Abū ʿAbdallāh ʿUmar II ibn Shuʿayb al-Balluti, also Babdel () in the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

sources, was the third

Emir of Crete The Emirate of Crete ( or , ; ) was an Arab Islamic state that existed on the Mediterranean island of Crete from the late 820s to the reconquest of the island by the Byzantine Empire in 961. Although the emirate recognized the suzerainty of the ...

, ruling . The surviving records on the internal history and rulers of the

Emirate of Crete The Emirate of Crete ( or , ; ) was an Arab Islamic state that existed on the Mediterranean island of Crete from the late 820s to Siege of Chandax, the reconquest of the island by the Byzantine Empire in 961. Although the emirate recognized the ...

are very fragmentary. Following the studies of George C. Miles with the aid of

numismatic Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals, and related objects. Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also inclu ...

evidence, he is tentatively identified as a son of the second emir, Shu'ayb, and the grandson of the conqueror of

Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

and founder of the

, Abu Hafs Umar. His reign is placed from c. 880 to c. 895. According to the

chronicler

Genesios Genesius (, ''Genesios''; ) is the conventional name given to the anonymous Byzantine author of Armenian origin of the tenth century chronicle, ''On the reign of the emperors''. His first name is sometimes given as Joseph, combining him with a "Jose ...

, sometime in the reign of the Byzantine emperor

Leo VI the Wise Leo VI, also known as Leo the Wise (; 19 September 866 – 11 May 912), was Byzantine Emperor from 886 to 912. The second ruler of the Macedonian dynasty (although his parentage is unclear), he was very well read, leading to his epithet. During ...

() he suffered a shipwreck off the coast of the

Peloponnese The Peloponnese ( ), Peloponnesus ( ; , ) or Morea (; ) is a peninsula and geographic region in Southern Greece, and the southernmost region of the Balkans. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridg ...

, and was taken captive by the local governor,

Constantine Tessarakontapechys Constantine Tessarakontapechys () was a Byzantine military governor (''strategos'') of the theme of the Peloponnese. He is recorded in the history of Genesios as being in office when, sometime in the early reign of Emperor Leo VI the Wise Le ...

. He was apparently succeeded by his brother Muhammad ibn Shu'ayb al-Zarkun, but two of his sons,

Yusuf Yusuf ( ') is a male name meaning " God increases" (in piety, power and influence).From the Hebrew יהוה להוסיף ''YHWH Lhosif'' meaning " YHWH will increase/add". It is the Arabic equivalent of the Hebrew name Yosef and the English na ...

and

Ahmad Ahmad () is an Arabic male given name common in most parts of the Muslim world. Other English spellings of the name include Ahmed. It is also used as a surname. Etymology The word derives from the root ( ḥ-m-d), from the Arabic (), from ...

, are held to have reigned later, in and respectively. According to a letter sent by the

Patriarch of Constantinople The ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople () is the archbishop of Constantinople and (first among equals) among the heads of the several autocephalous churches that comprise the Eastern Orthodox Church. The ecumenical patriarch is regarded as ...

Nicholas I Mystikos Nicholas I Mystikos or Mysticus (; 852 – 15 May 925) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1 March 901 to 1 February 907 and from 15 May 912 to his death on 15 May 925. His feast day in the Eastern Orthodox Church is 16 May. Ὁ � ...

, to Umar's son Yusuf, Umar had maintained a friendly correspondence with the Patriarch Photios.

References

Sources

* * * {{s-end 9th-century Arab people 9th-century monarchs in Europe Emirs of Crete Shipwreck survivors Prisoners and detainees of the Byzantine Empire People from Crete