In the previous article, we spoke about Caliph Al Muktafi Ibn Al Mu’tadid who succeeded his father in ruling the state, spending most of his period in conflicts with the Qarmatians in the Levant and Byzantine State, then in Egypt which he had restored to be under the Abbasid Caliphate after eliminating the Tulunid State.
After the victory achieved by Mohammed Ibn Suleiman against the Tulunids, and before coming back to Baghdad, he stayed for a few months with his army in Egypt, which are considered one of the most difficult cruel times to the Egyptians, as they witnessed indescribable acts of violence and brutality! Al Maqrizi reported Abi Khattab bin Dahih saying: “Al Qata’I city built by Ahmed Ibn Tulon was destroyed… And all its inhabitants perished. It included more than one hundred thousand houses, it was a joyful place for those who saw it, surrounded by paradises and orchards …” Thus, the Tulunid State had fallen apart and Egypt returned to be an Abbasid state, ruled by Mohammed Ibn Suleiman Al Katib based on the Caliph’s command.
Mohammed Ibn Suleiman Al Katib (292 – 292 AH) (905- 905 AD)
Mohammed Ibn Suleiman ruled Egypt in the time of Caliph Al Muktafi’s reign. He appointed his friends over the posts of army and police chiefs, and kept arresting Egypt’s people, confiscating the wealth of the rich, sentencing many people to death, cutting off limbs, scourging, crucifying to palm trees and other acts of severe brutality! He left the country in 292 AH (905 AD) after receiving a message from the caliph deciding to appoint Issa Ibn Muhammad al-Nushri as the ruler of Egypt. He left the country after ruling for nearly four months. On his return to Baghdad, he took with him members of the Tulunid family, bound by cuffs, after the seizure of their wealth of antiques, monuments and money. Historians’ narratives about Muhammad Ibn Suleiman are variable: some of them do not list him among Egypt’s rulers, but they only mentioned him as a commander of the armies sent by the caliph to restore Egypt under the Abbasids. The Caliph didn’t appoint him for ruling Egypt, as deducted from the message sent by the caliph including the appointment of Issa Ibn Muhammad al-Nushari once Suleiman had achieved the victory and restored Egypt under the Abbasid state. Other historians listed him among Egypt’s ruling princes.
Issa Ibn Muhammad al-Nushari (292-293 AH) (905-906 AD)
He is the prince of Egypt, who took over the rule as commanded by Caliph Al Muktafi. He sent a deputy to be handed the governance affairs from Mohammed Ibn Suleiman until he came to Egypt. Al-Nushari was one of Suleiman’s commanders who came to conquer Egypt, they defeated the Tulunids, so his leader Suleiman sent him to preach the victory to the Caliph. When he arrived to Damascus, he received the message of the Caliph appointing him to rule Egypt, so he immediately returned.
After Mohammed Ibn Suleiman departed Egypt and settled in Aleppo, a messenger came from the Caliph to him in order to take the money, horses, gold and all what he seized from Egypt’s people and wealth; but his soldiers departed him. Muhammed Ibn Ali Al Khalangy, one of the soldiers, decided to go back to Egypt, rebel and support the Tulunid state, a group of Egyptians joined him and headed to Egypt until they reached Ramleh city in Palestine; where some soldiers of the Abbasid army prepared to fight Muhammed Al Khalangy, yet he defeated them and took over Ramleh, where he was joined by masses of people dispersed from their home.
When Issa al-Nushari heard about these news, he prepared his army and sent it to fight Al Khalangy; the army headed to Al Arish then to Gaza where Al Khalangy advanced to fight them, when the soldiers heard that he advanced to fight them, they went back to Al Arish where they were followed by Al Khalangy, and … Stories about beautiful Egypt never end!
General Bishop
Head of Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
