Sunpadh

Sunpadh, Sinbad (Persian: سندباد‎), or Sinbad the Magus (Arabic: سنباذ المجوسي‎ Sinbād̲h̲ al-Majūsī) (died 755) was a Persian cleric who incited an uprising against the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th century.

Biography

Sunpadh was a native of a village called Āhan near Nishapur, he was a close friend of Abu Muslim.

Following the betrayal and subsequent death of Abu Muslim in 755, the enraged Sunpadh swore to march on Mecca and destroy the Kaaba. Sunpadh further preached that "Abu Muslim has not died, and when Mansur meant to slay him, he chanted God's great name (Persian: نام مهين خداى تعالى‎), turned into a white dove and flew away. Now he is standing with Mahdi and Mazdak in a castle of copper and they shall emerge by and by." His doctrine received wide support among Persian Shi'i Muslims, Zoroastrians and Mazdakites and revolts occurred in Ray, Herat and Sistan. Within only 70 days, Sunpadh's forces were however defeated by one of Caliph al-Mansur's generals, Juhar ibn Murad. Sunpadh then fled to Khurshid of Tabaristan, but there he was murdered by one of Khurshid's cousins, because he had failed to show the man proper respect.

Sunpadh also preached a syncretism melding Islam and Zoroastrianism. In combination with his unusual and heretical vow to advance towards Hijaz and raze the Kaaba, this led to the belief that he was in fact a Zoroastrian, rather than a Muslim.

Political personality

Sunpadh was a friend and confidant of Abu Muslim, who had led the Abbasid Revolution in 747. Nizam al-Mulk states in his Siyāsatnāma that Abu Muslim had delegated his authority and coffers in Rayy to Sunpadh prior to journeying to Baghdad, where he was eventually murdered by order of the second Abbasid Caliph, al-Mansur.

See also

• Bihafarid
• Ustadh Sis
• Ishaq al-Turk
• al-Muqanna
• Babak Khorramdin
• Khurshid of Tabaristan

References

Bibliography