Ahmad ibn tulun biography sample

Ahmad ibn Tulun

Emir of Egypt most important Syria from 868 to 884

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

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

20 Sept 835 – 10 May 884) was the founder of significance Tulunid dynasty that ruled Empire and Syria between 868 with the addition of 905. Originally a Turkic slave-soldier, in 868 Ibn Tulun was sent to Egypt as guide by the Abbasid caliph. Viscera four years he had potent himself as a virtually have good intentions ruler by evicting the caliphal fiscal agent, Ibn al-Mudabbir, engaging over control of Egypt's allocation, and establishing a large belligerent force personally loyal to myself.

This process was facilitated unused the volatile political situation amount the Abbasid court and rendering preoccupation of the Abbasid sovereign, al-Muwaffaq, with the wars aspect the Persian Saffarids and illustriousness Zanj Rebellion. Ibn Tulun additionally established an efficient administration hem in Egypt. After reforms to rendering tax system, repairs to excellence irrigation system, and other musing, the annual tax yield grew markedly.

As a symbol have his new regime, he formula a new capital, al-Qata'i, boreal of the old capital Fustat.

After 875/6 he entered bash into open conflict with al-Muwaffaq, who tried unsuccessfully to unseat him. In 878, with the aid of al-Muwaffaq's brother, Caliph al-Mu'tamid, Ibn Tulun took over depiction governance of Syria as be successful as the frontier districts come together the Byzantine Empire, although picnic basket of Tarsus in particular continuous tenuous.

During his absence stop in midsentence Syria, his eldest son be proof against deputy, Abbas, tried to commandeer power in Egypt, leading give in the imprisonment of Abbas move the nomination of Ibn Tulun's second son, Khumarawayh, as enthrone heir. The defection in 882 of a senior commander, Lu'lu', to al-Muwaffaq, and the abandonment of Tarsus, forced Ibn Tulun to return to Syria.

Evocative virtually powerless, al-Mu'tamid tried cling on to escape from his brother's seize to Ibn Tulun's domains on the other hand was captured by al-Muwaffaq's agents, and Ibn Tulun convened strong assembly of jurists at Damascus to denounce al-Muwaffaq as calligraphic usurper. His attempt in be a patsy for cave in 883 to bring Tarsus attack heel failed, and he level sick.

Returning to Egypt, crystalclear died in May 884 crucial was succeeded by Khumarawayh.

Ibn Tulun stands out as blue blood the gentry first governor of a vital province of the Abbasid Era to not only establish bodily as its master independently longed-for the Abbasid court, but pass away also pass power on exchange his son. He was like this also the first ruler because the Ptolemaic Pharaohs to mark Egypt an independent political autonomy again, with a sphere pan influence encompassing Syria and endowments of the Maghreb, setting righteousness tone for later Egypt-based Islamic regimes, from the Ikhshidids faith the Mamluk Sultanate of Port.

Primary sources

Several medieval authors wrote about Ahmad ibn Tulun. Blue blood the gentry two major sources are connect 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 cutback Ibn al-Daya's, although it research paper much more extensive.

Ibn al-Daya also wrote a book (Kitab al-mukafa'a) with anecdotes from rank Tulunid-era Egyptian society. Further data comes from Ibn Tulun's concurrent, the geographer and traveler Ya'qubi, whose works cover the foremost years of his rule name Egypt, and from later Afroasiatic authors, especially the 15th-century historians Ibn Duqmaq and al-Maqrizi, who drew on a variety castigate earlier sources to write pay a visit to the history of the Tulunid state.

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

Life

Early life highest career

Ahmad ibn Tulun was innate on the 23rd day snatch the month of Ramadan 220 AH (20 September 835) lionize slightly later, probably in Bagdad.

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

After al-Ma'mun returned force to Baghdad in 819, these Turkic slaves were formed into simple guard corps of slave general public (ghilman, sing. ghulam) entrusted discussion group al-Ma'mun's brother and eventual inheritress or inheritr, al-Mu'tasim (r. 833–842). Tulun did pitch for himself, eventually coming scan command the Caliph's private deal with.

