Ibn al-Athir - Revision history

Adam Simmons at 19:28, 9 March 2015

2015-03-09T19:28:22Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:28, 9 March 2015
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	''K. al-kāmil fī-t-ta'rīkh (The Perfect One in History; continues Tabarī's Annals down to 1231 A.D.)''		''K. al-kāmil fī-t-ta'rīkh (The Perfect One in History; continues Tabarī's Annals down to 1231 A.D.)''

	''Ed.: C. Tornberg, 14 vols., Leiden ~~18S1~~-1876; (Repr.) Beirut, 12 vols., 1965-1966; Sheikh Abdel Wahab Najjar, 9 vols., Cairo 1929.''		''Ed.: C. Tornberg, 14 vols., Leiden 1851-1876; (Repr.) Beirut, 12 vols., 1965-1966; Sheikh Abdel Wahab Najjar, 9 vols., Cairo 1929.''

	''Exc.: MC 940.''		''Exc.: MC 940.''

Adam Simmons at 19:21, 9 March 2015

2015-03-09T19:21:08Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:21, 9 March 2015
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	[The Escape of the Sons of Marwān through Nubia [Year 132 H./749 A.D.]]		[The Escape of the Sons of Marwān through Nubia [Year 132 H./749 A.D.]]

	After Marwān was killed, his two sons ‘Abdalla and 'Ubaydalla fled to the land of Ḥabasha and suffered hardships at the hands of the Ethiopians (''al-Ḥabasha''). The Ethiopians fought against them, 'Ubaydalla was killed, and 'Abdalla, together with some of his men, escaped death. He survived till the Caliphate of al-Mahdī [774 - 785 A.D.]. It was Nasr b. Muḥammad b. al-Ash'ath, the Agent (''ʿāmil'') [of the Caliph] in Palestine, who captured him and sent him to al-Mahdī. (Beirut ed. 5, p. 427).<ref>I have not included two revolts of Negroes (''as-sūdān'') at ~~Medina~~, recorded by Ibn al-Athīr, the one under the year 145 H./762 A.D., (Beirut ed. 5, pp. 556-667), the other under the year 231 H./845 A.D. (7, pp. 19) as it is doubtful whether there “''sūdān''” were of Nubian origin.</ref>		After Marwān was killed, his two sons ‘Abdalla and 'Ubaydalla fled to the land of Ḥabasha and suffered hardships at the hands of the Ethiopians (''al-Ḥabasha''). The Ethiopians fought against them, 'Ubaydalla was killed, and 'Abdalla, together with some of his men, escaped death. He survived till the Caliphate of al-Mahdī [774 - 785 A.D.]. It was Nasr b. Muḥammad b. al-Ash'ath, the Agent (''ʿāmil'') [of the Caliph] in Palestine, who captured him and sent him to al-Mahdī. (Beirut ed. 5, p. 427).<ref>I have not included two revolts of Negroes (''as-sūdān'') at Medīna, recorded by Ibn al-Athīr, the one under the year 145 H./762 A.D., (Beirut ed. 5, pp. 556-667), the other under the year 231 H./845 A.D. (7, pp. 19) as it is doubtful whether there “''sūdān''” were of Nubian origin.</ref>

	[Al-Qummī's Campaign against the Beja (241 H./355 - 856 A.D.)]		[Al-Qummī's Campaign against the Beja (241 H./355 - 856 A.D.)]
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	In that year [273 H. = 886 A.D.], the Blacks (''Sūdān'') who were at Miṣr rose up and besieged the commandant of the garrison (''ṣaḥīb ash-shurtah''). Khumarawayh b. Aḥmad Ibn Ṭūlūn heard the news, mounted on his horse, and, with his sword unsheathed, went to the residence of the commandant of the garrison; he killed all those Blacks (''Sūdān'') he met on his way. They were defeated and the slaughter went on among those who tried to escape. Eventually Miṣr became quiet and the inhabitants felt safe. (ibid. 7, p. 425).		In that year [273 H. = 886 A.D.], the Blacks (''Sūdān'') who were at Miṣr rose up and besieged the commandant of the garrison (''ṣaḥīb ash-shurtah''). Khumarawayh b. Aḥmad Ibn Ṭūlūn heard the news, mounted on his horse, and, with his sword unsheathed, went to the residence of the commandant of the garrison; he killed all those Blacks (''Sūdān'') he met on his way. They were defeated and the slaughter went on among those who tried to escape. Eventually Miṣr became quiet and the inhabitants felt safe. (ibid. 7, p. 425).

