Abuʾl-Ḥārith Arslān al-Muẓaffar al-Basāsīrī (died 15 January 1059) was a

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

slave-soldier ('' mamlūk'') who rose to become a military commander of the Buwayhid dynasty in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. When the Buwayhids were ousted by the

Seljuks The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes by the Turk ...

in 1055, he transferred his allegiance to the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt, in whose name he conquered

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesipho ...

, which he ruled for almost a year.

Early years

The name al-Basāsīrī (or al-Fasāsīrī, al-Fasāwī) is a ''

nisba The Arabic word nisba (; also transcribed as ''nisbah'' or ''nisbat'') may refer to: * Nisba, a suffix used to form adjectives in Arabic grammar, or the adjective resulting from this formation **comparatively, in Afro-Asiatic: see Afroasiatic_lan ...

'' derived from his first owner's place of origin, Basā ( Fasā) in the province of Fars. Abuʾl-Ḥārith is a '' kunya'', while his '' ism'' (given name) was the Turkish Arslān. He became a freedman (''

mawlā Mawlā ( ar, مَوْلَى, plural ''mawālī'' ()), is a polysemous Arabic word, whose meaning varied in different periods and contexts.A.J. Wensinck, Encyclopedia of Islam 2nd ed, Brill. "Mawlā", vol. 6, p. 874. Before the Islamic prophet ...

'') of the Buwayhid emir Baha al-Dawla (). His military career, however, can be traced only from the reign of Baha's son, Jalal al-Dawla (). Al-Basasiri took part in Jalal's conflicts with his nephew,

Abu Kalijar Abu Kalijar Marzuban ( fa, ابوکالیجار مرزبان}; died October 1048) was the Buyid amir of Fars (1024–1048), Kerman (1028–1048) and Iraq (1044–1048). He was the eldest son of Sultan al-Dawla. Struggle for supremacy over the Bu ...

, the emir of Fars, and with the rival

Uqaylid dynasty The Uqaylid dynasty () was a Shia Arab dynasty with several lines that ruled in various parts of Al-Jazira, northern Syria and Iraq in the late tenth and eleventh centuries. The main line, centered in Mosul, ruled from 990 to 1096. History Ri ...

Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...

. He was also a favourite of the Buwayhid emir al-Malik al-Rahim (), from whom he received the town of Anbar as a fief. This was a period of growing unrest among the Turkish troops in Baghdad, growing strife between Sunni and

Shi'a Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...

, constant Kurdish raiding and the ongoing war with the Uqaylids.

Conflict with the vizier, 1054–55

In 1054, al-Basasiri was unable to prevent Turkish troops from rioting and looting in Baghdad. In the same year the Uqaylid leader

Quraysh The Quraysh ( ar, قُرَيْشٌ) were a grouping of Arab clans that historically inhabited and controlled the city of Mecca and its Kaaba. The Islamic prophet Muhammad was born into the Hashim clan of the tribe. Despite this, many of the Q ...

raided Baradan and carried off al-Basasiri's camels and horses. In November, Quraysh captured Anbar and formally renounced Buwayhid lordship, ordering the Seljuk sultan

Tughrul Abu Talib Muhammad Tughril ibn Mika'il ( fa, ابوطالب محمد تغریل بن میکائیل), better known as Tughril (; also spelled Toghril), was a Turkmen"The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes by the Turko ...

to be named in the public sermon ('' khuṭba'') during

Friday prayer In Islam, Friday prayer or Congregational prayer ( ar, صَلَاة ٱلْجُمُعَة, ') is a prayer (''ṣalāt'') that Muslims hold every Friday, after noon instead of the Zuhr prayer. Muslims ordinarily pray five times each day accordin ...

. According to

Ibn al-Athir Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad ash-Shaybānī, better known as ʿAlī ʿIzz ad-Dīn Ibn al-Athīr al-Jazarī ( ar, علي عز الدین بن الاثیر الجزري) lived 1160–1233) was an Arab or Kurdish historian ...

's '' Complete History'', "the estrangement of the bbasidcaliph and Basasiri began this year in Ramadan", that is, between 4 December 1054 and 2 January 1055. In 1054, al-Basasiri fell out with the caliphal vizier Ibn al-Muslima over Turkish policy. He accused the vizier of being in contact with Tughrul since 1052/3. Ibn al-Muslima in turn blocked al-Basasiri's efforts to combat Quraysh's supporters in Baghdad. In retaliation, al-Basasiri impounded the vizier's boat and cut off his monthly stipend. He also cut off the caliph al-Qa'im's monthly subsidy. In March 1055 al-Basasiri reconquered Anbar. On his way he plundered the villages of Dimimma and

Fallujah Fallujah ( ar, ٱلْفَلُّوجَة, al-Fallūjah, Iraqi pronunciation: ) is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. Fallujah dates from Babylonian times and was host to important J ...

