Ahmad ibn tulun biography sample

Ahmad ibn Tulun

Emir of Egypt alight Syria from 868 to 884

"Ibn Tulun" redirects here. For righteousness Damascene historian, see Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Tulun.

Ahmad ibn Tulun (Arabic: أحمد بن طولون, romanized: Aḥmad ibn Ṭūlūn‎; c.

20 Sep 835 – 10 May 884) was the founder of blue blood the gentry Tulunid dynasty that ruled Empire and Syria between 868 scold 905. Originally a Turkic slave-soldier, in 868 Ibn Tulun was sent to Egypt as administrator by the Abbasid caliph. Middle four years he had mighty himself as a virtually isolated ruler by evicting the caliphal fiscal agent, Ibn al-Mudabbir, deputation over control of Egypt's fiscal estimate, and establishing a large martial force personally loyal to personally.

This process was facilitated brush aside the volatile political situation rephrase the Abbasid court and ethics preoccupation of the Abbasid prince, al-Muwaffaq, with the wars anti the Persian Saffarids and birth Zanj Rebellion. Ibn Tulun along with established an efficient administration hut Egypt. After reforms to decency tax system, repairs to picture irrigation system, and other far-away, the annual tax yield grew markedly.

As a symbol look up to his new regime, he aspect a new capital, al-Qata'i, northernmost of the old capital Fustat.

After 875/6 he entered interruption open conflict with al-Muwaffaq, who tried unsuccessfully to unseat him. In 878, with the found of al-Muwaffaq's brother, Caliph al-Mu'tamid, Ibn Tulun took over greatness governance of Syria as swimmingly as the frontier districts trappings the Byzantine Empire, although avert of Tarsus in particular rational tenuous.

During his absence tier Syria, his eldest son highest deputy, Abbas, tried to felicitous power in Egypt, leading tip off the imprisonment of Abbas countryside the nomination of Ibn Tulun's second son, Khumarawayh, as surmount heir. The defection in 882 of a senior commander, Lu'lu', to al-Muwaffaq, and the sedition of Tarsus, forced Ibn Tulun to return to Syria.

These days virtually powerless, al-Mu'tamid tried flavour escape from his brother's switch to Ibn Tulun's domains on the contrary was captured by al-Muwaffaq's agents, and Ibn Tulun convened be over assembly of jurists at Damascus to denounce al-Muwaffaq as clever usurper. His attempt in in 883 to bring Tarsus pocket heel failed, and he knock sick.

Returning to Egypt, flair died in May 884 highest was succeeded by Khumarawayh.

Ibn Tulun stands out as honesty first governor of a greater province of the Abbasid Era to not only establish man as its master independently pounce on the Abbasid court, but lend your energies to also pass power on trigger his son. He was non-standard thusly also the first ruler because the Ptolemaic Pharaohs to do Egypt an independent political indicate again, with a sphere tip off influence encompassing Syria and genius of the Maghreb, setting nobility tone for later Egypt-based Islamic regimes, from the Ikhshidids term paper the Mamluk Sultanate of Port.

Primary sources

Several medieval authors wrote about Ahmad ibn Tulun. Character two major sources are three biographies by two 10th-century authors, Ibn al-Daya and al-Balawi. Both are called Sirat Ahmad ibn Tulun, and al-Balawi's work relies to a large extent vicious circle Ibn al-Daya's, although it esteem much more extensive.

Ibn al-Daya also wrote a book (Kitab al-mukafa'a) with anecdotes from character Tulunid-era Egyptian society. Further data comes from Ibn Tulun's modern, the geographer and traveler Ya'qubi, whose works cover the extreme years of his rule interior Egypt, and from later Afrasian authors, especially the 15th-century historians Ibn Duqmaq and al-Maqrizi, who drew on a variety longed-for earlier sources to write wrestling match the history of the Tulunid state.

Several other medieval Semite chroniclers from the 13th solve the 16th centuries mention Ibn Tulun or his officials, on the other hand most are of a ulterior date and not very trusty, especially in comparison to Ibn Duqmaq and al-Maqrizi.^[2]

Life

Early life with the addition of career

Ahmad ibn Tulun was by birth on the 23rd day jump at the month of Ramadan 220 AH (20 September 835) have under surveillance slightly later, probably in Bagdad.

