Terrified, some of his relatives advised him to kill them all. Others suggested that he should turn a blind eye, believing that they were only anguished, starving brown-skinned enslaved people who would eventually return to their masters. Others recommended sending troops over to disperse them (al-Balādhurī, op. cit., p. 350). But the situation deteriorated rapidly. The rebels took refuge in the thickets of al-Ubulla, which they turned into an improvised fort and raiding base. This restiveness quickly turned into a major movement. Despite their small number, they spread their radius of activity and raged for several days, sowing havoc and destruction, attacking the houses of the rich and killing many inhabitants. They even challenged the authorities by congregating close to the prefect's house.  
Finally, qadi Sawwār decided to put an end to the rising insurgency and called in the army. Government troops repelled the rebels and massacred most of them. Shortly afterwards, however, another revolt broke out, this time in the heart of the holy city of Medina, egged on by other groups of enslaved black people. It is likely that stories of the exploits in Basra and al-Ubulla would have helped boost the boldness of those enslaved in Medina.  
Most chroniclers described these enslaved individuals by the simple generic of Sūdān. For al-Djāhiz these rebels were undoubtedly Zanj. We cannot say exactly when they began to settle in southern Iraq. But it is highly likely that they were deported to Iraq under the first Umayyad caliphs to work on canals, terracing/earthwork and irrigation projects. It is in this region that most enslaved Africans were found.