50:
309:(that is, former slaves) to enter the military organization and even reach high positions in it, and many Africans such as Kafur were employed in various occupations and maintained a cohesive culture interacting with that of their hosts. Kafur's rise to power, from being an African slave to the ruler of Egypt and parts of Syria, is one of the earliest examples in
334:
Kafur, despite the tremendous pressure placed upon him, maintained stability inside Egypt. During 947 and 948, he fought and put down the rebellion by Ghalbūn. In 954 he successfully averted an abortive coup d'état by Anūdjūr. He also survived the spread of subversive Ismāʿīlī propaganda against him.
330:
control over Egypt, he operated behind the façade of
Ikhshdid rulers. On his deathbed, Ibn Tughj had appointed Kafur as guardian over his two sons. In 946, Kafur helped the elder son, Anūdjūr, secure the succession to Ibn Tughj. And in 961, he helped ʿAlī ibn al-Ikhshīd, Anūdjūr's younger brother,
418:. In return al-Mutanabbi praised the former slave. However, after Kafur's failure to reward him with the high office to which he aspired, al-Mutanabbi ridiculed Kafur. Thus Kafur was immortalised in the poetry of al-Mutanabbi, who was the greatest poet of Kafur's time, according to Philip Hitti.
281:
ruler of Egypt in 946 (since Kafur was the guardian of bin Tughj's sons, he ruled in their stead upon the death of their father). Though subsequent historians have portrayed him as a just and moderate ruler, he owes a great deal of his fame to the scathing satirical poems directed against him by
425:(Muslim scholarly establishment) than the poets. He surrounded himself with religious men, some of whom he showered with gifts. He constructed two mosques in Giza and on al-Muqattam and a hospital. Nevertheless, he still clung to superstitions, abandoning a home once, believing it to be under a
401:
Excepting the heavy government expenditure, Kafur's administration refrained from extortionate fiscal practices. His gold coinage displayed remarkable stability, though it did fluctuate. Kafur also enrolled the services of competent administrators and merchants, such as
267:
Ibn Tughj appointed Kafur to be the supervisor of princely education for his two sons. The
Egyptian ruler then promoted Kafur as a military officer. As a field commander Kafur conducted a military mission to Syria in 945. He was put in charge of some campaigns in the
434:
Kafur also maintained a magnificent and luxurious court. This, however, at times of famine, accorded poorly with the general population. In addition to the mosques and the hospital, Kafur constructed a number of sumptuous palaces, and the
362:
Earlier Kafur's master, Muhammad ibn Tughj, trusted him to handle the military campaigns of Syria and Hejaz (in the
Arabian peninsula). His military and diplomatic measures secured Damascus for the Ikhshidids (from the Hamdanids) in 947.
260:. Recognising the slave's intelligence and talent, Ibn Tughj freed him. The story goes that Kafur was freed because he kept his eyes fastened upon his master, while others kept their eyes on the master's gifts. Thus, historian
370:
He was also able to delay the
Fatimid expansion into Egypt, frustrating the efforts of the latter's agents. So long as Kafur was alive, the Ikhshidid establishment kept the Fatimids at bay; upon his death, the Fatimids
414:
Abu al-Misk Kafur gained popularity by being the patron of scholars and writers. Perhaps the most celebrated patronage, according to A.S. Ehrenkreutz, was that of the poet
839:
367:, governor of Aleppo, had tried to overrun Syria, but his efforts were frustrated by Kafur, and the former recognized the latter's lordship over parts of Syria.
854:
859:
849:
335:
His ability to resolve internal political complications is considered as having significantly prolonged the lifespan of the
Ikhshidids.
768:
331:
secure the
Egyptian throne. Only in 966, following the death of ʿAlī, did Kāfūr publicly declare himself as the sole master of Egypt.
397:
Recurrence of food-price inflation (sometimes resulting in famine), and consequent civil disturbances, in 949, 952, 955, and 963–968.
