The Origins of the Islamic State/Part 2/Chapter 15
CHAPTER XV
al-Jarâjimah
The treaty with al-Jarâjimah. I am informed by certain sheikhs from Antioch that al-Jarâjimah[1] were the inhabitants of a town called al-Jurjûmah[2] lying between Baîyâs and Bûḳa on mount al-Lukâm [Amanus] near Maʿdin az-Zâj [vitriol pit]. While the Greeks held the authority over Syria and Antioch, the Jarâjimah were under the rule of the patrician and governor of Antioch. When abu-ʿUbaidah came and reduced Antioch, they confined themselves to their city and, in their anxiety to save their lives, they tried to go and join the Greeks. The Moslems took no note of them, nor did any one call their attention to them. When later the people of Antioch violated their covenant and acted treacherously, abu-ʿUbaidah sent and conquered Antioch once more, after which he made Ḥabîb ibn-Maslamah-l-Fihri its governor. Ḥabîb attacked al-Jurjûmah, whose people did not resist but immediately sought for peace and capitulation. Terms were made providing that al-Jarâjimah would act as helpers to the Moslems, and as spies and frontier garrison in Mount al-Lukâm. On the other hand it was stipulated that they pay no tax, and that they keep for themselves the booty[3] they take from the enemy in case they fight with the Moslems. In these terms were included besides the Jarâjimah all those who lived in their city, as well as the merchants, employees and dependents, whether Nabateans or not, together with the inhabitants of the villages. These were called "ar-Rawâdîf"[4] because they were included in the terms with the Jarâjimah though not of their number. Others say they were so called because they came riding behind al-Jarâjimah when the latter presented themselves in the Moslem camp. On certain occasions, al-Jarâjimah acted properly with respect to the [Moslem] governors; but on others, they deviated from the right path and held friendly communications with the Greeks.
ʿAbd-al-Malik agrees to pay them a certain sum. In the days of ibn-az-Zubair, when Marwân ibn-al-Ḥakam died and ʿAbd-al-Malik, who was appointed by Marwân as heir-apparent, wished to succeed Marwân in the caliphate and was ready to leave for al-ʿIrâḳ to fight against al-Muṣʿab ibn-az-Zubair, certain Greek horsemen went forth to Mt. al-Lukâm under a Greek leader and started for the Lebanon, after having been joined by a large body of al-Jarâjimah, Nabateans, and runaway slaves once possessed by the Moslems. Under these conditions, ʿAbd-al-Malik had to make terms with them, agreeing to pay 1,000 dînârs per week. He also made terms with the Greek "tyrant," agreeing to pay him a sum of money, because ʿAbd-al-Malik was too busy to fight against him, and because he feared that in case the "tyrant" came to Syria, he might overpower him. In this, he followed the precedent of Muʿâwiyah who, being engaged in the fight in al-ʿIrâḳ, agreed to pay something to them [the Greeks], and took hostages from them, whom he held in Baʿlabakk. All this synchronized with the attempt made by ʿAmr ibn-Saʿîd ibn-al-ʿÂṣi to secure the caliphate and his closing the gates of Damascus immediately after ʿAbd-al-Malik had left the city, which made ʿAbd-al-Malik still more busy. This took place in the year 70.
Suḥaim slays the Greek general. After that, ʿAbd-al- Malik sent to the Greek leader Suḥaim ibn-al-Muhâjir who, in disguise and through gentle behavior, succeeded in reaching him. Suḥaim played the act of a friend and won the favor of the leader by censuring ʿAbd-al-Malik, cursing him and dwelling on his weak points; so much so that the leader put full confidence in Suḥaim and was wholly deceived. At the favorable moment, however, Suḥaim fell upon him with a band of troops and freedmen of ʿAbd-al-Malik, who had been previously prepared for the attack and stationed in a convenient place, and killed him together with the Greeks who were with him. Suḥaim thereupon announced publicly a promise of security to those who had joined the Greek leader. Accordingly, the Jarâjimah were partly scattered among the villages of Ḥimṣ and Damascus; but the majority returned to their city on al-Lukâm. In like manner, the Nabateans returned to their villages, and the slaves to their masters.
