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Ikhshidid dynasty

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For the Central Asian dynasty, see Ikhshids of Sogdia.

The Ikhshidid dynasty (Arabic: الإخشيديون, ALA-LC: al-Ikhshīdīyūn) was a dynasty of Turkic mamluk origin, who ruled Egypt and the Levant from 935 to 969.[2] The dynasty carried the Arabic title "Wāli" reflecting their position as governors on behalf of the Abbasids. The Ikhshidids came to an end when the Fatimid army conquered Fustat in 969.[3] Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid, a Turkic[4][5] mamluk soldier, was appointed governor by the Abbasid Caliph al-Radi.[6]

Ikhshidids
الإخشيديون
935–969
Coinage of Muhammad al-Ikhshid. Filastin (al-Ramla) mint. Dated AH 332 (943-4 CE).[1] of Ikhshidid dynasty
Coinage of Muhammad al-Ikhshid. Filastin (al-Ramla) mint. Dated AH 332 (943-4 CE).[1]
The Ikhshidid state (bright pink) as one of the Abbasid successor states
The Ikhshidid state (bright pink) as one of the Abbasid successor states
StatusVassal of the Abbasid Caliphate
CapitalFustat
Common languagesArabic (predominant)
Coptic
Western Aramaic
Turkic (army)
Religion
Islam (predominant)
Coptic Orthodox
Maronite Church
GovernmentEmirate
Wali (governor) 
• 935–946
Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid
• 946–961
Abu'l-Qasim Unujur ibn al-Ikhshid
• 961–966
Abu'l-Hasan Ali ibn al-Ikhshid
• 966–968
Abu'l-Misk Kafur
• 968–969
Abu'l-Fawaris Ahmad ibn Ali ibn al-Ikhshid
History 
• Established
935
969
CurrencyDinar
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Abbasid Caliphate
Tulunids
Fatimid Caliphate

The Ikhshidid family tomb was in Jerusalem.[7]

History

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Origin of the name

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The name "Ikhshidid" comes from the Central Asian dynastic name Ikhshid, a nobiliary title whose prestige in Central Asia remained high as late as the 10th century. It was adopted by the Turkic commander and ruler of Egypt Muhammad ibn Tughj, whose grandfather had come from Ferghana. After this title, the short-lived dynasty founded by Muhammad al-Ikhshid is known as the Ikhshidid dynasty.[8][9]

Founding

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See also: Anarchy at Samarra

The creation of the Ikhshidid state was part of the wider disintegration and decentralisation of the Abbasids after the Anarchy at Samarra, whereupon government became more decentralised. The founder, Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid, possessed some form of military power[10] and was on friendly relations with Mu'nis al-Muzaffar, a powerful military leader. Before he was appointed to Fustat he held the post of governor of Damascus. He was first appointed to the post of Governor of Egypt in 933 but did not enter it during the first stint.[11] In 935 he was appointed a second time to the governorship whilst the country was in a state of war with multiple factions. He launched a campaign to conquer Egypt by land and sea, the naval forces taking Tinnis and able to outflank Ahmad ibn Kayghalagh, the main opponent, forcing his retreat and facilitating ibn Tughj's subsequent entry to Fustat in August.[12] The Fatimids were a major threat at the time and considerable effort was put into repelling them, culminating in their defeat by Ubayd Allah, ibn Tughj's brother, by November 936.[13] There was remarkable stability in the early years, with an absence of economic chaos and Bedouin raids, coupled with prohibition of looting, which helped pacify Egypt. Ibn Tughj sought the honorific title (laqab) of Al-Ikhshīd, which means "King of the Farghanians", from the Abbasids and official designation arrived in July 939.[14]

Consolidation

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Further information: Al-Radi and Al-Muttaqi
 
The Mashhad (Mausoleum) of Al-Tabataba (erected in 943 CE) in Cairo is the only remaining monument of the Ikhshidid period.[15]

Muhammad ibn Ra'iq took over Syria in 939, which threatened Egypt. Enraged, ibn Tughj threatened to recognise the Fatimids, the Abbasids' enemy as the Abbasid caliph did not formally declare for ibn Tughj, the de jure governor. Nonetheless, his simple goals resulted in mainly defensive actions and eventually came to terms with ibn Ra'iq where ibn Tughj would continue to have Egypt and the same for ibn Ra'iq in Syria, partitioned along Ramla-Tiberias.[16] In 944, the governorships of Egypt, Syria and Hijaz were awarded for 30 years to ibn Tughj's family, and these posts would pass to his son, Abu'l-Qasim.[17] In 942 he began striking coins in his own name, and the changes of power in Baghdad meant less central authority. In 945 he defeated Sayf al-Dawla, another adversary who took over Damascus,[18] which resulted in a truce until his death in 946. Abu'l-Qasim inherited the conflict with Sayf al-Dawla and fought him at Damascus, and al-Dawla soon occupied Aleppo in 947. There was a simultaneous revolt by Ghabun, governor of Middle Egypt, who managed to occupy Fustat before his death in the same year. Nonetheless, Kafur's continuation of the appeasement policy managed to negotiate a settlement between the Ikhshidids and the Hamdanids where Damascus became Egyptian again and the tribute to the Hamdanids stopped, with borders largely in line with status quo ante bellum.[19] This peace practically settled the Ikhshidid borders and left the Fatimids again as the main threat, with the Byzantines now the responsibility of the Hamdanids. Kafur wielded real authority following ibn Tughj's death in 946 and was highly regarded among contemporaries.[19]