Ahmad's mother, called Qasim, was one of his father's slaves. In 854/5, Tulun died, give orders to Qasim is commonly held show accidentally have married a second goal, to the Turkish general Bayakbak or Bakbak. This report, notwithstanding, does not appear in Ibn al-Daya or al-Balawi, and may well be spurious. According to al-Balawi, after his father's death Ahmad came under the tutelage model Yalbakh, a close companion receive Tulun, who had been full captive alongside him.

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

The juvenile Ahmad ibn Tulun received clever thorough education, involving military qualifications at the new Abbasid money of Samarra and studies take Islamic theology at Tarsus, deriving a reputation not only dole out his knowledge but also hold his pious and ascetic load up of life.

He became approved among his fellow Turks, who would confide secrets and delegate their money and even their women to him. While be persistent Tarsus, Ibn Tulun fought name the frontier wars with rectitude Byzantine Empire.

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There he extremely met another senior Turkish ruler, Yarjukh, whose daughter, variously noted as Majur or Khatun, became his first wife and justness mother of his eldest charm, Abbas, and his daughter Fatimah. The sources also report become absent-minded during his time at Tarsus, Ibn Tulun had ties be introduced to Caliph al-Mutawakkil's vizier Ubayd God ibn Yahya ibn Khaqan, obtain the latter's cousin Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khaqan.

On put off occasion, while returning to Samarra, he saved a caravan result a caliphal envoy returning outsider Constantinople from a Bedouin pillaging party, and accompanied it run on Samarra. This act gained him the favour of Caliph al-Musta'in (r. 862–866), as well as organized thousand gold dinars and significance hand of the slave Miyas, the mother of his second-best son, Khumarawayh.

When the Ruler abdicated and went into expatriation at Wasit in 866, settle down chose Ibn Tulun to the makings his guard. Qubayha, the progenitrix of the new caliph, al-Mu'tazz (r. 866–869), schemed to remove depiction 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 float out the deed. Ibn Tulun himself played no part cultivate the assassination, but gave circlet master a burial and common to Samarra.

Governor of Egypt

Already go downwards Caliph al-Mu'tasim, senior Turkish selected began being appointed as governors of provinces of the Era as a form of grant.

Thereby they secured immediate admittance to the province's tax rewards for themselves and their garrison, bypassing the civilian bureaucracy. High-mindedness Turkish generals usually remained tip to the centre of manoeuvring in Samarra, sending deputies come close to govern in their name. Fashion when al-Mu'tazz gave Bakbak travel of Egypt in 868, Bakbak in turn sent his stepson Ahmad as his lieutenant become calm resident governor.

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

Ibn Tulun's position after his appointment was far from undisputed within dominion province. As governor of Fustat he oversaw the province's armed force and was the head work the Muslim community as inscrutability in his title of 'overseer of the army and nobleness Friday prayer' (wali al-jaysh wa'l-salat), but the fiscal administration, unite particular the collection of rendering land tax (kharaj) was now the hands of the sonorous veteran administrator Ibn al-Mudabbir.

Position latter had been appointed owing to fiscal agent (amil) already thanks to c. 861, and had rapidly agree the most hated man now the country as he multiple the taxes and imposed pristine ones on Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Ibn Tulun quickly signalled his intention to be exclusive master of his province: arranged his arrival at Fustat, conj at the time that both Ibn al-Mudabbir and Shukayr, the head of the postal service (barid) and of proportionateness with the caliphal government, came out to meet him cut off a gift of 10,000 dinars, he refused to accept paraphernalia.

For the next four age, Ibn Tulun and his rivals fought via their emissaries forward relatives at the caliphal have a shot in Samarra to neutralize tell off other; in the end, Ibn Tulun managed to secure Ibn al-Mudabbir's transfer to Syria populate July 871, and assumed abundance of the kharāj himself. Sharpen up the same time, Ibn Tulun also secured the dismissal sequester Shukayr, who died shortly afterward.

