Muhammad ibn Muqatil ibn Hakim al-'Akki (Arabic language: محمد بن مقاتل بن حكيم العكي) was a provincial governor for the Abbasid Caliphate. Appointed to Ifriqiya in 797, he was the last governor of that province prior to the establishment of the Aghlabid dynasty in 800.
Career[]
The son of Muqatil ibn Hakim al-'Akki, a supporter of the Abbasid Revolution,[1] Muhammad himself was a foster brother of the caliph Harun al-Rashid (r. 786–809). In 797 Harun appointed him to Ifriqiya, as a replacement for Harthamah ibn A'yan. Arriving at the provincial capital al-Qayrawan in late October or early November, his administration quickly ran into problems due to his bad conduct, and his relations with the jund (local army) soon became strained. Eventually a rebellion led by Makhlad ibn Murrah al-Azdi and supported by members of the jund and the local Berbers broke out, but Muhammad dispatched an army which defeated the rebels and killed Makhlad.[2]
In October 799 a new revolt led by Tammam ibn Tamim al-Tamimi was launched in Tunis and quickly gathered a large degree of support. As the rebels marched toward al-Qayrawan, Muhammad went out to meet them, but he was defeated and forced to retreat back into the city. Tammam, however, continued his advance and entered al-Qayrawan. Muhammad was given a guarantee of safety by the rebels on the condition that he departed from Ifriqiya; accepting the arrangement, he departed and made his way to Tripoli.[2][3][4]
Shortly after his exile, Muhammad received a letter from Ibrahim ibn al-Aghlab, the governor of the Zab, informing him that he had expelled Tammam from al-Qayrawan and inviting him to return to the province; Muhammad consequently was able to resume his governorship.[2][4] A fresh attempt was soon made by Tammam, who had fled to Tunis, to overthrow Muhammad, but Ibrahim defeated him again and gained his submission.[2]
Muhammad's restored rule over Ifriqiya did not last for long. His continuing unpopularity among his subjects led to Ibrahim writing to Harun al-Rashid, telling him of the hatred for Muhammad and asking to be appointed over Ifriqiya in exchange for certain financial guarantees. Harun granted this request; Muhammad was dismissed and Ibrahim became the first governor of the Aghlabid dynasty.[5][6][4]
Notes[]
- ↑ Crone 1980, pp. 185-86.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Ibn al-Athir 1987, p. 312.
- ↑ Al-Ya'qubi 1883, p. 497, ends his account of Muhammad's governorship here, claiming that he returned to Iraq after the people of al-Qayrawan opened their gates for Tammam
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Kennedy 1981, p. 193.
- ↑ Ibn al-Athir 1987, p. 313.
- ↑ Khalifah ibn Khayyat 1985, p. 464; summarizes Muhammad's governorship
References[]
- Crone, Patricia (1980). Slaves on Horses: The evolution of the Islamic polity. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-22961-8. http://books.google.com/books?isbn=0521529409.
- Ibn al-Athir, 'Izz al-Din (1987) (in Arabic). Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Vol. 5.. Beirut: Dar al-'Ilmiyyah.
- Kennedy, Hugh (1981). The Early 'Abbasid Caliphate: A Political History. London: Croom Helm. ISBN 0-389-20018-2. http://books.google.com/books?id=lyksAQAAIAAJ.
- Khalifah ibn Khayyat (1985). al-'Umari, Akram Diya'. ed (in Arabic). Tarikh Khalifah ibn Khayyat, 3rd ed. Al-Riyadh: Dar Taybah.
- Al-Ya'qubi, Ahmad ibn Abu Ya'qub (1883). Houtsma, M. Th.. ed (in Arabic). Historiae, Vol. 2.. Leiden: E. J. Brill. http://books.google.com/books?id=6TpbAAAAQAAJ.
The original article can be found at Muhammad ibn Muqatil al-'Akki and the edit history here.