Abd Allah ibn Amir

{{Unreferenced section|date=March 2021}}

Abd Allah ibn Amir was the son of Amir ibn Kurayz ibn Rabi'ah, the brother of Arwa bint Kurayz (mother of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan).

{{Campaignbox Muslim conquest of Persia}}

Ibn Amir's expeditions were mainly aimed at quelling revolts in former Sasanian Empire territories.{{Cite web |title=Governors of Uthman |url=https://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/19_uthman_bin_ghani.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302161813/https://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/19_uthman_bin_ghani.htm |archive-date=Mar 2, 2008 |website=witness-pioneer.org}}

File:Sakastan Sasanian era.png under the Sasanians]]

In 650, having secured his position in Kerman, Abd Allah sent an army under Mujashi ibn Mas'ud. After crossing the Dasht-i Lut desert, Mujashi ibn Mas'ud reached Sakastan, but suffered a heavy defeat and was forced to retreat.{{sfn|Marshak|Negmatov|1996|p=449}}

In 651, Abd-Allah ibn Amir sent an army under Rabi ibn Ziyad Harithi to Sakastan. After some time, Rabi reached Zaliq, a Sakastani border town, where he compelled the dehqan of the town to acknowledge Rashidun authority, and did the same at the fortress of Karkuya, which had a famous fire temple mentioned in the Tarikh-i Sistan.{{sfn|Zarrinkub|1975|p=24}} He then seized more land in the province. Next, he besieged the provincial capital, Zaranj, and, after a heavy battle outside the city, its governor, Aparviz, surrendered. When Aparviz went to Rabi ibn Ziyad to negotiate a treaty, he saw that Rabi was using the bodies of two dead soldiers as a chair, which horrified Aparviz. In order to spare the inhabitants of Sakastan from the Arabs, Aparviz made peace with them in return for a heavy tribute of 1 million dirhams, including 1,000 slave boys (or girls) bearing 1,000 golden vessels.{{sfn|Zarrinkub|1975|p=24}}{{sfn|Morony|1986|pp=203–210}} Rabi ibn Ziyad was then appointed governor of the province.{{sfn|Marshak|Negmatov|1996|p=450}}

The city of Estakhr was destroyed after a battle to take the city, and a force of 40,000 defenders, including many Sasanian nobles, were killed. Abd Allah invaded the Fars province and ended Persian resistance. After the Arab conquest of Pars, the Sasanian king Yazdegerd III fled to Kerman.{{sfn|Morony|1986|pp=203–210}}

Later, Abd Allah sent Ahnaf ibn Qais and Amr ibn Ma'adi Yakrib towards a further expansion of Arab control of the Sasanian Empire, which led to the Muslim conquest of Khorasan, during which they subdued the cities of Marw al-Rudh and Balkh.{{cite book |last1=Azizi |first1=Abdul Syukur |title=Utsman bin Affan Ra. |date=2021 |publisher=DEEVA Press; reserved by Indonesian National Library and IKAPI (Indonesian publisher association) |isbn=9786023919536 |edition=first |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uN0PEAAAQBAJ |access-date=6 January 2022 |language=id|format=ebook}} As winter came, Ahnaf and Amr stayed in Balkh.

After the death of Caliph Umar and the ascension of Uthman ibn al-Affan as Caliph, some of the recently annexed Persian territory rebelled. In the wake of the rebellions Uthman commanded Abd Allah to subjugate the rebellious territories and continue the conquest of the remnants of the Sasanian empire.

Caliph Uthman sanctioned an attack against Makran in 652 AD and sent a reconnaissance mission to Sindh in 653 AD. The mission described Makran as inhospitable, and Caliph Uthman, probably assuming the country beyond was much worse, forbade any further incursions into India.Elliot, Henry, "Historians of India: Appendix The Arabs in Sind, Vol III, Part 1", pp9Khushalani, Gobind, "Chachnama Retold An Account of the Arab Conquests of Sindh", pp72

{{Main|Muslim conquest of Kerman}}

The Rashidun caliphate sent two contingents tasked with conquering the Sasanian province of Kerman, headed by Ibn Amir and Suhail, who reached Tabasayn and then advanced towards Nishapur. Ibr Amir and Suhail quickly met opposition, fighting against the Koch and Baloch, resulting in the death of the governor of Kerman.

