Investigating the Bahraini Qarmatian Warfare Practices and Tactics Considering Saviorist Beliefs

At the end of the third century of the Hijra, using the Qarmati-Ismaili beliefs, Abu Sa'id al-Jannabi established the Qarmatian state in Bahrain. This state was often confronted with the Abbasid caliphate and Sunnis due to religious disputes with neighboring states. The Qarmatian rulers of Bahrain sought to achieve their goals by utilizing the power of their followers' faith. They believed that with the advent of their long-awaited Qa'im, Islam would become obsolete. They strived to provide the basis for his emergence by being enduring in battles. Moreover, the pursuit of unique warfare techniques that drew on their inventive styles provided them with more success. The main objective of the present study is to investigate the Qarmatian warfare practices and tactics given their saviorist beliefs. The main question is, what methods did the Qarmatians of Bahrain use to achieve success in battlefields? The findings of this study indicate that the familiarity of Qarmatian with military practices and tactics, on the one hand, and the proper use of these tactics had a profound positive effect on their victories. On the other hand, by examining the Qarmatian warfare techniques, it is concluded that they were familiar with their contemporary combat methods and tactics in confronting their enemies. They considered the right methodology taking the climatic and geographical conditions of the battlefield into account, hence applying maritime techniques for the seizure of coastal areas and the camouflage or ambush in mountainous and desert areas.