Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad: Difference between revisions

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''''Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad b. Abih''' (Kufa 33/653-654 – 67/686-687) was the famous [[Umayyad]] commander, the governor of [[Kufa]] at the time of the tragedy of [['Ashura]] and one of the key persons in the martyrdom of [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] and his companions. 'Ubayd Allah was the governor of [[Basra]], but after the chaotic situation in Kufa in 60/679-680, [[Yazid]] appointed him to the governorship of Kufa keeping the governorship of Basra as well and assigned him with the task of suppressing the uprising of Imam al-Husayn (a). Due to his role in the tragedy of [[Karbala]], 'Ubayd Allah is among the most hated figures before [[Shi'a]].

In 55/674-675, 56/675-676 or 57/676-677, [[Mu'awiya]] removed 'Ubayd Allah from governorship of Khurasan and appointed him as the governor of Basra instead of 'Abd Allah b. 'Amr b. Ghilan.

In [[Basra]], 'Ubayd Allah encountered unrest provoked by [[Khawarij]] which peaked in 58/677-678 and he suppressed it with extraordinary brutality and killed many people.

After the death of Mu'awiya in 60/679-680, [[Yazid]] wanted to remove 'Ubayd Allah from Basra, but apparently tense political situations of Basra and Kufa did not let him do so. With the beginning of the uprising of [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] and sending his representative, [[Muslim b. 'Aqil]] to Kufa, Yazid appointed 'Ubayd Allah, whose cruelty in suppressing revolts was famous, also as the governor of Kufa. It is said that Yazid appointed 'Ubayd Allah following the consult of his Christian consultant, Sergiu b. Mansur to encounter the uprising of Imam al-Husayn (a).

In 60/679-680, people of [[Kufa]] agreed to make allegiance with [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] and expected coming of Imam (a) to Kufa. Ibn Ziyad entered the city while he had covered his face and people thought that it was Imam al-Husayn (a) and welcomed him, but soon found that it had been 'Ubayd Allah. The first action for 'Ubayd Allah was to search for the representative of Imam al-Husayn (a), [[Muslim b. 'Aqil]].

According to Ya'qubi, [[Hani b. 'Urwa]] knew Ibn Ziyad from the past and was sick when he entered the city. He guessed that 'Ubayd Allah will come to visit him, thus made an appointment with Muslim b. 'Aqil to kill 'Ubayd Allah. In another version, [[Sharik b. A'war]], one of the chiefs of [[Shi'a]] in Kufa became sick in the house of Hani and made an appointment with Muslim b. 'Aqil to kill Ibn Ziyad upon his coming to visit Sharik b. A'war. However, since Hani was not happy with killing in his house, Muslim refused to do so and Ibn Ziyad survived it.

According to Tabari, shortly after entering Kufa, Ibn Ziyad could find the hiding place of Muslim through trickery. Then, he invited Hani to Dar al-Imara and imprisoned him and after a short time, arrested Muslim as well and killed both of them and sent their heads to [[Yazid]].

'Umar b. Sa'd was already appointed by 'Ubayd Allah as the governor of [[Ray]] and was about to move towards Ray, but Ibn Ziyad missioned him to take the allegiance of Imam al-Husayn (a) with [[Yazid]] or fighting him and when 'Umar asked 'Ubayd Allah to excuse him from doing so, Ibn Ziyad conditioned 'Umar's appointment to his encounter with Imam al-Husayn (a).

After the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (a), Ibn Ziyad ordered that they capture the rest of his family and take them to Kufa. Entering of the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] to Kufa in chain led to events which are mentioned in different sources, including the encounter and argument of Ibn Ziyad with [[Lady Zaynab (a)]] and her answers to Ibn Ziyad which made great effects in the gathering.

