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Basra
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OverviewThe city is located along the Shatt al-Arab waterway near the Persian Gulf, from the Persian Gulf and from Baghdad, Iraq's capital and largest city.
The area surrounding Basra has substantial petroleum resources and many oil wells. The city also has an international airport, which recently began restored service to Baghdad with Iraqi Airways - the nation's flag airline. Basra is in a fertile agricultural region, with major products including rice, maize corn, barley, pearl millet, wheat, dates, and livestock. The city's oil refinery has a production capacity of about 140,000 barrels a day.
Muslim adherents of the area are primarily members of the Jafari Shi`a sect. A sizable number of Sunnis, 35% of Basra, also live there - although after the war it decreased to less than 10%, as well as a small number of Christians.
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OverviewThe city is located along the Shatt al-Arab waterway near the Persian Gulf, from the Persian Gulf and from Baghdad, Iraq's capital and largest city.
The area surrounding Basra has substantial petroleum resources and many oil wells. The city also has an international airport, which recently began restored service to Baghdad with Iraqi Airways - the nation's flag airline. Basra is in a fertile agricultural region, with major products including rice, maize corn, barley, pearl millet, wheat, dates, and livestock. The city's oil refinery has a production capacity of about 140,000 barrels a day.
Muslim adherents of the area are primarily members of the Jafari Shi`a sect. A sizable number of Sunnis, 35% of Basra, also live there - although after the war it decreased to less than 10%, as well as a small number of Christians. There are also remnants of the pre-Islamic gnostic sect of Mandaeans, whose headquarters were in the area formerly called Suk esh-Sheikh.
A network of canals flowed through the city, giving it the nickname "The Venice of the Middle East" at least at high tide. The tides at Basra fall by about . For a long time, Basra was known for the superior quality of its dates.
HistoryFirst millennium636: FoundingThe present city was founded in 636 as an encampment and garrison for the Arab tribesmen constituting the armies of amir `Umar ibn al-Khattab, a few kilometres south of the present city, where a tell still marks its site. While defeating the Sassanid forces there, the Muslim commander Utba ibn Ghazwan first set up camp there on the site of an old Persian settlement called Vaheštabad Ardašir, which was destroyed by the Arabs . The name Al-Basrah, which in Arabic means "the over watching" or "the seeing everything", was given to it because of its role as a Military base against the Sassanid empire. Other sources however say its name originates from the Persian word Bas-rah or Bassorah meaning "where many ways come together" .
639: Abu-Musa al-Asha'ariUmar established this encampment as a city with five districts, and appointed Abu-Musa al-Asha'ari as its first governor. Abu Musa led the conquest of Khuzestan from 639 to 642. After this, `Umar ordered him to aid `Uthman ibn Abu al-`As, then fighting Iran from a new, more easterly misr at Tawwaj.
650: `Abdallah ibn `AmirIn 650, the amir `Uthman reorganised the Persian frontier, installed `Abdallah ibn `Amir as Basra's governor, and put the invasion's southern wing under Basra's responsibility. Ibn `Amir led his forces to their final victory over Yazdegard III, king of Persia. Basra accordingly had few quarrels with `Uthman and so in 656 sent few men to the embassy against him. On `Uthman's murder, Basra refused to recognise `Ali ibn Abu Talib; instead supporting the Meccan aristocracy then led by `Aisha, al-Zubayr, and Talha. `Ali defeated this force at the Battle of the Camel.
In 656 The Sayabiga (Possibly of Indian/Indonesian origin) are ordered to guard the treasury.
6??: `Uthman ibn HanifAli first installed `Uthman ibn Hanif as Basra's governor and then `Abd Allah ibn `Abbas. These men held the city for `Ali until the latter's death in 661.
661: Umayyad `Abd AllahThe Sufyanids held Basra until Yazid I's death in 683. Their first governor there was an Umayyad `Abd Allah, who proved to be a great general (under him, Kabul was forced to pay tribute) but a poor mayor.
661: Ziyad ibn Abu SufyanIn 664 Mu`awiyah replaced him with Ziyad ibn Abu Sufyan, often called "Ibn Abihi (son of his own [unknown] father)", who became famed for his Draconian methods of public order.
673: Ubayd-Allah ibn ZiyadOn Ziyad's death in 673, his son Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad became governor. In 680, Yazid I ordered Ubayd Allah to keep order in Kufa as a reaction to Hussein ibn `Ali's popularity there; Hussein had already fled, and so Ubayd Allah executed Hussein's cousin Muslim ibn Aqeel.
684: Abd-Allah ibn al-HarithIn 683, Abd Allah ibn Zubayr was hailed as the new caliph in the Hijaz. In 684 the Basrans forced Ubayd Allah to take shelter with Mas'ud al-Azdi and chose Abd Allah ibn al-Harith as their governor. Ibn al-Harith swiftly recognised Ibn al-Zubayr's claim, and Ma'sud made a premature and fatal move on Ubayd Allah's behalf; and so `Ubayd Allah felt obliged to flee.
