Abu Muslim

Abu Muslim al-Khorasani (; c. 718–723 – February 755) was a Persian revolutionary and general who played a leading role in the Abbasid Revolution. He organized the Abbasid movement in Khorasan, defeated the Umayyad Caliphate, and helped establish the Abbasid Caliphate in 750 CE.Abdul Rahim Chandio and Manzoor Ali, "Abu Muslim Khurasani: An Architect of Abbasid History," *International Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Research*, Vol. 2, Issue 8, 2023.Jurji Zaydan, Abu Muslim al-Khurasani (Farsi translation), Internet Archive, 2016 edition.   

 Early life 
Abu Muslim’s exact origins are uncertain. Some sources say he was born in Merv, others in Isfahan. He may have been of Persian descent, possibly from a family of clients (mawālī) under the Umayyads.Irène Mélikoff, Abū Muslim, le Porte-hache du Khorassan dans la Tradition Épique Turco-Iranienne, Adrien-Maisonneuve, 1962. [Cambridge University Press review, *Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society*, 2011] By the early 740s, he was connected with Abbasid agents and became a trusted organizer of their underground movement in Khorasan.Patricia Crone, The Nativist Prophets of Early Islamic Iran, Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 120–125.  

 Role in the Abbasid Revolution 
In 747, Abu Muslim raised the **black banners** in Khorasan, calling for the overthrow of the Umayyads. His forces defeated Umayyad armies in several battles, including the decisive **Battle of the Zab** in 750, which ended Umayyad rule.Hugh Kennedy, The Early Abbasid Caliphate: A Political History, Routledge, 1981, pp. 55–60.  

Abu Muslim became governor of Khorasan under the Abbasids. He was admired for his charisma and military skill, but also feared for his power. His leadership united Persians, Arabs, and Central Asian peoples under the Abbasid cause.Michael Cooperson, Classical Arabic Biography: The Heirs of the Prophets in the Age of al-Ma'mun, Cambridge University Press, 2000, pp. 45–47.  

 Death 
In 755, Caliph al-Mansur grew suspicious of Abu Muslim’s influence. He summoned him to Al-Mada'in and had him executed. Abu Muslim’s death shocked his followers and led to later revolts in his name, as many considered him a hero of Persian and Khorasani identity.Patricia Crone, The Nativist Prophets of Early Islamic Iran, Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 120–125.  

 Legacy 
Abu Muslim is remembered as one of the most important figures in early Islamic history. He was the **architect of the Abbasid victory**, and his name became legendary in Persian and Central Asian traditions. Later movements, including Shi‘a and Persian nationalist groups, often invoked his memory.John Joseph Saunders, A History of Medieval Islam, Routledge, 2002, pp. 95–97.Jurji Zaydan, Abu Muslim al-Khurasani, Internet Archive, 2016.   

 References 

Category:Abbasid Caliphate
Category:8th-century people
Category:Persian people
Category:Revolutionaries
Category:Executed people