Battle of Talas
How did the armies of the Abbasid Caliphate and the Tang Dynasty, two empires that were worlds apart, meet in Central Asia?
Al-Hajjaj: Machiavellian or Villain?
Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi was the Umayyad caliphate’s most famous and most able governor. He administered the eastern “super province” of the caliphate which included Iraq, Khurasan, and Sijistan from 694 to 714.
Too Good Looking to Die: How to get saved from an execution in the Middle Ages
In the Mamluk state there were several ways to avoid being executed, including physical beauty.
The Berber Queen who defied the Caliphate: Al-Kahina and the Islamic Conquest of North Africa
Seventh-century North Africa would see the rise of a warrior queen named al-Kahina. Who was she and how was she able to wage a war against the Umayyad Caliphate?