In 647 AD, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari was deposed from the governorship of Basra. Caliph Uthman appointed Ibn Amir as the new Governor of Basra; Ibn Amir was twenty-five years old at that time{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}.

During his tenure as governor in Basra, Ibn Amir changed the town from a transient camp to a permanent settlement, and the town gradually became a centre of commerce in Iraq. While Ibn Amir was involved in further conquests to the east, Basra gradually also started to lose its characteristic as a frontier garrison.{{sfn|Naji|Ali|1981|p=298-299}}

Uthman aimed to resolve tensions in the newly conquered Iraq caused by the sudden influx of Arab tribesmen into garrison towns such as Kufa and Basra, opening new fronts in territories he aimed to conquer in order to consume and channel the tribesmen's energy towards new military expeditions. When Ibn Amir arrived at Basra, he immediately prepared for new conquests into Persia.Baladhuri Futuh, p. 403 and pp. 418-22{{cite book | last = Shaban | first = M. A. | year=1979 |title = The 'Abbāsid Revolution |pages = 17–18}} Ibn Amir reformed Basra in many ways, including the construction of a new irrigation canal and improving the water supply infrastructure for the use of Hajj pilgrims passing through the area.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wDWyh3kg9Z4C&dq=fars+abdullah+amir&pg=PA230|title=The Great Arab Conquests: Penaklukan Terbesar Dalam Sejarah Islam yang Mengubah Dunia|first=Hugh N.|last=Kennedy|date=March 22, 2008|publisher=Pustaka Alvabet|isbn=9789793064666}}

During Caliph Uthman's reign, the province revolted alongside other Sasanian provinces, and Uthman directed Ibn Amir to personally lead the campaign to crush the rebellion.

Accordingly, Ibn Amir marched his forces into Persepolis, which surrendered and agreed to pay tribute. From there, the army marched to the city of Al j bard{{Clarify|reason=Is this name correct?|date=June 2022}}, where he encountered little resistance, and its citizens agreed to pay tribute.

Ibn Amir then advanced to Gor. The Sasanians fought against his forces, but they were defeated and the city was captured. Peace was made which included the introduction of Jizya. While still stationed in Gor, the army learned of a new revolt in Persepolis and Ibn Amir brought his forces back to Persepolis and laid siege to the city. After a violent battle, Ibn Amir's army was able to regain control of the city, and all the Sasanian leaders guilty of instigating the revolt were captured and executed. With the fall of Persepolis, other cities in Fars also surrendered unconditionally. The Caliph Uthman-appointed governor of Fars, after analyzing the situation, sent Islamic missionaries to various cities in the region to convert the people to Islam, with the hopes of avoiding future revolts.

After suppressing revolts in Fars, Ibn Amir turned towards Kerman, which revolted again in 651-652 AD, and sent a force under the command of Mujasshaa ibn Musa Salmi{{Verify spelling|date=June 2022}}. Kerman was soon re-conquered with little resistance.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xIjyLNpusbAC&dq=abdullah+ibn+aamir+kerman&pg=PA76|title=The Baloch and Balochistan: A Historical Account from the Beginning to the Fall of the Baloch State|first=Naseer|last=Dashti|date=October 22, 2012|publisher=Trafford Publishing|isbn=9781466958968}}

{{Main|Muslim conquest of Sistan}}

Uthman then directed Ibn Amir, who at the time was Governor of Basra, to re-conquer the province, and troops were sent to Sistan under Rabi' ibn Ziyad's command. He re-conquered the area up to what is now Zaranj in Afghanistan. Ibn Ziyad was made governor of Sistan, where he remained for some time before returning to Basra. The province revolted once again, this time affecting a much larger area.