Among the events of Kufa at that time was taking the head of [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] to the court of Ibn Ziyad. According to historical sources, he hit the teeth and lips of Imam al-Husayn (a) with the stick he had in his hand and disrespected Imam (a). [[Zayd b. Arqam]], one of the [[Sahaba|companion]]s of [[the Prophet (s)]] who was in gathering, cried and said, "take that stick off the lips of Husayn (a)! I swear by [[God]] that I saw many times that the Prophet (s) kissed those lips." 'Ubayd Allah became angry and said, "May God make you cry! What do you cry for? For the God-given victory?! By God I swear that if you were not old and I did not know you have lost your mind, I would behead you!" When Zayd heard this, left the meeting.

After the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] entered Kufa, they were taken to the palace of 'Ubayd Allah. According to historical sources, ignoring 'Ubayd Allah and his gathering, [[Lady Zaynab (a)]] entered and sat in a corner while she was wearing ragged clothes. 'Ubayd Allah asked him three times, "Who are you?" but she (a) did not answer. Then, someone in the audience said, "It is Zaynab (a), daughter of [[Ali (a)]]." As if furious of Lady Zaynab's (a) disregarding him, 'Ubayd Allah derisively said, "thanks to God who exposed you and revealed your lying."

Ibn Ziyad said, "She composes rhythmic patterns like her father and talks in poetry."

After the tragedy of [['Ashura]], 'Ubayd Allah remained as the governor of [[Kufa]] and [[Basra]] using force and subjugation, however his rule became unstable after the death of [[Yazid b. Mu'awiya]]. According to Tabari and Abu 'Ali Miskawayh, after the death of Yazid, 'Ubayd Allah made a speech, the eve of which he had bribed the elders of Basra. After the speech, they raised and asked for continuation of his rule, but soon afterwards, people turned their back on him and went for making allegiance with [['Abd Allah b. Zubayr]].

When [['Abd Allah b. Zubayr]] reached power in [[Medina]] so that even some parts of [[Sham]] accepted his [[caliphate]] and even [[Marwan b. Hakam]] went to [[Hijaz]] to make allegiance with him, Ibn Ziyad met Marwan in Bathaniyya and stopped him from doing so and promised him that if he claims for caliphate, he himself will support Marwan. So, Marwan returned, Ibn Ziyad went to [[Damascus]] and deceived Zahhak b. Qays who had taken the allegiance of people with Ibn Zubayr and threw him out of the city and took the allegiance of people with Marwan. In the battle between the adherents of Marwan with Zahhak b. Qays in Marj Rahit near Damascus in which Zahhak was defeated, Ibn Ziyad was the commander of the horsemen of Marwan.

In the rule of Marwan, 'Ubayd Allah was also in Damascus. [[Tawwabun]] led by [[Sulayman b. Surad al-Khuza'i]] raised to take revenge on [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]]. Marwan b. Hakam sent Ibn Ziyad from Damascus to fight against them and promised him the rule of [[Iraq]] in the condition of defeating them. 'Ubayd Allah was informed of the death of Marwan (65/684-685) when he arrived in Jazira, but he continued his advance. Sulayman b. Surad set up his camp in 'Ayn al-Warda and sent Musayyib b. Najba Fazari to fight 'Ubayd Allah in advance and he defeated Shurahbil b. Dhi al-Kila' who was sent to battle by 'Ubayd Allah. Ibn Ziyad sent Hasin b. Namir to fight against Sulayman. Hasin was defeated very soon, but Ibn Ziyad backed him with his army and a bloody battle began in 'Ayn al-Warda (towards the end of Jumada I [[65]]/684). Sulayman and his companions were defeated and killed.

Ibn Ziyad, then tried to dominate the cities of Jazira who previously made allegiance with Ibn Zubayr and did not go to Iraq where [[Mukhtar al-Thaqafi]] had raised to take revenge on Imam al-Husayn (a) from [[Umayyad]]s. However eventually, he attacked Mosul which was controlled by the forces of Mukhtar .Adherents of Mukhtar withdrew towards Tikrit and informed Mukhtar of the Ibn Ziyad's attack; so, Mukhtar sent an army to fight Ibn Ziyad. The army of Mukhtar defeated the army of Ibn Ziyad. (Dhu a-Hijja 10, 66/July 11, 686)