Abd al-Malik ibn Salih
Encyclopedia
Abd al-Malik ibn Salih ibn Ali ' onMouseout='HidePop("27309")' href="/topics/Greek_language">Greek
sources; 750–812 CE) was a member of the Abbasid dynasty who served as general and governor in Syria and Egypt. He distinguished himself in several raids against the Byzantine Empire
, but his great influence and authority in Syria caused Caliph Harun al-Rashid
to imprison him in 803. Released in 809, he was dispatched in 812 by Caliph al-Amin
to gather troops against his brother al-Ma'mun
in the ongoing civil war between the two brothers, but died of an illness.
the first Abbasid governor of Egypt
and successor of Abdallah in Syria after the latter staged a failed uprising in 754. Abd al-Malik's elder brothers al-Fadl ibn Salih
and Ibrahim ibn Salih also served as governors in Syria and Egypt. From his father's side, he was a cousin of Caliphs al-Saffah (r. 750–754) and al-Mansur
(r. 754–775). His mother was one of the concubines of the last Umayyad Caliph, Marwan II
(r. 744–750). After Marwan's death, she was bought by Salih. Some sources alleged that she was already pregnant at the time, which would mean that Abd al-Malik was a son of Marwan II.
Under Harun al-Rashid
(r. 786–809) Abd al-Malik held his first major commands: from ca. 789 to 793 he was governor of the strategically critical jund Qinnasrin
and of the newly created jund
of al-'Awasim
, which comprised the Caliphate's borderlands with the Byzantine Empire
. From this position he led expeditions into Byzantine Asia Minor
in 790/791 and possibly also in 792/793, when his son Abd ar-Rahman captured the fortress of Thebasa.
In 792, after the death of Ibrahim, Abd al-Malik became the head of his clan, and in 794 he was appointed as governor of the province of Damascus
, with his brother Abdallah ibn Salih succeeding him in the border. During the next couple of years he also served briefly as governor of Medina
and Egypt
, but he was soon back on the Byzantine frontier: in late 797 he raided into Cappadocia
and Galatia
as far as Ancyra, where he received an embassy from Empress Irene of Athens which asked for a peace agreement, but was rebuffed. In 798, he led another campaign that reached and plundered the great Byzantine army base and imperial stables at Malagina
in Bithynia
. He carried off much booty, including the imperial parade horses and baggage-train. On his return, he was attacked by the forces of the themes of Opsikion
and Optimatoi
, but defeated them. At the same time, his son raided Ephesus
.
At ca. 800, Abd al-Malik was also placed as tutor over Harun's son al-Qasim. His prominence and influence with the army made Harun distrust him however, and in 803 he was arrested and thrown into prison. The actual reason remains unclear, although most sources agree that his own son, Abd ar-Rahman, informed the Caliph that he was allegedly planning to overthrow him. Abd al-Malik remained imprisoned until Harun's death six years later, when the Caliph al-Amin
(r. 809–813) released him. Amin's succession was contested by his elder half-brother al-Ma'mun
, and there was unrest in Syria. Abd al-Malik still wielded considerable influence over the frontier troops, and therefore he was appointed governor of Syria and Upper Mesopotamia
and tasked with securing these regions for Amin and raising troops to confront Ma'mun. Soon after reaching his seat at Al-Raqqah however Abd al-Malik fell ill and died. His grave was demolished a few years later by the victorious Ma'mun allegedly because Abd al-Malik had sworn never to accept Ma'mun's rule.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
sources; 750–812 CE) was a member of the Abbasid dynasty who served as general and governor in Syria and Egypt. He distinguished himself in several raids against the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, but his great influence and authority in Syria caused Caliph Harun al-Rashid
Harun al-Rashid
Hārūn al-Rashīd was the fifth Arab Abbasid Caliph in Iraq. He was born in Rey, Iran, close to modern Tehran. His birth date remains a point of discussion, though, as various sources give the dates from 763 to 766)....
to imprison him in 803. Released in 809, he was dispatched in 812 by Caliph al-Amin
Al-Amin
Muhammad ibn Harun al-Amin , Abbasid Caliph. He succeeded his father, Harun al-Rashid in 809 and ruled until he was killed in 813.-Caliph:...
to gather troops against his brother al-Ma'mun
Al-Ma'mun
Abū Jaʿfar Abdullāh al-Māʾmūn ibn Harūn was an Abbasid caliph who reigned from 813 until his death in 833...
in the ongoing civil war between the two brothers, but died of an illness.
Life
Abd al-Malik's family were among the most powerful clans during the early Abbasid era. They played an important role the final overthrow of the Umayyads in Syria, which thereafter became their particular power base. He was the nephew of Abdallah ibn Ali, the first Abbasid governor of Syria, and a son of Salih ibn AliSalih ibn Ali
Salih ibn Ali ibn Abdallah ibn al-Abbas was a member of the Abbasid dynasty who served as general and governor in Syria and Egypt.- Life :...
the first Abbasid governor of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and successor of Abdallah in Syria after the latter staged a failed uprising in 754. Abd al-Malik's elder brothers al-Fadl ibn Salih
Al-Fadl ibn Salih
Al-Fadl ibn Salih ibn Ali ibn Abdillah ibn Abbas was the Abbasid governor of a number of different provinces in what is now modern-day Syria during the late 8th-century CE. He was also governor of Egypt for a brief period of time...
and Ibrahim ibn Salih also served as governors in Syria and Egypt. From his father's side, he was a cousin of Caliphs al-Saffah (r. 750–754) and al-Mansur
Al-Mansur
Al-Mansur, Almanzor or Abu Ja'far Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Mansur was the second Abbasid Caliph from 136 AH to 158 AH .-Biography:...
