The role of Abu Muslim al-Khurasani in the Abbasid revolution

Abstract

Abu Muslim Al-Khurāsāni played a very important role in the establishment of the Abbasid caliphate. During the late 740 CEs, the Abbasid secret da'wah moved forward from secrecy to open revolution under the command of Abu Muslim Al-Khurāsāni in Khurāsān. After securing his position in Merv, the center of Khurāsān, Abu Muslim Al-Khurāsāni delivered Khurāsāni armies under the control of his commanders to the west. Consequently, his armies captured Kufa, the center of Iraq, under the command of the Abbasid leaders and also staunchly supported Abdullah bin Ali in toppling the last Umayyad Caliph, Marwan II. Thus, it is undeniable that Abu Muslim Al-Khurāsāni’s victory in Khurāsān was the starting point of the termination of the Umayyad caliphate and the creation of the Abbasid caliphate. Moreover, Abu Muslim Al-Khurāsāni was also one of the most important figures in selecting the first Abbasid Caliph in the beginning of the establishment of the Abbasid caliphate. Again, after the death of the first caliph, Abdullah Saffah, when the second Abbasid caliph, Abu Jafar Al-Mansur faced the revolt of Abdullah bin Ali, Abu Muslim Al-Khurāsāni himself marched with his Khurāsāni army and successfully suppressed the revolution. Despite Abu Muslim Al-Khurāsāni’s great contributions during the Abbasid revolution and also in the establishment of the Abbasid caliphate, he was executed by the second Abbasid caliph, Abu Jafar Al-Mansur soon after the establishment of the new caliphate. It was essential for the Abbasid caliph to execute Abu Muslim Al-Khurāsāni in order to establish full control over the entire caliphate. After his death, the Khurāsāni autonomy was also demolished and only when Abu Jafar Al-Mansur exercised absolute authority over the entire caliphate with a centralized government. Even though Abu Muslim Al-Khurāsāni’s contributions in the creation of the Abbasid caliphate were significant, no particular attention has been given to his major contributions in the existing literature relating to the Abbasid revolution. Accordingly, this study is designed with the intention to identify and analyze critically Abu Muslim Al-Khurāsāni’s major contributions during the Abbasid revolutionary period and in the establishment of the Abbasid caliphate.