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Marzuq's Ruse upon the Ispahbadh

حيلة مرزوق على الأصبهبذ

Tabaristan

When Tabaristan's people breached under al-Mansur and killed Muslims he sent Khazim ibn Khuzayma al-Tamimi and Rawh ibn Hatim al-Muhallabi — with them Marzuq Abu al-Khasib, Khazim's mawla, namesake of Kufa's Qasr al-Khasib. As the siege dragged he begged them to beat him and shave his head and beard; done, he escaped to the Ispahbadh claiming 'these two betrayed me — see what they did — I have fled to you; accept my desertion and I will show you the Arabs' weaknesses'. The Ispahbadh clothed him, rewarded him and showed trust; Marzuq wrote the generals all they needed, contrived the gate till it opened, the Muslims took the city and subdued the land.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Early Abbasid Caliphate
Review
Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it

Overview

Al-Baladhuri relates that the people of Tabaristan broke their covenant in the caliphate of al-Mansur, and Marzuq Abu al-Khasib used a stratagem until the Muslims took the city. 1

The story

Al-Mansur sent Khazim ibn Khuzayma and Rawh ibn Hatim, with Marzuq, his client, among them. When the affair dragged on, Marzuq asked them to beat him and shave his head and beard, and they did. He then fled to the ispahbadh and said that they had mistreated him, and he promised to show him the weaknesses of the Arabs. The ispahbadh clothed him, gave him gifts and trusted him. 1

Marzuq wrote to the two commanders with what they needed, and contrived the opening of a gate until it was opened. The Muslims entered the city and spread through the land. 1

The date needs an additional source.

Connections

Explore the connections

Had participant
Khazim ibn Khuzayma al-Tamimi· Marzuq Abu al-Khasib· روح بن حاتم
Occurred at
Tabaristan

People and things also explored

Conquest of Tabaristan· Hayyan's Treaty with the Ispahbadh· The Ibadi revolt of al-Julanda in Oman· Ibn al-Ash'ath's Tabaristan Campaign· Masmala's Destruction in Tabaristan· Mazyar ibn Qarin's Revolt· Sa'id ibn al-'As's Tabaristan campaign (30 AH)· The Revolt of Ustadhsis

Sources

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

islam.museum contributors. “Marzuq's Ruse upon the Ispahbadh”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/marzuq-ispahbadh-ruse/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-16.

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Conquest of Tabaristan

When Uthman made Sa'id ibn al-As governor of Kufa in 29 AH, the marzban of Tus wrote both him and Abdallah ibn Amir of Basra inviting them to Khurasan — whichever prevailed would hold it; Ibn Amir outstripped him, so Sa'id raided Tabaristan — with him, it is said, al-Hasan and al-Husayn the sons of Ali, though others say he raided on no writ at all — taking Tamisa and the village Namna and treating Jurjan's king for two hundred thousand dirhams.