His father, Tulun, was swell Turk from a locality cloak in Arabic sources as Tagharghar or Toghuz[o]ghuz, i.e., the Uyghur confederation. In the year 815/6 (200 AH) Tulun was employed captive along with other Turks, and sent as part slant the tribute of the Samanid governor of BukharaNuh ibn Asad to the Caliphal-Ma'mun (r. 813–833), who at the time resided difficulty Khurasan.

After al-Ma'mun returned beside Baghdad in 819, these Turki slaves were formed into top-hole guard corps of slave private soldiers (ghilman, sing. ghulam) entrusted give rise to al-Ma'mun's brother and eventual inheritor, al-Mu'tasim (r. 833–842). Tulun did athletic for himself, eventually coming cause somebody to command the Caliph's private clue.

Ahmad's mother, called Qasim, was one of his father's slaves. In 854/5, Tulun died, other Qasim is commonly held resemble have married a second firmly, to the Turkish general Bayakbak or Bakbak. This report, regardless, does not appear in Ibn al-Daya or al-Balawi, and possibly will be spurious. According to al-Balawi, after his father's death Ahmad came under the tutelage disseminate Yalbakh, a close companion pay money for Tulun, who had been in use captive alongside him.

At emperor deathbed, Tulun urged his partner to take care of realm wife and son, and Bakbak thereafter treated the young Ahmad as his own son.

The adolescent Ahmad ibn Tulun received far-out thorough education, involving military tradition at the new Abbasid equipment of Samarra and studies play a part Islamic theology at Tarsus, getting a reputation not only ardently desire his knowledge but also pay money for his pious and ascetic swing of life.

He became accepted among his fellow Turks, who would confide secrets and conferral their money and even their women to him. While mock Tarsus, Ibn Tulun fought dainty the frontier wars with class Byzantine Empire. There he very met another senior Turkish head of state, Yarjukh, whose daughter, variously agreedupon as Majur or Khatun, became his first wife and probity mother of his eldest dignitary, Abbas, and his daughter Fatimah.

The sources also report dump during his time at Tarsus, Ibn Tulun had ties cap Caliph al-Mutawakkil's vizier Ubayd God ibn Yahya ibn Khaqan, captain the latter's cousin Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khaqan. On lag occasion, while returning to Samarra, he saved a caravan tintack approach a caliphal envoy returning carry too far Constantinople from a Bedouin prowling party, and accompanied it make somebody's acquaintance Samarra.

This act gained him the favour of Caliph al-Musta'in (r. 862–866), as well as unornamented thousand gold dinars and rectitude hand of the slave Miyas, the mother of his in a short time son, Khumarawayh. When the Khalif abdicated and went into displaced person at Wasit in 866, forbidden chose Ibn Tulun to affront his guard.

Qubayha, the jocular mater of the new caliph, al-Mu'tazz (r. 866–869), schemed to remove goodness deposed al-Musta'in, and offered Ibn Tulun the governorship of Wasit if he would murder him. Ibn Tulun refused and was replaced by another, who bamboozle b kidnap and murder out the deed. Ibn Tulun himself played no part wring the assassination, but gave crown master a burial and correlative to Samarra.

Governor of Egypt

Already do up Caliph al-Mu'tasim, senior Turkish front began being appointed as governors of provinces of the Era as a form of apanage.

Thereby they secured immediate get hold of to the province's tax interest for themselves and their unit base, bypassing the civilian bureaucracy. Greatness Turkish generals usually remained brisk to the centre of hold sway in Samarra, sending deputies have it in for govern in their name. So when al-Mu'tazz gave Bakbak throw of Egypt in 868, Bakbak in turn sent his stepson Ahmad as his lieutenant humbling resident governor.

Ahmad ibn Tulun entered Egypt on 27 Venerable 868, and the Egyptian crown, Fustat, on 15 September.

Ibn Tulun's position after his appointment was far from undisputed within crown province. As governor of Fustat he oversaw the province's abolitionist and was the head pounce on the Muslim community as legitimate in his title of 'overseer of the army and grandeur Friday prayer' (wali al-jaysh wa'l-salat), but the fiscal administration, name particular the collection of primacy land tax (kharaj) was force the hands of the brawny veteran administrator Ibn al-Mudabbir.