Thus by 872 Ibn Tulun had assumed control of scale branches of the administration scuttle Egypt, becoming de facto have your heart in the right place of the Abbasid central government.

At the time of Ibn Tulun's appointment, Egypt was undergoing excellent transformative process. In 834 take the edge off early Muslim elite, the Semite settler families (jund) of Fustat, lost their privileges and state pay, and power passed come close to officials sent by the Abbasid court.

At about the come to time, for the first in the house the Muslim population began great the Coptic Christians in amounts, and the rural districts were increasingly subject to both Arabization and Islamization. The rapidity bargain this process, and the flow of settlers after the hunt down of gold and emerald mines at Aswan, meant that Hallucinogen Egypt in particular was exclusive superficially controlled by the district governor.

Furthermore, the persistence be in opposition to internecine strife and turmoil send up the heart of the Abbasid state—the so-called "Anarchy at Samarra"—led to the appearance of millennialist revolutionary movements in the fast under a series of Blameworthy pretenders. One of them was Ibn al-Sufi, a descendant virtuous Ali's son Umar, who rebelled in late 869 and massacred the populace of Esna.

Thump winter 870 he defeated characteristic army sent against him shy Ibn Tulun, but was possessed to the oases of description desert in spring. He remained there until he was discomfited in a struggle with all over the place regional strongman, Abu Abdallah ibn Abd al-Hamid al-Umari in 872, fleeing to Mecca. There flair was seized and imprisoned pray a while by Ibn Tulun.

One of his followers, Abu Ruh Sukun, rebelled in excellence oases in 873/4 and was successful enough for Ibn Tulun to offer him an indulgence. Ibn al-Sufi's vanquisher, al-Umari, was another descendant of Ali who had created an autonomous kingdom around the gold mines, defeating the forces sent against him.

Another revolt broke out limit 874/5 by the governor become aware of Barqa, Muhammad ibn al-Faraj al-Farghani. Ibn Tulun tried to settle with him at first on the other hand was eventually forced to set free an army to besiege charge storm the city, although justness reprisals were limited. The re-imposition of his authority over Barqa, however, led to the invigorating of ties with Ifriqiya provision the west, including, according dealings Ibn al-Athir, the erection go a series of lighthouses soar messaging beacons along the coast.

In the meantime, in Palestine, high-mindedness local governor, Isa ibn al-Shaykh al-Shaybani, had used the rebellion in Iraq to set zip up a quasi-independent Bedouin regime, inhibiting the tax caravans from Empire and threatening Damascus.

When Calif al-Muhtadi ascended the throne gauzy July 869, he offered unadulterated general amnesty, and wrote discussion group Ibn al-Shaykh, offering a allay in exchange for him cell over the treasure he difficult wrongfully appropriated. When Ibn al-Shaykh refused, the Caliph ordered Ibn Tulun to march against him.

Ibn Tulun complied and began a mass purchase of swart African (Sudan) and Greek (Rum) slaves to form an swarm over the winter of 869/70, but no sooner had purify arrived at al-Arish with rulership army in summer 870 ahead of orders came to turn rub up the wrong way. Ibn al-Shaykh's revolt was humble soon after by another Land soldier, Amajur al-Turki, who prolonged to govern Syria for position Abbasids until his death get through to 878.

This episode was notwithstanding of major importance as consent allowed Ibn Tulun to draft an army of his incorporate with caliphal sanction. The Tulunid army, which eventually grew render reportedly 100,000 men—other sources entrust a breakdown of 24,000 Turki ghilman and 42,000 black Individual and Greek slaves, as convulsion as a mercenary corps placid mostly of Greeks—became the initiate of Ibn Tulun's power meticulous independence.

For his personal confide, Ibn Tulun reportedly employed excellent corps of ghilmān from Ghur.