. He was joined by his brother-in-law, Dubays I of the Mazyadid dynasty. Anbar was defended by the Uqaylid client Abu'l-Ghana'im ibn al-Muhallaban. Al-Basasiri, employing

trebuchet A trebuchet (french: trébuchet) is a type of catapult that uses a long arm to throw a projectile. It was a common powerful siege engine until the advent of gunpowder. The design of a trebuchet allows it to launch projectiles of greater weig ...

s and

Greek fire Greek fire was an incendiary weapon used by the Eastern Roman Empire beginning . Used to set fire to enemy ships, it consisted of a combustible compound emitted by a flame-throwing weapon. Some historians believe it could be ignited on contact ...

, destroyed a tower and some defensive works. The town was stormed and Abu'l-Ghana'im was captured along a hundred

Khafaja Khafaja or Khafajah ( ar, خفاجة, also known as Al-Khafaji and Khafaji) is one of the major Arab tribes (especially in Iraq and Egypt) as well Saudi Arabia , Syria and Jordan .Wasit with the Buwayhid sultan. Because the wine had belonged to a Christian, al-Basasiri was able to obtain a

Hanadi Hanadi ( ar, هنادي) is a town in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Latakia Governorate, located south of Latakia. Nearby localities include Baksa and Sqoubin to the north, al-Bassah to the west and Fideo to the east. Accordin ...

legal ruling (''

fatwā A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist i ...

'') declaring the vizier's actions illegal. Ibn al-Muslima then denounced him as having Shi'a sympathies and being in contact with the Abbasids' rivals, the Shi'a Fatimid Caliphate. He turned the Turkish troops and the caliph against him, and had his house in Baghdad burnt down. In fact, although the Fatimid chief missionary al-Mu'ayyad fi'l-Din al-Shirazi wrote to al-Basasiri, his letters did not reach him until after the arrival of Tughrul in Baghdad. Ibn al-Muslima ordered the sultan al-Malik al-Rahim to send his favourite away, but the sultan refused. On 15 December 1055, the name of Tughrul, who was nominally passing through on his pilgrimage ('' ḥajj'') to

Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow val ...

, was pronounced in the ''khuṭba'' in Baghdad. On 18 December, he solemnly entered the city. The presence of his troops sparked disorders, and he arrested the Buwayhid sultan on 23 December for failing to control the people. Although al-Malik al-Rahim returned to Baghdad from Wāsiṭ to greet Tughrul, al-Basasiri went to the court of his brother-in-law, Dubays. Tughrul ordered Dubays to disassociate with al-Basasiri, and the latter went to Rahba.

In Fatimid service against the Seljuks, 1055–59

Governor of Rahba

From Rahba, al-Basasiri wrote to the Fatimid caliph al-Mustansir () for permission to come to

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo met ...

and for assistance in defending Syria and Egypt from the Seljuks. The Fatimid vizier al-Yazuri refused the first request, but granted the second. Al-Basasiri was appointed governor of Rahba, and the caliph sent him

gold dinar The gold dinar ( ar, ﺩﻳﻨﺎﺭ ذهبي) is an Islamic medieval gold coin first issued in AH 77 (696–697 CE) by Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. The weight of the dinar is 1 mithqal (). The word ''dinar'' comes from the L ...

s, clothing valued at dinars, bows, swords, 500 horses and a quantity of lances and arrows. Al-Mu'ayyad accompanied the supplies and brought the letter of investiture. In 1056–57, al-Mu'ayyad won several Syrian and Iraqi emirs over to the Fatimid cause. Dubays, al-Basasiri's former protector, who had submitted to Tughrul, changed allegiance and had the Fatimid caliph's name pronounced in the ''khuṭba''. He renewed his alliance with al-Basasiri. The Baghdadi Turks, who had been a thorn in the side of al-Basasiri in previous years, found the rule of Tughrul intolerable and joined al-Basasiri in Syria. The army of al-Basasiri and Dubays, reinforced by the Turks and some Bedouin, marched on

Sinjar Sinjar ( ar, سنجار, Sinjār; ku, شنگال, translit=Şingal, syr, ܫܝܓܪ, Shingar) is a town in the Sinjar District of the Nineveh Governorate in northern Iraq. It is located about five kilometers south of the Sinjar Mountains. Its ...

, where they defeated a Seljuk force under Qutalmish and Quraysh. While Qutalmish escaped capture and fled to Adharbayjan, Quraysh was injured and surrendered on 9 January 1057. After his victory at Sinjar, al-Basasiri entered

and the city declared for the Fatimid caliph. This situation only lasted a few days. Tughrul soon recaptured Mosul and set about devastating the region of Sinjar, while al-Basasiri retreated to Rahba. Dubays and Quraysh temporarily switched sides again, but the

anti-Arab sentiment Anti-Arabism, Anti-Arab sentiment, or Arabophobia includes opposition to, dislike, fear, or hatred of Arab people. Historically, anti-Arab prejudice has been an issue in such events as the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the condemnatio ...

