Cauldron - A Military History Podcast

War A to Z

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Abbasid Revolution

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Date- 747 A.D. - 750 A.D.

Location - Khorasan province Iran

Participants - Umayyads vs Abbasids

Key Players - Caliph Marwan, Governor Nasir Ibn Sayyar, Muhammad Ali, Abu Muslim

Key Battles - Merv, Nahavand, Isfahan, Mosul

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The Issue - The powerful Umayyad Caliphate, the second of the original four in early Islamic history, had a rocky relationship with its many subjects. The Umayyads were an Arab dynasty but could prove no direct relationship or bloodline to the Prophet’s family, and they had a willingness to tax all subjects at very high rates, Arab and non-Arab alike. Because they treated Arabs better than anyone, and should no preference for non-Arab muslims, the Umayyad’s had few friends in their lands. Some of the more discriminatory policies led to unrest and two leaders started to form an opposition party; Muhammad Ibn Ali, who could boast a blood tie to the Prophet and Abu Muslim, an Iranian leader that gave voice to the over taxed non-Arab and non-muslims. Wearing black and touting a black flag, mirroring the Prophets own battle flag, the Abbasids began their revolution in 745.

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The Result - The ensuing five years saw dozens of battles, from Merv to Nahavand, Isfahan to Mosul. The Abbasid forces crippled the Umayyad power structure and forced the governor of Khorasan to flee from city to city until at last he died in 748 A.D. The ignominious death of Governor Sayyar was to be repeated by the Caliph himself. As Abu Muslim’s forces marched on Harrran, Caliph Marwan ran for safety making it all the way to Egypt. Unfortunately for him, Marwan didn’t live long in the land of the pharaohs, he was murdered in 750 A.D. The resulting power vacuum caused by the Umayyad collapse allowed Abu Muslim to roll up Syria, Iraq, and Iran into the Abbasid Empire. A legitimate Islamic government was installed and tax laws and revenues regulated by the ruling Muslim dynasty. Abu al-Abbas was chosen as their first caliph and he ruled from the new capital of the Islamic world - Baghdad.

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Rate/Review/Subscribe

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Source - MacGill’s Military History

This past Sunday, Matthew Parker, author of Monte Cassino - The Hardest-Fought Battle of World War II, and I talked about his excellent history of one of WWII's least talked about battles. I had told him the whole thing would run about 45 minutes, and he was patient and gracious enough to give me over an hour of his time. Our chat ranged from his early days as a ghostwriter to the most exciting moments of Monte Cassino and beyond. Matthew has a natural, conversational way of delivering facts and history that comes through in his writing just as much as it does in this interview.

The book is fantastic. I'm not just saying it to please the author (although he's a great guy, and I'm not above such things!). I came to Monte Cassino with little knowledge of the battle other than the monastery was destroyed, and it was something of a fiasco on the part of the Allies. The stories Matthew tells - of Italian peasants having little but still giving food and sustenance to weary soldiers on both sides, of Gurkhas from half a world away fighting in the icy Italian mountains, of brave but exhausted German infantrymen writing letters to fathers on the Eastern Front, of men (with women in support roles) fighting on the very precipice of human endurance. From start to finish, this book is jammed with fascinating details, first-person accounts, and the kinds of stories of battle that can only be true. If you are looking for an introduction to the "Hardest-Fought Battle of World War II," look no further.

Click the link to buy the book

http://www.matthewparker.co.uk/buyonlineoptions.php

Click the link to visit the website

http://www.matthewparker.co.uk

The battle of Naseby decided the English Civil War in that by the day's end, King Charles I no longer had an effective field army. The two cavalry displays that define the fighting are a masterclass, one in battlefield control, and one in a lack of control. The brilliant command of Oliver Cromwell is on full display here while the Cavaliers show off their brash unruliness very...cavalierly! (I'm sorry it's the only bad joke I promise)

The aftermath of the battle in human costs was relatively small compared to the other actions we have covered, but the King's baggage train's seizure was catastrophic for Charles. Added with the loss of his army, events proved too great for Charles to overcome. His surrender and eventual execution dramatically changed the world political scene, and seeds were planted all over the world for the end of monarchy. Enjoy!