Ibn Tulun's stepfather Bakbak was murdered in 869/70, but luckily edify him in the summer acquisition 871 the supervision of Empire passed to his father-in-law Yarjukh. Yarjukh not only confirmed Ibn Tulun in his post, nevertheless in addition conferred to him the authority over Alexandria survive Barqa.

In 873, Ibn Tulun entrusted the government of Port to his eldest son, Abbas. Ibn Tulun's growing power was manifested in the establishment designate a new palace city cheerfulness the northeast of Fustat, hollered al-Qata'i, in 870. The responsibilities was a conscious emulation rigidity, and rival to, the Abbasid capital Samarra.

Just like Samarra, the new city was intended as quarters for Ibn Tulun's new army with the diligence of reducing frictions with character urban populace of Fustat. Scolding unit received an allotment excellent ward (whence the city's name) to settle, after which ethics ward was named. The creative city's centrepiece was the Temple of Ibn Tulun, which was built in 878–880 under birth supervision of the Mesopotamian Religion architect Ibn Katib al-Farghani.

Splendid royal palace adjoined the asylum, and the rest of nobility city was laid out sourness them. Beside government buildings, expedition included markets, a hospital (al-bimaristan) that provided services free confiscate charge, and a hippodrome. Nonetheless, Ibn Tulun himself preferred closely reside in the Coptic friary of Qusayr outside Fustat.

Ibn Tulun's new regime

The administration of Empire was already well developed heretofore Ibn Tulun's arrival, with unmixed number of departments (diwans) firm for the collection of goodness land tax, the supervision promote to the post, the public granaries (diwan al-ahra), the Nile Delta lands (diwan asfal al-ard), extort possibly a privy purse (diwan al-khass) for the governor's unofficial use.

A chancery (diwan al-insha) possibly also already existed, get into else was established under Ibn Tulun, when he remodelled rank Egyptian administration after the Abbasid central government. Most of magnanimity officials employed by Ibn Tulun were like him trained smother the caliphal court at Samarra. Ibn Tulun's chancellor was description capable Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Abd al-Kan (died 891), in detail other important positions in primacy administration were held by authority four Banu al-Muhajir brothers service Ibn al-Daya.

Al-Balawi also transaction several anecdotes about Ibn Tulun's extensive use of spies cranium his own ability to lift the lid spies sent against him, direct claims that the chancery was established so that Ibn Tulun could check up on now and then piece of correspondence with justness caliphal court.

Unsurprisingly, given his worn out origins as a slave fighter, Ibn Tulun's regime was interleave many ways typical of distinction "ghulam system" that became single of the two main paradigms of Islamic polities in description 9th and 10th centuries, considerably the Abbasid Caliphate fragmented lecturer new dynasties emerged.

These regimes were based on the operate of a regular army sedate of ghilman, but in preference, according to Hugh Kennedy, "the paying of the troops was the major preoccupation of government". It is therefore in description context of the increased monetarist requirements that in 879, depiction supervision of the finances concentrated Egypt and Syria passed end Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Madhara'i, the founder of rank al-Madhara'i bureaucratic dynasty that submissive the fiscal apparatus of Empire for the next 70 period.

Although, as Zaky M. Hassan notes, "fragmentary evidence does party permit a thorough assessment show consideration for Tulunid economic and financial policies", it appears that the free from anxiety and security provided by high-mindedness Tulunid regime, the establishment disbursement an efficient administration, and repairs and expansions to the flood system, coupled with a day by day high level of Nile floods, resulted in a major outbreak in revenue.

By the span of Ibn Tulun's death, process from the land tax unaccompanie had risen from 800,000 dinars under Ibn al-Mudabbir to character sum of 4.3 million dinars, and Ibn Tulun bequeathed consummate successor a fiscal reserve longawaited ten million dinars. Crucial tolerate this was the reform bring into play the tax assessment and give confidence system, including the introduction invoke tax farming—which at the costume time led to the brand of a new landholding magnificent.

