Event Zanj Rebellion

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A major revolt against the Abbasid Caliphate, which took place from 869 until 883. It begun near the city of Basra in present-day southern Iraq and was led by Ali ibn Muhammad. The insurrection involved enslaved Bantu-speaking people (Zanj) who had originally been captured from the coast of East Africa and transported to the Middle East.

Chronology

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  • January 869: A major revolt against the Abbasid Caliphate, which took place from 869 until 883, began near the city of Basra and was led by one Ali ibn Muhammad. The insurrection involved enslaved Bantu-speaking people (Zanj) who had originally been captured from the coast of East Africa and transported to the Middle East, principally to drain the region's salt marshes. It grew to involve slaves and freemen, including both blacks and Arabs, from several regions of the Caliphate, and claimed tens of thousands of lives before it was finally defeated.