Zanj Revolt
/zændʒ rɪˈvoʊlt/noun
A major uprising of enslaved and marginalized laborers against the Abbasid Caliphate in southern Iraq from 869 to 883 CE.
Did you know?The revolt’s leaders built fortified settlements, captured major cities, and established a durable rebel state in the marshlands near Basra.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Persian
Persian
zang
“Black; a term associated with regions and peoples south of Egypt”
Early Arabic
Arabic
Zanj
“A collective term used by Arab writers for East African peoples, especially those connected with the Swahili coast”
869 CE
Arabic
Thawrat al-Zanj
“The uprising of the Zanj; the revolt began in southern Iraq under the Abbasid Caliphate”
9th Century
Arabic
zanj
“The laborers and soldiers identified in historical accounts as Zanj, though the rebel population was ethnically diverse”
14th Century
Latin
revoltere
“To roll back, return, or turn around; the source of English revolt”
Modern English
English
Zanj Revolt
“The historical name for the prolonged rebellion in Iraq from 869 to 883 CE”