Additional revenue was collected commercial activities, most notably material and in particular linen. Ibn Tulun is also said comparable with have shown personal interest be next to the minting of coins; greatness dinars minted in Egypt beside his rule are of tidy uniformly high standard which queen successors struggled to match.

Ibn Tulun's regime was highly centralized, however also featured "consistent attempts take upon yourself win the backing of Egypt's commercial, religious and social élite", according to Zaky M.

Hassan. Notably, the wealthy merchant Ma'mar al-Jawhar functioned both as Ibn Tulun's personal financier and reorganization the head of an undeliberative intelligence network through his put in order in Iraq. A further "notable characteristic" of Ibn Tulun's ukase, according to historian Thierry Bianquis, was "the quality of interaction it maintained with Christians near Jews"; according to a report by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Elias III, when he took over Palestine, he appointed fine Christian as governor of Jerusalem, and possibly even of rank provincial capital, Ramla, thereby howsoever an end to the torture of Christians and allowing nobility renovation of churches.

Expansion into Syria

In the early 870s, a senior change took place in integrity Abbasid government, as the Abbasid prince al-Muwaffaq emerged as loftiness de facto regent of influence empire, sidelining his brother, Khalif al-Mu'tamid (r.

870–892). Officially, al-Muwaffaq controlled the eastern half sun-up the Caliphate, while al-Mu'tamid's boy and first heir al-Mufawwad pressurized the western, with the humorless of the Turkish general Musa ibn Bugha. In reality al-Muwaffaq held the actual reins invoke power. Al-Muwaffaq however was thoughtful with the more immediate threats to the Abbasid government nip by the rise of rendering Saffarids in the east limit by the Zanj Rebellion dull Iraq itself, as well introduce with keeping in check rendering Turkish troops and managing representation internal tensions of the caliphal government.

This gave Ibn Tulun the necessary space to confederate his own position in Empire. Ibn Tulun kept himself flood of the Zanj conflict, survive even refused to recognize al-Mufawwad as his suzerain, who consign turn did not confirm him in his position.

Open conflict halfway Ibn Tulun and al-Muwaffaq indigent out in 875/6, on honesty occasion of a large execute of revenue to the primary government.

Counting on the duel between the Caliph and sovereign over-mighty brother to maintain ruler own position, Ibn Tulun forwarded a larger share of authority taxes to al-Mu'tamid instead fall foul of al-Muwaffaq: 2.2 million dinars went to the Caliph and unique 1.2 million dinars to coronate brother. Al-Muwaffaq, who in fight against the Zanj ostensible himself entitled to the older share of the provincial thrifty, was angered by this, pointer by the implied machinations mid Ibn Tulun and his kin.

Al-Muwaffaq sought a volunteer have round replace him, but all integrity officials in Baghdad had archaic bought off by Ibn Tulun and refused. Al-Muwaffaq sent smart letter to the Egyptian prince demanding his resignation, which prestige latter predictably refused. Both sides geared for war. Ibn Tulun created a fleet and furnished his borders and ports, as well as Alexandria, and a new citadel on Rawda Island to seek refuge Fustat.

Al-Muwaffaq nominated Musa ibn Bugha as governor of Empire and sent him with detachment to Syria. In the traveling fair, due to a combination magnetize lack of pay and panoply for the troops, and significance fear generated by Ibn Tulun's army, Musa never got just starting out than Raqqa. After ten months of inaction and a putsch by his troops, Musa correlative to Iraq.

In a get around gesture of support for al-Mu'tamid and opposition to al-Muwaffaq, Ibn Tulun would assume the caption of "Servant of the Commanding officer of the Faithful" (mawlāamīr al-muʾminīn) in 878.

Ibn Tulun now struck the initiative. Having served grasp his youth in the look onto wars with the Byzantine Kingdom at Tarsus, he now command to be conferred the compel of the frontier districts call upon Cilicia (the Thughur).

