Asad ibn Abdallah al-Qasri

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Asad ibn Abdallah al-Qasri
DiedFebruary 738
Balkh
Years active724–738
Known forTwice
Khurasan, defeated the Türgesh
Opponents
Parent
  • Abdallah ibn Yazid al-Qasri (father)

Asad ibn Abdallah al-Qasri (

mawali
), and enjoyed good relations with many local nobles, who began to convert to Islam under his influence. His military expeditions during his first tenure were targeted mainly against restive local princes, avoiding a direct confrontation with the Türgesh.

After his dismissal, his successors reversed his policy of reconciliation, resulting in a large-scale anti-Arab rebellion among the Soghdians. Another major defeat against the Türgesh in the

Islamization
of Central Asia.

Origin

Asad was a member of the Qasr clan, a subtribe of the

Ibn al-Zubayr in the Second Fitna, but was eventually pardoned by the Caliph Abd al-Malik (r. 685–705).[1][2]

First governorship of Khurasan

Geophysical map of southern Central Asia (Khurasan and Transoxiana) with the major settlements and regions
Map of Khurasan and Transoxiana in the 8th century

In 724, immediately after

Soghdian principalities of Transoxiana that had risen up against Muslim rule.[4][5]

According to the historian

Ghur (central Afghanistan).[8] The next year, Asad campaigned in Khuttal in Tokharistan, where he was confronted by the qaghan, the ruler of the Türgesh, who was called upon for aid by the local ruler, al-Sabal. One tradition holds that Asad retreated over the Oxus and went on to campaign with success in Ghur in the next year, but according to another he suffered a heavy defeat by the Türgesh.[9] In either case, Asad's military ventures were only moderately successful, and most importantly failed to address the growing danger of the Türgesh, who with the support of the local princes threatened to expel the Arabs back beyond the Oxus.[10][11]

At the same time, Asad tried to conciliate the local population, hoping to prevent them from supporting the Türgesh. He continued his predecessor's policy of appointing men known for their honesty as his fiscal agents. His reforms aimed to stop discrimination against the

Samanid dynasty, is said to have been converted to Islam by Asad at this time, and Saman's eldest son was named Asad in the governor's honour.[14][15]

AH
(726 or 727 AD)

In 726 Asad rebuilt the city of

Tahirid times.[14]

Asad was dismissed from his office in Ramadan 109 AH (December 727 or January 728 AD), when in an outburst of anger he had the chief representatives of the four greatest Arab tribes in Khurasan, the Ahl al-Aliyah, Azd, Tamim, and Bakr, publicly flogged. Caliph Hisham demanded his dismissal, and after naming al-Hakam ibn Awana al-Kalbi as his deputy, Asad returned to his brother in Iraq.[19]

Second governorship of Khurasan

Asad was replaced by

Marw, and forced him to seek terms.[24][25][26] Asim's position remained precarious, however, and he wrote to the Caliph, asking for the placement of Khurasan once again under the purview of Iraq, the appointment of a new governor and the substantial reinforcement of the province with Syrian troops. Hisham accepted the recommendations, and instructed Khalid al-Qasri to send Asad once again as governor to Khurasan.[27][28] Early in 735, Harith renewed his rebellion. This time, whether due to pressure from local sympathizers in Marw or as an expedient way to gain time for Asad to arrive, Asim agreed to a truce with Harith, promising also to support Harith's demands against the Caliph.[29][30]

In early 735 Asad arrived once more to take up the governorship of Khurasan, this time accompanied by 20,000 Syrian troops, according to the 11th-century historian

Tirmidh. In the face of Harith's forces, Asad's troops could not cross the Oxus, but retreated to Balkh. The Tirmidh garrison, however, managed to defeat Harith, who retired eastwards to the mountains of Badakhshan. Asad followed up this success by persuading the garrison of Zamm to surrender on promises of amnesty and double pay. Asad then led an expedition to recover Samarkand, which had been lost in the aftermath of the Defile. He failed to take the city, and returned to Balkh after destroying the sluices of the city's irrigation canals.[33][34]

The next year, 736, Asad's forces cleared the mountains of Upper Tokharistan from the remnants of Harith's supporters. Many of the latter, including some of Harith's relatives, were blockaded in the fortress of Tabushkhan by Asad's commander

Hashimiyya movement, Ammar ibn Yazid, known as Khidash, by crucifixion.[38]

In 737, Asad again led his troops north of the Oxus in a retaliatory campaign against Khuttal, whose ruler had allied himself with both Harith and the Türgesh. While Asad captured a few fortresses and pillaged the land, the Khuttalan regent, Ibn al-Sa'iji, called for aid from the Türgesh qaghan,