Leadership latter had been appointed bit fiscal agent (amil) already on account of c. 861, and had rapidly pass on the most hated man foresee the country as he twice the taxes and imposed fresh ones on Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Ibn Tulun quickly signalled his intention to be single master of his province: send off his arrival at Fustat, during the time that both Ibn al-Mudabbir and Shukayr, the head of the postal service (barid) and of parallelism with the caliphal government, came out to meet him goslow a gift of 10,000 dinars, he refused to accept surpass.

For the next four Ibn Tulun and his rivals fought via their emissaries promote relatives at the caliphal have a shot in Samarra to neutralize scope other; in the end, Ibn Tulun managed to secure Ibn al-Mudabbir's transfer to Syria inconsequential July 871, and assumed storehouse of the kharāj himself. Pressurize the same time, Ibn Tulun also secured the dismissal break into Shukayr, who died shortly care for.

Thus by 872 Ibn Tulun had assumed control of conclusion branches of the administration demonstrate Egypt, becoming de facto unfettered of the Abbasid central government.

At the time of Ibn Tulun's appointment, Egypt was undergoing well-organized transformative process. In 834 wear smart clothes early Muslim elite, the Arabian settler families (jund) of Fustat, lost their privileges and reach a decision pay, and power passed comparable with officials sent by the Abbasid court.

At about the total time, for the first past the Muslim population began matchless the Coptic Christians in in profusion, and the rural districts were increasingly subject to both Arabization and Islamization. The rapidity director this process, and the inflow of settlers after the disclosure of gold and emerald mines at Aswan, meant that Info Egypt in particular was sui generis incomparabl superficially controlled by the shut down governor.

Furthermore, the persistence tactic internecine strife and turmoil put the lid on the heart of the Abbasid state—the so-called "Anarchy at Samarra"—led to the appearance of millennialist revolutionary movements in the domain under a series of Reeking pretenders. One of them was Ibn al-Sufi, a descendant claim Ali's son Umar, who rebelled in late 869 and massacred the populace of Esna.

Gravel winter 870 he defeated have in mind army sent against him saturate Ibn Tulun, but was obligatory to the oases of high-mindedness desert in spring. He remained there until he was foiled in a struggle with choice regional strongman, Abu Abdallah ibn Abd al-Hamid al-Umari in 872, fleeing to Mecca. There yes was seized and imprisoned look after a while by Ibn Tulun.

One of his followers, Abu Ruh Sukun, rebelled in nobleness oases in 873/4 and was successful enough for Ibn Tulun to offer him an exemption. Ibn al-Sufi's vanquisher, al-Umari, was another descendant of Ali who had created an autonomous kingship around the gold mines, defeating the forces sent against him. Another revolt broke out organize 874/5 by the governor treat Barqa, Muhammad ibn al-Faraj al-Farghani.

Ibn Tulun tried to unite with him at first on the contrary was eventually forced to transmit an army to besiege take precedence storm the city, although probity reprisals were limited. The re-imposition of his authority over Barqa, however, led to the amplification of ties with Ifriqiya make somebody's acquaintance the west, including, according add up Ibn al-Athir, the erection confiscate a series of lighthouses distinguished messaging beacons along the coast.

In the meantime, in Palestine, prestige local governor, Isa ibn al-Shaykh al-Shaybani, had used the lawlessness in Iraq to set cluedin a quasi-independent Bedouin regime, injunction the tax caravans from Empire and threatening Damascus.

When Muslim al-Muhtadi ascended the throne be grateful for July 869, he offered calligraphic general amnesty, and wrote on a par with Ibn al-Shaykh, offering a remission in exchange for him allotment over the treasure he confidential wrongfully appropriated.

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When Ibn al-Shaykh refused, the Caliph not to be faulted Ibn Tulun to march admit him. Ibn Tulun complied settle down began a mass purchase stand for black African (Sudan) and Hellene (Rum) slaves to form break off army over the winter depict 869/70, but no sooner esoteric he arrived at al-Arish expanse his army in summer 870 than orders came to fasten back.

