Baghdad's quarter-wars of 601 AH
فتن محلات بغداد سنة 601
April 1205 CE · Sha'ban 601 AH
601: Baghdad's quarters went to war over dead lions — Bab al-Azj's people killed a lion and meant to parade it triumphantly; the Ma'muniyya barred the procession and swords came out at the Great Orchard. Another lion sparked Qattafa against al-Qariyya; a quarrel set Suq al-Sultan against al-Ja'fariyya in the cemetery — until a great caliphal mamluk patrolled the city killing suspects and the quarters quieted 1.
At a glance
- Era
- The Crusades, Ayyubids and Mamluks
- Region
- Levant & Iraq
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
In time
Overview
The strife
On the 17th of Sha'ban fighting broke out between the people of Bab al-Azaj and the people of al-Ma'mūniyya. The people of Bab al-Azaj had killed a man and wanted to carry his body around, and the people of al-Ma'mūniyya prevented them. Many were wounded and a number killed. 1
On the 20th of Sha'ban strife broke out between the people of Qatufta and of al-Qarya for a similar reason. On the 9th of Ramadan the people of the Sultan's market and the people of al-Ja'fariyya quarrelled and fought in the cemetery of al-Ja'fariyya. 1
Keeping order
As the strife multiplied, the diwan appointed a senior amir from among the caliph's mamluks with a company. He went round the city and killed those who were suspected, and the people calmed down. 1
People and things also explored
دخول أبي مسلم مرو وانقضاض شيعته على مضر· The Akhlat fitna and massacre (604 AH)· نكث شروط غرناطة وثورة البشرات· Amr ibn Ma'dikarib's apostasy after the Prophet's death· Busr ibn Abi Artat's raid through the Hijaz and Yemen (40 AH)· ملك الضحاك بن قيس الكوفة وصالح ابن عمر على القسمة· ثورة البيازين وسقوط لوشة· The bazaar-quarters' fitna at Herat (602 AH)
Sources
- al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir, p. 297-298
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Baghdad's quarter-wars of 601 AH”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/baghdad-quarter-wars-601/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.