Qarmatians

The Qarmatians were a militant Isma'ili Shia movement that established a religious state in 899 CE. Their center was located in Al-Ahsa, in Eastern Arabia. This group followed a syncretic branch of Sevener Ismaili Shia Islam. They were a dissident movement that challenged the existing religious authorities of their time. Specifically, they revolted against both the Abbasid and Fatimid Caliphates. Many of their beliefs were centered on the coming of the Mahdi. The Mahdi is a messianic figure expected to appear on Earth to end injustice and tyranny.

Historians are uncertain about the exact origin of the name "Qarmatian." Some sources suggest the name comes from Hamdan Qarmat, a man who converted to the faith in 874 CE. Other theories link the name to Aramaic words meaning "short-legged," "red-eyed," or "secret teacher." It might also come from an Arabic verb meaning to make writing lines close together. In southern Iraq, a related group was called "the Greengrocers" or al-Baqliyyah. This was because their teacher, Abu Hatim al-Zutti, forbade animal slaughter and certain vegetables like garlic and onions. The Qarmatian leaders themselves were of Persian descent but were culturally Arabized.

The movement grew from a split within the proto-Isma'ili community. This community followed the lineage of Imām Ja'far al-Sadiq, who died in 765 CE. A major disagreement arose regarding his son, Isma'il ibn Ja'far. While some groups believed Isma'il had died, others believed he was in hiding. The minority who believed in his death eventually formed the Fatimid Caliphate. However, the Qarmatians remained separate from this new Fatimid power. They rejected the claim of the Fatimid Caliph Abdallah al-Mahdi Billah to the imamate. Instead, they clung to their own specific belief in the Mahdi's arrival.

Under the leadership of Abu Sa'id al-Jannabi, the Qarmatians seized significant power. He was a Persian from Jannabah who captured the capital of Hajr and established Al-Ahsa as his capital. The Qarmatian state was extremely wealthy and relied on a large slave-based economy. Some scholars describe their society as being proto-socialist or utopian. This means they attempted to build a highly organized and fair social system. For much of the tenth century, they were a dominant force in the Persian Gulf. They even collected tribute from the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad.

The Qarmatians became famous for their violent raids and military actions. They viewed the pilgrimage to Mecca as a religious innovation called bid'ah. In 906 CE, they ambushed a pilgrim caravan and killed 20,000 people. In 930 CE, a leader named Abu Tahir al-Jannabi led a sack of Mecca. During this attack, they took the sacred Black Stone from the city. They also desecrated the Zamzam Well with the bodies of pilgrims. The Abbasids eventually paid a huge sum of money in 952 CE to recover the Black Stone.

A major turning point occurred in 931 CE, which led to the movement's decline. Abu Tahir al-Jannabi appointed a young Persian man, Abu'l-Fadl al-Isfahani, as the new leader. The Qarmatians believed al-Isfahani was the Mahdi. However, he only ruled for 80 days before he was executed. During his short time, he insulted the prophet Muhammad and other prophets. He also executed several nobles. This event shocked the community and destroyed the movement's religious credibility. It signaled the beginning of the end for their revolutionary power.

The decline of the Qarmatians happened in several stages across different regions. After being defeated by the Abbasids in 976 CE, they became a much smaller local power. Some followers moved to the city of Multan in modern-day Pakistan. In 1005 CE, the ruler Abdul Fateh Daud surrendered Multan to Mahmud of Ghazni. He was allowed to stay in power only if he converted to Sunnism. The movement finally disappeared around 1067 CE. This occurred after they lost their fleet at Bahrain Island and were expelled from Hasa. By the mid-11th century, most other Qarmatian communities had either vanished or joined the Fatimid movement.