Troubles, decline and conquest by Fatimids

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Ikhshidid tiraz band, conferred in the name of the Abbasids in 939-940 CE. The Arabic inscription in Kufic script reads: In the name of God [...] al-Muqtadir billah Commander of the Faithful, may God glorify him. Of what the vizier ordered [in] the private tiraz, year 312/924–925 CE. Kiswa (i.e., garment)." The inscription also contains the names of the caliph al-Radi billah and his vizier Fadl ibn Ja'far as well as the date A.H. 328 (939–40 CE) and the place of manufacture, Damiette, Egypt.[20]

Nubian incursions occurred in 950 and a more serious invasion took place in 965, when Aswan was pillaged. This coincided with the famine of 963–968 while Berbers, Bedouins and Qarmatians all took advantage of the weakened state.[21] In 966 Kafur took over after Abu'l-Hasan's death, which further increased uncertainty due to his status as a eunuch. Nonetheless, he received the title 'Ustādh,' meaning "master", from Baghdad, which gave him some legitimacy. Ibn Killis, Kafur's vizier, was arrested following Kafur's death in 968 and following his release traveled to Fatimid Ifriqiya and provided vital information to them.[22] In 934 a Fatimid invasion led by the eunuch Raydan managed to capture Alexandria but was repulsed.[23] Only a later attempt by the Fatimid general Jawhar al-Siqilli managed to conquer Egypt in 969. Ubayd Allah, brother of Muhammad ibn Tughj, held out in Syria until March 970, when he was defeated and taken prisoner by Ja'far ibn Fallah, signalling the end of the Ikhshidid dynasty as a ruling power.

Ikhshidid rulers

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Family tree

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Military

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Like the Fatimids after them, the Ikhshidids made use of Black slave troops.[24] The practice began with the Tulunids in 870 AD, where the Africans were used as infantrymen, and continued by the Ikhshidids due to financial reasons, as they were cheaper than Turkic military slaves which were used as cavalry.[25]

