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Babak - The First Azerbaijani Ruler Melik Arbang!
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In August 836, the Caliphate army, under the command of Kavus's son Khidr, known by the nickname "Afshin," defeated the Khurramites and captured the Baz fortress. The leader of the Khurramites, Babak, fled the fortress with approximately 50 men, including his mother, wife, two brothers, and personal bodyguard. After leaving the fortress, Babak sent his brother, a very steadfast and courageous man, to the Beylagan fortress. Although other family members were captured in ambushes along the way, he and his bodyguard made it to the Suni region on their way to Constantinople.
There, he encountered Sahl ibn Sunbat and, trusting his promises, went to the fortress near the village of Shaki, located in the current Zangezur area. I believe we should first consider the origin and status of Sahl ibn Sunbat because these points provide serious arguments for making accurate conclusions about Babak's personality.
The Arabs referred to the Christians of the South Caucasus as "Armenians" in general. This was due to political and geographical divisions by the Arabs. However, at that time, the Monophysite Gregorian Church to which the Armenians belonged had not spread to Suni, Arran, Girdman, or other Albanian regions. As explicitly stated by Movses Kalankatli, Sahl ibn Sunbat represented Albanian Christianity. Ethnically, he belonged to the Zarmihr branch of the Mehranids, who were of the same lineage as the Sasaini rulers.
Babak's defeat not only affected the history of Azerbaijan but also had a direct impact on the shaping of the Near and Middle East and even world history.
Caliph Mutasim sent all his might against Babak under Afshin's leadership, including his personal cook, barber, and other servants. He understood very well that Babak winning this war would mean the end of his dynasty and the Arab state, as well as the eradication of Islam. If the Caliphate had fallen and Islam had ceased to exist as a religion, world history from the 9th century onward would have developed in a completely different direction. History, of course, does not progress based on what did not happen. Nonetheless, considering the significance of a victory over the Caliphate army for Babak, we gain several more arguments to objectively assess his personality and role in history.
In this article, I do not wish to extensively discuss the positive principles and methods of historical science; I simply find it necessary to emphasize that it is impossible to navigate the countless biases and manipulations in sources without systematically analyzing the life and activities of a leader about whom only his enemies have written.
Babak's next and decisive victory over the Caliphate troops would have first moved the capital of his state to a more accessible city. Babak's main fortress, Baz, was a fortress-type refuge built on the peaks of high mountains, inaccessible during winter and rain. As a result, the Khurramite bureaucracy had to return to their native places during autumn and winter, negatively impacting the stability and agility of an essential institution for the state – the bureaucratic apparatus.
On the other hand, if Babak had won, a new empire lasting at least several hundred years would have been formed. It is unlikely that Babak, having defeated the Arab Caliphate, would not conquer the surrounding countries, including other feudal estates and Arab lands in the region.
Additionally, Babak's victory would have strengthened the influx of Turkish tribes into the region from both the north and the direction of Khorasan, leading to the Turkish migration experienced later with the Seljuks occurring during Babak's time.
Indeed, Babak was a head of state – a ruler. Considering him as a rebellion leader like Spartacus or Robin Hood, or as the Arab historians claimed, a bandit and outlaw leader, is fundamentally wrong. There are many facts in sources where the Albanian feudal Sahl referred to Babak as "Ruler" during their encounter. It is even repeatedly noted that Babak reminded Sahl of his limits while dining with him at the same table. Babak, as a ruler, bore the title "malik," which is confirmed by his statement to his son: "Living one day as a malik is better than being a slave for 40 years."
The essence of what the Arabs called "Babak's rebellion" is as follows:
After Cavidan's death, Babak, who took control of the Baz fortress and became the leader of the Khurramites, first armed his people, organized night raids to kill local and Arab Muslims, destroyed the Caliphate's checkpoints, and took control of roads.
He turned local feudal lords into his vassals, received taxes, tributes, and other forms of support from them, punished those who did not comply, established an administrative system, and appointed governors – tudans.
He established diplomatic relations with other states, including the Byzantine and Khazar Empires, and turned influential local feudal dynasties into his allies.
In his land, he eradicated Islam, promoted the Khurramite belief, and defeated Arab armies.
As a head of state, Babak created, for the first time in history, the AZERBAIJAN AREA from social, economic, political, military, cultural, and other perspectives.
Babak, by his social origin, was a man from the lower class. After Cavidan's death, as a property owner and community leader – having married one of Cavidan's wives and claimed his spirit had passed into him – he was a vassal of the Arab governor in Azerbaijan. In fact, Babak first started the rebellion after a letter from Hatim, the son of Harseme, the governor of Aran under Caliph Mamun, but it seems he had armed himself well for the uprising and waited for the right moment before this. Babak's social origin, his later ownership of the Baz fortress, and his initial foreignness to the Khurramite community shed light on the early period of his life. Comparing these nuances with the apparent information about his activities after becoming the Khurramites' leader, we can infer his ethnic origin, mother tongue, and the official language of Babak's Azerbaijani state.