Ibn Amir sent Abd al-Rahman ibn Samura to reconquer Sistan, and Ibn Samura led the Muslim forces to Zaranj. Once Zaranj was captured, Ibn Samura marched into Afghanistan and conquered it as far as Kabul. After this campaign Ibn Amir set his eyes toward Khorasan.

{{Main|Muslim conquest of Khorasan}}

Khorasan, a province of the Sasanian Empire, was conquered during the reign of Caliph Umar by troops under the command of Ahnaf ibn Qais. After Caliph Umar's death, Khorasan was the subject of a series of revolts under Sasanian King Yazdegerd III. Before he could lead the Sasanians against the Muslims, he was betrayed and killed in 651. The same year, Caliph Caliph Uthman ordered ibn Amir to re-conquer Khorasan. Ibn Amir marched with a large force from Basra to Khorasan to be joined by another contingent led by Said Ibn Al-Aas, who departed from Kufa together with Hudzaifah Ibn Al-Yaman, Husayn ibn Ali and Hasan ibn Ali.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=474iHr4bQJUC&dq=abdullah+ibn+aamir+khurasan&pg=PA64|title=Kisah Hidup Utsman ibn Affan|first=Mustafa|last=Murrad|date=February 1, 2009|publisher=Serambi Ilmu Semesta|isbn=9789790241374}}

After capturing the main forts in Khorasan, ibn Amir sent many columns in various directions into Khorasan in order to prevent the Sasanians from gathering into a large force. The town of Bayak, in modern Afghanistan, was taken by force, with a Muslim commander falling in the battle. After Bayak, the Muslims marched towards Tabisan, which was captured with little resistance. The Muslim army captured the city of Nishapur after a long siege, then continued capturing other towns in the Khorasan region and consolidated their position in the region. The Muslim army then marched towards Herat in Afghanistan, which surrendered to the Muslims peacefully. After gaining control of the region, the Muslims marched towards the city of Merv in modern-day Turkmenistan. The city surrendered along with other towns in the region, except for one, Sang, which was later taken by force. The campaign in Khorasan ended with the conquest of Balkh (Afghanistan) in 654.

However, a second uprising broke out again in Khorasan in the wake of the first Muslim civil war when Muawiya was appointed as Caliph replacing Caliph Ali. This revolt was centered in Herat and Balkh. Abd Allah ibn Amir was reappointed to deal with the revolt, and this time the retaliation was fierce and swift, with the famous Zoroastrian temple of Nobahar destroyed during the supression.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ca4ABAAAQBAJ&dq=amir+transoxiana&pg=PT114|title=Hist Afghanistan V 1 & 2|first=Percy|last=Sykes|date=July 10, 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317845867}}

After consolidating Muslim forces in Khorasan, Abd Allah ibn Amir crossed the Oxus River, known to the Muslims as the Amu Darya, and invaded Uzbekistan in southern Transoxiana. Details of these campaigns are little known but a greater part of southern Transoxiana submitted to the suzerainty of the Rashidun Caliphate.

{{Unreferenced section|date=March 2021}}

After the successful completion of his campaigns, Abd Allah ibn Amir donned the Ahram in Nishapur, and made a pilgrimage to Mecca to perform the Hajj and offer thanks to God. After performing the Hajj, Abd Allah ibn Amir proceeded to Medina to see Uthman. Before Abd Allah ibn Amir reached Medina, however, Uthman had been killed. When Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, Talha and Ayesha called for vengeance over the death of Uthman by the rebels, Abd Allah ibn Amir suggested they come with him to Basra because of his greater influence in the city. The confederates succeeded in capturing Basra because of the influence that Abd Allah ibn Amir commanded over its people. Along with Talha and Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, Abd Allah ibn Amir arrested and killed around 4,000 suspected rebels in connection with the murder of Caliph Uthman. In the Battle of the Camel in December 656, the confederates were defeated and Basra was captured by Caliph Ali.

