Jump to content

Nasr ibn Sayyar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Cplakidas (talk | contribs) at 16:27, 20 November 2010 (←Created page with '{{Infobox military person | name =Nasr ibn Sayyar | image = | caption = | born = | died =748 | allegiance =[[Umayyad Ca...'). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Nasr ibn Sayyar
AllegianceUmayyad Caliphate

Nasr ibn Sayyar (fl. 738–748) was an Arab general and the last Umayyad governor of Khurasan. An experienced commander, as governor he introduced tax reforms in his province. Preoccupied by inter-tribal rivalries however, he was unable to stop the outbreak and spread of the Abbasid revolt, which enjoyed widespread support in Khurasan. Evicted from his province, he fled to Hamadan where he died in late 748.

Life

Nasr was a military leader with long service and experience in Khurasan. Thus, when Asad ibn Abd Allah al-Qasri, the governor of Khurasan, died in 738, the Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik appointed Nasr in his stead.[1] Nasr was able to stay in office throughout the turmoil of the last decade of the Umayyad dynasty. When Yazid III came to power in early 744, he initially ordered Nasr replaced by a brother of his favourite, Mansur ibn Jumhur. Nasr refused to accept this, and held on to the post, being eventually confirmed to it after Mansur's fall from favour two months later. When Marwan II took power in December 744, he likewise affirmed Nasr's position.[2]

Nasr's major achievement during his tenure was the reform of the tax system, which had been established at the time of the Muslim conquest and remained unchanged for almost a century since. As it relied on the collection of tribute by the various local non-Muslim leaders, the Muslim settlers and converts in Khurasan often found themselves at a disadvantage against non-Muslims, contributing to their increasing resentment of Umayyad rule. Nasr therefore streamlined the tax system, implementing a blanket imposition (the kharaj) on all owners of agricultural land, and forcing the non-Muslims to pay an additional poll tax (the jizyah).[3] In 743, he also captured and executed Yahya, son of Zayd ibn Ali and a leader of the Shia sect of the Hashimiyya. According to G.R. Hawting, it was probably after this the widespread Hashimi movement in Khurasan came under the control of the Abbasids.[4]

In 744 however, Nasr quarrelled with the leaders of the predominantly Yemeni army of his province, leading to their revolt under Juday' al-Kirmani. Nasr tried to strengthen his own position by enlisting the services of al-Harith ibn Surayj, an old rebel who enjoyed considerable support among some Arab tribes and especially his native Banu Tamim. When Ibn Surayj arrived at the provincial capital Marv in 746 however, he tried to seize the town for himself. He was repulsed with many casualties, and made common cause with al-Kirmani.[5] With Marwan II still trying to consolidate his own position in Syria and Mesopotamia, Nasr was bereft of any hopes of reinforcements. The allied armies of Ibn Surayj and al-Kirmani drove him out of Marv and forced him to retreat to Nishapur, but their leaders soon fell out and clashed, resulting in the death of Ibn Surayj. Nasr now resolved to take back Marv, backed by the Qaysis settled around Nishapur. In summer 747, the two armies confronted each other before the walls of Marv, but the conflict was avoided when news came of the start of the Hashimi uprising under Abu Muslim.[6]

Although an embittered son of Ibn Surayj murdered al-Kirmani during the negotiations, the two sides were able to settle their differences, and Nasr re-occupied his seat. Abu Muslim however soon managed to persuade al-Kirmani's son that Nasr had been involved in his father's assassination, causing the Yemenis under al-Kirmani to rally to his cause. As a result, in early 748 Nasr again had to abandon Marv, this time to the Hashimis.[7] Pursued by the Hashimi forces under Qahtaba ibn Shabib al-Ta'i, Nasr was forced to abandon Nishapur and retreat to the region of Qumis. At this point, the long-awaited reinforcements from the Caliph arrived, but their general and Nasr failed to coordinate their movements, and Qahtaba was able to defeat the Caliph's army and kill its commander. Nasr was now forced to abandon Qumis and flee to Hamadan, where he died soon after.[8]

References

  1. ^ Hawting (2000), p. 88
  2. ^ Hawting (2000), pp. 96, 105
  3. ^ Hawting (2000), pp. 106–107
  4. ^ Hawting (2000), pp. 113ff.
  5. ^ Hawting (2000), pp. 107–108
  6. ^ Hawting (2000), p. 108
  7. ^ Hawting (2000), pp. 108–109, 115
  8. ^ Hawting (2000), pp. 107–108

Sources

  • Hawting, G.R. (2000), The First Dynasty of Islam: The Umayyad Caliphate AD 661–750 (2nd Edition), Routledge, ISBN 0-415-24072-7
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nasr_ibn_Sayyar&oldid=397885457"