741'in Tarihçesi
Yazar
Yazarın, İspanya'daki Emevi yetkililerinin gözüne girmiş ya
da belki de onların gözüne girmek isteyen bir İber olması daha muhtemeldir
Kitap
741 Kroniği (ya da Continuatio
Byzantia-Arabica veya Continuatio Isidoriana), yaklaşık 741-743 yılları
arasında Endülüs'te yazılmış, çoğu oldukça kısa olan 43 bölüm ya da paragraftan
oluşan Latince bir tarihtir. İberya'da Müslüman yönetimi altında yazılmış
bilinen en eski Hıristiyan eseridir.
Eser 754 tarihli Chronicle'dan çok
daha kısadır[1] Çok az İspanyol tarihi içerir; ilk 14 bölüm, Sevillalı
Isidore'un Historia de regibus Gothorum, Vandalorum et Suevorum adlı eserinden
alınan Suintila'nın hükümdarlığına (621-631) kadar olan Vizigot krallarından
çok kısa bahseder. İçeriğin geri kalanı, Bizans İmparatorları ve Muhammed ile
başlayan Arapların paralel liderlerini ele alan dönüşümlü bölümlerden oluşur.
Bu bölümler muhtemelen Nikiû'lu John'un Chronicon Mundi'sinden ve günümüze
ulaşmamış Arapça veya Süryanice eserlerden alınmıştır. Bu bölümlerin
bazılarında Arapların Kuzey Afrika, İspanya, Fransa ve Orta Doğu'nun bazı
bölgelerini istila etmelerinden çok kısa bir şekilde bahsedilmektedir.
İçeriğin çok azı orijinaldir; eserin
değeri yazar ve dönemi hakkında ortaya koyduklarında yatmaktadır.
Bizans İmparatoru Leo III'ten ve o
yıl sona eren saltanatının uzunluğundan bahsettiği için eserin tarihi 741'den
daha erken olamaz.
Martín eserde halifeliğin halife I.
Mervan'ın torunlarından birinin elinde olduğunu söylerken "nostris
temporibus" (zamanımız) ifadesinin geçtiğine dikkat çekmiştir. Mervan'ın
torunlarından bu makama gelen ilk kişi II. Velid'dir (hükümdarlığı 743-744) ve
bu da muhtemelen eserin yazıldığı tarihi temsil etmektedir.
Kaynakça
Cyrille Aillet, "The
Chronicle of 741", in D. Thomas and B. Roggema (ed.), Christian–Muslim
Relations: A Bibliographical History, Volume 1 (Brill, 2009), pp. 284–289.
Roger Collins, The Arab Conquest
of Spain, 711-797 (Blackwell, 1989).
Dubler, C.E. (1946) "Sobre la
Crónica árabigo-byzantina de 741 y la influencia bizantina en la Península
Ibérica", Al-Andalus 11, 283-349.
Díaz y Díaz, M.C. (1976) "La
historiographia hispana desde la invasión árabe hasta el año 1000", in De
Isidoro al siglo XI. Ocho estudios sobre la vida literaria peninsular,
Barcelona, 203-234.
Gil, J. (1973) Corpus Scriptorum
Muzarabicorum, vol. 1, Madrid, 7-14.
Martín, Jose Carlos (2007)
"Los Chronica Byzantia-Arabica", e-Spania (online)
English translation of the
Chronicle by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Chronicle of 741
https://www.aymennjawad.org/23129/the-byzantine-arabic-chronicle-full-translation
In the seventh year of the aforementioned
princeps,[xx] hostile Saracen rebels of the Roman provinces began causing
disturbances, more secretly than by public incursions. Theodorus,[xxi] the
brother[xxii] of Eraclius the Augustus, engaged in many battles against them.
Having heard the news, Eraclius advised his brother that in no way should he be
in conflict with such people, because he was no less familiar with knowledge of
the discipline of astrology, and if anything should turn out by chance, he was
not ignorant in any way.[xxiii]
A huge multitude of the Saracens brought
together invaded the provinces of Syria, Arabia and Mesopotamia. Holding the
principate[xxiv] over them was a man by the name of Mahmet,[xxv] born of the
noblest tribe of that people:[xxvi] he was a rather knowledgeable man and a
foreseer of some things to come.
Era 658: Suintila undertook the worthy reins
of governance in the kingdom of the Goths.[xxvii]
Eraclius gave instructions through all the
provinces and even islands of his empire, so that whatever Roman legions were
placed as garrisons in diverse places of the land, should arrive at the Syrian
city of Damascus to overcome the enemy.