The reign of Caliph Caliph Ali was full of turbulence. Though Abd Allah ibn Amir did not take part in the Battle of Siffin, which was fought between the forces of Caliph Ali and Muawiyah, he supported those seeking revenge for Caliph Uthman's murder. After the murder of Caliph Ali in 661, his eldest son Hassan ibn Ali became the caliph, but was pressured by the Syrian governor Muawiyah to resign as Caliph. To avoid another civil war, Hassan ibn Ali resigned in the favor of Muawiyah six months later. During this time, Abd Allah ibn Amir supported the caliphate of Muawiyah.

The caliphate of Muawiyah founded the Umayyad dynasty, dissolving the Rashidun empire. Abd Allah ibn Amir remained the governor of Basra under the Umayyad dynasty for some time, though Muawiyah later removed him from the governorship of Basra.

During his brief rule in Basra under Muawiyah, he had struck Sasanian-style coinage imprinted with the portrait of the Sassanid Khusraw Parviz, as mentioned in the Muwatta Imam Malik by Malik ibn Anas.{{cite book|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107162630/https://books.google.com/books?id=uhjSiRAwGuEC |archive-date=2014-01-07 |url-status=dead |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uhjSiRAwGuEC |title=Iraq After the Muslim Conquest |isbn=9781593333157 |last1=Morony |first1=Michael G. |year=2005 |publisher=Gorgias Press }}

In the wake of civil wars of the early 660s, crime was increasing in Basra. His successor, al-Harith ibn Abd Allah al-Azdi, failed to maintain public order. When Ziyad ibn Abihi arrived in 665 as governor, he recruited private watchmen who were hired by wealthy people fearing the level of crime in the city. Ziyad then established the "al-Shurta," consisting of four thousand infantry and cavalry; imposed curfews and put in place draconian laws, such as beheading anyone on the streets after the time of evening prayers; and re-established order on the roads outside Basra by appointing chiefs of Tamim and Bakr clan as the security forces of those roads.

Abd Allah ibn Amir was a well-regarded governor of the province of Basra for 9 years (647 – 656). He protested against his dismissal, but nevertheless left Basra for Medina and died there in 678.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

• Rashidun Caliphs
• Rashidun Empire
• Rashidun army
• Khalid ibn Walid
• Muslim conquest of Persia
• Military campaigns under Caliph Uthman

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite journal |last1=Naji |first1=A. J. |last2=Ali |first2=Y. N. |title=The Suqs of Basrah: Commercial Organization and Activity in a Medieval Islamic City |journal=Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient |date=1981 |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=298–309 |doi=10.2307/3631909 |jstor=3631909 |url=https://doi.org/10.2307/3631909 |access-date=27 October 2021|url-access=subscription }}
• {{cite encyclopedia |article = ʿARAB ii. Arab conquest of Iran |last = Morony |first = M. |url = http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/arab-ii |encyclopedia = Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. II, Fasc. 2 |pages = 203–210 |year = 1986}}
• {{cite book|last1=Marshak|first1=B.I.|first2=N.N.|last2=Negmatov|chapter=Sogdiana|title=History of Civilizations of Central Asia, Volume III: The Crossroads of Civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750|editor=B.A. Litvinsky, Zhang Guang-da and R. Shabani Samghabadi|year=1996|isbn=92-3-103211-9}}
• {{cite book | title = The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 4: From the Arab Invasion to the Saljuqs | year = 1975 | publisher = Cambridge University Press | location = Cambridge | last = Zarrinkub | first = Abd al-Husain | chapter = The Arab conquest of Iran and its aftermath | pages = 1–57 | isbn = 978-0-521-20093-6 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=hvx9jq_2L3EC}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aamir, Abdullah Ibn}}

Category:678 deaths

Category:Arab generals

Category:626 births

Category:Generals of the Rashidun Caliphate

Category:People of the Muslim conquest of Persia

Category:7th-century Arab people

Category:Umayyad governors of Basra

Category:Rashidun governors of Basra

Category:Banu Abd Shams