The Influence of Karbala Uprising on Shiite Uprisings until the Period of Imam Reza’s Imamate

Massive reflections of the rise of Karbala in Islamic communities led to awakening of Muslims. The rise of Imam Husayn (a) with the purpose of “enjoying the good and forbidding the evil” and reviving religion of his ancestor Prophet Muhammad (s) was formed to oppose tyrant dynasty of Umayyad. This rise was a fruitful revolution, in which decisive will in achieving victory and martyrdom in expense of bloody battle was promoted to Muslims’ hearts. Reactions of Shi’ites against tyrant Umayyad and Abbasid rulers were influenced by the rise of Imam Husayn (a) and they led to formation of movements which sought revenge of Imam Husayn’s (a) blood. Actions which were based on Islamic thoughts and teachings were agreed and confirmed by Shi’ite Imams. However they were not necessarily physical actions such as battles, but they were secretive and based on taqiyya (precautionary dissimulation) at times. Umayyad dynasty started in 41 A.H. with the rule of Mu’awiya and it ended in 132 A.H. in the time of Marwan b. Muhammad. In this era important rebels took place including: the rise of Tawwabin (65 A.H.), the rise of Mukhtar al-Thaqafi (66 A.H.), the rise of Zayd (120 A.H.), the rise of Yahya b. Zayd (125 A.H.) and the rise of ‘Abd Allah b. Mu’awiya. During the reign of Abbasid caliphs which started in 132 by Abu al-‘Abbas Saffah and ended in the time of Mu’tasim in 656 A.H., a number of significant uprisings took place as well including: the rise of Nafs al-Zakiyya (145 A.H.), the rise of Ibrahim b. ‘Abd Allah (145), the rise of Fakhkh (169), the rise of Idris b. ‘Abd Allah (172) and the rise of Yahya b. ‘Abd Allah (175). The influence of the mentioned important uprisings of Shi’ite Muslims after the battle of Karbala will be analyzed in the present paper. In addition, their common features including emphasis on practicing divine orders and religious teachings, opposing innovation and inviting to Quran and Sunna as well as their dissimilar features including management, ways of commanding, formation of religious sects and deviated beliefs are all assessed and compared with the Karbala uprising.