Armenian Revolt (850–855)
| Armenian Revolt (850–855) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Caliph al-Mutawakkil (depicted here on a dirham) | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Abbasid Caliphate |
Anti–Abbasid Rebels:
Byzantine forces Khazar forces Slavic forces | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Yusuf al-Marwazi † Bugha al-Kabir Muhammad al-Shaybani |
Bagrat II (POW) Smbat VIII Musa ibn Zurara (POW) Ishaq ibn Isma'il † Gurgen Artsruni (POW) Ashot I Artsruni (POW) Esayi Abumushe (POW) Sahl Smbatean (POW) Demetrius II | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 200,000 | Unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 1,800+ killed | 30,000+ killed | ||||||||
| 50,000 residents massacred in Tbilisi | |||||||||
The Armenian Revolt (Arabic: ثَوْرَةُ الأَرْمَن) was an armed rebellion fought in 850–855 by Armenian nobility against Abbasid authority over Arminiya following a taxation dispute. The main leading families were the Bagratuni of Taron and Artsruni of Vaspurakan. It was ultimately crushed by the Turkic general Bugha al-Kabir in the service of caliph al-Mutawakkil (r. 847–861), helped by disagreements and rivalry among the Armenian nobility. Bugha went on to also defeat the Tbilisi emir and the Abkhaz king. Tens of thousands were executed and Tbilisi was destroyed. The numerous noblemen captured and held at the Abbasid capital during the rebellion were subsequently released.