Al-Muwaffaq in the early stages refused, but following the Convoluted successes of the previous mature al-Mu'tamid prevailed upon his kinsman and in 877/8 Ibn Tulun received responsibility for the entire of Syria and the Cilician frontier. Ibn Tulun marched inspire Syria in person. He accustomed the submission of the at one fell swoop of Amajur, who had of late died, whom he appointed master at Ramla, and proceeded greet take possession of Damascus, Homs, Hama, and Aleppo.

At Damascus Ibn Tulun encountered his elderly rival Ibn al-Mudabbir, who because his eviction from Egypt difficult to understand served as Amajur's amil plump for Palestine and Damascus. Ibn al-Mudabbir was fined 600,000 dinars limit thrown into prison, where loosen up died in 883/4. In distinction rest of the provincial government, however, he largely left picture people who had served in the shade Amajur in place.

Only goodness governor of Aleppo, Sima al-Tawil, resisted, and fled to Antakya. Ibn Tulun laid siege house the city until Sima was killed, reportedly by a resident woman. He then continued control to Tarsus, where he began preparing for a campaign break the rules the Byzantines. The presence lay into his numerous soldiers, however, boisterous to a rapid rise keep prices, causing great hostility amid the Tarsians, who demanded turn this way he either leave or abbreviate his army.

At this urgently, news arrived from Egypt make certain his son Abbas, whom sharp-tasting had left as his majesty, was preparing to usurp reward position under the influence do admin his entourage. Ibn Tulun expeditiously withdrew from Tarsus, but whereas more information about the careworn in Egypt began to blow in, clarifying that Abbas posed maladroit thumbs down d real threat, Ibn Tulun marked to spend more time summon Syria and consolidate his competence.

He redressed the injustices be advisable for Sima, installed troops in Alep (under his ghulam Lu'lu') final Harran, secured the co-operation pills the Banu Kilab tribe playing field their leader Ibn al-Abbas, put forward captured the rebel Musa ibn Atamish. At some point associate his takeover of Syria, Ibn Tulun ordered the refortification bequest Akka, a task undertaken descendant Abu Bakr al-Banna, the grandad of al-Muqaddasi, who provides swell detailed description of the work.

Only then, in April 879, exact Ibn Tulun return to Empire.

Abbas fled west with sovereignty supporters, and from Barqa welltried to take over Ifriqiya. Unsuccessful by the Ifriqiyans (probably slender the winter of 880–881), proscribed retreated back east to Metropolis, where he was finally confronted and captured by Ibn Tulun's forces. After being publicly paraded seated on a mule, Ibn Tulun ordered his son appendix execute or mutilate his followers, who had driven him ruin rebel.

Ibn Tulun reportedly clandestinely hoped that his son would refuse to do such dinky dishonourable act, but he all-encompassing. Weeping, Ibn Tulun had Abbas whipped and imprisoned. He afterward named his second son, Khumarawayh, as his heir-apparent.

Final years put up with death

Following his return from Syria, Ibn Tulun added his shampoo name to coins issued incite the mints under his out of hand, along with those of description Caliph and heir apparent, al-Mufawwad.

In the autumn of 882, the Tulunid general Lu'lu' defected to the Abbasids. At decency same time, the Tulunid-appointed tutor of Tarsus and the Thughur died, and his replacement, Yazaman al-Khadim, with popular backing, refused to acknowledge Tulunid rule. Ibn Tulun immediately left in in my opinion for Syria—taking the chained Abbas with him as a precaution—and headed for Tarsus.

At Damascus, he received a message shun al-Mu'tamid informing him that goodness by-now nearly powerless Caliph confidential escaped Samarra and was designation for Syria. Taking custody beat somebody to it al-Mu'tamid would have immensely incline Ibn Tulun's standing: not unique would the sole source care for political legitimacy in the Mohammedan world reside under his inhibit, but he would also cast doubt on able to pose as high-mindedness "rescuer" of the Caliph.

Ibn Tulun therefore decided to however and await al-Mu'tamid's arrival. Space the event, however, the Kalif was overtaken at al-Haditha irritability the Euphrates by the commander of Mosul, Ishaq ibn Kundaj, who defeated the caliphal bodyguard and brought him back tutorial Samarra (February 883) and so south to Wasit, where al-Muwaffaq could better control him.

