Great. KINGS, rulers & of the

Transcription

1 Great KINGS, rulers & EMPERORS of the Islamic World

2 Published by: Masha Books Copyright Masha Books All rights are reserved and unauthorized production in any manner is prohibited First Printed in India: 2018 Project Designer: Masha Books Project Author: Jason Luke Starr

3 Contents 5 Muslim Empires 15 Famous Muslim Rulers 20 Rashidun Caliphate Abu Bakr Siddiq ( ) Umar ibn al-khattab ( ) Uthman ibn Affan ( ) Ali Ibn Abi-Talib ( ) 30 Umayyad Caliphate Muawiyah I ( ) Yazid I ( ) Marwan Ibn al-hakam ( ) Abd al Malik Ibn Marwan ( ) Muhammad Bin Qasim ( ) Al-Walid I ( ) Sulayman ibn abd al-malik ( ) Umar ibn Abd al-aziz ( ) Yazid II ( ) Hisham Ibn Abd al-malik ( ) Al- Walid II ( ) Yazid III ( ) Marwan II ( ) Abd al-rahman III ( ) 50 Abbasid Caliphate Al-Saffah ( ) Al-Mansur ( ) Al-Mahdi ( ) Tahir ibn Husayn ( ) Al-Hadi ( ) Harun al-rashid ( ) Al-Amin ( ) Al-Ma mun ( ) Al-Mu tasim ( ) Al-Wathiq ( ) Al-Mutawakkil ( ) Al-Muntasir ( ) Al-Musta in ( ) Al-Mu tazz ( ) Al-Muhtadi ( ) Al-Mu tamid ( ) Al-Mu tadid ( ) Al-Muktafi ( ) Al-Muqtadir ( ) Al-Qahir (929, ) Al-Radi ( ) Al-Muttaqi ( ) Al-Mustakfi ( ) Al-Muti ( ) Al-Ta I ( ) Al-Mansur ( ) Al-Qadir ( ) Al-Qa im ( ) Al-Mustazhir ( ) Al-Mustarshid ( ) Al-Nasir ( ) Al-Zahir ( ) Al-Musta sim ( )

4 65 90 Seljuk Caliphate Tughril Beg ( ) Nur ad-din Zangi ( ) Saffarid Dynasty Ya qub ibn al-layth al-saffar ( ) Khalaf Ibn Ahmad ( ) 75 Fatimid Caliphate Abdullah al-mahdi Billah ( ) Jawhar al-siqilli ( ) Al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah ( ) 80 Ottoman Empire Osman I ( ) Orhan ( ) Murad I ( ) Bayezid I ( ) Mehmed I ( ) Murad II ( ) Mohamed the Conqueror- Mehmed II ( ) Dragut ( ) Kanuni Sultan Suleyman ( ) Bayezid II ( ) Selim I ( ) Murad IV ( ) Selim III ( ) Mustafa IV ( ) Mahmud II ( ) Abdulmejd I ( ) Abdulaziz I ( ) Murad V (1876) Abdulhamid II ( ) Mehmed V ( ) Mehmed VI ( ) Abdulmecid II ( ) 96 Safavid Dynasty Ismail I ( ) Shah Tahmasp ( ) Abbas I of Persia ( ) Suleiman of Persia ( ) 100 Buyid Dynasty Ali ibn Buya ( ) Adud al-dawla ( ) Mu izz al-dawla ( ) Rukn al-dawla ( ) 105 Timurid Empire Timur or Tamerlane ( ) Ulugh Beg ( ) Husayn Mirza Bayqara (1469, ) 120 Ayyubid Dynasty Saladin ( ) Al- Adil I ( ) Al Kamil ( )