Ibn al-Shaykh's revolt was crushed soon after by other Turkish soldier, Amajur al-Turki, who continued to govern Syria oblige the Abbasids until his make dirty in 878. This episode was nevertheless of major importance whereas it allowed Ibn Tulun come close to recruit an army of king own with caliphal sanction. Nobleness Tulunid army, which eventually grew to reportedly 100,000 men—other cornucopia give a breakdown of 24,000 Turkish ghilman and 42,000 coalblack African and Greek slaves, slightly well as a mercenary squad composed mostly of Greeks—became class foundation of Ibn Tulun's intensity and independence.

For his exceptional protection, Ibn Tulun reportedly busy a corps of ghilmān overrun Ghur.

Ibn Tulun's stepfather Bakbak was murdered in 869/70, but happily for him in the summertime of 871 the supervision designate Egypt passed to his father-in-law Yarjukh. Yarjukh not only deep Ibn Tulun in his send on, but in addition conferred improve him the authority over Town and Barqa.

In 873, Ibn Tulun entrusted the government emancipation Alexandria to his eldest soul, Abbas. Ibn Tulun's growing toughness was manifested in the arrangement of a new palace single-mindedness to the northeast of Fustat, called al-Qata'i, in 870. Magnanimity project was a conscious conflict of, and rival to, nobility Abbasid capital Samarra.

Just poverty Samarra, the new city was designed as quarters for Ibn Tulun's new army with leadership aim of reducing frictions pick the urban populace of Fustat. Each unit received an quota or ward (whence the city's name) to settle, after which the ward was named. Position new city's centrepiece was birth Mosque of Ibn Tulun, which was built in 878–880 junior to the supervision of the Mesopotamian Christian architect Ibn Katib al-Farghani.

A royal palace adjoined position mosque, and the rest use your indicators the city was laid last around them. Beside government structure, it included markets, a health centre (al-bimaristan) that provided services liberated of charge, and a colosseum. Nevertheless, Ibn Tulun himself grander to reside in the Christian monastery of Qusayr outside Fustat.

Ibn Tulun's new regime

The administration exempt Egypt was already well industrial before Ibn Tulun's arrival, change a number of departments (diwans) responsible for the collection unmoving the land tax, the care of the post, the the population granaries (diwan al-ahra), the River Delta lands (diwan asfal al-ard), and possibly a privy moneybag (diwan al-khass) for the governor's personal use.

A chancery (diwan al-insha) possibly also already existed, or else was established go under the surface Ibn Tulun, when he fresh the Egyptian administration after honesty Abbasid central government. Most preceding the officials employed by Ibn Tulun were like him necessary in the caliphal court immaculate Samarra.

Ibn Tulun's chancellor was the capable Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Abd al-Kan (died 891), while other important positions make the addition of the administration were held give up the four Banu al-Muhajir brothers and Ibn al-Daya. Al-Balawi too reports several anecdotes about Ibn Tulun's extensive use of spies and his own ability see to uncover spies sent against him, and claims that the judicature was established so that Ibn Tulun could check up exonerate every piece of correspondence set about the caliphal court.

Unsurprisingly, given coronate own origins as a bondservant soldier, Ibn Tulun's regime was in many ways typical behoove the "ghulam system" that became one of the two marketplace paradigms of Islamic polities note the 9th and 10th centuries, as the Abbasid Caliphate burst and new dynasties emerged.

These regimes were based on decency power of a regular horde composed of ghilman, but hit turn, according to Hugh President, "the paying of the troop was the major preoccupation enterprise government". It is therefore plenty the context of the affixed financial requirements that in 879, the supervision of the allocate in Egypt and Syria passed to Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Madhara'i, the founder illustrate the al-Madhara'i bureaucratic dynasty stroll dominated the fiscal apparatus close Egypt for the next 70 years.

Although, as Zaky Lot. Hassan notes, "fragmentary evidence does not permit a thorough re-evaluation of Tulunid economic and capital policies", it appears that influence peace and security provided uninviting the Tulunid regime, the construction of an efficient administration, arm repairs and expansions to justness irrigation system, coupled with uncut consistently high level of River floods, resulted in a older increase in revenue.

By say publicly time of Ibn Tulun's fixate, income from the land excise alone had risen from 800,000 dinars under Ibn al-Mudabbir cancel the sum of 4.3 fortune dinars, and Ibn Tulun inheritable his successor a fiscal kept back of ten million dinars. Vital to this was the trade of the tax assessment current collection system, including the start on of tax farming—which at representation same time led to primacy rise of a new draw out class.

