{"id":39780,"date":"2016-10-17T10:41:38","date_gmt":"2016-10-17T08:41:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/site\/?p=39780"},"modified":"2016-10-17T17:20:14","modified_gmt":"2016-10-17T15:20:14","slug":"%d9%85%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%a8%d8%a7-%d8%a5%d8%b1%d9%85%d9%8a%d8%a7-%d9%85%d8%b5%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d9%84%d9%88%d8%a9-177-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/%d9%85%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%a8%d8%a7-%d8%a5%d8%b1%d9%85%d9%8a%d8%a7-%d9%85%d8%b5%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d9%84%d9%88%d8%a9-177-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3\/","title":{"rendered":"Beautiful Egypt 177 \u2013 \u00abAl-Amin and Al-Ma\u2019mun\u00bb October 16, 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0In the previous article, we resumed tackling the incidents which Pope Mark II had witnessed until his departure in 819 A.D. Then, we spoke of Caliph Mohammed al-Amin and how historians had different views regarding his character. Some asserted that he lacked in political adeptness, was reckless, and extravagant. They added that he also lacked insight. Meanwhile, others maintained that he was kind. They supported their argument with this story: it came to pass that somebody asked him to arrest al-Ma\u2019mun\u2019s two sons. So, he got upset and said, \u201cHow come you ask me to arrest my sons and shed my kinsmen\u2019s blood? This is but corruption!\u201d Also, he was said to be cultured, well-read in several fields, such as languages, jurisprudence (fiqh), history, and literature. Moreover, some claimed that he was smart, which his tutors, al-Asmai\u2019 and al-Kisa\u2019i, had vouched for. He was witty, eloquent, kind and forgiving.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0As for the State\u2019s conditions during his tenure, trouble started: only for wars to ensue between al-Amin and al-Ma\u2019mun. We already mentioned that Harun al-Rashid had divided the State amongst his sons, giving the East to al-Ma\u2019mun (Khorasan, Rey till Hamadan), the West to al-Amin (Egypt, Morocco, and the Levant), and al-Jazeera, the Militarisms, and the capitals to al-Mu\u2019taman. He set a succession plan as follows: al-Amin was heir apparent, followed by al-Ma\u2019mun, then al-Mu\u2019taman.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Al-Rashid documented this in deeds which were hung on the Kaaba as he was conducting pilgrimage (Hajj) in 186 Hijri. He asked the brothers to be faithful to each other, and demanded that al-Amin leave the entire East to his brother al-Ma\u2019mun with its militarisms, provinces, troops, taxes, money houses, charity, and post.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Yet, after al-Rashid\u2019s death on his way to Khorasan to overcome the rebellion of Rafi\u2019 bin al-Layth, accompanied by al-Ma\u2019mun, al-Amin sent his father a messenger called Bakr bin al-Mu\u2019tamer, carrying two messages. The first was addressed to al-Ma\u2019mun in which he condoled him on their father\u2019s death, demanding the caliphate for himself and naming al-Ma\u2019mun heir apparent to be succeeded by al-Mu\u2019taman. The second message was addressed to his brother, Salih, asking him to pledge allegiance from his followers for him, then al-Ma\u2019mun, followed by al-Mu\u2019taman. He enticed him to come over fast with troops and supplies, not to make any decision (major or minor) without seeking al-Fadl bin al-Rabi\u2019\u2019s advice first. The latter was with Harun al-Rashid at the time of his death. In effect, al-Fadl bin al-Rabi\u2019 sent the troops back, after which he went to Baghdad to pledge allegiance to al-Amin. Al-Amin was pleased and appointed him minister and assigned him governance affairs.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0On the other hand, al-Ma\u2019mun headed to Khorasan and the East. He practiced a moderate policy, making al-Fadl bin Suhayl his mentor and minister. He was on good terms with tribe chiefs and his subjects, for he reduced taxes. Likewise, he asked jurists to be fair. So, the country was filled with justice. His subjects loved and supported him. Also, he kept his promise with his brother al-Amin, inquiring after him and sending him presents.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Thus, the two brothers lived in peace which was temporary, though. Al-Amin\u2019s page instigated rift and strife between them. So much so that war almost broke out! Al-Fadl bin al-Rabi\u2019 enticed al-Amin to make his son Mussa heir apparent instead of al-Ma\u2019mun. Al-Amin abided by his minister\u2019s advice. This took place by the end of 194 Hijri (809 A.D.), after which he deposed al-Qassim from the assignments given to him by his father Harun al-Rashid.