The revolt of Yazid ibn al-Muhallab and the Day of al-'Aqr

ثورة يزيد بن المهلب ويوم العقر

c. 719 CE · 100 AH

In 101 Yazid ibn al-Muhallab rose and came to Basra, where 'Ali ibn Artat, its governor, had gathered its people and dug a trench around the city. Muhammad ibn al-Muhallab gathered men of his household and clients and came on in a column so terrifying to see that it charged the people of Basra. Al-Mughira ibn 'Abd Allah al-Thaqafi met it with horsemen, meaning to charge at it, but opened the way for it. Yazid kept on, and no horsemen or tribe of theirs came against him without making way, until he reached his house, and people came and went to him. He sent to 'Ali ibn Artat: hand me over to my brothers, and I will make terms with you over Basra until I take for myself what I want from Yazid ibn 'Abd al-Malik. He refused. Yazid then went out and camped at the open ground of the Banu Yashkur, midway between him and the palace. He fought, and 'Ali's men were routed. Yazid's brothers were held in 'Ali's custody, and 'Abd al-Malik ibn al-Muhallab said: I see arrows falling on the palace, and I fear they will come for us and kill us before Yazid reaches us, so throw garments over him. 'Abd Allah ibn Dinar, mawla of Ibn 'Amir, who commanded 'Ali's guard, rushed to the door, but the sons of al-Muhallab piled goods against the door, leaned on them, and stopped him. Yazid took Basra. He then marched to Wasit, leaving Mu'adh ibn Sa'id as his deputy there, and marched on until he camped at al-'Aqr. Maslama ibn 'Abd al-Malik came along the bank of the Euphrates until he camped at al-Anbar and crossed. Al-'Abbas ibn al-Walid met Yazid at Sawad, and they lined up and fought. The people of Basra had charged the Syrians so hard that they routed them, but the Syrians came back and routed them in turn. Yazid was on a grey mule and made for Maslama, wanting no one else. When he drew near, Maslama called for his horse to mount, and the Syrian horsemen wheeled upon Yazid. Yazid ibn al-Muhallab was killed, with his son al-Sumaydi, and his brother Muhammad ibn al-Muhallab was killed too. Al-Fadl ibn 'Ayyash of the Banu Jabir ibn Zuhayr al-Kalbi, of Mahlab, had told the Syrians: 'This is Yazid; by God, I will kill him or he will kill me.' He charged at him, they struggled for a while, and when the dust cleared Yazid was dead and al-Fadl was at his last breath. He signalled to his companions that he had killed him, and gestured at himself to show that Yazid had killed him. Yazid's head was washed, wrapped in a turban and sent to Yazid ibn 'Abd al-Malik. His killing was in Safar 102 ¹.