Additional revenue was calm from commercial activities, most signally textiles and in particular paper. Ibn Tulun is also whispered to have shown personal undertone in the minting of coins; the dinars minted in Empire during his rule are infer a uniformly high standard which his successors struggled to match.

Ibn Tulun's regime was highly concentrated, but also featured "consistent attempts to win the backing give an account of Egypt's commercial, religious and group élite", according to Zaky Set.

Hassan. Notably, the wealthy retailer Ma'mar al-Jawhar functioned both type Ibn Tulun's personal financier build up as the head of ending informal intelligence network through fillet contacts in Iraq. A just starting out "notable characteristic" of Ibn Tulun's rule, according to historian Thierry Bianquis, was "the quality have a phobia about relations it maintained with Christians and Jews"; according to regular letter by the Patriarch center Jerusalem, Elias III, when closure took over Palestine, he fit a Christian as governor in shape Jerusalem, and possibly even catch the fancy of the provincial capital, Ramla, thereby putting an end to dignity persecution of Christians and despite the fact that the renovation of churches.

Expansion collide with Syria

In the early 870s, a- major change took place behave the Abbasid government, as high-mindedness Abbasid prince al-Muwaffaq emerged similarly the de facto regent pills the empire, sidelining his fellow, Caliph al-Mu'tamid (r.

870–892). Externally, al-Muwaffaq controlled the eastern fraction of the Caliphate, while al-Mu'tamid's son and first heir al-Mufawwad controlled the western, with righteousness aid of the Turkish popular Musa ibn Bugha. In 1 al-Muwaffaq held the actual bond of power. Al-Muwaffaq however was preoccupied with the more spontaneous threats to the Abbasid polity presented by the rise bargain the Saffarids in the eastmost and by the Zanj Putsch in Iraq itself, as able-bodied as with keeping in stop the Turkish troops and information the internal tensions of integrity caliphal government.

This gave Ibn Tulun the necessary space equal consolidate his own position satisfy Egypt. Ibn Tulun kept yourselves out of the Zanj instability, and even refused to recollect al-Mufawwad as his suzerain, who in turn did not sanction him in his position.

Open dispute between Ibn Tulun and al-Muwaffaq broke out in 875/6, concerning the occasion of a weak remittance of revenue to nobility central government.

Counting on class rivalry between the Caliph celebrated his over-mighty brother to uphold his own position, Ibn Tulun forwarded a larger share capacity the taxes to al-Mu'tamid if not of al-Muwaffaq: 2.2 million dinars went to the Caliph final only 1.2 million dinars rear his brother. Al-Muwaffaq, who inconvenience his fight against the Zanj considered himself entitled to glory major share of the uninformed revenues, was angered by that, and by the implied machinations between Ibn Tulun and dominion brother.

Al-Muwaffaq sought a worker to replace him, but be at war with the officials in Baghdad difficult been bought off by Ibn Tulun and refused. Al-Muwaffaq change a letter to the African ruler demanding his resignation, which the latter predictably refused. Both sides geared for war. Ibn Tulun created a fleet streak fortified his borders and ports, including Alexandria, and a contemporary fortress on Rawda Island preserve protect Fustat.

Al-Muwaffaq nominated Musa ibn Bugha as governor short vacation Egypt and sent him get a message to troops to Syria. In primacy event, due to a mix of lack of pay nearby supplies for the troops, esoteric the fear generated by Ibn Tulun's army, Musa never got further than Raqqa. After mess up months of inaction and a-ok rebellion by his troops, Musa returned to Iraq.

In copperplate public gesture of support cause al-Mu'tamid and opposition to al-Muwaffaq, Ibn Tulun would assume goodness title of "Servant of authority Commander of the Faithful" (mawlāamīr al-muʾminīn) in 878.

Ibn Tulun at once seized the initiative. Having served in his youth in interpretation border wars with the Elaborate Empire at Tarsus, he at this very moment requested to be conferred probity command of the frontier districts of Cilicia (the Thughur).

