Al-Hadi al-'Abbasi: Difference between revisions

'''Mūsā b. Mahdi b. Manṣūr''' titled as '''al-Hādi al-'Abbāsi''' (b. [[145]]/762 - d. [[170]]/786) was the fourth [[Abbasid]] [[caliph]]. al-Hadi al-'Abbasi ruled about 14 months. During his rule, [['Alids]] were under surveillance and their allowances were cut. During the rule of al-Hadi al-'Abbasi, [[Sahib Fakhkh]] made an uprising in [[Medina]] which was suppressed by him. He considered [[Imam al-Kazim (a)]] the main cause of provoking 'Alids in the [[Uprising of Fakhkh]]; and thus, he decided to kill Imam al-Kazim (a), but he died before committing that.

al-Hadi al-'Abbasi wanted to appoint his small son (Ja'far) as the crown prince instead of [[Harun al-Rashid]], but he could not. He followed the policy of his father, [[al-Mahdi al-'Abbasi]] in standing against [[Zindiqs]] (non believers) and killed many of them. After him, his brother Harun al-Rashid reached [[caliphate]].

Musa b. Mahdi b. Mansur b. Muhammad b. Ali b. 'Abbas titled as al-Hadi was the fourth [['Abbasid]] [[caliph]]. His teknonym ([[kunya]]) was Abu Ja'far<ref>Masʿūdī, ''al-Tanbīh wa l-Ishrāf'', p. 297.</ref> or Abu Muhammad<ref>Ibn Athīr, ''al-Kāmil'', vol. 6, p. 101; Ibn Qutayba, ''al-Maʿārif'', p. 381.</ref> and was born of a female servant called Khayzaran.<ref>Masʿūdī, ''Murūj al-dhahab'', vol. 3, p. 324.</ref> He reached the caliphate at the age of 25 in [[Muharram]] [[169]]/786.<ref>Ibn Kathīr, ''al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya'', vol. 10, p. 157.</ref> He was the youngest caliph until that time.<ref>Ṭaqūsh, ''Dawlat-i ʿabbāsīyān'', p. 91.</ref>

He was very dear to his father<ref>Ibn Kathīr, ''al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya'', vol. 10, p. 159.</ref> and was appointed as the first crown prince by his father at the age of 16 and was chosen as the leader of the army.<ref>Khiḍrī, ''Tārīkh-i khalāfat-i ʿabbāsīyān'', p. 51.</ref> Toward the end of his life, al-Mahdi decided to replaced al-Hadi with his other son, Harun, but he died before doing so.<ref>Ṭaqūsh, ''Dawlat-i ʿabbāsīyān'', p. 91.</ref> At the time of Mahdi's death, al-Hadi was in [[Jurjan]]<ref>Ibn Qutayba, ''al-Maʿārif'', p. 380; Ibn Kathīr, ''al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya'', vol. 10, p. 157.</ref> and was fighting with the people of [[Tabaristan]];<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk'', vol. 8, p. 187; Ibn Athīr, ''al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh'', vol. 6, p. 87.</ref> therefore, his brother Harun gave [[allegiance]] to him at the very same day of al-Mahdi's death<ref>Ibn al-Jawzī, ''al-Muntaẓam'', vol. 8, p. 305.</ref> and took the allegiance of the great Abbasid chiefs and commanders of the army for him.<ref>Masʿūdī, ''Murūj al-dhahab'', vol. 3, p. 324; Yaʿqūbī, ''Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī'', vol. 2, p. 404.</ref>

He was physically strong.<ref>Masʿūdī, ''al-Tanbīh wa l-Ishrāf'', p. 297.</ref> He was famous for his bravery and talent in government and [[generosity]]. However, he was a cruel, daring and zealous.<ref>Ṭaqūsh, ''Dawlat-i ʿabbāsīyān'', p. 91.</ref> Because of a defect he had in his lips, he was also known as "Musa Atbaq".<ref>Ibn Athīr, ''al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh'', vol. 6, p. 101.</ref> He was interested in literature and history and very much loved songs.<ref>Ṭaqūsh, ''Dawlat-i ʿabbāsīyān'', p. 92.</ref>

Al-Hadi al-'Abbasi was harsh on 'Alids and treated them cruelly. He cut all their allowances which were assigned for them at the time of al-Mahdi al-'Abbasi.<ref>Abū l-Faraj al-Iṣfahānī, ''al-Aghānī'', vol. 5, p. 6.</ref> [[Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani]] mentioned these actions because of the fear from 'Alids' uprising against al-Hadi.<ref>Abū l-Faraj al-Iṣfahānī, ''al-Aghānī'', vol. 5, p. 6.</ref>

In the first days of al-Hadi's government, [['Alids]] of [[Hijaz]] led by [[Sahib Fakhkh]] made an uprising in [[Medina]]<ref>Masʿūdī, ''Murūj al-dhahab'', vol. 3, p. 326;  Bilādhurī, ''Ansāb al-ashrāf'', vol. 3, p. 136; Maqdisī, ''al-Bidaʾ wa l-tārīkh'', vol. 6, p. 99.</ref> and were heavily defeated by the government. In this battle, many of 'Alids and Sahib Fakhkh's companions were killed.<ref>Ibn Kathīr, ''al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya'', vol. 10, p. 157; Abū l-Faraj al-Iṣfahānī, ''Maqātil al-ṭālibīyyīn'', p. 365.</ref> Al-Hadi's harsh encounter made the situation in Hijaz difficult for 'Alids. To free from this situation, they turned to one of the chiefs of 'Alids known as Ali b. Husayn b. Hasan and urged him to make an uprising.<ref>Yaʿqūbī, ''Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī'', vol. 2, p. 404.</ref> However, some believe that he looked for an opportunity to take the power since many years ago, considered it among the rights of 'Alids and looked for an opportunity to make an uprising; and that the oppression of al-Hadi toward 'Alids gave him the opportunity for uprising.<ref>Abū l-Faraj al-Iṣfahānī, ''Maqātil al-ṭālibīyyīn'', p. 372.</ref> In any case, he found the opportunity to make an uprising<ref>Ibn Kathīr, ''al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya'', vol. 10, p. 157.</ref> and began his movement in [[169]]/786. He first took over Medina and released the prisoners<ref>Ibn al-Ṭaqṭqaī, ''al-Fakhrī'', p. 189.</ref> and imprisoned Abbasid agents<ref>Khiḍrī, ''Tārīkh-i khalāfat-i ʿabbāsīyān'', p. 52.</ref> and made [[Masjid al-Nabi]] his command center. Then, he moved toward [[Mecca]] and camped in a valley called Fakh, six mils from Mecca.<ref>Ibn al-Ṭaqṭqaī, ''al-Fakhrī'', p. 190.</ref> People of Mecca did not accept his invitation. At that time, Abbasid army led by 'Isa b. Musa<ref>Maqdisī, ''al-Bidaʾ wa l-tārīkh'', vol. 6, p. 99.</ref> arrived in the region and after engaging in a battle, Husayn and his companions were defeated and killed.<ref>Masʿūdī, ''Murūj al-dhahab'', vol. 3, p. 326-327; Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk'', vol. 8, p. 192-204.</ref> This event became famous as the event of Fakh in the history and Husayn became known as Shahid Fakhkh (the martyr of Fakhkh) or Sahib Fakhkh.<ref>Ṭaqūsh, ''Dawlat-i ʿabbāsīyān'', p. 93.</ref> After the [[event of Karbala]], this event was considered the most heart-wrenching events for 'Alids and many laments were composed about it.<ref>Masʿūdī, ''Murūj al-dhahab'', vol. 3, p. 327.</ref>