Скачать или смотреть African Spartacus: How an Army of Black Slaves Challenged a Caliphate in Iraq

In 869 AD, history's most dramatic and brutal slave revolt exploded in the salt marshes of southern Iraq. The enslaved people, known as the Zanj (mostly brought from East Africa), went toe-to-toe with the powerful Abbasid Caliphate, building their own state and issuing their own money.

In this video, we uncover the shocking details of this nearly forgotten 14-year war of resistance:

The Powder Keg: The Zanj were forced into industrial-scale labor camps (holding 500 to 5,000 people) to perform the backbreaking work of scraping off salty soil (Natron) from vast salt flats, often living in near starvation.

Guerrilla Warfare: Led by Ali bin Muhammad, the Zanj used the swampy terrain of canals and reeds as a weapon. They defeated a professional imperial force of 4,000 troops despite having almost no weapons, using clever tactics to launch surprise attacks from small boats.

The Horrific Peak: The rebellion culminated in the audacious capture of the wealthy port city of Basra in 871. The ensuing massacre was an act of total war, with one contemporary writer estimating the death toll at a staggering 300,000 people.

The Crushing End: The Caliphate's top general, Al-Muwaffaq, launched a massive counterattack, building a dedicated fleet to fight the rebels in the canals. After a grueling two-year siege of the rebel capital, the Zanj state was finally destroyed in 883.

The Zanj Rebellion was one of the largest and longest slave revolts ever recorded, proving that enslaved people could command armies and challenge a global superpower.

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