Maimûn al-Jurjumâni. One of these slaves was Maimun al-Jurjumâni, a Greek slave, who belonged to the banu-umm-al-Ḥakam (umm-al-Ḥakam being the sister of Muʿâwiyah ibn-abi-Sufyân) who were of the tribe of Thaḳîf. The slave was named after al-Jarâjimah, because he mixed with them and rebelled with them in Mt. Lebanon. Hearing of his strength and valor, ʿAbd-al-Malik asked his masters to set him free, which they did. He was then put by ʿAbd-al-Malik at the head of a regiment of troops and stationed at Antioch. With 1,000 men from Antioch, he and Maslamah ibn-ʿAbd-al-Malik led an invasion to aṭ-Ṭuwânah.[5] After fighting valiantly and standing gallantly, he fell a martyr. This so much grieved ʿAbd-al-Malik that he sent a large army against the Greeks to avenge his death.
{ul|Al-Walîd makes terms with them}}. In the year 89, al-Jarâjimah gathered themselves into their city and were joined by a host of Greeks from Alexandretta [Iskandarûnah] and Rûsis.[6] Consequently, al-Walîd ibn-ʿAbd-al-Malik sent against them Maslamah ibn-ʿAbd-al-Malik, who fell upon them with a host of Moslems and reduced their city on the following terms: Al-Jarâjimah may settle wherever they wished in Syria, each one of them receiving eight dînârs, and each family receiving the fixed provisions of wheat and oil, i. e., two modii of wheat and two ḳiṣts of oil; neither they nor any of their children or women should be compelled to leave Christianity; they may put on Moslem dress; and no poll-tax may be assessed on them, their children or women. On the other hand, they should take part in the Moslem campaigns and be allowed to keep for themselves the booty from those whom they kill in a duel; and the same amount taken from the possession of the Moslems should be taken [as tax] from their articles of trade and from the possessions of the wealthy among them. Then Maslamah destroyed their city and settled them in Mt. al-Ḥûwâr, Sunḥ al-Lûlûn [?] and ʿAmḳ Tîzîn. Some of them left for Ḥimṣ. The patrician of al-Jurjûmah accompanied by a body of men, after taking up his abode in Antioch fled to the Byzantine Empire.
Al-Wâthiḳ cancels the poll-tax. When a certain f ʿâmil held al-Jarâjimah of Antioch responsible for poll-tax, they brought their case before al-Wâthiḳ-Billâh at the time of his caliphate, and he ordered it cancelled.
Al-Mutawakkil levies tax. I was informed by a writer in whom I have full confidence that al-Mutawakkil ordered that poll-tax be levied on these Jarâjimah and that the regular allowance for food be given them, because, among other things, they were of value in the frontier garrisons.
Al-Jarâjimah molest the summer expeditions. It is claimed by abu-l-Khaṭṭâb al-Azdi that in the days of ʿAbd-al-Malik, the people of al-Jurjûmah used to make razzias against the villages of Antioch and al-ʿAmḳ; and whenever the summer expedition was carried out, al-Jarâjimah would cut off those who lagged behind or followed, together with any whom they could cut off at the rear of the army. They went so far against the Moslems that, by ʿAbd-al-Malik's orders, certain people from Antioch and some Nabateans were given stipends, placed as garrisons and set behind the armies of the summer expeditions in order to repel al-Jarâjimah from the rear. Therefore those set behind the armies of the summer expedition were called rawâdîf, i. e., followers, and to every one of them eight dinars were assigned. The former account is more authentic.
