The Impact of the Geographical Factor on the Emergence of Political Rebellions in Southern Iraq (The Zanj Rebellion as a Model)

Abstract

The Zanj were a group of African slaves who spread terror in the Abbasid Caliphate's capital. The stage of this violent revolution, which lasted for more than fourteen years, was the marshlands stretching between Basra and Wasit. Groups of runaway slaves from nearby villages and towns, seeking to escape their miserable conditions, also joined them. They received no wages and survived only on small amounts of dates, flour, and porridge, which negatively affected their lives and ultimately led them to rise up against the authorities (Hassan, 2010, p. 216).

These Zanj were led by a man named Ali ibn Muhammad, a Persian from al-Taliqan, who claimed that divine providence had sent him to rescue them from their misery (Hassan, 2010). Moreover, he adhered to external democratic principles, believing that they suited the egalitarian tendencies sought by many members of the lower class. As a result, he was able to rally these Zanj, as well as fugitive slaves from neighboring villages and towns seeking to escape their dire situation. He promised them wealth and leadership if they stood firmly by his side and pledged that he would never betray or abandon them, sealing his promises with oaths and commitments (Bitar, 1997 ).