Theodorus gave a battle with the many soldiers
of the Romans at the town of Gabatha.[xxviii] But such were the terror and
might of the enemy for the Roman legions that afterwards scarcely any were left
alive to bear the news. In this struggle also Theodorus the brother of the
Augustus was killed. The Saracens were certain that such a great mass of Roman
nobles had been laid low and they had shaken off fear of the Roman name. They thus
firmly took possession of the provinces that they had invaded a little while
ago, and they established a kingdom at Damascus, the most splendid city of
Syria.[xxix]
The aforementioned princeps of the Saracens
Mahmet died after ruling his kingdom for ten years. They treat him with such
great honour and reverence that they affirm that he is the apostle and prophet
of God in all their sacraments and writings. In his place Habubeccar of the
Saracens,[xxx] who arose from the same place as his predecessor, was elected by
his own people. Leading a very great expedition into the Persian lands, he
devastated the cities and towns, while capturing some of the fortifications.
Eraclius abandoned the mortal world through
dropsy.
Habubeccar, indeed nearly three years after he
became leader, died. After his death, Hamer undertook the reins of the kingdom
of the Saracens for 10 years.[xxxi]
Era 678. Of the Romans 58. Constantinus the
son of Eraclius undertook the scepters of the Roman empire within the year,
despite the Senate's opposition.[xxxii]
Hamer of the Saracens directed the cohorts of
his nation to wage war on all the nearby eastern and western nations in the
most enterprising manner. He subjected Alexandria- also the oldest and most
flourishing civil metropolis of Egypt- to the censuary yoke[xxxiii] after the
Roman garrisons were cast down, which were found in the same place. And the
aforementioned Hamer, leader of the Ismailites,[xxxiv] ordered for the town of
Babilo to be founded[xxxv] as well as garrisons which still stand even now, to
protect against the Roman realm. And while his helping armies were bringing the
triumph of victory from all parts whether West or East, after ten years of his
rule he was killed by a certain slave while attending prayers.
Of the Romans 59: Constans the son of
Constantinus undertook the reins of administration of the state after his
father died. He ruled for 27 years.[xxxvi]
For the Saracens, Etheman assumed the
leadership of his people and ruled for 12 years.[xxxvii] This man joined to the
control of the Saracens and subjected to their command Libya
Marmoricis[xxxviii] and Pentapolis,[xxxix] as well as Kazania[xl] and even
Aethiopia, which lie beyond Egypt in the expanses of desert. And he made very
many cities of the Persians tributaries. After accomplishing these things,
Etheman was killed in their civil war.
But soon Moabia obtained his seat and ruled
for 25 years.[xli] For five of these years he waged civil wars with his own
people. For 20 years indeed he made all the peoples of the Ismailites obedient
with the greatest happiness.[xlii] Constans the Augustus unsuccessfully fought
against him despite gathering 1000 and more ships. He scarcely managed to
escape with few. Through his commander also called Habedella,[xliii] who for a
time held leadership of the battle command, many successes were attained in the
West. He came to Tripoli. He also assailed through war Cuida and
Helemptie,[xliv] and after many desolations and vanquishing and devastation, he
accepted the provinces into trust. Still thirsty for blood, he arrived in
Africa. Therefore preparations for battles were made, and the line of the Moors[xlv]
was put to flight and all the nobility of Africa with count Gregory[xlvi] were
wiped out in killing. Also the reputed Habedella, returning with large largess
with all his cohorts, reached Egypt, as Moabia was acting in the tenth year of
his rule.
Constans the Augustus, who ran through the
state in kindling of fire, was killed at the renowned city of Syracuse in
Sicily by a plot of his ministers, having ruled for 27 years. But Constantinus
the elder of his sons undertook the care of administering the Roman empire.
Of the Romans 60: Constantinus heard that his
father was killed at Syracuse[xlvii] by the sedition of his own men. He was
crowned emperor and ruled for years.[xlviii]
Moabia the king of the Saracens directed
100,000 of his men, who might attend in obedience to his son Yzit[xlix] (to
whom he had also decreed the kingdom), to assault the city of Constantinople.
But as they surrounded it for the whole springtime and could not bear the toil
of hunger and pestilence, they abandoned the city and captured very many
towns.[l] Loaded with booty, they returned to Damascus and the king, by whom
they had been directed, after a period of healing of two years. So Moabia died
after he filled out twenty years of his principate and lived five of them as a
civilian.
