Bābak Khorramdin (; 795 or 798 – January 838) was one of the main Iranian revolutionary leaders of the IranianBernard Lewis (1991), "The Political Language of Islam", University of Chicago Press, pp 314. "The last and most nearly successful of the Iranian movements, however was that of Babak, who established his independence in Adharbayjan early in al-Mamun's reign." Khorram-Dinān ("Those of the joyous religion"), which was a local rebellion against the Abbasid Caliphate. Khorramdin appears to be a compound analogous to durustdin "orthodoxy" and Behdin "Good Religion" (Zoroastrianism), and are considered an offshoot of neo-Mazdakism.C. E. Bosworth, Afshin; accessed March 15, 2007 . Babak's IranianizingBernard Lewis (1991), "The Political Language of Islam", University of Chicago Press, pp 482):""Babak's Iranianizing rebellion in Azerbaijan gave occasion for sentiments at the capital to harden against men who were sympathetic to the more explicitly Iranian tradition" rebellion, from its base in Azerbaijan in northwestern Iran,F. Daftary (1999) Sectarian and National Movements in Iran, Khurasan and Transoxania During Umayyad and Early 'Abbasid Times In History of Civilizations of Central Asia, vol. IV, part One, ed. M. S. Asimov and C. E. Bosworth. Paris: UNESCO Publishing, pp. 41–60 : "The activities of the Khurammiya reached their peak in the movement of Babak al-Khurrami, whose protracted rebellion based in north-western Iran seriously threatened the stability of the Abbassid caliphate.... This revolt lasting for more than twenty years, soon spread from Azerbaijan (North/West Iran) to western and central parts of Iran. called for a return of the political glories of the Iranian past.Kathryn Babayan, "Mystics, monarchs, and messiahs ", Harvard CMES, 2002. p. 138: "Babak revolted in Azerbaijan (816–838), evoking Abu Muslim as a heroic symbol..and called for a return to the Iranian past" The Khorramdin rebellion of Babak spread to the western and central parts of Iran and lasted more than twenty years before it was defeated when Babak was betrayed. Babak's uprising showed the continuing strength of ancestral Iranian local feelings in the region.
Etymology Bābak () is a New Persian name meaning "father", which is derived from the Middle Persian Pāpak/Pābag (), a common name in pre-Islamic Iran and also the name of one of the ancestors of the Sasanian dynasty, whose founder Ardashir I () was the son of a prince named Pabag. Babak's original name was al-Hasan and he probably adopted the name Babak near the beginning of his rebellion.
Background
Babak was born in 795 (or 798) in Bilalabad in the Mimadh district of the Ardabil area, which was part of Azerbaijan, a region in north-western Iran. The Mimadh district had provided the Sasanian marzban ("margrave") of Ardabil with troops during the Muslim conquest of Iran in 633–654, which resulted in the fall of the Sasanians and the conquest of Azerbaijan. The region was briefly occupied by the Khazars in 730–731 and had been controlled by the Arab Rawadid clan since the mid-8th century. Azerbaijan was populated by an Iranian people known as the Adhari, who were closely related to but distinct from the Persians. They spoke Adhari, an Iranian language.
Babak was most likely not of pure Persian extraction, and his native language may have been Adhari. His mother Mahru (whose name means "(a) beauty") was a non-Muslim wet-nurse from Azerbaijan. She is described as being "one-eyed" in Muslim sources and furthermore, by al-Tabari, as having become pregnant with her son after being raped by a mercenary. However, these stories are likely fabrications created by hostile authors in order to disgrace Babak. As for the identity of Babak's father, there are also multiple conflicting accounts. Al-Waqidi, as quoted by Ibn al-Nadim, states that he was an oil-seller from al-Mada'in (Ctesiphon) who had settled in Azerbaijan. Dinawari, who wrote his history in the late 9th century, states that there is ample evidence to support that his father's true name was Mutahhar and that he was a descendant of Abu Muslim, the Persian leader of the Abbasid revolution, through his daughter, Fatima. C. E. Bosworth argues that more credence should be lent to this latter account, as other sources are hostile and are eager to propose lowly or otherwise less honorable origins for Babak. Gholamhoseyn Yusofi writes that there is no way to know whether the report of Babak's descent from Abu Muslim is true, a fiction created by Babak to gain supporters, or a later invention. In the other sources, Babak's father's name is variably given as Abdallah, Amir ibn Abdallah, or Amir ibn Ahad, all of which suggest that he was a Muslim. Al-Tabari calls Babak's father Matar, while al-Sam'ani calls him Mirdas. This latter name has been interpreted by some as "man-eater" and is also the name of the father of the legendary villain Zahhak; it may be associated with Babak's reputation in the sources as a bloodthirsty person.
Babak's original faith is uncertain; he was born with the Muslim name of al-Hasan, and his three brothers, Mu'awiya, Abdallah, and Ishaq, also had Muslim names. According to Crone, non-Muslims could adopt Muslim names without becoming Muslims, but this was typically the practice of non-Muslim elites "who needed to move freely in Muslim society". Since Babak's parents were probably no more than landless villagers (per Crone, following al-Waqidi), this was likely not their reason for giving their sons Muslim names. Rather, they knew that "the future of their children lay with the Arab warlords [of Azerbaijan], and so brought them up to think of themselves as Muslims."