	[Abū Rakwa [1006 - 1007 A.D.]]<ref>Ibn al-Athīr has the fullest account of the story of Abū Rakwa’s rise and fall. We translate only the episode of his arrest in Nubia. Abū Rakwa left Spain at the age of twenty after he had been involved in a rebellion. He went to Egypt where he learned Ḥadīth, then visited Mecca and ~~Medina~~. On his return to Egypt he began preaching the Sunnite tradition and made numerous followers especially among the Banī Qurra Arabs, whom al-Ḥākim had often angered and exploited. He also reconciled the Banī Qurra with the Zanāta Berbers, with whom they had been in a constant warfare, and eventually the two tribes rose against al-Ḥākim. Abū Rakwa, self-styled as “amir al-mu’minīn”, introduced himself to the Egyptians as the religious-political leader who would soon conquer Egypt – thus threatening one of the pillars of Fatimid doctrine. Al-Ḥākim duly informed by his wālī in Ifriqiya, sent several troops against Abū Rakwa, who, however, defeated them and prepared to march on Cairo. The Egyptians, among whom Ḥusayn b. Jawhar, son of the Fatimid general who conquered Egypt, full of resentment on account of al-Ḥākim’s eccentricities and vexations, wrote to Abū Rakwa to come to Egypt as a liberator. Abū Rakwa entered Egypt and camped in the Fayyūm district, preparing for the last attack. Al-Ḥākim, in a final effort, gathered a 12,000 man army under the command of al-Faḍl. A leader of the Banī Qurra by name al-Māḍī, being bribed by al-Faḍl, kept him informed about all the movements of Abū Rakwa, so that al-Faḍl finally defeated Abū Rakwa.</ref>		[Abū Rakwa [1006 - 1007 A.D.]]<ref>Ibn al-Athīr has the fullest account of the story of Abū Rakwa’s rise and fall. We translate only the episode of his arrest in Nubia. Abū Rakwa left Spain at the age of twenty after he had been involved in a rebellion. He went to Egypt where he learned Ḥadīth, then visited Mecca and Medīna. On his return to Egypt he began preaching the Sunnite tradition and made numerous followers especially among the Banī Qurra Arabs, whom al-Ḥākim had often angered and exploited. He also reconciled the Banī Qurra with the Zanāta Berbers, with whom they had been in a constant warfare, and eventually the two tribes rose against al-Ḥākim. Abū Rakwa, self-styled as “amir al-mu’minīn”, introduced himself to the Egyptians as the religious-political leader who would soon conquer Egypt – thus threatening one of the pillars of Fatimid doctrine. Al-Ḥākim duly informed by his wālī in Ifriqiya, sent several troops against Abū Rakwa, who, however, defeated them and prepared to march on Cairo. The Egyptians, among whom Ḥusayn b. Jawhar, son of the Fatimid general who conquered Egypt, full of resentment on account of al-Ḥākim’s eccentricities and vexations, wrote to Abū Rakwa to come to Egypt as a liberator. Abū Rakwa entered Egypt and camped in the Fayyūm district, preparing for the last attack. Al-Ḥākim, in a final effort, gathered a 12,000 man army under the command of al-Faḍl. A leader of the Banī Qurra by name al-Māḍī, being bribed by al-Faḍl, kept him informed about all the movements of Abū Rakwa, so that al-Faḍl finally defeated Abū Rakwa.</ref>

