Between 869 AD & 883 AD, enslaved Africans in Southern Iraq, carried out the most violent & bloodiest slave insurrection in history, by African People against their Enslavers. A thread on the Zanj Rebellion...

The rebellion was carried out primarily by enslaved Africans (Zanj) from the East African coastal regions, then known as Zanjebar/Zanzibar or The Black Coast (Tanzania, Kenya & Mozambique). It was led by a free born African Muslim scholar by the name Ali Ibn Muhammad.

Tens of thousands of Africans had been captured from East Africa by Arabs & Persians & transported to the Middle East to work in plantations & Salt marshes. The Africans spoke several Bantu languages related to the modern day Swahili language.

Between 861 AD - 863 AD, Ali Ibn Muhammad attempted attempted to start two different revolts in Bahrain & Basra, against the local authorities, he was unsuccessful on both attempts & was arrested & imprisoned in 863 AD. He managed to secure his freedom & returned to Baghdad.

In 869 AD, Ali returned to Basra & began holding sermons for the Africans working in the salt marshes. His sermons quickly attracted large following, initially just amongst the African population & later poor Bedouin shepherds & even some wealthy Arab merchants.

Ali claimed to be a descendant of the prophet Muhammad. He preached about equality & democracy. He proclaimed that everyone, regardless of their social status or origin had the right to climb the social ladder, & leadership should be based on merit & qualification, & not blood.

His following soon increased by several thousand. He even began minting his own coins for his African followers, who were not allowed access to the local institutions & markets. He also trained his followers how to fight & make weapons.

In September of 869 AD, Ali & his African followers launched an attack against the local authorities of the Abbasid Caliphate in their home district of Al Ahwaz. They quickly overpowered the local troops & seized key government buildings.

The used Al Ahwaz as their base to launch attacks & raids on other towns & cities. They raided & burned several plantations & slave markets, freed countless slaves, many of whom quickly joined their cause. They also captured weapons, horses & ships from government troops.

In 870, the governor of Basra sent a large army of highly trained & well armed troops from Basra to subdue the rebels. Ali & his men confronted the government troops in the town Al Ubulla, despite being vastly outnumbered, Ali & the rebels soundly defeated the government troops.

They captured several ships & weapons from the government troops & then set sailed for Basra. They then surrounded & blockaded the city, cutting off supplies & reinforcements. Another large army was sent from Badhad to suppress the rebellion & break the rebel siege of Basra.

This army was led by the renowned Abbasid prince & general Abu Ahmad Tahla ibn Jafar Al Muwaffaq. After suffering great losses at the hands of the rebels & failing to break the siege & losing one of his sons in the battle, Al Muwaffaq was forced to retreat.

In September of 871 AD, the city of Basra fell to the rebels. Ali ibn Muhammad & his African armies marched through the gates of Basra massacred the entire city, killing tens of thousands in what Arab scholars describe as the bloodiest massacre in the history of the Caliphates.

After the fall of Basra, the rebels continued to march on to capture several other key cities. By 879 AD, the rebels controlled almost two-thirds of Iraq, reaching within 50 miles of the capital Baghdad.

In late 879 AD, the Caliph assembled one of the largest armies ever deployed up until that point in history, from all corners of the Abbasid Caliphate, which extended all the way to North Africa. Led by future Caliph Abu Abbas Ahmad ibn Talha al-Muwaffaq the son of Al Muwaffaq.

After four years of brutal fighting, the rebels were driven from most Iraqi cities, all the way back to the capital of Al Mukhtarah in Southern Iraq. Al Mukhtarah was then surrounded & besieged. Rebel leader Ali ibn Muhammad & several other rebel commanders were killed in battle.

In August of 883 AD , Al Mukhtarah fell to the Caliphate. The Arab troops then marched into the city & killed all the remaining African rebels. The Zanj Rebellion remains one of the bloodiest conflicts in history, claiming an estimated 2.5 million lives.