Yazid ibn 'Abdallah al-Hulwani
Encyclopedia
Yazid ibn 'Abdallah ibn Dinar al-Hulwani (also called al-Turki) was the military governor (wālī al-jaysh) of Egypt
for the Abbasid dynasty from 856 to 867. He was the first Turk
to govern Egypt.
, and he served for a time as the chief of police (ṣāḥib al-shurṭa) of Samarra
as the latter's deputy. His career appears to have survived Itakh's fall from power in 849, and in 856 he was selected to govern Egypt on behalf of the Abbasid prince al-Muntasir
, who had been assigned the province as part of the caliph al-Mutawakkil's
succession arrangements.
Yazid's tenure as governor was characterized by a lack of stability in the country. In Upper Egypt
, rebellious Arab tribes had effectively seized control of the area around Aswan
. In the north, Yazid was concerned with keeping dissent followers of 'Ali
in check. Several 'Alawis were arrested and deported to Samarra, and the central government sent him instructions to severely limit the freedoms 'Alids and their supporters in the province. In 866 a revolt in the region of Alexandria
was begun by one Jabir ibn al-Walid and enjoyed the support of the local Arabs, Christians and mawālī
. Soon the rebels had spread across the Delta region and defeated the Turkish garrison stationed at Fustat. As a result of Yazid's failure to suppress the rebellion, he was recalled from his post by the central government in 867.
Part of the reason for Yazid's failure was that his powers as governor were limited. He had been given responsibility for Fustat and the Nile districts, but Alexandria and Barqa had been removed from the jurisdiction of the Egyptian government and were separately administered at the time. In addition, in accordance with the normal practice of the era, Yazid had control over the military and administration of the province, but not its fiscal affairs; these were delegated to a separate director of finance (āmil). From 861 on this latter post was occupied by Ahmad ibn al-Mudabbir, whose heavy taxes likely exacerbated the feelings of discontent among the populace.
Yazid was replaced as governor by Muzahim ibn Khaqan, who had been dispatched to the province with reinforcements to put down Jabir's rebellion.
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...
for the Abbasid dynasty from 856 to 867. He was the first Turk
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
to govern Egypt.
Career
Yazid rose to prominence as a lieutenant of the Turkish commander ItakhItakh
Itakh al-Khazari was a leading commander in the Turkish army of the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim . As the nisba in his name suggests, he was a Khazar by origin, and is said to have been working as a cook before he was purchased by al-Mu'tasim at some time before 819. During al-Mutawakkil's reign...
, and he served for a time as the chief of police (ṣāḥib al-shurṭa) of Samarra
Samarra
Sāmarrā is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad-Din Governorate, north of Baghdad and, in 2003, had an estimated population of 348,700....
as the latter's deputy. His career appears to have survived Itakh's fall from power in 849, and in 856 he was selected to govern Egypt on behalf of the Abbasid prince al-Muntasir
Al-Muntasir
Al-Muntasir was the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad from 861 to 862. His pious title means He that Triumphs in the Lord.Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari records that in A.H. 236 al-Muntasir led the pilgrimage. The previous year al-Mutawakkil had named his three son's heirs and seeming to favour al-Muntasir...
, who had been assigned the province as part of the caliph al-Mutawakkil's
Al-Mutawakkil
Al-Mutawakkil ʻAlā Allāh Jaʻfar ibn al-Muʻtasim was an Abbasid caliph who reigned in Samarra from 847 until 861...
succession arrangements.
Yazid's tenure as governor was characterized by a lack of stability in the country. In Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt is the strip of land, on both sides of the Nile valley, that extends from the cataract boundaries of modern-day Aswan north to the area between El-Ayait and Zawyet Dahshur . The northern section of Upper Egypt, between El-Ayait and Sohag is sometimes known as Middle Egypt...
, rebellious Arab tribes had effectively seized control of the area around Aswan
Aswan
Aswan , formerly spelled Assuan, is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate.It stands on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract and is a busy market and tourist centre...
. In the north, Yazid was concerned with keeping dissent followers of 'Ali
Alawi (name)
Alawi means "follower of Ali", and is a common surname in the Muslim world. In Arab countries occupied by the British Empire, the name is transliterated as "Alawi". In Arab countries that were occupied by the French Third Republic, the name is transliterated as "Alaoui"...
in check. Several 'Alawis were arrested and deported to Samarra, and the central government sent him instructions to severely limit the freedoms 'Alids and their supporters in the province. In 866 a revolt in the region of Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
was begun by one Jabir ibn al-Walid and enjoyed the support of the local Arabs, Christians and mawālī
Mawali
Mawali or mawālá is a term in Classical Arabic used to address non-Arab Muslims.The term gained prominence in the centuries following the early Arab Muslim conquests in the 7th century, as many non-Arabs such as Persians, Egyptians, and Turks converted to Islam...
. Soon the rebels had spread across the Delta region and defeated the Turkish garrison stationed at Fustat. As a result of Yazid's failure to suppress the rebellion, he was recalled from his post by the central government in 867.
Part of the reason for Yazid's failure was that his powers as governor were limited. He had been given responsibility for Fustat and the Nile districts, but Alexandria and Barqa had been removed from the jurisdiction of the Egyptian government and were separately administered at the time. In addition, in accordance with the normal practice of the era, Yazid had control over the military and administration of the province, but not its fiscal affairs; these were delegated to a separate director of finance (āmil). From 861 on this latter post was occupied by Ahmad ibn al-Mudabbir, whose heavy taxes likely exacerbated the feelings of discontent among the populace.
Yazid was replaced as governor by Muzahim ibn Khaqan, who had been dispatched to the province with reinforcements to put down Jabir's rebellion.