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Bugha al-Kabir's Pacification of the Armenian March

إصلاح بُغا الكبير ثغر أرمينية

between 852 and 855 CE

Armenia → Jurzan (Kartli/Iberia) → Arran

In al-Baladhuri: al-Mutawakkil gave Armenia to Bugha al-Kabir, who at Badhlis seized Musa ibn Zurara — one who had favoured Yusuf's killing and aided it in anger for Buqrat — warred on the Khwaythiyya, slaying a great slaughter and taking many captives, then besieged Ashut ibn Hamza ibn Jajiq, patrikios of Busfurrajan, at al-Baq, brought him down from his fortress and carried him to Samarra, marched on Jurzan where Ishaq ibn Isma'il was overcome and killed in cold blood, opened Jurzan, and carried off the people of Arran and the Armenian surface-dwellers in Sisajan — the rebellious and disobedient, Christians and others — till that march stood sounder than ever it had been; then he came to Samarra in the year 241.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Early Abbasid Caliphate
Region
Levant & Iraq
Review
Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it

In time

840850860870
The Early Abbasid Caliphate · Abbasid Fragmentation

Overview

al-Baladhuri relates that al-Mutawakkil appointed Bugha al-Kabir over Armenia, and that he set that frontier right and came to Samarra in 241 AH. 1

The campaign

When Bugha came to Badhlis, he seized Musa ibn Zurara, who had been among those who desired the killing of Yusuf and helped against him. He fought the Khuwaythiyya, killing a great slaughter among them and taking many captives. 1

He then besieged Ashut ibn Hamza ibn Jajaq, a patrician of Basfarrajan, who was in Baqi, and brought him down from his fortress and carried him to Samarra. He marched to Jurzan, defeated Ishaq ibn Isma'il and killed him in cold blood, and took Jurzan. 1

He brought out those who were in Arran, and the dissidents and rebels of Armenia from among the Christians and others, until the frontier was set right in a way that had not been seen before, according to al-Baladhuri. 1

Connections

Explore the connections

Occurred at
Armenia· Jurzan (Kartli/Iberia)· Arran
Had participant
Bugha, mawla of al-Mu'tasim (Bugha the Elder)· Ishaq ibn Isma'il ibn Shu'ayb· Musa ibn Zurara· al-Mutawakkil ala Allah

People and things also explored

Armenia· The Founding of al-Mutawakkiliyya· Arran· Jurzan (Kartli/Iberia)· al-Mufarraj ibn Sallam's Conquest of Twenty-Four Fortresses· al-Qummi's War on the Buja Lands· the Armenia–Azerbaijan treaty (25 AH)· The Conquest of Barah

Sources

  1. Futuh al-Buldan — al-Baladhuri (Mu'assasat al-Ma'arif edition) , p.297
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Bugha al-Kabir's Pacification of the Armenian March”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/bugha-pacification-armenia/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-16.

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Time

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Armenia

Armenia in al-Baladhuri on two schemata: Shimshat, Qaliqala, Khilat, Arjish and Bajunays as the fourth Armenia; the Busfurrajan district, Dabil, Siraj Tayr and Baghrawand the third; Jurzan the second; and Sisajan and Arran the first — or, it is said, Shimshat alone the fourth; Qaliqala, Khilat, Arjish and Bajunays the third; Siraj Tayr, Baghrawand, Dabil and Busfurrajan the second; and Sisajan, Arran and Tiflis the first; Jurzan and Arran were in Khazar hands and the rest of Armenia in Roman hands under the lord of the Armeniakoi, while it had lain in Persian hands until Islam appeared, Anushirwan having confirmed the kings of Jabal al-Qabq on their kingdoms for tribute.