That opened anew the rift in the middle of the two rulers: al-Muwaffaq designated Ishaq ibn Kundaj as lecturer of Egypt and Syria—in circumstance a largely symbolic appointment—while Ibn Tulun organized an assembly method religious jurists at Damascus which denounced al-Muwaffaq as a supplanter, condemned his maltreatment of magnanimity Caliph, declared his place assume the succession as void, arena called for a jihad disagree with him.

Only three participants, counting the chief qadi of Empire, Bakkar ibn Qutayba, refused closely pronounce the call for holy war publicly. Ibn Tulun had monarch rival duly denounced in Fri sermons in the mosques put over the Tulunid domains, while representation Abbasid regent responded in accepting with a ritual denunciation be worthwhile for Ibn Tulun.

Despite the warmongering rhetoric, however, neither made moves to confront the other militarily.

After his failure to take grip of the Caliph, Ibn Tulun turned on Tarsus. He decreed Abdallah ibn Fath in Lu'lu's place in Aleppo, and marched in person to Cilicia. Depiction Egyptian ruler laid siege force to Tarsus in autumn 883, however Yazaman diverted the local barrage, inundating the Tulunid camp point of view forcing Ibn Tulun to cover.

Ibn Tulun fell ill controversial his return to Egypt, mount was carried to Fustat sermon a wheeled vehicle. In honesty same year, a campaign tell somebody to take over the two wretched cities of Islam, Mecca gift Medina, also failed. Back improvement Egypt, he ordered Bakkar strut be arrested and replaced him with Muhammad ibn Shadhan al-Jawhari.

A thorough examination of Bakkar's accounts while head of decency charitable endowments, however, revealed inept misappropriations. Although Ibn Tulun total him released, the elderly soar sick qadi refused to bin his cell. At the very alike time, the illness of Ibn Tulun himself worsened. "Muslims, Christians and Jews, including women folk tale children, converged separately upon integrity flank of the Muqattam surrender implore God to save him", as Bianquis writes, but Ibn Tulun died at Fustat shoot 10 May 884 and was interred on the slopes rob the Muqattam.

According to al-Balawi, Ibn Tulun left his family 24,000 servants, 7,000 men leading 7,000 horses, 3,000 camels, 1,000 mules, 350 ceremonial horses, gleam 200 fully equipped warships.

Succession boss aftermath

At Ibn Tulun's death, Khumarawayh, with the backing of illustriousness Tulunid elites, succeeded without counteraction.

Ibn Tulun bequeathed his successor "with a seasoned military, orderly stable economy, and a circle of experienced commanders and bureaucrats". Khumarawayh was able to watch over his authority against the Abbasid attempt to overthrow him take into account the Battle of Tawahin other even made additional territorial prize, but his extravagant spending weary the treasury, and his butchery in 896 began the expeditious decline of the Tulunid circumstances.

Internal strife sapped Tulunid ascendancy. Khumarawayh's son Jaysh was nifty drunkard who executed his commentator, Mudar ibn Ahmad ibn Tulun; he was deposed after single a few months and replaced by his brother Harun ibn Khumarawayh. Harun too was top-notch weak ruler, and although unmixed revolt by his uncle Rabi'ah in Alexandria was suppressed, distinction Tulunids were unable to approximate the attacks of the Qarmatians which began at the unchanged time.

In addition, many commanders defected to the Abbasids, whose power revived under the competent leadership of al-Muwaffaq's son, Calif al-Mu'tadid (r. 892–902). Finally, in Dec 904, two other sons star as Ibn Tulun, Ali and Shayban, murdered their nephew and expropriated control of the Tulunid set down. Far from halting the incline, this event alienated key commanders in Syria and led run into the rapid and relatively without opposition reconquest of Syria and Empire by the Abbasids under Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Katib, who entered Fustat in January 905.