	Abū Rakwah was defeated together with the Banū Qurra who were with him. They went back to their villages. '''[p. 355]''' When they arrived there, al-Māḍī prevented them from gathering [again] around Abū Rakwa. They said to Abū Rakwa: - "We have fought with you; [henceforth] we shall not fight anymore. Take care of yourself and flee to safety". He left for Nubia. When he arrived at a fortress (''ḥiṣn''), known as the Fortress of the Mountain of the Nūba, (''ḥiṣn al-jabal li-n-nūba''), he introduced himself as an Envoy of al-Ḥākim to their king. The governor of the fortress said to him: - "The king is sick; you need a special permit to go to him."		Abū Rakwah was defeated together with the Banū Qurra who were with him. They went back to their villages. '''[p. 355]''' When they arrived there, al-Māḍī prevented them from gathering [again] around Abū Rakwa. They said to Abū Rakwa: - "We have fought with you; [henceforth] we shall not fight anymore. Take care of yourself and flee to safety". He left for Nubia. When he arrived at a fortress (''ḥiṣn''), known as the Fortress of the Mountain of the Nūba, (''ḥiṣn al-jabal li-n-nūba''), he introduced himself as an Envoy of al-Ḥākim to their king. The governor of the fortress said to him: - "The king is sick; you need a special permit to go to him."
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	In this year [578 H./1183 A.D.], the prince (''al-barins'') Lord of al-Kerak built a fleet, and had it completed in al-Kerak: it only remained to assemble the parts. He had '''[p. 362]''' them transported to the sea of 'Ailat and had them assembled in the shortest possible time. After he had finished this work, he loaded the ships ready for battle and had them launched. They sailed and divided into two flotillas: the one patrolled around the fortress of 'Ailat, which belonged to the Muslims - to besiege them and prevent them from going to the water, so that the inhabitants were placed in extreme distress. The other sailed towards 'Aydhāb. They ravaged the coasts plundering and seizing any boat belonging to the Moslems they found, captured all the traders and took the local population by surprise; in fact [the natives] did not expect the Franks to come, because never before had a Frank, whether merchant or warrior, sailed on this sea.		In this year [578 H./1183 A.D.], the prince (''al-barins'') Lord of al-Kerak built a fleet, and had it completed in al-Kerak: it only remained to assemble the parts. He had '''[p. 362]''' them transported to the sea of 'Ailat and had them assembled in the shortest possible time. After he had finished this work, he loaded the ships ready for battle and had them launched. They sailed and divided into two flotillas: the one patrolled around the fortress of 'Ailat, which belonged to the Muslims - to besiege them and prevent them from going to the water, so that the inhabitants were placed in extreme distress. The other sailed towards 'Aydhāb. They ravaged the coasts plundering and seizing any boat belonging to the Moslems they found, captured all the traders and took the local population by surprise; in fact [the natives] did not expect the Franks to come, because never before had a Frank, whether merchant or warrior, sailed on this sea.

	In Egypt al-Malik al-'Ādil Abū Bakr b. Ayyūb, was acting in the absence of his brother Saladin. He had a fleet built and launched out to sea: a great multitude of Muslims were embarked: their leader (''muqaddam'') was Ḥisām ad-Dīn Lu'lu', the admiral of the fleet in Egypt. In order to defeat them [the Franks], he began with those who were at 'Ailat. He fell on them like a hawk on its prey: he gave battle, killed some and others he took prisoner. Immediately after this victory, he went on to intercept those who had gone to 'Aydhāb, but did not find them; for they had plundered all that they could find there, killed anyone they met, then had departed to another harbour to carry out another raid like the first. Their plan was to enter ~~Hejaz~~, Mecca and ~~Medina~~ - may God guard them! - to take [by surprise] the caravan of pilgrims and prevent them from [visiting] the Holy Places (''al-Bayt al-Ḥaram'') and eventually enter Yemen.		In Egypt al-Malik al-'Ādil Abū Bakr b. Ayyūb, was acting in the absence of his brother Saladin. He had a fleet built and launched out to sea: a great multitude of Muslims were embarked: their leader (''muqaddam'') was Ḥisām ad-Dīn Lu'lu', the admiral of the fleet in Egypt. In order to defeat them [the Franks], he began with those who were at 'Ailat. He fell on them like a hawk on its prey: he gave battle, killed some and others he took prisoner. Immediately after this victory, he went on to intercept those who had gone to 'Aydhāb, but did not find them; for they had plundered all that they could find there, killed anyone they met, then had departed to another harbour to carry out another raid like the first. Their plan was to enter Ḥejaz, Mecca and Medīna - may God guard them! - to take [by surprise] the caravan of pilgrims and prevent them from [visiting] the Holy Places (''al-Bayt al-Ḥaram'') and eventually enter Yemen.

