Yusuf ibn Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Marwazi () was a ninth century governor of Adharbayjan and

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 ...

h 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 ...

, serving there from 851 until early 852, when he was killed during an

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

revolt.

Career

Yusuf was the son of Abu Sa'id Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Marwazi, a Khurasani army commander. Following Muhammad's death in June 851, the 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 ...

assigned Yusuf his father's offices as head of

security Security is protection from, or resilience against, potential harm (or other unwanted coercion). Beneficiaries (technically referents) of security may be persons and social groups, objects and institutions, ecosystems, or any other entity or ...

and governor of Adharbayjan and Arminiyah. Yusuf accordingly set out for Arminiyah and dispatched his administrative officials throughout the province. Upon his arrival in Arminiyah, Yusuf was forced to deal with the rebellion of the Armenian prince

Bagrat II Bagratuni Bagrat II Bagratuni (, Arabic: ''Buqrāṭ ibn Ashūṭ''; died after 851) was an Armenian noble of the Bagratid (Bagratuni) family and the presiding prince ("prince of princes") of Arab-ruled Armenia between 830 and 851. He succeeded his father, ...

, who sought to gain control of the country. He was able to neutralize Bagrat by seizing and sending him to the caliph in

Samarra Samarra (, ') is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Saladin Governorate, north of Baghdad. The modern city of Samarra was founded in 836 by the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim as a new administrative capital and mi ...

, but this act greatly angered the Armenian '' patrikioi'' who swore to kill him in retaliation. The ''patrikioi'' proceeded to wipe out the garrisons that Yusuf had stationed in the rural districts of the province; they also sent encouragement and aid to the mountain dwellers of Sasun for them to attack the governor. In late February or March 852, the Armenians caught up to Yusuf at

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in Tarun following a heavy snowfall and surrounded the town. Following a siege lasting several days, Yusuf went to the town gate and fought against the rebels, but was killed along with all of those at his side. The Armenians then plundered his camp, while the noncombatants were ordered strip naked and set out in the snow; most of these soon died from the cold or lost their fingers to

frostbite Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when someone is exposed to extremely low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. Most often, frostbite occ ...

. In response to the death of Yusuf, al-Mutawakkil dispatched

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 ...

to Arminiyah, who defeated the rebels and reestablished caliphal control over the province.; ; ;

Notes

References

* * * * {{s-end 852 deaths Abbasid governors of Arminiya 9th-century people from the Abbasid Caliphate People killed in action 9th century in Armenia 9th-century Arab people 9th-century governors