Main source - Naseby 1645 by Martin Marx Evans

Artwork - King Charles I and Prince Rupert before the Battle of Naseby 14th June 1645 during the English Civil War - unknown author

Music - Americana Aspiring - Kevin McLeod

In this week's short fictional episode, we join Francis Valois as he tries to destroy the Habsburg army facing him. The Spanish arquebusiers, Swiss and German Landsknecht, and French gendarmes all find themselves fighting for their lives outside the besieged city of Pavia. The French King wanted Milan and control of the Italian Pennisula, his Habsburg rival, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, wanted control of all Europe. Pavia was the decisive battle in a long series of wars known as the Italian Wars, and it was this battle that changed Francis I's life forever. To learn more about the fight, check out this week's main episode dropping Friday 28th.

*As always, with these fictional episodes, some characters and events are fictitious or have been altered slightly. The purpose of this show is to entertain while also giving listeners a peek into a moment in time. Enjoy!

Source - Thomas F. Arnold's The Renaissance At War

Cover Art - Portrait of Francis I, King of France (ca. 1532-1533) by Joos van der Beke

Journey in the New World by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://www.twinmusicom.org/song/258/journey-in-the-new-world

Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org

Heavy Interlude by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100515

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Hello again and thanks for listening! Today we have a very cool little story about the spice trade, Portuguese exploration, Ottoman galleys and the fight for early global trade. To hear what sources I used and get a sneak peek into next weeks episode stick around until the end. Access it can be argued is one of the most consistent reasons for conflicts around the world and throughout history. Japan wanted access to raw materials in its lead up to WWII, Russia has always wanted access to a warm water port which has been the root of countless wars, the US has repeatedly gone to war to gain access or deny access to other countries for various reasons. Access to resources, rare goods, or simply to new markets has driven nations to explore, expand, and ultimately to war forever. With the advent of the age of Sail and Discovery a large number of European countries tried their hand at gaining access to the riches of the Asian East with varying degrees of success. The Portuguese were the first and for a time the only European country to have any real favorable outcome at forcing access and it all stemmed from a nasty little naval battle not far off the coast of a city called Diu. Portuguese victory at Diu went on to shake nations. The Egyptian Mamluk sultanate crumbled with the lack of income from the loss of the Indian trade and within a decade it was consumed by the Ottomans. The Ottomans had shortsightedly given marginal support and so spent the next 50 years challenging the Portuguese for control of both Diu and the Indian Ocean. Even Suleiman the Magnificent got in on the action sending his admiral Hussein Pasha to lay siege to Diu, but predictably this failed and the Ottomans had finally had enough allowing the Portuguese to have the subcontinent and the riches of the indies. The Gujarat Sultan Mahmud Begada died in 1511 and his sultanate, that in a way started the whole thing, fell to the Mughal Empire by the end of the century. Success would prove the Portuguese undoing as the other Atlantic European nations saw the potential riches that access to these markets and trade goods could bring. Soon the Dutch, English, and French swooped in like a bunch of seagulls looking to challenge Portugal for possession of India. Limited by its size and battered by so many dynamic and explosive competitors Portugal was unable to hold on but it can't be denied that for a brief moment, Portugal, used its access to stand alone as the first truly global power!

The song we used is called “Action” and is off the album American Dreams by Monplaisir
This weeks book sources - William Weir’s 50 Battles That Changed The World
This weeks web sources - https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2010/07/21/battle-of-diu-february-3-1509/
http://www.worldheritageofportugueseorigin.com/2015/06/21/the-battle-of-diu/
https://www.livehistoryindia.com/cover-story/2018/10/17/how-the-battle-of-diu-changed-world-history

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