In the previous article, we tackled Pope Kauzman III – the 58th Patriarch of Alexandria – in whose era the incident of Abyssinia took place, we mentioned that Abu Mansour Mohamed al Qaher (320 – 322 AH) (932 – 943 AD) took over the power after the death of his brother Caliph Al Muqtadir, after the consent of senior statesmen about choosing him instead of Al Muqtadir’s son. He assumed the Caliphate and the state issues were stabilized, and he was called Al Qaher Billah.
While for Egypt; after the death of Isa al Nushari in 297 AH (909 AD), Takin Ibn Abdullah Al Harbi took over Egypt.
Takin Ibn Abdullah (297 – 302 AH) (909 – 915 AD)
He was the prince of Egypt, ruling over it, as well as Damascus, according to the order of Al Muqtadir. He was mighty fearful man, he continued in ruling Egypt until it was attacked by the Arabs followers of Al Mahdi Obaidallah Al Fatimi, who seized Morocco. Takin prepared his armied to fight them in Cyrenaica, however he was defeated crushingly, and the enemy armies headed towards Alexandria, so Takin sent to the Caliph seeking help, the caliph sent him forces to assist him.
Takin moved with the two armies towards Alexandria, where he met the army of Al Mahdi and both engaged in a ferocious battle, in which thousands were killed from both sides, and the army of Al Mahdi was defeated, compelled to withdraw from Egypt and Cyrenaica and retract to Morocco.
Takin went back with his forces, Mo’nis, the leader of the assistant forces arrived at Egypt and stayed there with his army. The Egyptians were subjected to much adversity by the armies at that time. A little while later, Takin was removed from Egypt’s rule in 302 AH (915 AD), after ruling for five years and a few days. In his days, a great epidemic spread in Baghdad and the desert, killing many people, that they fell dead on the road. Ibn al Taghri stated that in the third year of Takin’s rule: “A large part of Mount Lebanon fell into the sea, and the stars were scattered in a strange way during Jumada al-Akhira, all of them were scattered towards the east”. Mo’nis resided in Egypt until Caliph Al Muqtadir appointed a ruler over Egypt; he was Zakka al Rumi.
Zakka al Rumi (303 – 307 AH) (915 – 919 AD)
He is Prince Abul Hassan Zakka al Rumi who took charge of the affairs of Egypt in 303 AH (915 AD) after the removal of Takin. After his arrival to Egypt, Mo’nis returned with his armies to Baghdad as per the caliph’s order to restore those who disobeyed him and to bring with him the senior forces in Egypt, Mo’nis obeyed the caliph’s orders.
In the year 304 AH (916 AD) Zakka went to Alexandria, and after his return, he was told that some Egyptians communicate with Al Mahdi. He traced them until he arrested and imprisoned some of them. He also ordered the deportation of the people of Lubya and Maraqya from Egypt to Alexandria, and the relations between him and his soldiers and the people were turbulent. Amidst their quarrels, Al Mahdi’s soldiers entered Alexandria in 307 AH (919 AD); large hordes fled from Egypt to Syria, yet most of them died in the sea and land during the escape.
Zakka equipped the army to confront the aggressors, camped at Giza, where he dug a trench. While he was preparing for the war, he was struck by illness and died. His rule lasted for four years and a month. Then Takin al Harbi took the affairs of Egypt again.
Takin Ibn Abdullah (307 -309 AH) (919 – 921 AD) – The Second Term
Takin assumed the power of Egypt for a second term, as per the commandment of Caliph al Muqtadir, after the death of Zakka al Rumi; he moved from Baghdad to Egypt. Al Muqtadir had sent an army to assist Zakka, the arme arrived at Egypt before Takin did. Upon his arrival, Takin took all the armies to Giza, where he dug a second trench, the armies of Al Mahdi approached and the two armies engaged in a fierce battle, until the soldiers of Al Mahdi were defeated and… Stories about beautiful Egypt never end!
