26 Facts About Babak Khorramdin

Babak Khorramdin was one of the main Iranian revolutionary leaders of the Iranian Khorram-Dinan, which was a local freedom movement fighting the Abbasid Caliphate.

The Khorramdin rebellion of Babak spread to the western and central parts of Iran and lasted more than twenty years before it was defeated when Babak was betrayed.

Babak Khorramdin was born in 795 in Bilalabad in the Mimadh district of the Ardabil area, which was part of Azerbaijan, a region in north-western Iran.

Babak Khorramdin's mother Mahru was a non-Muslim wet-nurse from Azerbaijan.

Babak Khorramdin's original faith is uncertain; he was born with the Muslim name of al-Hasan, and his three brothers, Mu'awiya, Abdallah, and Ishaq, had Muslim names.

Since Babak Khorramdin's parents were probably no more than landless villagers, this was likely not their reason for giving their sons Muslim names.

Till the age of twelve, Babak Khorramdin worked as a cowherd, and afterwards entered the service of an Arab warlord named Shibl ibn al-Muthanna al-Azdi in Sarab, where he worked as a groom and servant.

Babak Khorramdin learned to recite poetry, probably in the local Adhari dialect.

Unlike the previous men Babak Khorramdin had served, Javidhan was a local Iranian, and the leader of one of the two Khurramite movements in Azerbaijan.

Javidhan was succeeded by Babak Khorramdin, who had already converted to Khurramism under the latters service.

Javidhan then sent Babak Khorramdin to buy food, wine, and fodder.

When Babak Khorramdin came back and spoke to Javidhan, he impressed Javidhan with his shrewdness despite his lack of fluency of speech.

Babak Khorramdin was a highly spiritual person who respected his Zoroastrian heritage.

Babak Khorramdin made every possible effort to bring Iranians together and with leaders such as Maziar to form a united front against the Arab Caliph.

At that time of Babak Khorramdin, there were Khorramis scattered in many regions of Iran, besides Adharbayjan, reportedly in Tabarestan, Khorasan, Balkh, Isfahan, Kashan, Qom, Ray, Karaj, Hamadan, Lorestan, Khuzestan as well as in Basra, and Armenia.

Two years later Babak Khorramdin vanquished the forces of Isa ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Khalid.

Babak Khorramdin won a victory and sent some captured enemies, but not Babak, to al-Ma'mun.

Babak Khorramdin employed a relay system to protect supply caravans.

Babak Khorramdin tried to capture the money being sent to pay Afshin's army but was himself surprised, lost many men and barely escaped.

Babak Khorramdin did succeed in capturing some supplies and inflicting some hardship on his enemies.

The next year Babak Khorramdin routed the forces of Afshin's subordinate, Bugha al-Kabir.

Babak Khorramdin decided to leave the country for the Byzantine Empire and on his way Babak met Sahl Smbatean, Prince of Khachen, who was Armenian.

Babak Khorramdin was eventually seized by Khaydhar ibn Kawus al-Afshin and was handed over to the Abbasid Caliph.

Babak Khorramdin was then gibbeted alive whilst sewn into a cow's skin with the horns at ear level to gradually crush his head as it dried out.

In modern Iran, due to the rise of nationalism in the 20th century, and renewed interest in pre-Islamic Iran, Babak Khorramdin was rediscovered during the reign of Reza Shah, and is celebrated as a national hero.

However, Babak Khorramdin remains a controversial figure in the Islamic Republic, whose idolization is criticized by some Shia clerics.