Wahhabi sack of Karbala
| Date | April 21, 1802 or 1801[1] |
|---|---|
| Duration | 8 hours |
| Location | Karbala, Iraq |
| Coordinates | 32°37′N 42°02′E / 32.617°N 42.033°E |
| Organised by | Wahhabis of Najd |
| Casualties | |
| 2000[2] - 5000[3] dead | |
The Wahhabi sack of Karbala occurred in 21 April 1802 (1216 Hijri) (1801[1]), under the rule of Abdul-Aziz bin Muhammad the second ruler of the First Saudi State. Approxamately 12,000 Wahhabis from Najd attacked the city of Karbala.[4] The attack was coincident with the anniversary of Ghadir Khum event,[3] or 10 Muharram.[2]
Wahhabis killed 2000[2]-5000[3] of the inhabitants and plundered the tomb of Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of Muhammad and son of Ali bin Abi Talib,[2] and destroyed its dome. They seized a large amount of spoils, including golds, Persian carpets, money, and pearl guns accumulated in the tomb, most of them donations. The attack lasted for 8 hours and Wahhabis left the city with more than 4,000 camels carrying their plunder.[5]
Background
Wahhabis condemned some of the Shia practices such as veneration of the graves of their holy figures and Imams, which they called Bid‘ah, and did not limit themselves to academic confrontation. So they decided to attack Karbala.[6]
Event
Date of attack
Most European and Russian orientalists date the attack to March 1801, based on works by Rousseau, Corancez, Burckhardt and Mengin. Arab historians and Philby date the fall of Karbala to March–April 1802, based on Ibn Bishr's report of the event. The report is accepted by Ibn Sanad and Raymond written soon after the attack. According to Alexei Vassiliev, 1802 is correct since he believes that the "dispatch" sent from Karabla reached Russian embassy in Istanbul no longer than 1803 and as Rousseau's book describing the attack is almost identical in wording with the text of the dispatch with the exception of accounted dates, the error could just stem from "negligence" by author, Rousseau, or the compositor.[5]
Attack
On 18 Dhu al-Hijjah, coincident with the anniversary of Ghadir Khum, (or on 10 Muharram coincident with the anniversary of Husayn ibn Ali's death[2]) Wahhabis of the Najd led by Abdul-Aziz bin Muhammad attacked Karbala. Ottoman garrison escaped and the Wahhabis could loot the city and the shrine and kill 2,000[2]-5,000 people.[3]
Describing the event as "a horrible example of Wahhabis' cruel fanaticism in the terrible fate of [mosque of] Imam husain," Rousseau who was resident in Iraq at then wrote that an incredible amount of wealth including donations of silver, gold, jewels to Hussayn ibn Ali's shrine and those brought by Nadir Shah from his India campaign, was known to have gathered in city of Karbala. According to Rousseau, 12000 Wahhabis attacked the city suddenly, fired everything and killed old people, women and children. They "disemboweled" pregnant women, whenever they saw any.[5]
According to a Wahhabi chronicler, Uthman ibn Abdullah ibn Bishr:
The Muslims scaled the walls, entered the city ... and killed the majority of its people in the markets and in their homes. [They] destroyed the dome placed over the grave of al-Husayn [and took] whatever they found inside the dome and its surroundings ... the grille surrounding the tomb which was encrusted with emeralds, rubies, and other jewels ... different types of property, weapons, clothing, carpets, gold, silver, precious copies of the Qur'an."[2]
Ibn Bishr used the world 'Muslim' as the Wahhabis referred to themselves, not feeling the need to distinguish themselves from other Muslims, since they did not believe them to be Muslims. The Saud is known as the 'butcher of Karbala', since then.[2] Plunder of Karbala took the Wahhabis almost 8 hours, according to Mengin.[5] Fath-Ali Shah of Iran offered military help which was rejected by Ottomans and instead sent "500 Baluchi families to settle in Karbala and defend it."[3]
Aftermath
Fall of Karbala was counted a defeat for Buyuk Sulayman Pasha and it made an opportunity for the Ottoman sultan to "dismiss him", specially because his situation was further weakened after he was criticized by Shah of Persia, Fath Ali Shah, for his inability to confront the Wahhabis.[5]
The attack led to the increase in the "sectarian identity" of Shia ulama and as they lacked "tribal army" to mobilize the against the such attacks, exposed their vulnerability.[7] It also had negative effect on the "Sunni scholarly establishment."[8]
See also
References
- ^ a b Staff writers. "The Saud Family and Wahhabi Islam, 1500-1818". www.au.af.mil. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Khatab, Sayed. Understanding Islamic Fundamentalism: The Theological and Ideological Basis of Al-Qa'ida's Political Tactics. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9789774164996. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Litvak, Meir (2010). "KARBALA". Iranica Online.
- ^ Martin, edited by Richard C. (2003). Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim world ([Online-Ausg.]. ed.). New York: Macmillan Reference USA. ISBN 0-02-865603-2. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
{{cite book}}:|first1=has generic name (help) - ^ a b c d e Vassiliev, Alexei. The History of Saudi Arabia. Saqi. ISBN 9780863567797. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ Brünner, Rainer. Islamic Ecumenism In The 20th Century: The Azhar And Shiism Between Rapprochement And Restraint. BRILL. p. 85. ISBN 9004125485. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
- ^ Nakash, Yitzhak. The Shi'is of Iraq. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691115753. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ^ Prakash, Gyan. The Spaces of the Modern City: Imaginaries, Politics, and Everyday Life. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691133433. Retrieved 8 August 2016.