Ibn al-Harith spent his year in office trying to put down Nafi' ibn al-Azraq's Kharijite uprising in Khuzestan. Islamic tradition condemns him as feckless abroad and corrupt at home, but praises him on matters of doctrine and prayer.
684: Umar ibn Ubayd AllahIn 685, Ibn al-Zubayr required a practical man, and so appointed Umar ibn Ubayd Allah ibn Ma'mar
684: Mus`ab ibn al-ZubayrFinally Ibn al-Zubayr appointed his own brother Mus`ab. In 686, the self-proclaimed prophet Mukhtar led an insurrection at Kufa, and put an end to Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad near Mosul. In 687, Mus`ab defeated Mukhtar, with the help of Kufans whom Mukhtar had exiled .
684: Al-Hajjaj`Abd al-Malik reconquered Basra in 691, and Basra remained loyal to his governor al-Hajjaj during Ibn Ash`ath's mutiny 699-702. However Basra did support the rebellion of Yazid ibn al-Muhallab against Yazid II during the 720s. In the 740s, Basra fell to al-Saffah of the `Abbasids.
Abbasid dynastyDuring the time of the Abbasid dynasty Basra became an intellectual center as it was the home city of the Arab universal genius Ibn al-Haytham, the Arab literary giant al-Jahiz, and the Sufi mystic Rabia Basri.
Zanj Rebellion led by Ali bin Muhammad, or Sahib az-Zanjithis was a rebellion by the low land slaves who were agricultural slaves..brought from different fringes of the empire
871 the Zanj sacked Basra
923 The Qarmatians, an extremist Muslim sect, invaded and devastated Basra (Encyclopedia Britannica)
965 Alhazen, was born in Basra
945-1055, a Buwayhid dynasty ruled Baghdad and most of Iraq (from Buwayhid page)
Abu al Qasim al Baridis, who still controlled Basra and Wasit, were defeated and their lands taken by the Buyids in 947
Daylamid period
Sanad Al-Daula (al-habashi) is governor of Basra, Builds a library of 15000 books.
Diya' al-Daula was the Buyid ruler of Basra during the 980s. He was the son of 'Adud al-Daula: see Samsam al-Daula page for more details as there appears to have been a great deal of rivalry in the al-Daula group.
Seljuk period
Great Friday Mosque constructed in Basra
1122 Zengi receives Basra as a fief (Penny Encyclopedia)
1126 Zengi suppresses a revolt
1129 Dabis loots basra state treasury
1200 Map 'on the eve of the Mongol invasions' shows the Abbasid Caliphate as ruling lower Iraq and presumably Basra
1258 Mongols sack Bagdhad and end Abbasid reign. By some accounts Basra capitulates to the Mongols to avoid a massacre.
Mongol Dominions map 1300-1405 shows Basra under their control
Mamluk Bahri Dynasty map 1250 - 1382 shows Basra as being under their area of control
1290 Buscarello_de_Ghizolfi page: internal fight erupted at the Persian Gulf port of Basra among the Geneose (between the Guelfe and the Gibelin families)
1327 Ibn Battuta visits Basra: It was in decline with the great mosque being 2 miles out of town. An Ilkhanid Governor received him.
1411 Jalayrid leader ousted from Basra by Kara Koyunlu of the Black Sheep Turkmen
1523 The Portuguese Antonio Tenreiro crosses from Aleppo to Basra
1546 Turks reached Basra.
1550 Portuguese threaten Basra
1624 Portuguese assist Basra Pasha in repelling a Persian invasion, Portuguese granted a share of customs and freedom from tolls.
From about 1625 until 1668, Basra and the Delta marshlands were in the hands of local chieftains independent of the Ottoman administration at Baghdad
Second millennium1668: Ottoman EmpireIt was long a flourishing commercial and cultural center, until it was captured by the Ottoman Empire in 1668, after which it declined in importance, but was fought over by Turks and Persians and was the scene of repeated attempts at resistance.
1911: Ottoman EmpireIn 1911, the Encyclopaedia Britannica reported some Jews and a few Christians living in Basra, but no Turks other than Ottoman officials. The wealthiest and most influential personage in Basra was the nakib, or marshal of the nobility (i.e. descendants of the family of the prophet, who are entitled to wear the green turban). In 1884 the Ottomans responded to local pressure from the Shi'as of the south by detaching the southern districts of the Baghdad vilayet and creating a new vilayet of Basra.
1914 : World War IAfter the Battle of Basra (1914) during World War I the occupying British modernized the port (works designed by Sir George Buchanan), which became the principal port of Iraq.
1939 : World War IIDuring World War II it was an important port through which flowed much of the equipment and supplies sent to Russia by the other allies. At the end of the second world war the population was some 93,000 people.
1945-1990: peacetime and the Iran-Iraq WarThe University of Basrah was founded in 1964.