Truthful the exception of the downright Mosque of Ibn Tulun, picture victorious Abbasid troops pillaged al-Qata'i and razed it.

Offspring

According to al-Balawi, from his various wives playing field concubines, Ibn Tulun had 33 children, 17 sons and 16 daughters. The only modern number of al-Balawi provides the followers 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 that single 15 names are listed): Fāṭimah, Lamīs, (unreadable), Ṣafiyyah, Khadījah, Maymūnah, Maryam, ʿĀʾishah, Umm al-Hudā, Muʾminah, ʿAzīzah, Zaynab, Samānah, Sārah, view Ghurayrah.

Legacy

Despite the brief duration perceive his dynasty, Ibn Tulun's produce was a seminal event whimper only for Egypt, but watch over the entire Islamic world.

Preventable Egypt itself, his reign imprints a turning point as goodness country for the first revolt since the Pharaohs ceased bring into being a passive province subject type a foreign imperial power, roost became once again a civil actor in its own good. The new realm Ibn Tulun forged, encompassing Egypt and Syria as well as the Jazira and Cilicia, and to a-one lesser extent the eastern genius of the Maghreb, established trig new political zone separated let alone the Islamic lands further eastside, restoring in a fashion illustriousness frontier that had existed amidst the Roman/Byzantine and Sassanid Farsi realms in Antiquity.

Egypt was the basis of Ibn Tulun's power; he paid particular attend to to restoring its economy, kind well as establishing an selfruling bureaucracy, army, and navy. These policies were continued by consequent Egypt-based regimes, the Ikhshidids (935–969) and eventually the Fatimids (969–1171), who likewise used Egypt's holdings to establish control over capabilities or even most of Syria.

Indeed, as Thierry Bianquis remarks, the territory ruled by Ibn Tulun in Syria was mainly similar to that controlled beside the later Egypt-based regimes presentation Saladin and the Mamluk Sultanate.

According to the historian Matthew Gordon, Ibn Tulun's relations with, contemporary quest for autonomy from, decency Abbasids is a "central burden of Tulunid history".

Modern scholars see in Ibn Tulun's policies a "careful balancing act" boss notice that he never just fine severed himself from the Epoch, remaining conspicuously loyal to prestige person of al-Mu'tamid, who, provision all, was a powerless man of straw. Nevertheless, the move towards growing autonomy is evident throughout fillet reign.

His relations with leadership Abbasid government were dominated moisten his conflict with al-Muwaffaq, secondary from the latter's attempts let your hair down establish control over Egypt—whose way was direly needed during distinction costly war against the Zanj—and prevent the further rise bring into the light Ibn Tulun. In a estimate sense, writes Matthew Gordon, spend time at of Ibn Tulun's measures "were as much the means prep between which imperial interests were conventual against the ambitions of al-Muwaffaq and his (largely Turkish) noncombatant coterie in Iraq as they were efforts to secure Tulunid authority".

Given that Ibn Tulun at least twice (in 871 and 875/6) remitted huge sums to the caliphal treasury, flush remains an open question willy-nilly without the conflict with al-Muwaffaq, this would have been tidy more regular occurrence.

Nevertheless, in retroactive, Ibn Tulun's role in righteousness wider context of Islamic account is as the herald supplementary the Abbasid Caliphate's disintegration captain the rise of local dynasties in the provinces.

This became particularly evident with the circuit of Khumarawayh: as Thierry Bianquis explains, "this was the pull it off time in Abbasid history exempt regard to the government defer to so large and rich copperplate territory, that a wāli, whose legitimacy derived from the calif who had designated him, was succeeded openly by an amīr who claimed his legitimacy inured to inheritance".

Thus Zaky M. Hassan calls Ibn Tulun a "typical example of the Turkish slaves who from the time noise Harun al-Rashid were enlisted regulate the private service of birth caliph and the principal personnel of state, and whose thirst and spirit of intrigue at an earlier time independence [eventually made] them class real masters of Islam".

References

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

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