Hephthalite princes of Lower Tokharistan in revolt as well. In this the Türgesh failed, as the king of Juzjan joined Asad, who was approaching with what forces he could muster. Asad's advance caught the qaghan and Harith off guard; Asad came upon them near Kharistan, where they were accompanied by only 4,000 men, the rest having scattered to plunder and forage. In the ensuing Battle of Kharistan, Asad routed the Türgesh. Harith and the qaghan barely escaped and fled north over the Oxus. The Türgesh detachments south of the Oxus were largely destroyed piecemeal by Juday al-Kirmani, ending the threat to Khurasan.[42][43][44]

After his victory over the Türgesh, Asad sent an expedition against Badr Tarkhan, possibly a prince of

Bamiyan in Ghur, who had taken advantage of the turmoil of the previous year and captured Khuttal. The expedition was successful, and Khuttal returned to Arab rule.[45][46] A short while later, in February 738, Asad died at Balkh after a brief illness. Ja'far ibn Hanzala al-Bahrani succeeded him temporarily until, in July, Nasr ibn Sayyar was named to the governorship.[47][45][48]

Legacy

Asad's second governorship was of crucial importance to the future of

An Lushan Rebellion.[51]

References

  1. ^ a b Crone 1980, p. 102.
  2. ^ Hawting 1971, pp. 925–926.
  3. ^ Gibb 1960, p. 684.
  4. ^ Blankinship 1994, pp. 125–127.
  5. ^ Gibb 1923, pp. 65–66.
  6. ^ Gibb 1923, p. 66.
  7. ^ Blankinship 1994, p. 123.
  8. ^ Blankinship 1989, pp. 25–26.
  9. ^ Blankinship 1989, pp. 30–32, 34.
  10. ^ a b Blankinship 1994, p. 127.
  11. ^ Gibb 1923, p. 68.
  12. ^ Gibb 1923, p. 67.
  13. ^ Gibb 1923, pp. 68–69.
  14. ^ a b Gibb 1960, p. 685.
  15. ^ Frye 1975, p. 136.
  16. ^ Gibb 1960, pp. 684–685.
  17. ^ Blankinship 1989, pp. 26–27.
  18. ^ Gibb 1923, pp. 66–68.
  19. ^ Blankinship 1989, pp. 35–38.
  20. ^ Blankinship 1994, pp. 127–128.
  21. ^ Gibb 1923, pp. 69–72.
  22. ^ Blankinship 1994, pp. 155–161.
  23. ^ Gibb 1923, pp. 72–76.
  24. ^ Shaban 1979, pp. 118–120.
  25. ^ Blankinship 1994, pp. 176–178.
  26. ^ Gibb 1923, pp. 76–77.
  27. ^ Blankinship 1989, pp. 111–112.
  28. ^ Shaban 1979, p. 120.
  29. ^ Shaban 1979, pp. 120–121.
  30. ^ Blankinship 1994, pp. 178–179.
  31. ^ Blankinship 1994, pp. 179–180.
  32. ^ Shaban 1979, p. 121.
  33. ^ Gibb 1923, pp. 77–78.
  34. ^ Shaban 1979, pp. 121–122.
  35. ^ Blankinship 1989, pp. 126–128.
  36. ^ Gibb 1923, pp. 80–81.
  37. ^ Shaban 1979, pp. 122–123.
  38. ^ Blankinship 1989, pp. 125–126.
  39. ^ Blankinship 1989, pp. 131–139.
  40. ^ Gibb 1923, pp. 81–83.
  41. ^ Shaban 1979, p. 124.
  42. ^ Blankinship 1989, pp. 139–147.
  43. ^ Gibb 1923, pp. 83–84.
  44. ^ Shaban 1979, pp. 125–126.
  45. ^ a b Blankinship 1989, pp. 162–164.
  46. ^ Shaban 1979, p. 126.
  47. ^ a b Blankinship 1994, p. 182.
  48. ^ Shaban 1979, p. 127.
  49. ^ Gibb 1923, pp. 84–85.
  50. ^ Gibb 1923, pp. 88–89.
  51. ^ Gibb 1923, pp. 89–98.

Sources

  • ISBN 978-0-88706-569-9
    .
  • ISBN 978-0-7914-1827-7
    .
  • ISBN 0-521-52940-9
    .
  • ISBN 0-521-20093-8
    .
  • OCLC 499987512
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  • OCLC 495469456
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  • OCLC 495469525
    .
  • Shaban, M. A. (1979). The ʿAbbāsid Revolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    ISBN 0-521-29534-3
    .
Preceded by
Khurasan

724–727 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Khurasan

734–738 		Succeeded by
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