It is certain that Babak was not of Aryan origin. Thus, when Cavidan, the owner of the Baz fortress, wanted to return home after selling livestock in the Zanjan market, he stayed with Babak's family in the village named ‘Bilalabad, feeling slighted by the behavior of the local feudal lord who was afraid of the Arabs. Liking the young man's diligence and agreeing to send 50 dirhams to his mother monthly, Cavidan had a conversation with the young man before taking him to Baz. During this conversation, Cavidan saw that the future greatest hero of history could speak "the Aryan language with difficulty and in broken phrases." This fact convinces us that Babak and Cavidan did not belong to the same ethnic origin and mother tongue. Considering that Babak learned Kurdish, a language from the Iranian family, while working as a servant in a Kurdish feudal's manor during his youth, it becomes clear that there is no scientific basis to present Babak as belonging to an Aryan group – Persian, Kurdish, or other ethnic groups.
If we imagine the demographic situation of the region at that time, theoretically, Babak could have been Arab, Jewish, Turkic, or Albanian by ethnic origin.
Babak equated Arabs with Jews and referred to them collectively as "cuhud" (Jews). Such identifications were common in the Middle Ages. In Greek and Armenian sources, not only Iranians but also Turks were sometimes referred to as "Tajiks" together with these groups. Babak’s designation of Arabs and Jews as "cuhud" was related to their geographic origin, common peoples, belief in heavenly scriptures, and the circumcision of men. Babak did not speak Arabic, as evidenced by his communication with vizier Abu Dawud and Caliph Muti’ in Samarra through an interpreter.
In a letter to the Byzantine Emperor Theophilus, Babak mentions that his father was Christian. Although this might have been a diplomatic bluff, it suggests that Babak's paternal ancestors were not indigenous Medes.
Considering the sources, Babak had direct communication in his own language with three individuals: Afshin, Buzbar, and Sahl ibn Sumbat.
Sahl ibn Sumbat was from the Mehranids and spoke Persian, which Babak initially knew poorly but certainly mastered later. Thus, it is plausible that Babak and Sahl communicated in Persian.
Buzbar, one of Afshin's commanders, spoke to Babak in his own language—Turkish—when capturing him, ordering him to dismount, to which Babak responded with, "Who are you?"
Afshin met with Babak several times face-to-face and communicated without an interpreter. There is valuable information indicating that Afshin spoke directly in Turkish with Babak. When Babak was brought to Samarra and questioned by Caliph Muti’, he did not respond. Afshin leaned into Babak's ear and reprimanded him to answer the caliph. Thus, we conclude that Babak's native language was Turkish.
At that time, a branch of the Huns, known as the Ağaçəri, had settled in South Azerbaijan, including around Ardabil. Some Huns in the South Caucasus had converted to Christianity, and Babak’s reference to Christianity might be a result of this context.
It is plausible that Babak's mother- whose name should be accepted as “Börümən”- and his father, noted as “Mərdəs,” were indeed from the Aghacheri. Claims that Babak's father was a "seller of oil" or some beggar are not substantiated. According to this claim, Abdullah, Babak’s father, was killed before Babak was born, but Babak had younger brothers. Furthermore, Babak’s mother supported herself for a time as a wet nurse and caretaker, indicating that she was a woman of respectable and wealthy family, countering the notion presented by Arab historians of her being "immoral." To be a wet nurse, a woman must have given birth several times, aligning with the claims about Babak’s siblings. One brother’s name is given as “Abdullah,” and another as “Muawiyah,” but the latter could also be his son taken from Bazz after leaving the fortress. It seems unlikely that Babak named his own son “Muawiyah,” suggesting that the names of his brothers or son might have been Arabized by historical chroniclers.
There is minimal information about Babak’s real name being “Hasan.” Some historians speculate that Babak’s real name could be “Əsən,” but this seems more like conjecture.
“Babak” is a pseudonym. There is no strong scientific basis for equating “Babak” with the Sasanian ancestor “Papağ.” The name “Javidan,” meaning “eternal time,” indicates that the leader of the Khurramite community carried ideologically significant pseudonyms. Therefore, searching for “Babak” as a name of low origin with Sasanian nostalgia is methodologically incorrect. It seems that this pseudonym could be the Arabic form of the Turkish word “Babay,” meaning “wise leader.”