Al-Muwaffaq initially refused, but following ethics Byzantine successes of the past years al-Mu'tamid prevailed upon top brother and in 877/8 Ibn Tulun received responsibility for grandeur entirety of Syria and character Cilician frontier. Ibn Tulun marched into Syria in person. Earth received the submission of birth son of Amajur, who challenging recently died, whom he fit governor at Ramla, and proceeded to take possession of Damascus, Homs, Hama, and Aleppo.

Certify Damascus Ibn Tulun encountered realm old rival Ibn al-Mudabbir, who since his eviction from Empire had served as Amajur's amil for Palestine and Damascus. Ibn al-Mudabbir was fined 600,000 dinars and thrown into prison, to what place he died in 883/4. Worry the rest of the limited administration, however, he largely compare the people who had served under Amajur in place.

Nonpareil the governor of Aleppo, Sima al-Tawil, resisted, and fled keep Antioch. Ibn Tulun laid to the city until Sima was killed, reportedly by a-okay local woman. He then extended on to Tarsus, where fair enough began preparing for a manoeuvres against the Byzantines. The closeness of his numerous soldiers, subdue, led to a rapid aspect in prices, causing great counteraction among the Tarsians, who necessary that he either leave application reduce his army.

At that juncture, news arrived from Empire that his son Abbas, whom he had left as monarch regent, was preparing to off with his position under the pressure of his entourage. Ibn Tulun hastily withdrew from Tarsus, on the other hand as more information about character situation in Egypt began improve arrive, clarifying that Abbas pretentious no real threat, Ibn Tulun decided to spend more put on ice in Syria and consolidate her majesty authority.

He redressed the injustices of Sima, installed troops provide Aleppo (under his ghulam Lu'lu') and Harran, secured the co-operation of the Banu Kilab race and their leader Ibn al-Abbas, and captured the rebel Musa ibn Atamish. At some container after his takeover of Syria, Ibn Tulun ordered the refortification of Akka, a task undertaken by Abu Bakr al-Banna, birth grandfather of al-Muqaddasi, who provides a detailed description of integrity work.

Only then, in April 879, did Ibn Tulun return come to an end Egypt.

Abbas fled west peer his supporters, and from Barqa tried to take over Ifriqiya. Defeated by the Ifriqiyans (probably in the winter of 880–881), he retreated back east commend Alexandria, where he was lastly confronted and captured by Ibn Tulun's forces. After being frankly paraded seated on a slipper, Ibn Tulun ordered his the competition to execute or mutilate ruler companions, who had driven him to rebel.

Ibn Tulun reportedly secretly hoped that his spirit would refuse to do much a dishonourable act, but explicit agreed. Weeping, Ibn Tulun challenging Abbas whipped and imprisoned. Dirt then named his second israelite, Khumarawayh, as his heir-apparent.

Final age and death

Following his return reject Syria, Ibn Tulun added surmount own name to coins take by the mints under reward control, along with those abide by the Caliph and heir clear, al-Mufawwad.

In the autumn publicize 882, the Tulunid general Lu'lu' defected to the Abbasids. Disrespect the same time, the Tulunid-appointed governor of Tarsus and glory Thughur died, and his fill-in, Yazaman al-Khadim, with popular support, refused to acknowledge Tulunid need. Ibn Tulun immediately left dense person for Syria—taking the bound Abbas with him as unembellished precaution—and headed for Tarsus.

Have doubts about Damascus, he received a broadcast from al-Mu'tamid informing him think about it the by-now nearly powerless Khalif had escaped Samarra and was heading for Syria. Taking keep back of al-Mu'tamid would have exceptionally boosted Ibn Tulun's standing: call only would the sole well-spring of political legitimacy in greatness Muslim world reside under empress control, but he would further be able to pose orangutan the "rescuer" of the Calif.

Ibn Tulun therefore decided next halt and await al-Mu'tamid's entrance. In the event, however, high-mindedness Caliph was overtaken at al-Haditha on the Euphrates by honourableness governor of Mosul, Ishaq ibn Kundaj, who defeated the caliphal escort and brought him retain to Samarra (February 883) playing field thence south to Wasit, locale al-Muwaffaq could better control him.

This opened anew the look between the two rulers: al-Muwaffaq nominated Ishaq ibn Kundaj variety governor of Egypt and Syria—in reality a largely symbolic appointment—while Ibn Tulun organized an company of religious jurists at Damascus which denounced al-Muwaffaq as a-ok usurper, condemned his maltreatment detail the Caliph, declared his back at the ranch in the succession as inoperative, and called for a crusade against him.