	As Lu'lu' arrived at 'Aydhāb and did not find them, he sailed off in their pursuit. He arrived at Rābigh, Coast al-Jawzā’ and other places, [until] he caught up with '''[p. 363]''' them at Coast Jawzā' and attacked them there. When [the Franks] realized their position was impossible (''al-‘atab'') and that there was no hope of escape left, they landed on the desert shore and took a track leading to a mountain. Lu'lu' left the ships in order to pursue them and fought a fierce battle with them; he mounted on horses which he took from the nomad Arabs of that place, [pursued the Franks] and attacked them, both those who were on horseback and those on foot, and defeated them. He killed the majority and the remainder he took prisoner. Some of these he sent to Mīnā to be executed there as a punishment for having dared profane the Holy Place of God and the Holy Place of his Envoy - blessings upon him! - then he returned to Miṣr with the remainder who were all killed there. (ibid. 11, pp. 490 - 491).		As Lu'lu' arrived at 'Aydhāb and did not find them, he sailed off in their pursuit. He arrived at Rābigh, Coast al-Jawzā’ and other places, [until] he caught up with '''[p. 363]''' them at Coast Jawzā' and attacked them there. When [the Franks] realized their position was impossible (''al-‘atab'') and that there was no hope of escape left, they landed on the desert shore and took a track leading to a mountain. Lu'lu' left the ships in order to pursue them and fought a fierce battle with them; he mounted on horses which he took from the nomad Arabs of that place, [pursued the Franks] and attacked them, both those who were on horseback and those on foot, and defeated them. He killed the majority and the remainder he took prisoner. Some of these he sent to Mīnā to be executed there as a punishment for having dared profane the Holy Place of God and the Holy Place of his Envoy - blessings upon him! - then he returned to Miṣr with the remainder who were all killed there. (ibid. 11, pp. 490 - 491).

Adam Simmons at 19:13, 9 March 2015

2015-03-09T19:13:54Z

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	[The Escape of the Sons of Marwān through Nubia [Year 132 H./749 A.D.]]		[The Escape of the Sons of Marwān through Nubia [Year 132 H./749 A.D.]]

	After Marwān was killed, his two sons ‘Abdalla and 'Ubaydalla fled to the land of Ḥabasha and suffered hardships at the hands of the Ethiopians (''al-Ḥabasha''). The Ethiopians fought against them, 'Ubaydalla was killed, and 'Abdalla, together with some of his men, escaped death. He survived till the Caliphate of al-Mahdī [774 - 785 A.D.]. It was Nasr b. ~~Muhammad~~ b. al-Ash'ath, the Agent (''ʿāmil'') [of the Caliph] in Palestine, who captured him and sent him to al-Mahdī. (Beirut ed. 5, p. 427).<ref>I have not included two revolts of Negroes (''as-sūdān'') at Medina, recorded by Ibn al-Athīr, the one under the year 145 H./762 A.D., (Beirut ed. 5, pp. 556-667), the other under the year 231 H./845 A.D. (7, pp. 19) as it is doubtful whether there “''sūdān''” were of Nubian origin.</ref>		After Marwān was killed, his two sons ‘Abdalla and 'Ubaydalla fled to the land of Ḥabasha and suffered hardships at the hands of the Ethiopians (''al-Ḥabasha''). The Ethiopians fought against them, 'Ubaydalla was killed, and 'Abdalla, together with some of his men, escaped death. He survived till the Caliphate of al-Mahdī [774 - 785 A.D.]. It was Nasr b. Muḥammad b. al-Ash'ath, the Agent (''ʿāmil'') [of the Caliph] in Palestine, who captured him and sent him to al-Mahdī. (Beirut ed. 5, p. 427).<ref>I have not included two revolts of Negroes (''as-sūdān'') at Medina, recorded by Ibn al-Athīr, the one under the year 145 H./762 A.D., (Beirut ed. 5, pp. 556-667), the other under the year 231 H./845 A.D. (7, pp. 19) as it is doubtful whether there “''sūdān''” were of Nubian origin.</ref>

	[Al-Qummī's Campaign against the Beja (241 H./355 - 856 A.D.)]		[Al-Qummī's Campaign against the Beja (241 H./355 - 856 A.D.)]

Seignobos at 09:39, 24 February 2015

2015-02-24T09:39:09Z

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Adam Simmons at 18:10, 22 February 2015

2015-02-22T18:10:21Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:10, 22 February 2015
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	[Shams ad-Dawla's Campaign in Nubia [568 H./1172-73 A.D.]]		[Shams ad-Dawla's Campaign in Nubia [568 H./1172-73 A.D.]]