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0When the news reached al-Ma\u2019mun, he realized that his brother wanted to depose him. So, he stopped writing to him. A terrible political conflict ensued. Also, during that year, al-Amin sent a delegation to al-Ma\u2019mun. It was presided by al-Abbas bin Mussa bin Eissa. He asked him to give Mussa bin al-Amin priority as heir apparent. But, al-Ma\u2019mun refused. No sooner had al-Amin known this, than he implemented al-Fadl\u2019s advice, deposing al-Ma\u2019mun and appointing his son heir apparent. Historians maintain that, \u201cAl-Fadl did not suffice with this or even more, such as forbidding imams from praying for Abdullah al-Ma\u2019mun and al-Qassim bin al-Rashid in mosques. He hired traitors to speak ill of al-Ma\u2019mun. Then, al-Amin sent someone to get him the documents hanging on the Kaaba and tore them up.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0At that time, al-Ma\u2019mun had dispatched troops to secure his borders, for war seemed close. So was it. When al-Ma\u2019mun refused his brother\u2019s claim, the latter sent an army led by Ali bin Eissa bin Mahan to overcome his brother. This took place on Jumada al-Akhira 10, 195 Hijri (March 10, 811 A.D.). When al-Amin\u2019s army reached Rey where al-Ma\u2019mun\u2019s troops were guarding the borders under the command of Tahir bin al-Hussein, a fierce battle broke out, and al-Ma\u2019mun\u2019s army emerged victorious.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Al-Amin did not stop. He sent another army led by Abdul Rahman bin Jablah to Hamadan. The two armies fought each other, and al-Ma\u2019mun\u2019s troops were also victorious, after which they started marching toward Qazvin which proconsul, appointed by al-Amin, fled. So, al-Ma\u2019mun appointed one of his followers proconsul there.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0The two defeats which al-Amin experienced led to turmoil in Baghdad. In turn, al-Amin and his minister mobilized a 40-thousand-sentry army led by Ahmed bin Muzid and Abdullah bin Humayd who marched to Helwan to send al-Ma\u2019mun\u2019s army away. However, the two commanders clashed and returned to Baghdad, which gave al-Ma\u2019mun\u2019s army a chance to move forward. Tahir bin al-Hussein entered Helwan in 196 Hijri (811-812 A.D.) Then, al-Ma\u2019mun started getting ready to march to Baghdad from both the East and West. So, he sent Hartama bin A\u2019yan to Helwan and asked Tahir to head to Ahvaz. Thus, he besieged Baghdad from both directions.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0At that time, al-Amin was enfeebled, for rebellions against him broke out in Mecca, Medina and the Levant. Then, al-Hussein bin Ali bin Eissa, who he dispatched to overcome the rebellion of the Levant, also rebelled against him. The man returned suddenly to Baghdad, having decided to depose al-Amin. He instigated the people of Baghdad against him, then arrested him and his mother and imprisoned them in his palace in Baghdad. Having done so, al-Hussein declared al-Ma\u2019mun caliph. Yet, some people of Baghdad rebelled against al-Hussein, arrested him, and restored al-Amin to his throne. They relinquished al-Hussein to him, but he forgave him and re-assigned him the army\u2019s affairs. However, his sentries killed him!<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0At that time, al-Ma\u2019mun\u2019s troops conquered Persia, Wasit, Kufa, Basra, and al-Mada\u2019in, which opened the road to Baghdad. Here, another story begins. Stories never end in Beautiful Egypt.<\/span><\/h2>\n

General Bishop<\/span><\/h2>\n

Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center<\/span><\/h2>\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0In the previous article, we resumed tackling the incidents which Pope Mark II had witnessed until his departure in 819 A.D. Then, we spoke of Caliph Mohammed al-Amin and how historians had different views regarding his character. Some asserted that he lacked in political adeptness, was reckless, and extravagant. They added that he also […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":19638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[6679,6389,6676,240,682,642],"class_list":["post-39780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-al-amin-and-al-mamun","tag-beautiful-egypt","tag-6676","tag---2","tag-682","tag-642"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39780"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39780"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39780\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39819,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39780\/revisions\/39819"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}