Key Facts
- Duration
- ~4 months (Sep 762 – Jan 763)
- Muhammad's revolt location
- Medina, September 762
- Ibrahim's revolt location
- Basra, November 762
- Decisive battle
- Battle of Bakhamra, January 763
- Outcome for Ibrahim
- Died of wounds after Bakhamra defeat
Strategic Narrative Overview
Muhammad launched his revolt at Medina in September 762, while Ibrahim followed in Basra in November. Poor coordination between the brothers allowed al-Mansur to respond swiftly, containing and crushing Muhammad's Hejaz rebellion within roughly two weeks of Ibrahim's uprising beginning. Ibrahim achieved initial successes in southern Iraq, but factional dissent among rival Shi'a groups fractured his camp, undermining any coherent military strategy.
01 / The Origins
The Hasanid branch of the Alids, descended from the Prophet Muhammad through his grandson al-Hasan, rejected the legitimacy of the newly established Abbasid Caliphate. Mounting persecution by the Abbasid regime under Caliph al-Mansur drove the brothers Muhammad ibn Abdallah, known as 'the Pure Soul,' and Ibrahim to organize an armed uprising, aiming to replace Abbasid rule with their own claim to leadership of the Muslim community.
03 / The Outcome
Ibrahim's forces were decisively defeated at the Battle of Bakhamra in January 763, and he died of wounds sustained in the fighting shortly afterward. The revolt's collapse did not extinguish broader Alid unrest, but it firmly consolidated the Abbasid dynasty's hold on power, proving the caliphate capable of suppressing major internal challenges in the critical early years of its rule.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Muhammad ibn Abdallah (the Pure Soul), Ibrahim ibn Abdallah.
Side B
1 belligerent
Caliph al-Mansur.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.