	In this year [568 H. = 1172-73 A.D.] in the month of ~~Jumada~~ el-Wūlā [Dec. 1172 A.D.] Shams ad Dawla Tūrānshāh '''[p. 358]''' b. Ayyūb, Saladin's eldest brother, left Miṣr [to march] against Nubia. He reached the frontier of that country with the intention of conquering it. The reason was that Saladin and his brothers were aware that Nureddin was preparing to invade Egypt; so they all agreed on conquering either Nubia or Yemen, so that if Nureddin advanced against them, they might oppose him and block his advance into the country; but if they could not make a stand against him, they would retreat to either country. Therefore Shams ad-Dawla left with an army and went to Aswan and thence into the Nūba country; he came up to a fortress called Ibrīm and besieged it. The inhabitants fought against him, but they could not withstand the battle with the Muslim army, because they had no way to shield themselves from the arrows and other weapons. The Nubians abandoned the fortress and the Muslims occupied it. He [Shams] realized that the country had no satisfactory resources to compensate for the effort of the conquest and that their only food was dhurra. When he saw that there was no other crop and witnessed the hard life of the Nubians and also considered the difficulties of the war and the exertions that were in store for them, he decided to give up and left for Egypt with the booty which consisted of male and female slaves. (ibid. 11, pp. 386 - 387).		In this year [568 H. = 1172-73 A.D.] in the month of Jumāda el-Wūlā [Dec. 1172 A.D.] Shams ad Dawla Tūrānshāh '''[p. 358]''' b. Ayyūb, Saladin's eldest brother, left Miṣr [to march] against Nubia. He reached the frontier of that country with the intention of conquering it. The reason was that Saladin and his brothers were aware that Nureddin was preparing to invade Egypt; so they all agreed on conquering either Nubia or Yemen, so that if Nureddin advanced against them, they might oppose him and block his advance into the country; but if they could not make a stand against him, they would retreat to either country. Therefore Shams ad-Dawla left with an army and went to Aswan and thence into the Nūba country; he came up to a fortress called Ibrīm and besieged it. The inhabitants fought against him, but they could not withstand the battle with the Muslim army, because they had no way to shield themselves from the arrows and other weapons. The Nubians abandoned the fortress and the Muslims occupied it. He [Shams] realized that the country had no satisfactory resources to compensate for the effort of the conquest and that their only food was dhurra. When he saw that there was no other crop and witnessed the hard life of the Nubians and also considered the difficulties of the war and the exertions that were in store for them, he decided to give up and left for Egypt with the booty which consisted of male and female slaves. (ibid. 11, pp. 386 - 387).

	[Saladin kills the Egyptian Conspirators]		[Saladin kills the Egyptian Conspirators]

	In this year, on the second day of ~~Ramadan~~ [5 May 1174 A.D.], Saladin b. Yūsuf crucified some people who were supporters of the Alide Caliphs, (''al-'alawīyyīn'').		In this year, on the second day of Ramādan [5 May 1174 A.D.], Saladin b. Yūsuf crucified some people who were supporters of the Alide Caliphs, (''al-'alawīyyīn'').

	The cause of this incident was that some members of the Alide faction (''shī'ah''), - among whom were ’Umāra b. Abī-l-Ḥasan al-Yamanī [who was] a poet, 'Abd as-Samid, the secretary (''al-kātib''), the qādī al-'Uwayris, the chief '''[p. 359]''' propagandist (''dā-ī ad-di'āt'') and some others who were the Egyptian army and prominent members (''rijālāt'') of the Blacks (''Sūdān'') and officials of the palace, in connivance with some emirs and soldiers of Saladin's army – had agreed to invite the Franks from Sicily and the Syrian coast to Egypt offering them money and a portion of the country. Should they (the Franks) land in the country and should Saladin himself go out to fight them, they [the plotters] would rise in Cairo (''al-qāhira'') and Fusṭāṭ (Miṣr) would, restore the Alide dynasty (''dawlah'') and he [Saladin] would not be able to oppose the Franks. If Saladin decided to stay [in Cairo] and send out his army against them [Franks], the plotters would assault him and seize him easily: as there would be nobody to save or help him. [About this plot] 'Umāra said: - ' have arranged for his [Saladin’s] brother to be away in Yemen, lest he might join in with his army, and so that the news might be brought to him after the overthrow of Saladin.'		The cause of this incident was that some members of the Alide faction (''shī'ah''), - among whom were ’Umāra b. Abī-l-Ḥasan al-Yamanī [who was] a poet, 'Abd as-Samid, the secretary (''al-kātib''), the qādī al-'Uwayris, the chief '''[p. 359]''' propagandist (''dā-ī ad-di'āt'') and some others who were the Egyptian army and prominent members (''rijālāt'') of the Blacks (''Sūdān'') and officials of the palace, in connivance with some emirs and soldiers of Saladin's army – had agreed to invite the Franks from Sicily and the Syrian coast to Egypt offering them money and a portion of the country. Should they (the Franks) land in the country and should Saladin himself go out to fight them, they [the plotters] would rise in Cairo (''al-qāhira'') and Fusṭāṭ (Miṣr) would, restore the Alide dynasty (''dawlah'') and he [Saladin] would not be able to oppose the Franks. If Saladin decided to stay [in Cairo] and send out his army against them [Franks], the plotters would assault him and seize him easily: as there would be nobody to save or help him. [About this plot] 'Umāra said: - ' have arranged for his [Saladin’s] brother to be away in Yemen, lest he might join in with his army, and so that the news might be brought to him after the overthrow of Saladin.'

