From 9th century
Egypt and parts of Syria
Tulunid Egypt was the autonomous political order created by Ahmad ibn Tulun after his arrival in Egypt in 868. Initially granted political and military authority without control of fiscal administration, Ibn Tulun gradually consolidated resources, built an independent army, intervened beyond Egypt, and exercised power over Egypt, Syria, and Cilicia. The extract presents this regime as a major stage in Egypt's movement toward autonomy from the Abbasid caliphate.
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The Story
Ahmad ibn Tulun arrived in Egypt in 868 after receiving political and military authority over the province from Bākbāk. Fiscal control initially remained with Ibn al-Mudabbir, but Ibn Tulun's military experience and administrative ambition soon enabled him to challenge this division of power. By 872, intrigues in Samarra had removed Ibn al-Mudabbir from Egypt and strengthened Ibn Tulun's position.
The new ruler drew on Egypt's agricultural revenue, Nubian gold and enslaved people, and the province's strategic resources to create a substantial army. He intervened in Upper Egypt, secured the southern routes, sent forces to Tripolitania, and obtained responsibility for collecting the kharāj in Syria and Cilicia. These developments gave him leverage over the Abbasid court while reducing his dependence on it.
Ibn Tulun also transformed the urban landscape north-east of Fustat. He built an aqueduct, a hospital, barracks, a palace, and a large mosque in the Samarra style. His revenues supported both military expansion and public construction, although the extract notes that the story of gold taken from a pharaonic tomb may have served to justify his refusal to provide greater assistance to al-Muwaffak.
From 9th century
Egypt and parts of Syria
Tulunid Egypt was the autonomous political order created by Ahmad ibn Tulun after his arrival in Egypt in 868. Initially granted political and military authority without control of fiscal administration, Ibn Tulun gradually consolidated resources, built an independent army, intervened beyond Egypt, and exercised power over Egypt, Syria, and Cilicia. The extract presents this regime as a major stage in Egypt's movement toward autonomy from the Abbasid caliphate.
Continue exploring
The Story
Ahmad ibn Tulun arrived in Egypt in 868 after receiving political and military authority over the province from Bākbāk. Fiscal control initially remained with Ibn al-Mudabbir, but Ibn Tulun's military experience and administrative ambition soon enabled him to challenge this division of power. By 872, intrigues in Samarra had removed Ibn al-Mudabbir from Egypt and strengthened Ibn Tulun's position.
The new ruler drew on Egypt's agricultural revenue, Nubian gold and enslaved people, and the province's strategic resources to create a substantial army. He intervened in Upper Egypt, secured the southern routes, sent forces to Tripolitania, and obtained responsibility for collecting the kharāj in Syria and Cilicia. These developments gave him leverage over the Abbasid court while reducing his dependence on it.
Ibn Tulun also transformed the urban landscape north-east of Fustat. He built an aqueduct, a hospital, barracks, a palace, and a large mosque in the Samarra style. His revenues supported both military expansion and public construction, although the extract notes that the story of gold taken from a pharaonic tomb may have served to justify his refusal to provide greater assistance to al-Muwaffak.
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