Kathir ibn Ahmad
Encyclopedia
Kathir ibn Ahmad ibn Shahfur (also known as Kuthayyir) (died 919) was the amir of Sistan
from 917 until his death.
army. Before becoming amir, he acted as a mediator during the Samanid
invasion of Sistan in 911. After the Samanids conquered Sistan, Kathir ended up in the service of the caliphal
representative Abu Yazid Khalid, who wrested Sistan from the Samanids but then threw off Abbasid sovereignty. Kathir participated in Abu Yazid Khalid's invasion of Kerman
and Fars in 917, in which the latter was defeated and killed.
Following the defeat, Kathir returned to Sistan with a portion of Abu Yazid Khalid's army, and was recognized as amir in Zarang on May 19, 917. The dependencies of Sistan (Bust, al-Rukhkhaj
and Zamindawar
) followed suit soon after. With the support of the local 'ayyars
, he defeated an army sent by Badr ibn 'Abdallah, the governor of Fars and Kerman, to retake the province.
Despite this, Kathir was not confident that he could survive a full-scale offensive by Badr and sought a rapprochement with the Abbasids. He released prisoners captured in the battle with Badr's army and offered tribute to Baghdad
; the caliphal government accepted this gesture. Just as peace had been established, however, Kathir was assassinated as the result of a conspiracy involving an 'ayyar leader, the commander of his India
n troops, and an officer named Ahmad ibn Qudam
. The alleged reason behind the murder was Kathir's ill-treatment of a faqih
. Ahmad ibn Qudam became amir following Kathir's death.
Sistan
Sīstān is a border region in eastern Iran , southwestern Afghanistan and northern tip of Southwestern Pakistan .-Etymology:...
from 917 until his death.
Life
Kathir was the son of an officer who had served in Amr ibn Laith'sAmr bin Laith
Amr-i Laith Saffari was the second ruler of the Saffarid dynasty of Iran who ruled .In the beginning he was a mule-hirer. He was Yaqub bin Laith as-Saffar's younger brother who fought alongside his older brother and in 875 became Governor of Herat....
army. Before becoming amir, he acted as a mediator during the Samanid
Samanid
The Samani dynasty , also known as the Samanid Empire, or simply Samanids was a Persian state and empire in Central Asia and Greater Iran, named after its founder Saman Khuda, who converted to Sunni Islam despite being from Zoroastrian theocratic nobility...
invasion of Sistan in 911. After the Samanids conquered Sistan, Kathir ended up in the service of the caliphal
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
representative Abu Yazid Khalid, who wrested Sistan from the Samanids but then threw off Abbasid sovereignty. Kathir participated in Abu Yazid Khalid's invasion of Kerman
Kerman
- Geological characteristics :For the Iranian paleontologists, Kerman has always been considered a fossil paradise. Finding new dinosaur footprints in 2005 has now revealed new hopes for paleontologists to better understand the history of this area.- Economy :...
and Fars in 917, in which the latter was defeated and killed.
Following the defeat, Kathir returned to Sistan with a portion of Abu Yazid Khalid's army, and was recognized as amir in Zarang on May 19, 917. The dependencies of Sistan (Bust, al-Rukhkhaj
Arachosia
Arachosia is the Latinized form of the Greek name of an Achaemenid and Seleucid governorate in the eastern part of their respective empires, around modern-day southern Afghanistan. The Greek term "Arachosia" corresponds to the Iranian land of Harauti which was between Kandahar in Afghanistan and...
and Zamindawar
Zamindawar
Zamindawar is a historical district of Afghanistan, situated on the right bank of the Helmand River to the northwest of Kandahar bordering the road which leads from Kandahar to Herat via Farah....
) followed suit soon after. With the support of the local 'ayyars
Ayyarun
Áyyār, refers to a person associated with a class of warriors in Iraq and Iran from the 9th to the 12th centuries. The word literally means vagabond...
, he defeated an army sent by Badr ibn 'Abdallah, the governor of Fars and Kerman, to retake the province.
Despite this, Kathir was not confident that he could survive a full-scale offensive by Badr and sought a rapprochement with the Abbasids. He released prisoners captured in the battle with Badr's army and offered tribute to Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
; the caliphal government accepted this gesture. Just as peace had been established, however, Kathir was assassinated as the result of a conspiracy involving an 'ayyar leader, the commander of his India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n troops, and an officer named Ahmad ibn Qudam
Ahmad ibn Qudam
Ahmad ibn Qudam was the amir of Sistan from c. 919 until 923.Ahmad rose to power in Sistan after the assassination of Kathir ibn Ahmad in 919. In order to maintain friendly relations with the neighboring Abbasid Caliphate, the new ruler offered to pay tribute that his predecessor had promised to...
. The alleged reason behind the murder was Kathir's ill-treatment of a faqih
Faqih
A Faqīh is an expert in fiqh, or, Islamic jurisprudence.A faqih is an expert in Islamic Law, and, as such, the word Faqih can literally be generally translated as Jurist.- The definition of Fiqh and its relation to the Faqih:...
. Ahmad ibn Qudam became amir following Kathir's death.