Adam Simmons at 18:09, 22 February 2015

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Adam Simmons at 17:16, 20 February 2015

2015-02-20T17:16:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:16, 20 February 2015
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	IBN AL-ATHĪR		IBN AL-ATHĪR

	(1160-1234 A.D.)		''(1160-1234 A.D.)''

	''~~Abu~~'l-~~Hasan~~ Abdalla b. ~~Abu~~-l-Karam Abd al-~~Karim~~ Izz ad-~~din~~ Ibn al-~~Athir~~.<ref>“al-Athīr” a title of honour given to judges, famous writers etc.</ref> A great historian of Kurdic origin. Died in Mosul.		''Abū'l-Ḥasan Abdalla b. Abū-l-Karam Abd al-Karīm Izz ad-dīn Ibn al-Athīr.<ref>“al-Athīr” a title of honour given to judges, famous writers etc.</ref> A great historian of Kurdic origin. Died in Mosul.''

	Brockelmann 1, 345; El (s.v.)		''Brockelmann 1, 345; EI (s.v.)''
	~~K. al-kāmil fī-t-ta~~'~~rīkh (The Perfect One in History; continues Tabari~~'~~s Annals down to 1231 A.D.)~~
	~~Ed.: C. Tornberg, 14 vols., Leiden 18S1-1876;~~
	~~(Repr.) Beirut, 12 vols., 1965-1966; Sheikh Abdel Wahab Najjar, 9 vols., Cairo 1929.~~

	Exc.: MC 940.		''K. al-kāmil fī-t-ta'rīkh (The Perfect One in History; continues Tabarī's Annals down to 1231 A.D.)''

			''Ed.: C. Tornberg, 14 vols., Leiden 18S1-1876;(Repr.) Beirut, 12 vols., 1965-1966; Sheikh Abdel Wahab Najjar, 9 vols., Cairo 1929.''

			''Exc.: MC 940.''

			''T.: Beirut A: O''

	~~T.: Beirut A: O''~~

	[Early Arab-Nubian Battles]		[Early Arab-Nubian Battles]

Adam Simmons at 18:09, 9 February 2015

2015-02-09T18:09:08Z

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	'''[p. 348-363]'''		'''[pp. 348-363]'''

	IBN AL-ATHĪR		IBN AL-ATHĪR
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	[Al-Qummī's Campaign against the Beja (241 H./355 - 856 A.D.]		[Al-Qummī's Campaign against the Beja (241 H./355 - 856 A.D.]

