Asad ibn Abdallah al-Qasri
| Asad ibn Abdallah al-Qasri | |
|---|---|
| Died | February 738 Balkh |
| Years active | 724–738 |
| Known for | Twice Umayyad governor of Khurasan, defeated the Turgesh |
| Opponent(s) | Suluk, al-Harith ibn Surayj |
Asad ibn Abdallah ibn Asad al-Qasri (died 738) was a prominent official of the Umayyad Caliphate, serving twice as governor of Khurasan under the Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik. The descendant of a prominent Arab family, he was the brother of Khalid al-Qasri, the powerful governor of Iraq for most of Hisham's reign. Asad's first tenure as governor in 724–727 came in the wake of the "Day of Thirst", a severe defeat at the hands of the Turgesh Turks in Transoxiana. Asad tried to reconcile the local Soghdians to Muslim rule, initiated tax reforms to address the grievances of the native converts to Islam (mawali), and enjoyed good relations with many local nobles, who began to convert to Islam under his influence. His military expeditions during his first tenure were targeted mainly against restive local princes, avoiding a direct confrontation with the Turgesh.
After his dismissal, his successors reversed his policy of reconciliation, resulting in a large-scale anti-Arab rebellion among the Soghdians. Another major defeat against the Turgesh in the Battle of the Defile was followed by the almost complete collapse of the Arab position in Trasoxiana and the outbreak of a major rebellion in Khurasan itself, led by al-Harith ibn Surayj. Appointed for a second time to govern Khurasan in late 734, Asad brought fresh troops into the province and managed to suppress Harith's uprising in 735–736, although the rebel leader himself escaped capture. An expedition in Khuttal in 737 brought about the intervention of the Turgesh khagan at the head of an army. Despite initial Arab setbacks and the Turgesh invasion of Khurasan, Asad succeeded in inflicting a defeat upon the khagan in person at the Battle of Kharistan, turning back the Turgesh army. Despite Asad's death a few months later, this success was instrumental in preserving Muslim rule in Central Asia, as the blow to the khagan's prestige led to his murder soon after and the collapse of Turgesh power. At the same time, Asad's conciliatory policy towards the native population laid the foundations for its eventual acceptance of Muslim rule and the Islamization of Central Asia.
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