Mukhtar a Biograghy

Chapter 22 - Control for Mosul Ibrahim advises Mukhtar that before embarking on the mission in earnest for tracking down the Kerbala perpetrators, they should first bring under their influence the surrounding areas to consolidate their government.

Mosul was of a strategic importance, and they decide on a tactic to bring it under their control; at the time, Mosul was under the rule of Mohamed Ashath who was a staunch anti­-Shia; his father Ashath Qays caused a lot of problems for Imam Ali (as), and his sister Joda Ashath, who was a wife of Imam Hassan (as), poisoned Imam Hassan (as).

So Mukhtar and Ibrahim are aware of the opposition they would face against Mohamed Ashath; the plan is first to call in prominent Kufians and the commanders of the army units who were in Kerbala, the majority of whom were living in Kufa.

These people are called in and Mukhtar tells them that his earlier statements of wanting to avenge the killers of Imam Husein (as) were just a front to gain him power; and now he has got power, he is only interested in keeping it and amassing wealth. He gives them a lot of money and gifts to convince them of his greed for wealth, and a promise to share out any more war booty.

After a few days, Mukhtar calls in Mohamed Ashath's son Abdu Rahman, who was residing in Kufa; Mukhtar treats him like royalty and gives him lots of money and gifts, telling him the same story as he told the other Kufians.

After a few more days, Mukhtar calls for Abdu Rahman again, asking him to take a personal message to his father Mohamed Ashath in Mosul; the message says: let Mohamed Ashath swear his political allegiance to Mukhtar and in return Mohamed Ashath will get the governorship of Madayn, which is a larger and a more powerful province than Mosul.

Z Abdu Rahman travels to Mosul and meets with his father and conveys Mukhtar's message; Mohamed Ashath is very surprised that his son should bring such a message, but Abdu Rahman explains the apparent change of heart by Mukhtar; he assures this to his father by the evidence of gifts and money to him and to the perpetrators of Kerbala living in Kufa.

Mohamed Ashath consults his advisers and is told that the offer is too good to refuse for two reasons; firstly, Madayn is indeed a greater province, but secondly, and more importantly, if Ubaydallah Ziyad who is on his way to Mosul to consolidate Abdul Malik Marwan's (who is now the new ruler of Damascus) power, then Mukhtar and Ibrahim will come after Ubaydallah Ziyad even in Mosul, with or without the support of Mohamed Ashath, in which case then Mohamed Ashath will be unwillingly dragged into the battle.

So Mohamed Ashath takes an army of four thousand men and leaves Mosul to go to Mukhtar in Kufa; the Mosulians are angry that he now runs away with all their money with him which they paid as taxes; they confront Mohamed Ashath with his army; a battle ensues and the public get all their money back and only then allow Mohamed Ashath to leave Mosul; with no money and power base now, Mohamed Ashath is forced to accept Mukhtar's offer.

On reaching Kufa, Mukhtar receives Mohamed Ashath with honour and gives him a lot of money and a house, telling him that he would soon make arrangements for his Madayn's governorship.

Mukhtar appoints a man named Abdu Rahman to become the governor of Mosul (note that this is not Mohamed Ashath's son who is of the same name).

Meanwhile Abdul Malik from Damascus sends Haseen Nameer with an army to Mosul to overthrow Abdu Rahman; Haseen Nameer's unit was to be an advance party, to be followed by reinforcements led by Ubaydallah Ziyad himself; Ubaydallah Ziyad was presently busy enforcing the consolidation of Abdul Malik's rulership in Damascus.

On hearing of Haseen Nameer's coming, Abdu Rahman runs away from Mosul to Tikrit, with a letter sent to Mukhtar saying he cannot face Haseen Nameer and Mukhtar should send another governor.

In Kufa, Zaeed, who is old and sick himself, is more than willing to travel to Mosul to confront Haseen Nameer, for Zaeed particularly wanted to personally avenge Haseen Nameer for delivering the fatal lance to Ali Akbar.

Zaeed with his units head for Mosul to confront Haseen Nameer, whilst at the same time, Ubaydallah Ziyad and his units leave from Damascus heading to Mosul to reinforce Haseen Nameer.

The two armies meet en-route to Mosul and a battle ensues; here Zaeed dies of his illness, and his side is defeated, with Ubaydallah Ziyad victoriously heading for Mosul.

Back in Kufa, Mukhtar gets the news of the battle and the defeat of Zaeed; Mukhtar and Ibrahim now make strategic military decision that instead of going for the local perpetrators of Kerbala, now is the best opportunity to get Ubaydallah Ziyad in Mosul, for after all, Ubaydallah Ziyad was the main architect of carrying out Yazeed's order for the Kerbala massacre.

A huge army using all the reserves is assembled in Kufa with Ibrahim as its commander to head for Mosul, with the intention to finish off Ubaydallah Ziyad.

Ibrahim is worried though that with all the reserves out of Kufa, Mukhtar is left unguarded with so many enemies within; they decide that it is best to ask the prominent Kufians and the killers of Kerbala to have their household helps in Mukhtar's palace with the pretext of guarding Mukhtar, thereby reducing the chances of these killers mounting a surprise attack; the killers agreed to the plan for they had an ulterior motive of having reliable inside information on Mukhtar's activities.

Ibrahim and the assembled army of all the reserves leave for Mosul to confront Ubaydallah Ziyad.