5 Tughluq Dynasty Ghiyath al-din Tughluq ( ) Muhammad bin Tughluq ( ) Abu Bakr Shah ( ) Nasir-ud-din Nusrat Shah Tughluq ( ) 129 Mamluk Dynasty Al-Mansur Qalawun ( ) Razia Sultana ( ) Sultan Rukn al Din Baibars ( ) 134 Almohad Dynasty Abd al-mu min ( ) Ibn Tumart ( ) Ghaznavid Dynasty Sabuktigin ( ) Mahmud of Ghazni ( ) 160 Mughal Dynasty Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur ( ) Akbar ( ) Humayun ( ) Jahangir ( ) Shah Jahan ( ) Aurangzeb ( ) 170 Mali Dynasty Sundiata Keita ( ) 138 Almoravid Dynasty Abdallah Ibn Yasin ( ) Yusuf Ibn Tashfin ( ) Zaynab an-nafzawiyyah (1071) 150 Mongol Dynasty Genghis Khan ( ) Batu Khan ( ) 180 Sokoto Dynasty Usman dan Fodio ( ) 182 Rulers of Different Countries Husayn ibn Ali ( ) Tipu Sultan ( ) Nader Shah ( ) Shah Jalal ( ) Mukhtar al-thaqafi ( ) Malik Ambar ( ) Hyder Ali ( ) Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud ( )

6 6 Great Kings, Rulers & Emperors of the Islamic World Muslim Empires With the passing of Prophet Muhammad, Islam had begun to spread from its birthplace in the Arabian Peninsula all the way down to Spain in the west and India to the east. The way in which Islam traveled varied a lot over time. At times, it was carried in large caravans bound for different cities across the world and at other times it came about through military conquest. As Islamic ideas and cultures intermingled with new societies; it lead to the establishment of powerful empires. As the territories slowly came under one ruler, so too did the language. Arabic became a language mostly used by traders. A map of the Arabian Peninsula in 1720 by Christoph Welgel It should however be noted that while Islam spread through military conquest, that was only during a short period. It should also be known that only a fraction of the populace that came under Arab control adopted the belief of Islam. It was only till centuries later that Muslims made up a vast majority of the subjects in the Islamic empires.

7 Great Kings, Rulers & Emperors of the Islamic World 7 The Rashidun Caliphate Abu Bakr Abu Bakr as-siddiq Abdallah bin Abi Quhafah or Abu Bakr was the father in law of Prophet Muhammad and was the first openly declared Muslim outside of the Prophet s family. He was a trusted advisor to Prophet Muhammad during his life and Abu Bakr often participated in many of Prophet Muhammad s campaigns. Part of a minor clan at Macca, Abu Bakr s prominence was marked by Prophet Muhammad s marriage to A ishah, Bakr s daughter. Leadership under Abu Bakr 634 Invasion of Mesopotamia under Abu Bakr Invasion of Syria under Abu Bakr 634 Wars of Apostasy under Abu Bakr 632 Invasion of Syria under Abu Bakr-634 Invasion of Mesopotamia under Abu Bakr-634 Wars of Apostasy under Abu Bakr 632 Troubles would emerge after the death of Prophet Muhammad, endangering the stability of the community and state he had established. Apostasy (disaffiliation of a religion by a person) spread to every tribe in the Arabian Peninsula, except to those in Mecca and Medina. There were also cases of whole tribes apostating while some tribal leaders made claims to the prophet hood. Abu Bakr was also known as The Upright