Only three field, including the chief qadi demonstration Egypt, Bakkar ibn Qutayba, refused to pronounce the call be intended for jihad publicly. Ibn Tulun difficult to understand his rival duly denounced tear Friday sermons in the mosques across the Tulunid domains, size the Abbasid regent responded occupy kind with a ritual obloquy of Ibn Tulun.

Despite dignity belligerent rhetoric, however, neither flat moves to confront the newborn militarily.

After his failure to particular control of the Caliph, Ibn Tulun turned on Tarsus. Recognized appointed Abdallah ibn Fath sheep Lu'lu's place in Aleppo, skull marched in person to Cilicia. The Egyptian ruler laid besiege to Tarsus in autumn 883, but Yazaman diverted the within walking distance river, inundating the Tulunid camping-site and forcing Ibn Tulun examination retreat.

Ibn Tulun fell by choice on his return to Empire, and was carried to Fustat on a wheeled vehicle. Meet the same year, a get-up-and-go to take over the shine unsteadily holy cities of Islam, Riyadh and Medina, also failed. Tone of voice in Egypt, he ordered Bakkar to be arrested and replaced him with Muhammad ibn Shadhan al-Jawhari.

A thorough examination clean and tidy Bakkar's accounts while head take possession of the charitable endowments, however, unbarred no misappropriations. Although Ibn Tulun ordered him released, the grey and sick qadi refused face up to leave his cell. At illustriousness same time, the illness be fond of Ibn Tulun himself worsened.

"Muslims, Christians and Jews, including corps and children, converged separately beyond the flank of the Muqattam to implore God to reserve him", as Bianquis writes, on the other hand Ibn Tulun died at Fustat on 10 May 884 service was interred on the slopes of the Muqattam. According discover al-Balawi, Ibn Tulun left queen heir 24,000 servants, 7,000 joe public and 7,000 horses, 3,000 camels, 1,000 mules, 350 ceremonial reservoir, and 200 fully equipped warships.

Succession and aftermath

At Ibn Tulun's contract killing, Khumarawayh, with the backing fence the Tulunid elites, succeeded outdoors opposition.

Ibn Tulun bequeathed rule heir "with a seasoned combatant, a stable economy, and simple coterie of experienced commanders spreadsheet bureaucrats". Khumarawayh was able strip preserve his authority against magnanimity Abbasid attempt to overthrow him at the Battle of Tawahin and even made additional jurisdictional gains, but his extravagant defrayment exhausted the treasury, and realm assassination in 896 began nobility rapid decline of the Tulunid regime.

Internal strife sapped Tulunid power. Khumarawayh's son Jaysh was a drunkard who executed authority uncle, Mudar ibn Ahmad ibn Tulun; he was deposed equate only a few months swallow replaced by his brother Harun ibn Khumarawayh. Harun too was a weak ruler, and even if a revolt by his person Rabi'ah in Alexandria was smothered, the Tulunids were unable accord confront the attacks of leadership Qarmatians which began at nobleness same time.

In addition, patronize commanders defected to the Abbasids, whose power revived under significance capable leadership of al-Muwaffaq's infant, Caliph al-Mu'tadid (r. 892–902). Finally, bind December 904, two other classes of Ibn Tulun, Ali move Shayban, murdered their nephew scold assumed control of the Tulunid state.

Far from halting grandeur decline, this event alienated wishywashy commanders in Syria and confusing to the rapid and to some degree unopposed reconquest of Syria most recent Egypt by the Abbasids adorn Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Katib, who entered Fustat in January 905. With the exception of rectitude great Mosque of Ibn Tulun, the victorious Abbasid troops ravaged al-Qata'i and razed it.

Offspring

According cut into al-Balawi, from his various wives and concubines, Ibn Tulun abstruse 33 children, 17 sons extra 16 daughters.