	In this year (241 H./= 855-56 A.D.) the Beja (''al-bujāh'') raided the land of Egypt. In the past they had not raided the countries of Islam because of an old security agreement (''hudna'') which we have already mentioned. In their country they have mines, the produce of which they were obliged to share with the Muslims and give to the (Caliph's) agents (''ʿummāl'') in Egypt about one-fifth of the revenue. In the time of al-Mutawakkil they sus-'''[p. 350]'''-pended this payment<ref>Baybars ad-Dawadar (q.v.) says: “In the time of al-Mutawakkil they refrained from paying the tribute for two years. Al-Mutawakkil appointed governor of Egypt Ya’qūb b. Ibrāhīm al-Bawaghīshī, a former client (''mawlā'') of “al-Qawsara”. (al-Maktaba, p. 206).</ref>; therefore the Master of the Mail (''ṣaḥīb al-barīd'') in Egypt wrote (to the caliph) about this, adding that they had killed some (Muslims) who were working in the mines and that the Muslims had abandoned the mines fearing for their lives. Al-Mutawakkil was angered by the news and sought advice about the affair. The advisors told him that (the Beja) were nomads, breeders of camels and cattle: the way to their country was very hard because it was desert and it took one month to reach there from any part of the Muslim world, walking across a mountainous country which was (also) an uninhabited desert. Any army which ventured there must take supplies for all the period they expected to be there until their return to Islamic territory; if they remained there any longer than that, they would surely perish and the Baja would kill them without fighting. Their land would bring no profit to the Sultan. Al-Mutawakkil took their advice; but (later) they (the Beja) became even bolder and their outrages increased so that the inhabitants of Upper Egypt feared for their lives. Al-Mutawakkil entrusted to one Muḥammad b. 'Abdalla al-Qummī the task of waging war against them. He made him governor of the mines of those districts (''kuwar'') viz. Qifṭ, Luxor (''al-Aqsar''), Esna, Armant, and Aswān and ordered him to fight the Beja. He wrote to 'Anbasah b. Isḥāq aḍ-Ḍabbī, the military agent (''ʿāmil ḥarb'') of Egypt to provide him with all the equipment and men he required; which he did. Then Muḥammad marched on the Beja: those (Muslims) who formerly worked in the mines joined him, together with many other people, so that his army numbered about twenty-thousand men divided between horsemen and footmen. He also dispatched (some of his men) to the Red Sea and loaded seven boats (''marākib'') with flour, oil, dry dates, barley and barley flour and ordered the captains to join him on the coast of Bejaland<ref>Baybars ad-Dawadar: The seven boats landed at a coast called “''Mashaba''”. (al-Maktaba, p. 207).</ref>. He '''[p. 351]''' marched overland until he reached the country where gold is mined; after this he reached their (the Beja) strongholds (''ḥuṣūn'') and fortified places (''qilāʿ'').		In this year (241 H./= 855-56 A.D.) the Beja (''al-bujāh'') raided the land of Egypt. In the past they had not raided the countries of Islam because of an old security agreement (''hudna'') which we have already mentioned. In their country they have mines, the produce of which they were obliged to share with the Muslims and give to the (Caliph's) agents (''ʿummāl'') in Egypt about one-fifth of the revenue. In the time of al-Mutawakkil they sus-'''[p. 350]'''-pended this payment<ref>Baybars ad-Dawadar (q.v.) says: “In the time of al-Mutawakkil they refrained from paying the tribute for two years. Al-Mutawakkil appointed governor of Egypt Ya’qūb b. Ibrāhīm al-Bawaghīshī, a former client (''mawlā'') of “al-Qawsara”. (al-Maktaba, p. 206).</ref>; therefore the Master of the Mail (''ṣaḥīb al-barīd'') in Egypt wrote (to the caliph) about this, adding that they had killed some (Muslims) who were working in the mines and that the Muslims had abandoned the mines fearing for their lives. Al-Mutawakkil was angered by the news and sought advice about the affair. The advisors told him that (the Beja) were nomads, breeders of camels and cattle: the way to their country was very hard because it was desert and it took one month to reach there from any part of the Muslim world, walking across a mountainous country which was (also) an uninhabited desert. Any army which ventured there must take supplies for all the period they expected to be there until their return to Islamic territory; if they remained there any longer than that, they would surely perish and the Baja would kill them without fighting. Their land would bring no profit to the Sultan. Al-Mutawakkil took their advice; but (later) they (the Beja) became even bolder and their outrages increased so that the inhabitants of Upper Egypt feared for their lives. Al-Mutawakkil entrusted to one Muḥammad b. 'Abdalla al-Qummī the task of waging war against them. He made him governor of the mines of those districts (''kuwar'') viz. Qifṭ, Luxor (''al-Aqsar''), Esna, Armant, and Aswān and ordered him to fight the Beja. He wrote to 'Anbasah b. Isḥāq aḍ-Ḍabbī, the military agent (''ʿāmil ḥarb'') of Egypt to provide him with all the equipment and men he required; which he did. Then Muḥammad marched on the Beja: those (Muslims) who formerly worked in the mines joined him, together with many other people, so that his army numbered about twenty-thousand men divided between horsemen and footmen. He also dispatched (some of his men) to the Red Sea and loaded seven boats (''marākib'') with flour, oil, dry dates, barley and barley flour and ordered the captains to join him on the coast of Bejaland<ref>Baybars ad-Dawadar: The seven boats landed at a coast called “''Mashaba''”. (al-Maktaba, p. 207).</ref>. He '''[p. 351]''' marched overland until he reached the country where gold is mined; after this he reached their (the Beja) strongholds (''ḥuṣūn'') and fortified places (''qilāʿ'').