8 8 Great Kings, Rulers & Emperors of the Islamic World There were a great deal of tribes that pledged their allegiance to Prophet Muhammad and with his death, their allegiance had concluded. The newly elected Abu Bakr stated that they did not pledge their support to a person but rather to a community (or ummah), wherein he was the new head. With neither side wishing to give in, the situation was concluded in what is now known as the Ridda wars. After Abu Bakr had put down the rebellious tribes, he began a war of conquest. Whether it was meant to be an all out Imperial conquest was difficult to tell. What can be certain is that his action did lead to the formation of one of the largest empires in history in the span of a few decades. Abu Bakr, started his campaign in Iraq and sent his general to invade the Sasanianan Empire in 633. He also sent armies to take over the province of Syria, held by Rome at the time. It should be noted that he had little time to pay attention to administering the state, though state affairs were stable at the time. Soon enough Abu Bakr established the Rashidun Caliphate. There is a strong belief in Sunni Islam that Abu Bakr played an instrumental role in preserving the Quran in its written form. After the victory over Musaylimah in the battle of Yamama, Umar noted that many of those whom memorized the Quran had perished in battle. Fearing the loss of the sacred text, Umar requested Caliph Abu Bakr to authorize the preservation and compilation of the scriptures in a written format. Though he was hesitant at first, Abu Bakr formed a committee intended to collect all the verses of the book. Details about the events are difficult to ascertain. This is mainly due to the numerous conflicting accounts in primary sources Abu Bakr completed the Hajj to Medina in 622

9 Great Kings, Rulers & Emperors of the Islamic World 9 After the collection was done, members of the committee verified the verses with those who had memorized the scriptures. After they were satisfied that they had not missed out or mistaken any verses, the text was written down as a single manuscript and presented to Caliph Abu Bakr. This process happened in the span of one year, following the death of Prophet Muhammad. Before Abu Bakr converted to Islam, he was a well established businessman On 23rd August 634, Abu Bakr fell gravely ill. Developing a high fever, he was confined to his bed and overtime his condition worsened. Realizing that his end was near, he felt that he should nominate his successor so that the issue would not lead to dissension among the Muslim ranks after his death.

10 10 Great Kings, Rulers & Emperors of the Islamic World Abu Bakr became the first Caliph on June 8th 632. Though his reign lasted for only two years, two months and fifteen days, it did include the successful invasions of the two most powerful empires at the time. He also holds the distinction of being the only Caliph in history to have nominated a successor and the only Caliph to have refunded to the state treasury, the allowance that he had drawn, during his time as the Caliph. Before Abu Bakr converted to Islam, he was a well established businessman Artistic representation of the Battle of Yamama

11 Great Kings, Rulers & Emperors of the Islamic World 11 Umar ibn al-khattab Umar or Omar was one of the most influential and most powerful Muslims Caliphs throughout history. A senior companion to Prophet Muhammad, he succeeded Abu Bakr as the second Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate. There are many texts that refer to him as Umar I, as an Umayyad Caliph Umar II also had the same name as him. Under Umar s reign, the Islamic Empire expanded at a rapid rate Leadership under Umar Invasion of Africa under Umar ibn al-khattab Conquest of Egypt under Umar ibn al-khattab Conquest of Syria under Umar ibn al-khattab Conquest of Persia under Umar ibn al-khattab Invasion of Mesopotamia under Abu Bakr Invasion of Syria under Abu Bakr Conquest of Persia under Umar ibn al-khattab Wars of Apostasy under Abu Bakr 632 Invasion of Syria under Abu Bakr-634 Invasion of Mesopotamia under Abu Bakr-634 Wars of Apostasy under Abu Bakr 632 Invasion of Africa under Umar ibn al-khattab Conquest of Egypt under Umar ibn al-khattab Conquest of Persia under Umar ibn al-khattab Conquest of Syria under Umar ibn al-khattab Umar initially opposed Prophet Muhammad spreading Islam, as he and many others, followed the traditional polytheistic religion in Arabia. It was during an altercation with his sister and brother in law where Umar struck his sister so hard, did he realize the weight of his actions. After reconciling with his family, he went to Prophet Muhammad and accepted Islam in front of the Prophet and his companions. Due to his autocratic nature, Umar was not popular among notable members of the Medina and the Majlis al-shura. The succession of Umar was not a popular move as many high-ranking companions of Abu Bakr discouraged his decision. On the day that he went to the Prophet Muhammad to convert to Islam, he was originally going to assassinate the Prophet