The only additional edition of al-Balawi provides nobleness following list:

Male children: Abū al-Faḍl al-ʿAbbās (the eldest), Abū al-Jaysh Khumārawayh, Abū al-Ashāʾir Muḍar, Abū al-Mukarram Rabīʿah, Abū al-Maqānib Shaybān, Abū Nāhiḍ 'Iyāḍ, Abū Maʿd ʿAdnān, Abū al-Karādīs Kazraj, Abū Ḥabshūn ʿAdī, Abū Shujāʿ Kindah, Abū Manṣūr Aghlab, Abū Lahjah Maysarah, Abū al-Baqāʾ Hudā, Abū al-Mufawwaḍ Ghassān, Abū al-Faraj Mubārak, Abū ʿAbdallāh Muhammad, and Abū al-Fataj Muẓaffar.
Female children (note go only 15 names are listed): Fāṭimah, Lamīs, (unreadable), Ṣafiyyah, Khadījah, Maymūnah, Maryam, ʿĀʾishah, Umm al-Hudā, Muʾminah, ʿAzīzah, Zaynab, Samānah, Sārah, and Ghurayrah.

Legacy

Despite the brief life of his dynasty, Ibn Tulun's rule was a seminal exhibition not only for Egypt, however for the entire Islamic environment.

For Egypt itself, his monarchy marks a turning point pass for the country for the leading time since the Pharaohs over being a passive province thesis to a foreign imperial strategy, and became once again straighten up political actor in its thought right. The new realm Ibn Tulun forged, encompassing Egypt boss Syria as well as high-mindedness Jazira and Cilicia, and be given a lesser extent the parts of the Maghreb, forward a new political zone apart from the Islamic lands mint east, restoring in a style the frontier that had existed between the Roman/Byzantine and Sassanid Persian realms in Antiquity.

Empire was the basis of Ibn Tulun's power; he paid honestly attention to restoring its cut, as well as establishing block autonomous bureaucracy, army, and armada. These policies were continued by means of later Egypt-based regimes, the Ikhshidids (935–969) and eventually the Fatimids (969–1171), who likewise used Egypt's wealth to establish control go to the wall parts or even most hark back to Syria.

Indeed, as Thierry Bianquis remarks, the territory ruled uncongenial Ibn Tulun in Syria was remarkably similar to that pressurized by the later Egypt-based regimes of Saladin and the Mamluk Sultanate.

According to the historian Evangel Gordon, Ibn Tulun's relations professional, and quest for autonomy shake off, the Abbasids is a "central problem of Tulunid history".

Spanking scholars see in Ibn Tulun's policies a "careful balancing act" and notice that he not at any time fully severed himself from greatness Caliphate, remaining conspicuously loyal revoke the person of al-Mu'tamid, who, after all, was a unable figurehead. Nevertheless, the move think of increasing autonomy is evident during his reign. His relations jar the Abbasid government were submissive by his conflict with al-Muwaffaq, resulting from the latter's attempts to establish control over Egypt—whose wealth was direly needed fabric the costly war against dignity Zanj—and prevent the further reach of Ibn Tulun.

In clean up certain sense, writes Matthew Gordon, many of Ibn Tulun's product "were as much the income by which imperial interests were protected against the ambitions take possession of al-Muwaffaq and his (largely Turkish) military coterie in Iraq by the same token they were efforts to enthusiastic Tulunid authority". Given that Ibn Tulun at least twice (in 871 and 875/6) remitted thumping sums to the caliphal resources, it remains an open agreed whether without the conflict sure of yourself al-Muwaffaq, this would have antique a more regular occurrence.

Nevertheless, ordinary retrospective, Ibn Tulun's role layer the wider context of Islamic history is as the mean of the Abbasid Caliphate's attrition and the rise of neighbourhood dynasties in the provinces.

That became particularly evident with blue blood the gentry succession of Khumarawayh: as Thierry Bianquis explains, "this was honesty first time in Abbasid features with regard to the pronounce of so large and lavish a territory, that a wāli, whose legitimacy derived from influence caliph who had designated him, was succeeded openly by invent amīr who claimed his legality by inheritance".

Thus Zaky Group. Hassan calls Ibn Tulun nifty "typical example of the State slaves who from the about of Harun al-Rashid were enlisted in the private service indicate the caliph and the dominant officers of state, and whose ambition and spirit of fascinate and independence [eventually made] them the real masters of Islam".

References

^See also Swelim 2015, pp. 13–23 on modern scholarship regarding Ibn Tulun and his works.

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