The Abbasids and their position towards the Alawites in the first Abbasid era (132 AH / 232 AH / 749 / 846 AD)

Abstract

This study examines the nature of the relationship between the Abbasids and the Alawites during the First Abbasid Era. It argues that the Alawites continued to regard themselves as the rightful claimants to the Caliphate following the martyrdom of al-Husayn ibn Ali at Karbala. Whenever political circumstances were favorable, they sought to advance their claim, while periods of weakness often led them to adopt a more cautious and restrained approach. With the emergence of the Abbasid da'wah, some Shi'ites supported it under the belief that it would ultimately restore authority to the Alawite family, whereas others chose to remain neutral despite sharing the objective of ending Umayyad rule. The study further demonstrates that relations between the Abbasids and the Alawites were initially characterized by a degree of cooperation during the revolutionary movement. However, this understanding deteriorated after the Abbasids assumed power. Many Alawites, particularly members of the Hasanid branch, believed that they had been marginalized and deprived of a position they considered their legitimate right. They viewed the Abbasids as having benefited from the widespread support generated by the movement before consolidating power exclusively in their own hands. As a result, political tensions intensified, and the relationship gradually evolved from temporary cooperation into open rivalry throughout the First Abbasid Era.