After he died, Yzit his son ruled for three
years. He was a most pleasant man and considered most graciously in the eyes of
all the nations subjected to his rule. He never sought any glory for the sake
of royal honour for himself (as is the custom of men), but rather he lived as a
civilian in common with all. Few or no successes were accomplished in his times
in the armies directed by him.
After three years he put an end to his reign
and left as a successor to him his son Moabia,[li] similar in his father's
customs. Once he attained power, he donated a third of the tribute of money to
all the provinces of his kingdom.[lii] And he himself, before he could remain
for a half a year in rule, departed from this light.
Of the Romans 61. Iustinianus was put in
charge of the kingdom by the senate. He ruled for 10 years before the first
dispossession and for 10 years after receiving the kingdom.
After the younger Moabia died, the armies of
all the provinces chose two leaders for themselves: one called Abdella,[liii]
the other Maroan,[liv] the grandson of whose son holds the principate of theirs
until our times. But Abdella before nearly two years had passed was elected
princeps by the consent of all, while Maroan, on account of cruelty on the part
of Abdella himself, was driven from the borders of Almidina[lv] with all his
children and indeed his relatives and was ordered to be in exile at Damascus.
But some time afterwards, with some from the army agreeing and God overlooking,
he was brought to the kingdom. Waging indescribable and numerous battles for
the second year continuously against each other, an innumerable multitude of
men fell from both armies with mutual battles stirred up among themselves. And
as they observed that their strength in turn with the excess fighting was being
sapped more and more, Maroan, the king of one part, sent envoys in supplication
to Constantinus the Augustus and demanded that peace be granted to him. On
these conditions a peace of nine years was granted to him: that he should
restore safe and sound the captives and fugitives who were in all the provinces
of the Saracens to their own homes. In addition, the king of the Saracens
should give to the Augustus emperor a quantity of 1000 solidi of gold of
integral weight, one girl, an Arabian mule and fine silk on a daily basis
without intermission for the continual cycle of 9 years. Indeed before Maroan
died, he divided the provinces of the Ismailites among his sons: that is, he
left the regions of Persis, Armenia, Mesopotamia, Osdroena, Arabia and Syria to
his firstborn Habdelmele to rule.[lvi] He left Egypt and the parts of further
Aethiopia, Tripolei and Africa and the adjacent provinces all the way to the
Gaditanan straits to his son Habdellaziz.[lvii] He gave command of the armies
and navies to his son Mahmet, so that once the peace ended after nine years he
might be devoted to expeditions against the Roman realm and all the
neighbouring nations. Thus with all things diligently and prudently fulfilled
and with one year of fighting finished, he restored the debt of human nature
and, as he himself had ordered, he left Habdelemele his eldest son as
successor.
Of the Romans 62. With Iustinianus[lviii]
overthrown in a coup, Leo was crowned king. He ruled for three years.[lix]
After him, of the Romans 63. Absimarus was put
in charge in that manner. He ruled for eight years.[lx]
Habdelmele, assuming the apex of his kingdom,
ruled for 20 years. In the first year of his rule, he directed all the
experience and virtue of the mind of his army against Habdella (whom his father
had attacked so many times in various wars) all the way finally to Macca- as
they consider it, the home of Abraham, which lies in the desert between Ur of
the Chaldeans and Carra the city of Mesopotamia. With the attack put in motion,
king Habdella was killed by the leader of the army called Tahihie[lxi]
appointed by king Habdemele. And the decapitated head of the aforementioned
Habdella was presented to Habdelmele the son of king Maroan at Damascus by
Aiaie the leader of the army.[lxii] Thus, in the sixth year of the rule of the
aforementioned princeps,[lxiii] with domestic wars having been put to an end in
all areas, he attacked the borders of external peoples in the shrewdest manner.
For he made the provinces of many people, states, villages, towns and castles
tributaries to his command. And as his previously mentioned brother (to whom
his father had handed power from the borders of Egypt all the way to the
Gaditan strait and had ordered to be a successor of the kingdom after him) had
been overcome in a fatal accident, he decreed that the kingdom was all the same
to be handed over to his own children. Of course he handed over to Hulit his
firstborn son the kingdom after himself,[lxiv] and he also ordered his brother
called Zoleiman[lxv] to be his follower. And thus by making orders out of
utility, as he had learnt from his father, he set things in order for his
children and after filling out the year of his rule in security he departed
from this light.