Certainly, before Babak had the fortress of Bazz, he had a different name. There is no direct information about this name in Arabic sources, apart from the above.
Said Nasifi writes: “The Arab historian Jamal al-Din Abu al-Qasim Abdullah Kashani provided several accurate details about the Khurramites and Babak in his work ‘Zubdat al-Tawarikh’.”
One of these details is that in 835, a battle occurred between Babak and Muti’s forces near Maragha. The Khurramites inflicted heavy losses on the caliphate army:
“This year, Büyük Buğa fought Babak. Many Muslims were killed, and Afshin made peace with Babak in Maragha using the ARBANG METHOD.”
This peace treaty was a tactical move for both sides and had no lasting significance afterward. Nevertheless, we see both Babak and ARBANG names in the same sentence, suggesting it is not a scribal error.
The term "ARBANG" can be interpreted in three ways:
In ancient Turkish languages, it meant “horse-drawn cart.” The meaning is preserved in the Nogay Turks today.
It could be derived from “ər” and “bəng,” meaning “noble man.” In medieval times, “bəng,” or opium, was considered medicinal and did not carry a negative connotation.
It is also possible that Babak took the pseudonym “Bab” after being chosen as the leader of the Khurramites, replacing “Ər” with “Bab,” and “BABBƏNG” was Arabized into Babak. This explanation aligns with the Armenian sources referring to Babak as both “Bab” and “Baban.”
Finally, among the Qaramanoglu, we encounter a figure named Damad Eladdin Bengi. In Turkey's Balıkesir province, "Zeybek" dances are called “Bengi,” and this term appears in Orhan inscriptions, meaning “eternal.”
Babak’s Turkish origin influenced his relations with Afshin. Afshin treated Babak and his family with great respect, inquired about their wishes, and fulfilled them. Notably, as a Turk, Afshin did not want to defeat Babak but sought to ally with him to overthrow the Arab Caliphate. Afshin's intentions were discussed extensively among his troops, the palace courtiers, and the caliphate. Afshin only launched an attack when he realized he could not reach an agreement with Babak and feared losing favor with the caliph. Various expressions confirm that Afshin, Babak, and Maziyar negotiated to oppose the caliphate, though claims about “restoring the Sasanids” are superficial and baseless. If the three powerful figures had reached an agreement, Afshin would have claimed the right to power due to his lineage, while Babak, based on his geographic, social, and real political power, would also consider himself justified. Their failure to agree is why Maziyar could not directly align with Afshin.
Babak’s defeat was primarily due to losing military, political, and financial support from the Khazar Empire. Muti’ cut off support from the north by establishing friendly relations and trade agreements with the Khazars, weakening Babak.
Babak’s state was formed based on Khazar traditions. This is evident in how Babak was confirmed as leader by the council, similar to the Khazars, where the Khagan was chosen this way.
“Məlik” was one of the titles of the Khazars’ Khagan.
Additionally, after being chosen as leader, the Khurramites performed rituals, including slaughtering oxen and using ox hides and various plants symbolically. This ritual aligns with ancient Turkic-Shamanistic practices. It indicates that the Cavidani and Babaki beliefs were a Shamanistic version influenced by Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
Furthermore, the “Tarkan” title held by a free Turk from Maragha was effectively a general in Babak’s army. This confirms that Babak’s military system was based on Khazar military traditions. Also, Azin, another heroic commander, was responsible for managing the army, and Babak’s sons fought under his command.
The place and role of Abdulla, Babak's captured brother who, like him, displayed great resolve in the face of execution, in the Khurramite system have been briefly reviewed. Mutəsim had referred to him as a ‘great statesman and commander’ and later regretted his decision to execute him. The synthesis of the information shows that Abdulla held a position similar to that of a 'Beg', or Prime Minister, in Babak’s state, which is entirely consistent with Khazar traditions.
In Babak’s state, like in the Khazars, there was a State Council where key military, political, and other decisions were made. There was also religious tolerance, as evidenced by Muslims imprisoned in the fortress who mourned and expressed affection for Babak when freed.
Babak’s legal system was based on tribal customs, not the Sharia of religious texts like Avesta or Quran.
Finally, two intriguing matters are worth noting:
After Babak was executed and beheaded, his head was sent to Khorasan, and his headless body was displayed in a reed area near the Shurtah of Samarra, later known as “Kenisei-Babek.” It is conceivable that archaeological research could uncover Babak’s remains in that area.
Though some of Babak’s sons were killed by the Abbasids, a few younger sons survived due to the fatwa of the Mu’tazilite ideologist Abu Dawud. One of them was sent to Azerbaijan with his mother- Babak’s wife from a wealthy family, which suggests that Babak’s lineage may continue to this day.
Taleh Shahsuvarli