Muhammad ibn Khalid ibn Yazid al-Shaybani () was an

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

general and governor for the

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...

, active in the Caliphate's Caucasian provinces in the 9th century. Muhammad was a member of the Shayban tribe, originally from the Diyar Bakr in the northern

Jazira Jazira, al-Jazira, Jazeera, al-Jazeera, etc. are all transcriptions of Arabic language, Arabic meaning "the island" or "the peninsula". The term may refer to: Business *Jazeera Airways, an airlines company based in Kuwait Locations * Al-Jazir ...

,Ter-Ghewondyan (1976), p. 27 and the grandson of

Yazid ibn Mazyad al-Shaybani Yazid ibn Mazyad al-Shaybani (; died 801) was an Arab general and governor who served the Abbasid Caliphate. Biography Yazid was member of the Shayban tribe, dominant in the region of Diyar Bakr in the northern Jazira. The first member of his ...

. Yazid and his sons established Shaybanid influence over the Caliphate's

Transcaucasia The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Armenia, ...

n provinces by repeatedly occupying the office of governor ('' ostikan'') of ''

Arminiya Arminiya, also known as the Ostikanate of Arminiya (, ''Hayastani ostikanut'yun'') or the Emirate of Armenia (, ''imārat armīniya''), was a political and geographic designation given by the Muslim Arabs to the lands of Greater Armenia, Cauca ...

'' (a large province encompassing Armenia, modern

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, compri ...

and Arran).Ter-Ghewondyan (1976), pp. 27–28 His father Khalid served in the same office no less than four times: in 813/814, 828–832, briefly in 841 and again shortly after, dying in office ca. 844. Muhammad succeeded him in his post, continuing his work of suppressing the various local rebellions by Muslim and Christian princes.Ter-Ghewondyan (1976), p. 28 After his dismissal, he returned to his ancestral lands in Diyar Bakr, and was re-appointed as ''ostikan'' in 857, following the bloody suppression of a major Armenian rebellion under

Bugha al-Kabir Bugha al-Kabir (), also known as Bugha al-Turki (), was a 9th-century Khazar general who served the Abbasid Caliphate. Biography He was of Khazar origin, and was acquired along with his sons as a military slave ('' ghulam'') by al-Mu'tasim i ...

. He received the office again in 878, when according to Tovma Artsruni (Thomas Arcruni) he tried to form an alliance with other local Muslim rulers such as the

Kaysites The Kaysite dynasty () was a Muslim Arab dynasty that ruled an emirate centered in Manzikert from c. 860 until 964. Their state was the most powerful Arab amirate in Armenia after the collapse of the ''ostikan''ate of Arminiya in the late 9 ...

to curtail the rising power of the Prince of Princes Ashot Bagratuni, but was defeated and forced to flee the country. He was the last Shaybanid governor of ''Arminiya''. According to medieval Arabic sources, Muhammad founded the city of

Ganja ''Ganja'' (, ; ) is one of the oldest and most commonly used synonyms for cannabis flower, specifically marijuana or hashish. Its usage in English dates to before 1689. Etymology ''Ganja'' is borrowed from Hindi (, IPA: �aːɲd͡ʒa� ...

in 859/60, so called because of a treasure unearthed there. According to the legend, the Arab governor had a dream where a voice told him that there was a treasure hidden under one of the three hills around the area where he camped. The voice told him to unearth it and use the money to found a city. He did so and informed the caliph about the money and the city. Caliph

al-Mutawakkil Ja'far ibn al-Mu'tasim, Muḥammad ibn Harun al-Rashid, Hārūn al-Mutawakkil ʿalā Allāh (); March 82211 December 861, commonly known by his laqab, regnal name al-Mutawwakil ala Allah (), was the tenth Abbasid Caliphate, Abbasid caliph, rul ...

made Muhammad the hereditary governor of the city on a condition that he would give the money he found to the caliph.V.Minorsky. A History of Shirvan and Derbent.
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References

Sources

* {{The Arab Emirates in Bagratid Armenia 9th-century births 9th-century deaths Abbasid governors of Arminiya Generals of the Abbasid Caliphate Banu Shayban 9th-century Arab people City founders 9th-century governors