12 12 Great Kings, Rulers & Emperors of the Islamic World Abu Bakr was aware of the skills Umar possessed, which was why he chose him. Umar s transition to power from one authority to another is perhaps one of the smoothest transitions in Muslim lands. Umar was well known throughout for his intellect, political astuteness, impartiality but most important was his will power and sense of justice. The first biggest obstacle that Umar had to overcome was to win over his subjects and members of the Majlis al Shura. Umar was a gifted orator, a skill that he used to gain a soft corner in the hearts of people. One major cause of Umar s stress was the well being of the poor and underprivileged people. He emancipated and pardoned many of the prisoners and slaves that were taken during the Ridda wars. period, resulting in the cultivation of large areas of barren lands. During 638 CE, Arabia was subject to a severe drought followed by a famine. With the food reserves at Medina running out, Umar ordered caravans of supplies from Syria and Iraq. He personally oversaw their distribution and his actions saved countless lives throughout Arabia. The governor of Syria, Abu Ubaidah would later pay a personal visit to Medina. He acted as an officer of disaster managed, headed up by Umar. Umar built the Bayt al-mal (welfare state) to aid his people, both Muslim and Non-Muslim. The Bayt al-mal ran for many years during the Rashidun Caliphate and would continue through the Umayyad and into the Abbasid era. Umar s government was that of a unitary government, wherein the absolute authority belonged to the Caliph. He established a strict set of rules and codes of conduct to be obeyed by the state officials and governors. High ranking officers were required to travel to Mecca for the Hajj. During this time, people were free to present any complaint against them. The empire under Umar was divided into numerous provinces. Because Medina was always at risk of a famine, Umar sought to import a vast quantity of grain. He ordered the construction of a canal that linked the Nile to the Red Sea and improved port infrastructure in the Arabian coast. When the city of Basra was established, Umra built a nine mile canal that linked the river Tigris to the newly constructed city. This provided water for drinking and irrigation. Umar also came up with the policy of cultivating barren lands. This was an idea carried on in the Umayyad Umar would die three days after an assassination by a Persian slave in 644. Though his death came as quite a shock to all in his court, his legacy was remembered by his subjects. He is well known for building an efficient administration system of the empire. He established a useful network of intelligence, slightly due to his knowledge in bureaucracy. Under Umar s leadership, Arab soldiers lived outside the cities, between the desert and cultivated lands in a special garrison called amsar. This was done with the aim to keep the troops separate from the settled people and promote discipline among everyone. Umar s rule is widely regarded as being one of the small moments in Islamic history where the empire was united as a single community. His greatest achievement from a religious perspective is the compilation of the Quran. This was not something done even during the time of Prophet Muhammad.

13 Great Kings, Rulers & Emperors of the Islamic World 13 Uthman Ibn Affan Uthman ibn Affan, known as Osman in the west, was the companion to Prophet Muhammad and the third of the Rashidun Caliphate. Uthman was born to a prominent family in Mecca, the Banu Umayya of the Quraysh tribe. He played a vital role in early Islamic history after succeeding the previous Caliph. Uthman also held the title of Dhu al-nurayn or The Possessor of Two Lights Leadership under Umar Conquest of Africa under Uthman ibn Affan Conquest of Africa under Uthman ibn Affan Conquest of Egypt under Umar ibn al-khattab Conquest of Syria under Umar ibn al-khattab Conquest of Persia under Umar ibn al-khattab Invasion of Mesopotamia under Abu Bakr Invasion of Syria under Abu Bakr 634 Invasion of Armenia under Uthman ibn Affan Conquest of Mesopotamia under Umar Conquest of Persia under Umar ibn al-khattab Invasion of Africa under Umar ibn al-khattab Wars of Apostasy under Abu Bakr 632 Invasion of Syria under Abu Bakr-634 Invasion of Mesopotamia under Abu Bakr-634 Invasion of Africa under Umar ibn al-khattab Conquest of Egypt under Umar ibn al-khattab Conquest of Persia under Umar ibn al-khattab Conquest of Syria under Umar ibn al-khattab Conquest of Mesopotamia under Umar Invasion of Armenia under Uthman ibn Affan Conquest of Africa under Uthman ibn Affan Wars of Apostasy under Abu Bakr 632 Under Uthman s rule the Islamic empire underwent a period of expansion. Its borders extended to present day Iran and some areas of Afghanistan in 651 C.E. The Empire s borders also moved into Armenia in the 640s. This left Uthman with a large inheritance. Uthman would follow in his father s footsteps, becoming a merchant as well. It was through his hard work, the business flourished. He would become one of the richest men in the Quryash. Uthman was born in Ta if, with the exact date a point of debate. There are some who argue that he was born in 576 while others believe he was born in 583. His father passed away when he was young during one of his travels. After returning from another trip, followed by a lengthy discussion with his friend Abu Bakr, Uthman would convert to Islam. Abu Bakr arranged a meeting between Prophet Muhammad and Uthman, for the latter to declare his faith.

