Life Abu Taghlib

1 life

1.1 origin , background
1.2 reign
1.3 exile , death

life
origin , background

family tree of hamdanid dynasty

abu taghlib eldest son of al-hasan, better known laqab of nasir al-dawla, had established hamdanids masters of practically independent emirate encompassing jazira , centred on mosul. nasir al-dawla engaged in repeated attempts gain control on abbasid caliphs @ baghdad, in end forced concede defeat more powerful buyids, recognize suzerainty , pay them tribute. @ same time, nasir al-dawla s younger brother ali, better known sayf al-dawla, managed establish control on northern syria 2 capitals aleppo , mayyafariqin, , through clashes byzantine empire overshadowed brother. however, last decade of sayf al-dawla s rule, until death in february 967, marked heavy military defeats @ hands of byzantines, occupied of domains, , internal turmoil.

it in context abu taghlib first mentioned in 964, when father had once again been embroiled in conflict buyids. army of buyid mu izz al-dawla occupied mosul , nasir al-dawla once again forced flee hill country of northern jazira. abu taghlib led resistance against buyids, who, unable maintain there, evacuated mosul , reached new agreement hamdanids. consequently, nasir al-dawla increasingly eclipsed sons, , deposed outright , exiled in 967, dying in captivity shortly after.

reign

map of jazira (upper mesopotamia), homeland , main power base of hamdanids

abu taghlib, surnamed al-ghadanfar ( lion ), succeeded father emir , head of jaziran branch of hamdanid family, authority contested younger half-brother, hamdan. nasir al-dawla had entrusted latter governance of nisibis, maridin , rahba shortly before deposition, , may have intended name him heir on abu taghlib. hamdan indeed son of nasir al-dawla protest father s deposition, , refused recognize abu taghlib. aid of new buyid emir of iraq, izz al-dawla bakhtiyar, abu taghlib prevailed on hamdan, fled baghdad. in addition, abu taghlib used conditions of near-anarchy prevailing in syria @ time , after sayf al-dawla s death expand territory @ expense of cousin, sa d al-dawla. upon sayf al-dawla s death, abu taghlib seized raqqa , rafiqa, , 971 had extended control on of diyar bakr , diyar mudar, once part of sayf al-dawla s domain, uniting entire jazira under rule. sa d al-dawla, deprived of own capital , lacking power offer resistance, tacitly accepted these losses cousin s suzerainty. ruler of jazira, abu taghlib 1 of richest rulers of region; ibn hawkal s descriptions attest wealth derived many hamdanid estates, , ibn miskawayh, tasked inventorying family s mountain strongholds after buyid dissolution of hamdanid emirate in 979, writes of immense cash reserves stored there.

relations buyids good, abu taghlib, unlike father, had no direct claim on baghdad, , bakhtiyar himself preoccupied affairs in iraq , elsewhere focus attention on jazira. however, buyid prince offered refuge hamdan , other disgruntled members of hamdanid clan (including of abu taghlib s brothers, abu tahir ibrahim) , intervened in hamdanid family quarrels. in 970 hamdan restored in rahba buyid pressure, chased away again in 971. exiled prince urged bakhtiyar make war on abu taghlib: in 973 buyids once again occupied mosul, while abu taghlib army outflanked them , threatened baghdad. conflict ended in negotiated settlement in 974 included in provisions award of laqab of ʿuddat al-dawla ( instrument of dynasty ) abu taghlib caliph , restoration of hamdan domains. during same period, abu taghlib faced attacks of byzantines, under emperor john tzimiskes penetrated deep jazira, forcing hamdanids pay tribute. devastating raids of 972 partly avenged through defeat , capture of domestic of schools melias @ amid in 973, in 974 tzimiskes himself raided jazira in retaliation.

map of iraq in 9th–10th centuries

in 973–975, abu taghlib supported bakhtiyar in own struggles safeguard power. once again marched on baghdad during rebellion of turkish military commander, sabuktakin, although intervention of buyid emir of shiraz, adud al-dawla, decided conflict bakhtiyar. result of assistance, in 975 abu taghlib secured revision of earlier treaty freed him payment of tribute. in 976, following death of tzimiskes, abu taghlib agreed support bid byzantine throne of rebel general bardas skleros, whom concluded treaty whereby hamdanid ruler supplied skleros light cavalry in exchange unspecified marriage agreement.

in 977, bakhtiyar found himself driven baghdad ambitious adud al-dawla, turned again hamdanids aid. abu taghlib agreed support him in exchange handing on of hamdan, promptly executed. although secured abu taghlib s position in family, brought him attention of adud al-dawla. in may 978, bakhtiyar , abu taghlib defeated in battle near samarra adud al-dawla. bakhtiyar himself captured , executed @ orders of adud al-dawla, advanced on mosul. unlike earlier buyid expeditions against hamdanids, had failed chiefly because unable sustain in jazira, far better organized, adud al-dawla brought along experienced administrators familiar area. buyids took mosul , forced abu taghlib flee mayyafariqin , mountains of armenia; while buyids laid siege mayyafariqin, visited skleros in byzantine territory in anzitene, trying secure assistance, in vain, skleros hard-pressed loyalist general bardas phokas. after fall of mayyafariqin in 978, abu taghlib fled rahba, tried in vain negotiate adud al-dawla.

exile , death

with buyid troops completing conquest of jazira, , unable seek aid cousin sa d al-dawla, had acknowledged adud al-dawla s suzerainty , under orders arrest him, abu taghlib remaining followers crossed syrian desert fatimid-controlled south of syria. there became embroiled in complex power struggles between fatimid government , local elites. endeavoured gain recognition fatimids governor of damascus, rebel general al-qassam, held city, repulsed him. under attack damascenes, , members of family starting desert him, abu taghlib moved further south region of lake tiberias. abu taghlib s ambitions , contacts fatimids came threaten position of mufarrij ibn daghfal ibn al-jarrah, tayy chief , ruler of ramla. hoping sow dissension among arab tribes of area , strengthen fatimid authority, fatimid general fadl promised ramla abu taghlib, openly allied himself mufarrij s rivals, banu uqayl, , attacked ramla in august 979. fadl s troops, however, came aid of mufarrij, , in ensuing battle on 29 august abu taghlib taken captive , executed.

the jazira remained under buyid control until 989, when abu taghlib s brothers abu abdallah husayn , abu tahir ibrahim, had submitted buyids, installed governors oppose power of kurdish chieftain badh, had taken control of mosul. in fight, 2 brothers relied upon uqaylis; after defeat of badh, banu uqayl turned on hamdanids , deposed , killed abu tahir ibrahim, establishing uqaylid dynasty rulers of jazira.