Mukhtar a Biograghy
Chapter 18 - Mukhtar Becomes Governor of Kufa Mukhtar and Ibrahim decide that the best way to get the local perpetrators (of Kerbala) in Kufa, taking into account that these killers are now influential and prominent in Kufa, is to gain control of the government, and this meant storming the governor's (Abdulla Muti) palace.
A plan is agreed that on the eve of 14 Rabil Awwal 66 AH, Thursday night, all of Mukhtar's and Ibrahim's supporters will leave their homes and assemble at the governor's palace to overthrow him; the signal will be a torch lit on Mukhtar's roof and the sounding of war drums; after seeing the first torch, a chain of torches will be lit on the supporters' house roofs to spread the signal; each group of supporters is to carry the banner: "Ya ala siratil Husein"; the men were warned not to be fooled by a possible enemy ploy and hence nobody should come out before the agreed Thursday night.
Ayaz Mazarib, the chief policeman of Kufa, gets reports that for the past few nights, Ibrahim and a group are meeting at Mukhtar's house; he suspects that something is being planned and reports to Abdulla Muti on 13 Rabil Awwal, the night before the planned revolution day; on the same night of receiving Ayaz's report, Abdulla Muti orders checkpoints at all (about ten) districts in Kufa.
In those times, the geographical layout of a city was such that towns, districts, areas, and even clans had distinct boundaries with only one road to a neighbouring district; this ensured that there was free movements within the area but going from one area to the next required to pass through the only inter-connecting road; this layout was a security precaution against the frequent hostile incursions at the time.
The guards were therefore posted at these main interconnecting roads, to restrict movement of people from one area to another.
Ibrahim and his group leave their locality to go to Mukhtar's house in another district to finalise plans for the next night's attack; they are challenged by Ayaz Mazarib, the chief of police, at a checkpoint and in order to get through, Ibrahim kills Ayaz; Ayaz's subordinates escape to report back to Abdulla Muti.
More checkpoints are encountered by Ibrahim and his men, and after fighting their way through, they finally reach Mukhtar's house; Ibrahim informs him of the checkpoints and the killing of Ayaz Mazarib, the chief policeman; they bring the plan forward by a night in order to succeed, otherwise Abdulla Muti can squash any opposition by morning after realising that a revolution was in the making.
Mukhtar lights the torch on his roof and starts beating the war drums, but there is no response, for people were warned against premature signals; so they are under the impression that it is an enemy ploy, for the expected call was for the next night.
Now, Abdulla Muti is under the impression that Mukhtar and Ibrahim must have assembled a large force to try an overthrow; in reality, Mukhtar and Ibrahim had very little manpower this night for the planned attack for was for the following night.
Rashid, the son of Ayaz Mazarib gets to hear of his father's death and comes to Abdulla Muti crying; Abdulla Muti says there is no use crying and
that he should avenge his father's death; Abdulla Muti gives him a unit of men to go and fight Ibrahim and Mukhtar.
Abdulla Muti sends for Shabath Rabi (one of the army unit commanders at Kerbala) with about a thousand men to confront Mukhtar and kill him; Shabath Rabi advises it is best to wait until daylight when the attack would be most beneficial; Abdulla Muti refuses for he does not want to take any chances, in case of an attack by Mukhtarduring the night.
The checkpoint to Mukhtar's district is under the command of Hijab Hurr with about seven hundred men; when he sees the force of Shish Rabi advancing towards Mukhtar's house, he assumes that they are Mukhtar's reinforcements for it was dark; the two units do not identify each other for want of a surprise attack and in the ensuing battle, each side looses about half of their men; the two commanders, each thinking he has repelled the enemy, report back to Abdulla Muti the same night, only to realise their mistake. This now leaves the checkpoint to Mukhtar's house unguarded.
Mukhtar and Ibrahim realise what has happened outside, and in view of the developments, they decide that they must go out to call on their men in other districts; Mukhtar has to get word to his supporters of about fourteen hundred men in the Sakariya district; Ibrahim decides to go out to various other districts to inform the supporters of the change of plan.
Mukhtar is advised not to venture out himself for he will be immediately recognised; one Bashir volunteers to go to Sakariya; he goes out in tattered clothes and at the Sakariya checkpoint, he is stopped and questioned as to how come he is out during the curfew; he explains that he is a visitor from outside Kufa and is coming to meet his relative in Sakariya; but on the way, he was robbed by Mukhtar's men who stole his luggage, and curses Mukhtar and his men; this cursing finds favour with the guards and they let Bashir through.
Once in Sakariya, Bashir informs the district leader of the change of date due to the events; least it be a trap, the leader questions Bashir in detail to prove his identity and asks for a password, the answers to which only a man in Mukhtar's inner group could have given; once convinced, the Sakariyans come out and battle at the checkpoints, on their way to the agreed meeting point; some people venture into other districts to spread the news of the change of plan.
Ibrahim goes to the various checkpoints in turn, which are manned by prominent Kerbala killers, and eliminates the main guards who are either killed or run away; for example, at a first checkpoint, Umar Hajjaj is with about five hundred soldiers; Ibrahim kills Umar Hajjaj and some of his men, but most manage to escape; at a second checkpoint, Ibrahim kills Zahr Qays.
Ibrahim proceeds from district to district, but his force of initially five hundred men is decreasing due to the battles fought, but the opposite side's force was being increasingly reinforced.
Meanwhile, the word has spread among Mukhtar's supporters of the change of plan, and they all come out to meet at the governor's palace; Ibrahim is busy mobilising, and in some cases, he encounters units carrying the banner "Ya ala siratil Husein", who tell Ibrahim that they know of the change of date because the people from Sakariya came to their districts to inform them.