(r. 754–775). His mother was one of the concubines of the last Umayyad Caliph, Marwan II
Marwan II
Marwan ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan or Marwan II was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 744 until 750 when he was killed. He was the last Umayyad ruler to rule from Damascus.In A.H. 114 Caliph Hisham appointed Marwan governor of Armenia and Azerbaijan. In A.H...
(r. 744–750). After Marwan's death, she was bought by Salih. Some sources alleged that she was already pregnant at the time, which would mean that Abd al-Malik was a son of Marwan II.
Under Harun al-Rashid
Harun al-Rashid
Hārūn al-Rashīd was the fifth Arab Abbasid Caliph in Iraq. He was born in Rey, Iran, close to modern Tehran. His birth date remains a point of discussion, though, as various sources give the dates from 763 to 766)....
(r. 786–809) Abd al-Malik held his first major commands: from ca. 789 to 793 he was governor of the strategically critical jund Qinnasrin
Jund Qinnasrin
Jund Qinnasrin was one of five sub-provinces of Syria under the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphate, organized soon after the Muslim conquest of Syria in the 7th century CE. Initially, its capital was Qinnasrin, but as the city declined in population and wealth, the capital was moved to Aleppo...
and of the newly created jund
JunD
Transcription factor jun-D is a protein that in humans is encoded by the JUND gene.-Interactions:JunD has been shown to interact with ATF3, MEN1, DNA damage-inducible transcript 3 and BRCA1....
of al-'Awasim
Al-'Awasim
The al-'awāṣim was the Arabic term used to refer to the Muslim side of the frontier zone between the Byzantine Empire and the Ummayyad and Abbasid Caliphates in Cilicia, northern Syria and northern Mesopotamia...
, which comprised the Caliphate's borderlands with the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. From this position he led expeditions into Byzantine Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
in 790/791 and possibly also in 792/793, when his son Abd ar-Rahman captured the fortress of Thebasa.
In 792, after the death of Ibrahim, Abd al-Malik became the head of his clan, and in 794 he was appointed as governor of the province of Damascus
Jund Dimashq
Jund Dimashq was the largest of several sub-provinces of the Islamic Caliphate province of Bilad al-Sham under the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties, organized soon after the Muslim conquest of Syria in the seventh century. Its capital and largest city, Damascus , bore the district's name...
, with his brother Abdallah ibn Salih succeeding him in the border. During the next couple of years he also served briefly as governor of Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, but he was soon back on the Byzantine frontier: in late 797 he raided into Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
and Galatia
Galatia
Ancient Galatia was an area in the highlands of central Anatolia in modern Turkey. Galatia was named for the immigrant Gauls from Thrace , who settled here and became its ruling caste in the 3rd century BC, following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC. It has been called the "Gallia" of...
as far as Ancyra, where he received an embassy from Empress Irene of Athens which asked for a peace agreement, but was rebuffed. In 798, he led another campaign that reached and plundered the great Byzantine army base and imperial stables at Malagina
Malagina
Malagina , in later times Melangeia , was a Byzantine district in the valley of the Sangarius river in northern Bithynia, which served as a major encampment and fortified staging area for the Byzantine army...
in Bithynia
Bithynia
Bithynia was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor, adjoining the Propontis, the Thracian Bosporus and the Euxine .-Description:...
. He carried off much booty, including the imperial parade horses and baggage-train. On his return, he was attacked by the forces of the themes of Opsikion
Opsikion
The Opsician Theme or simply Opsikion was a Byzantine theme located in northwestern Asia Minor . Created from the imperial retinue army, the Opsikion was the largest and most prestigious of the early themes, being located closest to Constantinople...
and Optimatoi
Optimatoi
The Optimatoi were initially formed as an elite Byzantine military unit. In the mid-8th century, however, they were downgraded to a supply and logistics corps and assigned a province in north-western Asia Minor, which was named after them...
, but defeated them. At the same time, his son raided Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
.
At ca. 800, Abd al-Malik was also placed as tutor over Harun's son al-Qasim. His prominence and influence with the army made Harun distrust him however, and in 803 he was arrested and thrown into prison. The actual reason remains unclear, although most sources agree that his own son, Abd ar-Rahman, informed the Caliph that he was allegedly planning to overthrow him. Abd al-Malik remained imprisoned until Harun's death six years later, when the Caliph al-Amin
Al-Amin
Muhammad ibn Harun al-Amin , Abbasid Caliph. He succeeded his father, Harun al-Rashid in 809 and ruled until he was killed in 813.-Caliph:...
(r. 809–813) released him. Amin's succession was contested by his elder half-brother al-Ma'mun
Al-Ma'mun
Abū Jaʿfar Abdullāh al-Māʾmūn ibn Harūn was an Abbasid caliph who reigned from 813 until his death in 833...
, and there was unrest in Syria. Abd al-Malik still wielded considerable influence over the frontier troops, and therefore he was appointed governor of Syria and Upper Mesopotamia
Al-Jazira, Mesopotamia
Upper Mesopotamia is the name used for the uplands and great outwash plain of northwestern Iraq and northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey which is known by the traditional Arabic name of Al-Jazira , variously transliterated into Roman script as Djazirah, Djezirah and Jazirah...
and tasked with securing these regions for Amin and raising troops to confront Ma'mun. Soon after reaching his seat at Al-Raqqah however Abd al-Malik fell ill and died. His grave was demolished a few years later by the victorious Ma'mun allegedly because Abd al-Malik had sworn never to accept Ma'mun's rule.