Iustinianus, having been helped by the force
and virtue of the Chazars, returned to Constantinople residing in his own
kingdom, with those who had rebelled against him some time ago having been
overcome.[lxvi]
Hulit succeeded to wield the scepters of the kingdom
according to what his father had set forth. He ruled for nine years, a man of
total prudence in setting forth the armies, and though lacking divine favour,
it was such that he broke the courage of almost all the nearest peoples. Among
all things he made the Roman realm weak through assiduous devastation. He also
brought together under his rule the nearby islands. He thoroughly tamed the
borders of India by devastation. Also in the western parts he attacked and
conquered through the commander of his army called Musa[lxvii] the kingdom of
the Goths that had been fortified by old hardness in the regions of Spain.
Having overthrown the kingdom, he made them tributaries. Thus having
successfully conducted all matters he died after the forces of all peoples were
provided and presented to him.
Of the Romans 64: Philippicus the
usurper[lxviii] invaded the kingdom after Iustianianus was killed in a revolt
that had been stirred up. After this 65. Anastasius was crowned.[lxix] And then
66. Artemius, also known as Theodosius[lxx] was put in charge of the kingdom.
These men ruled civilly for five years.
Among the Arabs, after Hulit died, his blood
brother Zoleiman ruled in the kingdom for three years as per what his father
had laid out. This man, hostile to the Roman realm, sent his brother called
Mazalema, born from the same mother, to destroy the Roman realm with 100,000
armed men having been selected to go with him. He soon reached and struck the
borders of Asia. He then attacked by warfare and destroyed by fire and sword
the most ancient and flourishing city of Asia: Pergamum, which was misled by
trickery. He decreed that the survivors should be distributed to the army. And
from here he approached the royal city and surrounded it with a siege for two
years but accomplished nothing.[lxxi] Seeing that he was in danger rather than
bringing about dangers, compelled by hunger, the sword and total indigence he
returned not too happily to his own province now by the orders of another
leader. Indeed the aforementioned leader Zoleiman had died at the end of the
third year while waiting at the province of Antioch.
Of the Romans 67. While the Saracens were
approaching the royal city in order to take it by storm, Leo, an expert of
military discipline undertook the scepters of the state for 24 years by the
Senate's acclamation.[lxxii]
The dead Zoleiman had left as successor of the
Saracens in the kingdom the son of his uncle, (whom his grandfather had put in
charge of the whole west from Egypt), called Amer.[lxxiii] He ruled for three
years. And after him he had arranged to lead back his brother called Yzit into
power.[lxxiv] Hamer also in matters of armies accomplished nothing sufficiently
outstanding or anything adverse. But he was of such great benevolence and
patience, that as much praise and honour are given to him by all (even external
people), as has ever been brought to any living person assuming the reins of a
kingdom. Indeed also this man withdrew from the place in which Zoleiman had
died.
Yzit of the Saracens, succeeding in the
kingdom, ruled for four years. Against this man armies of his own people, which
were responsible for guarding the Persian lands, stirred up a rebellion and
contrived civil wars. Ministering the councils among those people and remaining
above them as the head of the crime was a Saracen called Yzit, who did not
arise from that royal tribe.[lxxv] Yzit the king, having been informed of the
rebellion, sent an expedition against them with his previously mentioned
brother called Mazlema, born from the same mother.[lxxvi] And when both armies
had come to blows in the Babylonian plains over the Tigris river, the
aforementioned Yzit the leader of the rebellion was killed by the army of Yzit
the king. And thus his army, having collapsed in flight, was crushed, such
that, with scarcely a few escaping, they were glad merely to have survived, as
mercy was granted by Mazlema the leader of the army. Also he waged many
successful matters against the Roman realm. Finally in the western parts he was
partially successful through the leaders of the army.
Also he made Gallia Narbonensis[lxxvii] his
own through the leader of the army called Mazlema and he agitated the people of
the Franks with frequent wars. And with inconsistent virtue the aforementioned
leader of the army got all the way up to Toulouse, and surrounding it with
siege he tried to take it by storm through different kinds of siege equipment.
The peoples of the Franks, informed of this development, gathered around a
leader of the same people called Eudon.[lxxviii] And thus gathered they reached
Toulouse. At Toulouse both armies clashed in a grave battle. They killed Zema
the leader of the army of the Saracens together with part of his army.[lxxix]
They pursued the remainder of the army that collapsed through flight.
Therefore Yzit the leader of the Saracens,
after ruling for four years, departed from this light, leaving the kingdom to
his brother called Hescia.[lxxx] And after his brother he had decreed that a
son of his own seed called Hulit would rule.[lxxxi]