By 1977 the population had risen to a peak population of some 1.5 million. The population declined during the Iran-Iraq War, being under 900,000 in the late 1980s, possibly reaching a low point of just over 400,000 during the worst of the war. The city was repeatedly shelled by Iran and was the site of many fierce battles, such as Operation Ramadan.
1991: Persian Gulf WarAfter the first Persian Gulf War in 1991 Basra was the site of widespread revolt against Saddam Hussein, which was violently put down with much death and destruction inflicted on the city.
1999: Second revoltA second revolt in 1999 led to mass executions in and around Basra, subsequently the Iraqi government deliberately neglected the city and much commerce was diverted to Umm Qasr. These alleged abuses are to feature amongst the charges against the former regime to be considered by the Iraq Special Tribunal set up by the Iraq Interim Government following the 2003 invasion.
Third millenniumWorkers in Basra's oil industry have been involved in extensive organization and labor conflict. They held a two-day strike in August 2003, and formed the nucleus of the independent General Union of Oil Employees (GUOE) in June 2004. The union held a one-day strike in July 2005, and publicly opposes plans for privatizing the industry.
2003: Iraq War and occupationIn March through May of 2003, the outskirts of Basra were the scene of the heaviest fighting in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. British forces, led on foot by units of the 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment and supported by 7th Armoured Brigade, took the city on 6 April 2003. This city was the first stop for the United States and the United Kingdom, during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq.
2004: Car bombOn 21 April 2004, a series of bomb blasts ripped through the city, killing 74 people.
The Multi-National Division (South-East), under British Command, is engaged in Security and Stabilization missions in Basra Governorate and surrounding areas.
2005January: ElectionsPolitical groups and their ideology which are strong in Basra are reported to have close links with political parties already in power in the Iraqi government, despite opposition from Iraqi Sunnis and the more secular Kurds. January 2005 elections saw several radical politicians gain office, supported by religious parties.
2007September 3rd: UK troops withdraw to Basra AirportBritish troops pull out of Basra city and the palace and move to a base at Basra International Airport.
December 16th: UK troops transfer control to Iraqi authoritiesBritish troops transfer control of Basra province to the Iraqi authorities, four-and-a-half years after the invasion. A BBC survey of local residents finds that 86% think the presence of British troops since 2003 has had an overall negative effect on the province.
New Police ChiefAbdul Jalil Khalaf was appointed Police Chief by the central government with the task of taking on the militias. He has been outspoken against the targeting of women by the militias.. Talking to the BBC, he said that his determination to tackle the militia has led to almost daily assassination attempts . This has been taken as sign that he is serious in opposing the militias.
2008In March 2008, the Iraqi Army launched a major offensive, code-named Saulat al-Fursan (Charge of the White Knights), aimed at forcing the Mahdi Army out of Basra. The assault was planned by Gen Mohan Furaiji and approved by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Security commanders removedIn April 2008, following the failure to disarm militant groups, both Maj-Gen Abdul Jalil Khalaf and Gen Mohan Furaiji are removed from their positions in Basra.
Killing of Rand Abdel-QaderIn March 2008, Rand Abdel-Qader, a 17 year old local girl, was killed by her father in a so-called honour killing after she developed a friendship with a 22 year old British soldier. Her mother Leila Hussein said "When he entered the house, his eyes were bloodshot and he was trembling. I got worried and tried to speak to him but he headed straight for our daughter's room and he started to yell at her. He asked if it was true that she was having an affair with a British soldier. She started to cry. She was nervous and desperate. He got hold of her hair and started thumping her again and again. I screamed and called out for her two brothers so they could get their father away from her. But when he told them the reason, instead of saving her they helped him end her life. I just couldn't stand it. I fainted. I woke up in a blur later with dozens of neighbours at home and the local police." Sergeant Ali Jabbar said "Not much can be done when we have an 'honour killing' case. You are in a Muslim society and women should live under religious laws. The father has very good contacts inside the Basra government and it wasn't hard for him to be released and what he did to be forgotten. Sorry but I cannot say more about the case." In 2007, according to the Basra Security Committee, 47 Basra women were killed by "honour killings", resulting in only three convictions for murder.
H.G. Wells and BasraThe city of Basra has a major role in H.G. Wells's 1934 future history "The Shape of Things to Come" where the Iraqi city is at the center of a world state emerging after a collapse of civilization and becomes in effect the capital of the world (see ).
Sister Cities Baku, Azerbaijan
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Bibliography- Hallaq, Wael. The Origins and Evolution of Islamic Law. Cambridge University Press, 2005
- Hawting, Gerald R. The First Dynasty of Islam. Routledge. 2nd ed, 2000
- Madelung, Wilferd. "Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr and the Mahdi" in the Journal of Near Eastern Studies 40. 1981. pp.291-305.
- Vincent, Stephen. Into The Red Zone: A Journey Into the Soul of Iraq. ISBN 1-890626-57-0.
See also
External links - , Arthur Jeffery, 1946
- , Arthur Jeffery, 1936
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