Preface
Abbreviations
Translator's Foreword
Maps 1. The Eastern Lands of the Caliphate
2. Baghdad between A.H. 150 and 300
3. Al-Karkh and Neighboring Suburbs
4. Al-Harbiyyah with the Three Quarters of al-Rusafah, al-Shammasiyyah, and al-Mukharrim
5. Quarters on the Muhawwal Road
The Events of the Year 193 (cont'd) (808-809)
The Succession of Muhammad al-Amin as Caliph
Causes of the Discord between al-Amin and al-Ma'mun
The Letter of Muhammad al-Amin to His Brother `Abdallah al-Ma'mun
The Letter of Muhammad al-Amin to His Brother Salih
Various Items of Information
The Events of the Year 194 (809-810)
Reasons for the Falling out between Muhammad al-Amin and `Abdallah al-Ma'mun
Various Items of Information
The Events of the Year 195 (810-811)
Al-Amin Forbids Prayer for al-Ma'mun and al-Qasim as Heirs
`All b. `Isa b. Mahan Assigned Command of al-Jabal
`All b. `Isa b. Mahan Goes to al-Rayy to Fight the Forces of al-Ma'mun
Al-Amin Sends `Abd al-Rahman b. Jabalah to Fight Tahir
Tahir b. al-Husayn Named Dhu al-Yaminayn
The Rebellion of al-Sufyani in Syria
Tahir Expels al-Amin's Agents from al-Jibal Province
The Death of `Abd al-Rahman b. Jabalah al-Abnawi
Various Items of Information
The Events of the Year 196 (811-812)
Al-Amin Imprisons Asad b. Yazid and Dispatches Ahmad b. Mazyad to Fight Tahir
Al-Ma'mun Raises the Rank of al-Fadl b. Sahl
`Abd al-Malik b. Salih Appointed Governor of Syria
`Abd al-Malik b. Salih Recruits Troops in Syria for al-Amin
The Abortive Coup of al-Husayn b. `Ali b. `Isa b.Mahan against al-Amin in Baghdad
The Death of Muhammad b. Yazid al-Muhallabi and Tahir's Entry into al-Ahwaz
Tahir Takes al-Mada'in and Marches toward Sarsar
The Governor of Mecca Casts off Allegiance to al-Amin
Harthamah b. A`yan Defeats al-Amin's Forces
Some of Tahir's Men Go over to al-Amin
The Events of the Year 597 (812-813)
Details and Results of the Siege of Baghdad
The Battle at Qasr Salih
Tahir Forbids Boatmen to Bring Anything to Baghdad
The Battle of al-Kunasah
The Battle of Darb al-Hijarah
The Battle of al-Shammasiyyah Gate
The Events of the Year 198 (813-814)
Tahir Captures Baghdad
The Death of al-Amin
The Army Mutinies against Tahir
A Description of Muhammad b. Harem, His Agnomen, the Length of His Reign, and His Age
Poems Composed about Muhammad b. Harun and Elegies for Him
Some Aspects of the Conduct and Mode of Life of the Deposed Muhammad b. Harun
Bibliography of Cited Works
Index

This section of the History of al-¿abari covers the caliphate of Mu¿ammad al-Amin, who succeeded his father, Harun al-Rashid on March 24, 809, and was killed on September 25, 813.
The focus of this section is a single event, the civil war between al-Amin and his half-brother al-Mämun. Before his death, al-Rashid had arranged for the succession in a series of documents signed at Mecca and deposited for safekeeping in the Ka'bah. Al-Amin was to become caliph; al-Mämun was to govern Khurasan with virtual autonomy from Baghdad. Al-Amin could neither remove his brother from office nor interfere with his revenues or military support. Furthermore, al-Mämun was named as al-Amin's successor, and al-Amin was forbidden to alter the succession. If either brother violated these conditions, he was to forfeit his rights.
It soon became apparent that the good will to carry out these arrangements did not exist. Disagreement broke out when al-Amin insisted that many of the forces that had accompanied al-Rashid and al-Mämun to Khurasan return to Baghdad. When the majority of army commanders obeyed the new caliph's orders, al-Mämun was enraged and countered with measures to secure his position. Angry letters were exchanged, with al-Amin pressing his brother to make concessions that al-Mämun regarded as contrary to the succession agreement. By March 811, military conflict was imminent. Al-Amin demanded that certain border districts be returned to the control of Baghdad. When al-Mämun refused, al-Amin despatched an expedition to seize the districts.
Al-Amin's resort to force ended in disaster. Al-Mämun's forces, led by ¿ahir ibn al-¿usayn and Harthamah ibn A'yan, quickly closed in on Baghdad. In a siege lasting over a year, Baghdad suffered extensive damage from the fighting and from bombardment by siege engines. Gangs of vagrants and paupers, organized by al-Amin into irregular units, fought a kind of urban guerrilla war. But, with Tahir and Harthamah enforcing the siege and with most of al-Amin's associates having switched their loyalties to the winning side, the caliph was forced to sue for terms. These were worked out among representatives of al-Amin, Tahir, and Harthamah. However, when the caliph boarded the boat that was to take him into Harthamah's custody, troops loyal to Tahir assaulted and capsized the boat. Al-Amin fell into the Tigris, was apprehended, and was executed that night on orders from Tahir. Thus ended this phase of the civil war. Al-Mämun was now caliph.
Al-¿abari i's history of these years includes accounts by participants in the event, diplomatic letters betweenal-Amin and al-Mämun, Tahir's long letter toal-Mämun on the circumstances of al-Amin's death, and a dramatic eyewitness account of al-Amin's last hours. Also noteworthy is a 135-verse poem describing the devastation of Baghdad. The section ends with a series of literary anecdotes on the character of al-Amin.