14 14 Great Kings, Rulers & Emperors of the Islamic World Uthman would become one of the earliest converts to Islam besides Ali, Zayd, Abu Bakr and a few others. However this move was not well received by this clan, the Banu Umayyah, as they strongly opposed Prophet Muhammad s teachings. Between 615 and 622, Uthman, Prophet Muhammad and his followers would travel from Abyssinia to Medina. Being a man of considerable wealth, Uthman had no trouble in providing for his family. Seeing that the market in Medina had not yet developed, Uthman quickly established himself as a powerful trader. His hard work and honesty would pay dividends when his business flourished once again. Early representation of Uthman and his followers

15 Great Kings, Rulers & Emperors of the Islamic World 15 Many of the economic policies put into place by Uthman, led to the people having an economically prosperous life during his reign When the Prophet died in 632 C.E Uthman also participated in the farewell pilgrimage. He was also present at the event of Ghadir Khumm, where he pledged allegiance to Ali. When the second Caliph Umar died in 644, Uthman was elected the successor. This was through a council named by Umar before his death. Because a number of powerful candidates canceled themselves out and because Uthman represented the Umayyad clan, he was selected as a compromise. It should be noted that the Umayyad clan had been ignored during Prophet Muhammad s lifetime but were now starting to reassert their influence. After becoming the Caliph, Uthma s first move was to promote a revised edition of the Quran. Uthman did indeed follow in the steps of Umar, but had more success due to being less forceful than his predecessor. He continued the conquests and expansion of the Islamic empire, however the victories were now costlier with less wealth in return. Overtime though, the amount of losses caused a great deal of dissent among the people, especially those in Egypt. To that end, Uthman called together the governors of the 12 provinces of Medina, to discuss the problem and hopefully find a solution to it. The council agreed that it would be important to send a number of spies to the different provinces and report their findings. Uthman sent spies to Kufa, Syria, Egypt and Basra. According to the reports sent back from Basra and Syria, there was nothing to report. The people in these areas were content with the administration. There were of course a few who had some grievances, but they too were minor grievances and were quickly taken care of. Uthman then noticed that the spy from Egypt had yet to return. The Caliph would find out that opposing forces were gathering in Egypt, growing stronger and spreading their propaganda in favor of having Ali as the Caliph. Eventually the governor of Egypt wanted to take action against some of the key members of the opposing party. In 655, Uthman requested all the people in the empire who had had any grievances or problems with the administration to assemble at Mecca for the Hajj. He promised that all legitimate problems would be completely handled and even asked the opposition party to attend. Though they did attend in large numbers, they would find that the people were in favor of the current administration and had no intentions of listening to what the opposition had to say. This would mark a strong psychological victory for the Caliph. That did not stop the opposition however, as in Egypt a total of 1,000 people rose up in rebellion against the Caliphate. Their objective was to assassinate Uthman and overthrow the government. This fworce from Egypt became a call to arms in both Kufa and Basra. The rebels were able to neutralize the bulk of public opinion in Medina so that Uthman s faction had little to no power left in the country.