8. Bringing the Abbasid Caliphate to the Brink of Collapse
The Zanj became expert guerrilla warriors, ambushing government troops in the marshes. They also raided the surrounding villages and cities to seize supplies and free other slaves. At the height of the revolt, the Zanj controlled southern Iraq, including its biggest city, Basra, which they captured in 871. Their territory extended to within 50 miles of the Abbasid capital of Baghdad. The rebels formed a government, ran a navy, collected taxes, and minted their own coins.
The tide finally turned in 881, when the government amassed a huge army that drove the rebels back into the marshes. Besieged, many rebels were induced to quit during the following two years, with generous terms offered to those who voluntarily submitted. The revolt finally came to an end in 883 with the capture of the Zanj’s last major bastion, during which battle their leader, Ali ibn Muhammad, was killed.