Azariqa

The Azariqa (Arabic: الأزارقة‎, al-azāriqa) were an extremist branch of Khawarij, who followed the leadership of Nafi ibn al-Azraq al-Hanafī al-Handhalī.

Not to be confused with Azraqi.

Adherents of Azraqism participated in an armed struggle against the rulers of the Umayyad Caliphate, and they declared those who avoided this duty infidels - kafirs - and allowed their murder. Nafi ibn al-Azraq even permitted the killing of women and children of his opponents. At the same time, the Azraqites did not extend the principle of killing “apostates” to Christians and Jews, since they believed that they did not betray the teachings of the prophets Jesus and Moses.

Like all Kharijites, they declared Muslims who committed great sins (al-Kabā'ir) to be unfaithful, and claimed that they would eternally suffer in hellfire. The Azraqites denied the principle of “prudent concealment of faith” (takiya). They recognized the imamate as “worthy” (أفضل ʾafḍal), that is, the applicant who would come up with arms and call people to fight “unbelievers” and would not allow the imamate to be “surpassed” (مفضول mafḍūl). Based on this, they declared the caliph Ali ibn Abu Talib, Usman ibn Affan and their adherents unbelievers. The Azraqites considered the territories beyond their control to be the "land of war" (دار الحرب Dār al-Ḥarb), and its population was subject to extermination.

History

In the 680s, Nafi ibn al-Azraq at the head of a 30 thousand-strong army launched an uprising in Iraq, directed against both the Umayyads and Shiites. The Kharijites of Oman and Yamama joined the rebels. Nafi ibn al-Azraq marched from Basra to Ahwaz and took control of it along with Fars and Kirman.

Freeing slaves and acting as defenders of the oppressed, the Azariqa found support among the rural population of the Umayyad Caliphate, mainly among the Persians. However, their fanatical intolerance and cruelty towards those who did not share their views narrowed the social base of the movement. In addition, hostility broke out between the Persians and Arabs in the Azraqite camp itself. After the death of Nafi ibn al-Azraq in 685 at the Battle of Dulab, the leadership was passed on to Ubayd-Allah ibn al-Makhuz.

For months the region between Basra and Ahwaz was the theater of plunder and destruction; General Al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra defeated and killed Ubayd-Allah ibn al-Makhuz in battle near Dujail (686). He was succeeded by his brother Zubayr ibn al-Makhuz, who reorganized his forces, returning to Iraq from where he had to retreat. Zubayr died in an attack on Isfahan (687 or 688), and his men scattered, fleeing to Fars and Kirman.

Qatari ibn al-Fuja'a al-Mazini was chosen as the leader of the Azraqites, who accepted the title of caliph and "emir of believers". He oversaw the reorganization of the Azraqites and began minting his name on coins in 688, continuing for 9 years. He eventually occupied Ahwaz and returned to Iraq, moving in the direction of Basra.

Subsequently, the governor of Mosul al-Muhallab ibn Abu Sufr was sent against the Azraqites, who had now been waging armed struggle against the state for 19 years. Government forces began to achieve relative success only after 694 AD, when Yusuf al-Hajjaj was appointed governor of Iraq. Al-Hajjaj's military successes complemented the subversive activities of al-Muhallab: he sent fake letters to the Qatari camp with thanks and money for the allegedly rendered services; sent allegedly naive people with tricky questions, the solution of which caused controversy and even a split between the Kharijites. Disagreements of a theoretical, legal and theological nature fueled the already existing dissatisfaction with the figure of Qatari and his entourage: many believed that the commander was arbitrary, did not take into account the opinion of the community, executed the innocent and pardoned the guilty of his own entourage. To this was added the differences between the Arabs and the Mawlas, whom the Arabs considered lower in position, but which made up 2/3 of the Qatari troops.

The Kharijite attack on Sabur on Eid al-Adha (20 March 696) was repelled; the units that retreated along the road to Shiraz were again defeated and moved to Istakhr. After a siege, which dragged on for several months, the Azraqites left the city and, having arranged a pogrom to punish the inhabitants for relations with al-Muhallab, took refuge in the town of al-Bayda. Several battles occurred around al-Bayda, after which the Azraqites surrendered the city, retreating to the east.

This series of defeats undermined the morale of the Azraqites; discontent with the leader resulted in open accusations and disobedience. There was a proposal to abandon the caliphate and transfer powers to a more worthy person; Qatari agreed to transfer the authority to a certain al-Muka'tari al-Abdi, which led to even greater dissatisfaction and the split of the troops into 3 camps. About 7-8 thousand soldiers swore allegiance to Abd Rabbihi al-Cabrir, 4 thousand to Abd Rabbihi al-Sagir, and only 4 thousand remained with Qatari. The first 2 groups were mainly Mawlas, the last - Arabs. These Azraqite groups came together in Jefrud-e Bala in a battle in which the Qatari supporters won, al-Kabir retreated, and al-Sagir died. A full-fledged Azariqa army, however, ceased to exist, so Qatari, with only fragments of his detachment left, retreated north to the mountains of Tabaristan. The region recognized the caliph's power only nominally, providing the Azraqites with protection.

The majority of the Azraqites pledged themselves to Abd Rabbihi al-Kabir as the new caliph, which caused dissatisfaction with Atiyah, who claimed the same title. There was a quarrel during which al-Kabir killed Atiyah, after which the supporters of Atiyah left the Azraqite camp and came to al-Muhallab asking for pardon, which they received. Even with such an advantage, al-Muhallab did not seek to force events and waited for further splits among the Azraqites. He managed to cut off the food supply to the Azraqite camp, turning the city of Jefrud-e Bala into a trap. One by one the attempts to break the siege ended in failure, and famine began. In the last, desperate attempt to break the blockade, the Azraqites were finally defeated and left the battlefield, leaving 4,000 dead on it, among whom was Abd Rabbihi al-Kabir himself. Al-Muhallab showed mercy to those who surrendered, and even allowed relatives to take wounded enemies for healing, provided that they renounce their "harmful beliefs", those who did not would be executed. The families of the slain Azraqites became the prey of the victors.

In the spring of the next year, al-Hajjaj called al-Muhallaba for a report, allowing him to leave as governor anybody he wanted; he chose his son Yazid. During this time, Qatari managed to get the better of Tabaristan's terrain, which sheltered him, and Sufyan ibn al-Abrad was sent to crush the revolt with a detachment of Syrian cavalry. No details about the hostilities in Tabaristan are reported, even the death of Qatari is described in different ways, the only things being known for certain that he died with a broken hip and was killed by a Mawla named Bazam. A breakaway faction from Qatari, led by Ubaid, was besieged by Sufyan in one of the fortresses of Kumis. Nobody reacted to the offer of a pardon in exchange for the execution of the instigators, and when all the food ran out and all the horses were eaten, the Azraqites left the fortress and gave their last battle, in which Ubaid died.

In the 8th – 9th centuries, the Azraqites continued to hold a presence in Iran, where Sistan was their center of operations. In Southern Iraq and Khuzistan, the Zanj Rebellion continued for 14 years, the leader of which was the azariqa Ali ibn Muhammad. To date, this sect has no followers and it is considered to have disappeared.

References

• Lewinstein, Keith. "Azāriqa." Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE. Edited by: Kate Fleet, Gudrun Krämer, Denis Matringe, John Nawas, Everett Rowson. Brill Online, 2016. 12 May 2016