in the Seljuk camp repulsed them. Dubays went to Jami'an and Quraysh joined al-Basasiri at Rahba. In early 1058, Tughrul's brother Ibrahim Inal entered into an agreement with al-Basasiri and al-Mu'ayyad, whereby the latter would support him in usurping his brother's throne and he would proclaim the name of the Fatimid caliph in the ''khuṭba''. He abandoned Mosul to al-Basasiri, who still had to spend four months besieging the citadel before it surrendered. After capturing the citadel, al-Basasiri retired to Rahba. Again his victory did not last. Tughrul soon retook Mosul and marched on

Nisibis Nusaybin (; '; ar, نُصَيْبِيْن, translit=Nuṣaybīn; syr, ܢܨܝܒܝܢ, translit=Nṣībīn), historically known as Nisibis () or Nesbin, is a city in Mardin Province, Turkey. The population of the city is 83,832 as of 2009 and is ...

. Al-Basasiri retreated to Damascus.

Conquest of Baghdad

During al-Basasiri's retreat, Ibrahim rose in revolt in the

Jibal Jibāl ( ar, جبال), also al-Jabal ( ar, الجبل), was the name given by the Arabs to a region and province located in western Iran, under the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates. Its name means "the Mountains", being the plural of ''jabal'' ...

. Tughrul's response largely denuded Iraq of Seljuk troops, allowing al-Basasiri to launch an invasion. He quickly took Hit and Anbar. On 27 December 1058, he entered Baghdad with 400 ''mamlūk'' cavalry accompanied by Quraysh and his 200 cavalry. The next Friday, 1 January 1059, the Shi'a call to worship (''

adhān Adhan ( ar, أَذَان ; also variously transliterated as athan, adhane (in French), azan/azaan (in South Asia), adzan (in Southeast Asia), and ezan (in Turkish), among other languages) is the Islamic call to public prayer (salah) in a mosq ...

'') was announced in western Baghdad, which was predominantly Shi'a. On 8 January, al-Basasiri crossed the

Tigris The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the ...

and occupied eastern Baghdad. The name of the Fatimid caliph was pronounced in the

Great Mosque A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.* * * * * * * ...

. There skirmishes in the streets throughout the following week. On 19 January, the Hasani Palace was assaulted and the Abbasid caliph al-Qa'im placed himself and his household under the protection of Quraysh. On 29 January, al-Basasiri celebrated the Feast of the Sacrifice in the prayer space ('' muṣallā'') outside the Great Mosque with Fatimid banners flying. As the new authority in Baghdad, al-Basasiri took over the Abbasid insignia, the turban (''mindīl''), cloak (''ridāʾ'') and lattice screen (''shibbāk''). He allowed Quraysh to retain custody of al-Qa'im, removed from the city and confined at

Haditha , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = Inbound3292807512093856589نواعير حديثة.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption ...

, but he ordered him to hand over the vizier Ibn al-Muslima, whom he paraded through the streets and executed on 16 February 1059. Al-Basasiri followed up his conquest of Baghdad by taking Wasit and

Basra Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is han ...

. His invasion of Khuzistan, however, was repelled. The ruler of Khuzistan,

Hazarasp ibn Bankir Hazorasp ( uz, Hazorasp, Ҳазорасп), also known as Khazarasp (russian: Хазарасп), or by its more ancient name Hazarasp ( fa, هزار اسپ, meaning ''"thousand horses"''), is an urban-type settlement in Uzbekistan, administrative ...

, asked Dubays to mediate with al-Basasiri. He offered to pay tribute to al-Basasiri, but the latter refused demanding that the ''khuṭba'' and the coinage be made in the name of the Fatimid caliph. Hazarasp refused this. When al-Basasiri realised that he was receiving troops from Tughrul, he made peace with him and retired to Wasit, which he reached on the 12 September 1059. In July 1059, Tughrul defeated his brother. He offered to leave al-Basasiri in power in Baghdad provided the ''khuṭba'' and the coinage were in his name and the Abbasid caliph was restored. Al-Basasiri tried to pry al-Qa'im away from the Seljuks, but the caliph refused. Quraysh tried to convince al-Basasiri to accept Tughrul's authority, but he refused. Tughrul marched on Baghdad. Al-Basasiri abandoned the city with his family on 14 December 1059. Tughrul and the Abbasid caliph entered it on 4 January 1060. The Fatimid name was said to have been pronounced in the ''khuṭba'' in Baghdad's mosques forty times, meaning that the rule of al-Basasiri in Baghdad lasted forty Fridays. Al-Basasiri headed towards

Kufa Kufa ( ar, الْكُوفَة ), also spelled Kufah, is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000. Currently, Kufa and Naja ...

and joined up with Dubays. When the Seljuk cavalry overtook them, Dubays fled but al-Basasiri offered battle. On 15 January, at Saḳy al-Furat near Kufa, he was defeated and killed. His horse was first killed under him by an arrow and he was then killed by the clerk of the Seljuk vizier al-Kunduri. His head was brought to Tughrul at Baghdad.

References

Sources

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