Early life
During Babak's youth, his travelling father was killed near Sabalan. Until the age of twelve, Babak worked as a cowherd, and afterwards entered the service of an Arab warlord named Shibl ibn al-Muthanna al-Azdi in Sarab, where he worked as a groom and servant. The ghilman ("slaves") of Shibl taught Babak how to play the lute. Babak also learned to recite poetry, probably in the local Adhari dialect. According to the 11th-century writer Abu'l Ma'ali, Babak played the lute and sang songs for the locals whilst working as a fruit vendor in the village. Babak later established himself in the city of Tabriz. There he worked under another Arab warlord, Muhammad ibn Rawwad Azdi for two years, until he reached adulthood and left for his village, Bilalabad. There Babak encountered a wealthy and influential landlord named Javidhan, who was reportedly impressed with the latters cleverness, and as result recruited him into his service. Unlike the previous men Babak had served, Javidhan was a local Iranian, and the leader of one of the two Khurramite movements in Azerbaijan. The leader of the other Khurramite movement was a certain Abu Imran, who often clashed with Javidhans forces. During one of the clashes, Abu Imran was defeated and killed, whilst Javidhan was mortally wounded, dying three days later. Javidhan was succeeded by Babak, who had already converted to Khurramism under the latters service. It was most probably during this period that Babak changed his name from al-Hasan to Babak.
Movement
In 755, Abu Muslim was murdered. Although he had helped the Abbasids to defeat the former Caliphs, the Umayyad dynasty, the ruling Caliph had given the order to kill him, probably because of his increasing popularity among Iranians and non-Muslims. This incident led to many revolts, mostly by angry Khurramiyyah (Khorram-Dinān) and some Zoroastrians. This, in turn, forced the Caliphs to use more violence against the Iranian population in order to keep the eastern provinces under control. The constant revolts did not come to an end in the following decades, and the Iranian population of the Caliphate was constantly being oppressed.
Babak joined the Khurramiyyah (Khorram-Dinān). The story of joining the Khorrami movement is being told in Waqed's account, in summary, as follows:
Under the direction of his mentor Javidhan, a leader of one of the sects of the Khorramdin, Babak's knowledge of history, geography, and the latest battle tactics strengthened his position as a favorite candidate for commander during the early wars against the Arab occupiers.
Babak was a highly spiritual person who respected his Zoroastrian heritage. He made every possible effort to bring Iranians together and also with leaders such as Maziar to form a united front against the Arab Caliph. According to the medieval historian, Ibn Isfandyar, who composed the book Tarikh-e Tabaristan (History of Tabaristan), Maziar said:
However, one of the most dramatic periods in the history of Iran was set under Babak's leadership between 816–837. During these most crucial years, they not only fought against the Caliphate, but also for the preservation of Persian language and culture.
After the death of Javidhan, Babak married Javidhan's wife and became the Khorramis' leader, sometime in the year 816–17 during al-Ma'mun's reign. Babak incited his followers to rebel against the caliphate.
According to Vladimir Minorsky, around the 9th–10th century:V. Minorsky, Studies in Caucasian History, Cambridge University Press, 1957, p. 112
At that time of Babak, there were Khorramis scattered in many regions of Iran, besides Adharbayjan, reportedly in Tabarestan, Khorasan, Balkh, Isfahan, Kashan, Qom, Ray, Karaj, Hamadan, Lorestan, Khuzestan as well as in Basra, and Armenia.
Tabari records that Babak claimed he possessed Javadan's spirit and that Babak became active in 816–817. In 819–820 Yahya ibn Mu'adh fought against Babak, but could not defeat him. Two years later Babak vanquished the forces of Isa ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Khalid. In 824–825 the caliphal general Ahmad ibn al Junayd was sent against Babak. Babak defeated and captured him.
In 827–828 Muhammad ibn Humayd Tusi was dispatched to fight Babak. He won a victory and sent some captured enemies, but not Babak, to al-Ma'mun. However, about two years later, on June 9, 829, Babak won a decisive victory over this general at Hashtadsar. Muhammad ibn Humayd lost his life. Many of his soldiers were killed. The survivors fled in disarray.
Babak's victories over Arab generals were associated with his possession of Babak Castle on Badd, an inaccessible mountain stronghold according to the Arab historians who mentioned that his influence also extended even to the territories of today's Azerbaijan – "southward to near Ardabil and Marand, eastward to the Caspian Sea and the Shamakhi district and Shervan, northward to the Muqan (Moḡan) steppe and the Aras river bank, westward to the districts of Jolfa, Nakjavan, and Marand".
In 835–836 the caliph al-Mu'tasim sent his outstanding general Afshin against Babak. Afshin rebuilt fortresses. He employed a relay system to protect supply caravans. Babak tried to capture the money being sent to pay Afshin's army but was himself surprised, lost many men and barely escaped. He did succeed in capturing some supplies and inflicting some hardship on his enemies. Amongst Babak's commanders, various names have been mentioned including Azin, Rostam, Tarkhan, Mua’wiyah and Abdullah.Said Nafisi, Babak Khorramdin Delawar-e-Azerbaijan [Babak Khorramdin, the brave-heart of Azerbaijan], Tehran: Tabesh, 1955
The next year Babak routed the forces of Afshin's subordinate, Bugha al-Kabir. In 837–838 al-Mu'tasim reinforced Afshin and provided him clear military instructions. Patiently following these enabled Afshin to capture Babak's stronghold of Babak Castle. Babak escaped. Al-Mu'tasim sent a safety guarantee for Babak to Afshin. This was taken to Babak who was very displeased. He said: "Better to live for just a single day as a ruler than to live for forty years as an abject slave."