Abu al-Khasib

Abu al-Khaṣīb al-Ajmi was an Abbasid general and administrator during the reign of Abu Ja'far al-Mansur. A mawla of Mansur in his early life, Abu al-Khasib rose to the position of Hajib (chamberlain) in 755. In 760, he was sent by Mansur to conquer Tabaristan from its Dabuyid ruler, Khurshid. After the conquest of Tabaristan, he was appointed as its first Abbasid governor, a position he retained till c. 763.

Biography
Abu al-Khasib was from Sind. He had been earlier a client (mawali) of Muthanna b. al-Hajjaj b. Qutayba b. Muslim according to Ibn Isfandiyar. He is first mentioned in 755, when he was sent by Mansur as his chamberlain to Abu Muslim Khurasani for calculating what he had acquired by defeating Abdullah ibn Ali, caliph's uncle. When Abu Muslim refused to handover the wealth, Abu al-Khasib returned to Mansur and told him about Abu Muslim's intention. This sowed seeds of distrust between caliph and Abu Muslim, which ultimately lead to Abu Muslim's execution a few months later. Abu al-Khasib also helped Ma'n ibn Za'ida to go into hiding and sought protection for him, ultimately helping him in gaining indemnity.

In 759, Dabuyid Ispahbadh of Tabaristan, Khurshid, rebelled and killed Muslims living in Tabaristan. Thus, Mansur sent Abu al-Khasib along with Khazim b. Khuzaymah and Rawh b. Hatim against him. They besieged his fortress, however, when siege prolonged, Abu al-Khasib resorted to a stratagem, ultimately conquering the fortress. Khurshid later committed suicide by licking poison. Abu al-Khasib was appointed as governor of Tabaristan, holding the position till 763.

Although no coins are known from Abu al-Khasib's tenure as governor of Tabaristan, he is known to have built a great mosque in the city of Sari, probably in 761. He may have been same as Abdul Hamid, father of al-Khasib who was governor of Egypt during the reign of Harun ar-Rashid, although this is uncertain. Abu al-Khasib also ordered the excavation of Abu al-Khasib canal in Basra, named after him, which in turn gave its name to the present-day Abu Al-Khaseeb District.