Coinage

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Only gold coins are common, with coppers being extremely rare. Dinars were mainly struck at Misr (Fustat) and Filastin (al-Ramla), and dirhams were usually struck at Filastin, and less often at Tabariya, Dimashq, and Hims. Other mints for dirhams are quite rare. Dinars from Misr are often well struck, while the Filastin dinars are more crude. Dirhams are usually crudely struck and often are illegible on half of the coin.[26]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bacharach, Jere L. (2006). Islamic History Through Coins: An Analysis and Catalogue of Tenth-century Ikhshidid Coinage. American Univ in Cairo Press. pp. 76–77. ISBN 978-977-424-930-3.
  2. ^ Holt, Peter Malcolm (2004). The Crusader States and Their Neighbours, 1098-1291. Pearson Longman. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-582-36931-3. The two gubernatorial dynasties in Egypt which have already been mentioned, the Tulunids and the Ikhshidids, were both of Mamluk origin.
  3. ^ The Fatimid Revolution (861-973) and its aftermath in North Africa, Michael Brett, The Cambridge History of Africa, Vol. 2 ed. J. D. Fage, Roland Anthony Oliver, (Cambridge University Press, 2002), 622.
  4. ^ Abulafia, David (2011). The Mediterranean in History. p. 170.
  5. ^ Bacharach, Jere L. (2006). Medieval Islamic Civilization: A-K, index. p. 382.
  6. ^ C.E. Bosworth, The New Islamic Dynasties, (Columbia University Press, 1996), 62.
  7. ^ Max Van Berchem, MIFAO 44 - Matériaux pour un Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Part 2 Syrie du Sud T.2 Jérusalem Haram (1927), p13-14 (no.146): “L’émir Muhammad mourut à Damas en 334 (946) et son corps fut transporté et inhumé à Jérusalem. L’émir Unūdjūr mourut en 349 (960) et son corps fut porté à Jérusalem et inhumé à côté de celui de son père. L’émir ‘Ali mourut en 355 (966) et son corps fut transporté à Jérusalem et inhumé à côté de ceux de son père et de son frère. Enfin l'ustādh Kāfūr mourut en 357 (968) et son corps fut transporté et inhumé à Jérusalem, sans doute auprès de ceux de ses maîtres. Ainsi les Ikhshidides avaient leur caveau funéraire à Jérusalem. Bien plus, un auteur contemporain précise que «l'émir Ali fut transporté dans un cercueil à Jérusalem et enterré, avec son frère et son père, ce tout près du Bāb al-asbāt ou porte des Tribus (1). Ce nom désignait et désigne encore la porte du Haram désigne encore la porte du Haram qui s'ouvre dans l'angle nord-est de l'esplanade (2), et précisément derrière le n° 146, à l'intérieur du mur d’enceinte.”
  8. ^ Bosworth 1971, p. 1060.
  9. ^ Bacharach 1993, p. 411.
  10. ^ Bacharach, Jere L. (October 1975). "The Career of Muḥammad Ibn Ṭughj Al-Ikhshīd, a Tenth-Century Governor of Egypt". Speculum. 50 (4): 590. doi:10.2307/2855469. JSTOR 2855469. S2CID 161166177.
  11. ^ Bacharach, Jere L. (October 1975). "The Career of Muḥammad Ibn Ṭughj Al-Ikhshīd, a Tenth-Century Governor of Egypt". Speculum. 50 (4): 591. doi:10.2307/2855469. JSTOR 2855469. S2CID 161166177.
  12. ^ Bacharach, Jere L. (October 1975). "The Career of Muḥammad Ibn Ṭughj Al-Ikhshīd, a Tenth-Century Governor of Egypt". Speculum. 50 (4): 593. doi:10.2307/2855469. JSTOR 2855469. S2CID 161166177.
  13. ^ Bacharach, Jere L. (October 1975). "The Career of Muḥammad Ibn Ṭughj Al-Ikhshīd, a Tenth-Century Governor of Egypt". Speculum. 50 (4): 594. doi:10.2307/2855469. JSTOR 2855469. S2CID 161166177.
  14. ^ Bacharach, Jere L. (October 1975). "The Career of Muḥammad Ibn Ṭughj Al-Ikhshīd, a Tenth-Century Governor of Egypt". Speculum. 50 (4): 595. doi:10.2307/2855469. JSTOR 2855469. S2CID 161166177.
  15. ^ Kadi, Galila El; Bonnamy, Alain (2007). Architecture for the Dead : Cairo's Medieval Necropolis. American Univ in Cairo Press. pp. 96, 297. ISBN 978-977-416-074-5.
  16. ^ Bacharach, Jere L. (October 1975). "The Career of Muḥammad Ibn Ṭughj Al-Ikhshīd, a Tenth-Century Governor of Egypt". Speculum. 50 (4): 599–600. doi:10.2307/2855469. JSTOR 2855469. S2CID 161166177.
  17. ^ Bacharach, Jere L. (October 1975). "The Career of Muḥammad Ibn Ṭughj Al-Ikhshīd, a Tenth-Century Governor of Egypt". Speculum. 50 (4): 597. doi:10.2307/2855469. JSTOR 2855469. S2CID 161166177.
  18. ^ Bacharach, Jere L. (October 1975). "The Career of Muḥammad Ibn Ṭughj Al-Ikhshīd, a Tenth-Century Governor of Egypt". Speculum. 50 (4): 608. doi:10.2307/2855469. JSTOR 2855469. S2CID 161166177.
  19. ^ a b Petry, Carl F. (10 Jul 2008). The Cambridge History of Egypt, Volume 1. Cambridge University Press. p. 115.
  20. ^ "Textile Fragment". The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
  21. ^ Petry, Carl F. (10 Jul 2008). The Cambridge History of Egypt, Volume 1. Cambridge University Press. p. 116.
  22. ^ Petry, Carl F. (10 Jul 2008). The Cambridge History of Egypt, Volume 1. Cambridge University Press. p. 117.
  23. ^ El-Azhari, Taef Kamal (2013). Gender and history in the Fatimid State: The case of Eunuchs 909-1171. p. 14.
  24. ^ Lev, Yaacov (August 1987). "Army, Regime, and Society in Fatimid Egypt, 358-487/968-1094". International Journal of Middle East Studies. 19 (3): 337–365. doi:10.1017/S0020743800056762. S2CID 162310414.
  25. ^ Bacharach, Jere L. (November 1981). "African Military Slaves in the Medieval Middle East: The Cases of Iraq (869–955) and Egypt (868–1171)". International Journal of Middle East Studies. 13 (4): 477–480. doi:10.1017/S0020743800055860. S2CID 161458709.
  26. ^ Album, Stephen. A Checklist of Islamic Coins, Second Edition, January 1998, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Sources

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