The Zanj said: The forty who rebelled in the valley of the Euphrates at the time of Sawwār Ibn 'Abd Allāh were our own. They displaced the inhabitants of the valley of the Euphrates from their homes and massacred the people of al-Ubulla (ibid., vol. I, p. 195).  
This brief allusion to fugitives from slavery and their desperate struggles is supported by other medieval chroniclers, especially al-Balādhurī and al-Wakī̄. The latter recounts serious incidents that occurred at the beginning of the 'Abbasid caliphate. He reports clashes between dozens of brown-skinned  
[^0]
[^0]:    1 These categories are still used in many Arab countries. In the Maghreb, the word 'abd is often used as a generic substitute for any individual with a dark complexion.  
enslaved people, during the year 143/757-60, to the famous grand judge Sawwār Ibn 'Abd Allāh, who we know was the first Hanafi magistrate to be appointed by Caliph al-Manșūr himself (r. 136-158 H/754-775 CE).  
This judge was entrusted twice with the jurisdiction of Basra; the first time from 138 to $144 \mathrm{H} / 755$ to 761 CE , followed by a three-year gap. He was reinstated as head of the magistracy in $147 \mathrm{H} / 764 \mathrm{CE}$ and remained in that post until his death in $157 \mathrm{H} / 774$ CE. Apparently in addition to his job as grand qadi (magistrate) he was also head of the police force and probably officiated for some time as a prefect. It was during his first term that, according to the author of ' $A k b b \bar{a} r$ al-Qudāt, a group of enslaved people caused a disturbance:  
A group of twenty or so black slaves owned by Basra masters escaped on horseback and rode off towards Daoud Basin. Once there they protested vehemently, causing much tumult and noise (al-Wakī, op. cit., p. 270).