Az-Zuṭṭ. Abu-Ḥafs ash-Shâmi from Makḥûl:—Muʿâwiyah transplanted in the year 49 or 50 to the seacoast some of the Zuṭṭ and Sayâbijah[7] of al-Baṣrah, and made some of them settle in Antioch. According to abu-Ḥafṣ, there is in Antioch a quarter known by the name of az-Zuṭṭ. Some of their descendants are in Bûḳa in the province of Antioch and are known by the name of az-Zuṭṭ.
Some of the Zuṭṭ of as-Sind[8] were carried by Muḥammad ibn-al-Ḳâsim to al-Ḥajjâj, who sent them to Syria, and were later transplanted by al-Walîd ibn-ʿAbd-al-Malik to Antioch.
Lebanon rebels. Muḥammad ibn-Saʿd from al-Wâḳidi:—Some people in Lebanon rebelled, complaining of the collector of the kharâj of Baʿlabakk. This made Ṣâliḥ ibn-ʿAli ibn-ʿAbdallâh ibn-ʿAbbâs send against them troops who destroyed their fighting power, and the rest were allowed to retain their [Christian] faith. Ṣâliḥ sent the latter back to their villages and expelled some of the natives of Lebanon. Al-Ḳâsim ibn-Sallâm related to me on the authority of Muḥammad ibn-Kathîr that Ṣâliḥ received a long communication from al-Auzâʿi, of which the following extract has been preserved: "Thou hast heard of the expulsion of the dhimmis from Mt. Lebanon, although they did not side with those who rebelled, and of whom many were killed by thee and the rest returned to their villages. How didst thou then punish the many for the fault of the few and make them leave their homes and possessions in spite of Allah's decree:[9] 'Nor shall any sinning one bear the burden of another,' which is the most rightful thing to abide by and follow! The command worthy of the strictest observance and obedience is that of the Prophet who says, 'If one oppresses a man bound to us by covenant and charges him with more than he can do, I am the one to overcome him by arguments.'"[10] To this he added other citations.
The frontier and littoral towns fortified. Muḥammad ibn-Sahm al-Anṭâki from abu-Isḥâḳ al-Fazâri:—The banu-Umaiyah used to direct their summer and winter campaigns against the Greeks beyond the frontier cities of Syria and Mesopotamia by means of Syrians and Mesopotamians, and they used to station the ships for the invasion and to post the guard on the coast, giving up or delaying the invasion at the time in which the enemy was strong and wide awake [?]. When abu-Jaʿfar al-Manṣûr began his rule, he examined the forts and cities of the coast, peopled and fortified them, and rebuilt those of them that were in need of being rebuilt. The same thing he did with the frontier cities. When al-Mahdi became caliph, he carried the work in the remaining cities and forts to completion and strengthened the garrisons. Muʿâwiyah ibn-ʿAmr states, "What we saw of the efforts of Hârûn the 'Commander of the Believers' in conducting invasions, and of his penetrating insight in carrying on the holy war was really great. The industries he established were not established heretofore. He distributed possessions in the frontier and coast cities. He brought distress on the Greeks and humiliated them." Caliph al-Mutawakkil ordered in the year 247 that ships be stationed on all the seacoast and that garrisons be posted on it.
Footnotes edit
- ↑ Less correctly Jurâjimah. They are identical with the Mardaites; Lammens, MFO, vol. i, p. 17.
- ↑ Encyclopaedia of Islâm, vol. i, s. v., "Djarâdjima".
- ↑ Ar. nafl. See Muṭarrizi, p. 80.
- ↑ Followers, dependents.
- ↑ Yâḳût, vol. iii, p. 554.
- ↑ Yâḳût, vol. ii, p. 840.
- ↑ Kâmil, p. 41, line 3; p. 82, line 17; De Goeje, Mémoires sur les Migrations des Tsiganes, pp. 1–32, 86–91.
- ↑ Ḥauḳal, p. 226.
- ↑ Kor., 6: 164.
- ↑ As-Suyûti, Kanz al-ʿUmmâl, I, 270.