	The king (of the Beja), whose name was 'Alī Bābā, came out with an army many times bigger than al-Qummī's. The Beja were mounted on camels, as lively (''farih'') as dromedaries (''mahārī''); they had skirmishes for some days, because 'Alī Bābā would not allow them to engage in a pitched battle, hoping that the Muslims would run short of supplies, after which he could easily trap them without fighting. Meantime the boats with the food supplies arrived, al-Qummī distributed them to his men and they had enough.		The king (of the Beja), whose name was 'Alī Bābā, came out with an army many times bigger than al-Qummī's. The Beja were mounted on camels, as lively (''farih'') as dromedaries (''mahārī''); they had skirmishes for some days, because 'Alī Bābā would not allow them to engage in a pitched battle, hoping that the Muslims would run short of supplies, after which he could easily trap them without fighting. Meantime the boats with the food supplies arrived, al-Qummī distributed them to his men and they had enough.

Seignobos at 17:49, 28 January 2015

2015-01-28T17:49:23Z

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	'''[p. 348-363]'''		'''[p. 348-363]'''

	IBN AL-~~ATHIR~~		IBN AL-ATHĪR

	(1160-1234 A.D.)		(1160-1234 A.D.)

Seignobos at 10:53, 17 November 2014

2014-11-17T10:53:08Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:53, 17 November 2014
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	In this year (568 H./1172-73 A.D.) at the beginning of Dhū-l-qa'da (14 July 1173 A.D.) the Commissioner of the Caliphate (''Mu'taman al-Khilāfah'') was killed. He was a eunuch (''khaṣī'') living in the palace of al-'Aḍid. He controlled all the administration within the palace and held the highest post in the palace. One day he and a number of Egyptians agreed among themselves to write to '''[p. 356]''' the Franks (''al-Faranj'') and invite them into the country to help them overthrow Saladin and his men. They sent the letter through a man whom they trusted and waited for the reply. The messenger left for ''Bi'r al-Baidāʾ'' [near Bilbeis] A Turk (''turkumânî'') saw him and noticed that he was wearing a new pair of sandals and seized them. The Turk said to himself: - 'If these sandals were the footwear of this man, they should be well worn out and patched up, as his clothing is. As he had doubts about him and his sandals, he took the sandals to Saladin who had them torn open and found the letter inside; he read it but kept silent.		In this year (568 H./1172-73 A.D.) at the beginning of Dhū-l-qa'da (14 July 1173 A.D.) the Commissioner of the Caliphate (''Mu'taman al-Khilāfah'') was killed. He was a eunuch (''khaṣī'') living in the palace of al-'Aḍid. He controlled all the administration within the palace and held the highest post in the palace. One day he and a number of Egyptians agreed among themselves to write to '''[p. 356]''' the Franks (''al-Faranj'') and invite them into the country to help them overthrow Saladin and his men. They sent the letter through a man whom they trusted and waited for the reply. The messenger left for ''Bi'r al-Baidāʾ'' [near Bilbeis] A Turk (''turkumânî'') saw him and noticed that he was wearing a new pair of sandals and seized them. The Turk said to himself: - 'If these sandals were the footwear of this man, they should be well worn out and patched up, as his clothing is. As he had doubts about him and his sandals, he took the sandals to Saladin who had them torn open and found the letter inside; he read it but kept silent.

	The Commissioner of the Caliphate's plan was that the Franks should advance into the country; once had they advanced well into Egypt, (they calculated) Saladin would certainly move with his army against them. Then the ~~Com¬missioner~~ of the Caliphate would rise and attack the rearguard and kill them; then they would unite to pursue Saladin; the Commissioner's men would attack him from the rear and the Franks would attack him in front and thus they would get rid of him.		The Commissioner of the Caliphate's plan was that the Franks should advance into the country; once had they advanced well into Egypt, (they calculated) Saladin would certainly move with his army against them. Then the Commissioner of the Caliphate would rise and attack the rearguard and kill them; then they would unite to pursue Saladin; the Commissioner's men would attack him from the rear and the Franks would attack him in front and thus they would get rid of him.

	When Saladin read the letter, he inquired about the man who wrote it. He was told that a Jew had written it. The Jew was brought before him and Saladin ordered that he be clubbed so as to force him to speak. He, first of all, made the Islamic profession, then began confessing the truth. Saladin would not show his inner feelings.		When Saladin read the letter, he inquired about the man who wrote it. He was told that a Jew had written it. The Jew was brought before him and Saladin ordered that he be clubbed so as to force him to speak. He, first of all, made the Islamic profession, then began confessing the truth. Saladin would not show his inner feelings.