731:
656:
757:
86:
796:
96:
844:
49:
343:
One of Abu al-Misk Kafur's greatest achievements was his successful protection of the
Ikhshidid establishment from the
305:
Kafur's status as a former slave did not hinder him from rising to power under the
Ikhshidids. It was customary for
688:
744:
Matériaux pour un Corpus
Inscriptionum Arabicarum, Deuxième partie: Syrie du Sud. Tome deuxième: Jérusalem "Haram"
819:
671:
372:
864:
814:
453:
257:
205:
719:
236:
Abu al-Misk Kafur, whose name means "musky camphor", is described by the sources variously as coming from
272:. Kafur was involved in some diplomatic exchanges between the Ikhshidids and the caliph of Baghdad.
829:
824:
256:
of Egypt, purchased him as a slave in 923. He is recorded as having a dark complexion and being a
439:
gardens in his capital. No archaeological remains of his contributions have been found thus far.
249:
221:
132:
785:
727:
706:
652:
253:
644:
834:
698:
640:
495:
Abū al-Misk Kāfūr." Encyclopædia
Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Jul. 2008
458:
448:
403:
310:
182:
151:
66:
683:
679:
241:
808:
772:
702:
675:
364:
209:
62:
17:
667:
536:
415:
294:
283:
261:
383:
Kafur generally maintained economic stability in Egypt, despite serious setbacks:
293:
next to the Ikhshidid emirs, at a location close to the Gate of the Tribes on the
718:
Fromherz, Allen J. (2012). "Kafur, Abu al-Misk". In Emmanuel Kwaku Akyeampong;
747:(in French). Cairo: Imprimerie de l'Institut français d'archéologie oriantele.
352:
54:
710:
224:. Thereafter, he ruled the Ikshidid domains—Egypt, southern Syria (including
764:
344:
290:
237:
202:
121:
612:
General History of Africa: Africa in the Nineteenth Century Until the 1880s
348:
277:
225:
518:
The Arabs and the Sudan From the Seventh to the Early Sixteenth Century
356:
742:
388:
306:
213:
776:
422:
269:
245:
170:
58:
40:
649:
The Cambridge History of Egypt, Volume 1: Islamic Egypt, 640–1517
427:
481:. Edited by: M. Th. Houtsma, E. van Donzel. Brill, 1993. p. 623
264:
noted, Kafur would be generously rewarded for such loyalty.
421:
As he was a pious man, Kafur was more comfortable with the
651:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 86–119.
27:
Autonomous Emir of Egypt, Syria and Hejaz (946 – 960)
394:
A major earthquake rocked Egypt in 955 or early 956;
645:"Autonomous Egypt from Ibn Ṭūlūn to Kāfūr, 868–969"
479:
E.J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam 1913-1936
166:
144:
127:
115:
107:
102:
92:
82:
74:
32:
520:(Edinburgh University Press, 1967), p. 225 n. 36.
541:History of Syria Including Lebanon and Palestine
406:, contributing to his economic accomplishments.
220:ruler from 946 after the death of his master,
726:. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.
313:of a sovereign with the lowliest of origins.
8:
491:
489:
487:
351:(in northern Africa, to the west of Egypt),
585:
573:
289:Kafur died in April 968, and was buried in
751:
689:The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition
387:A fire devastated the business section of
29:
697:. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 418–419.
39:Autonomous ruler of Egypt, Syria and the
623:
614:. University of California Press. p. 749
504:
212:. Originally a black slave, he was made
532:
530:
528:
526:
470:
569:
141:
57:of Abu al-Misk Kafur minted in 966 in
840:Viziers in the medieval Islamic world
567:
565:
563:
561:
559:
557:
555:
553:
551:
549:
7:
355:(in the Arabian peninsula), and the
228:) and Hijaz—until his death in 968.
186:
155:
25:
855:Slaves from the Abbasid Caliphate
860:Eunuchs of the Abbasid Caliphate
703:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_3781
477:"Kāfūr, Abu'l Misk al-Ikhsidi."
48:
724:Dictionary of African biography
189:) (905–968), also called
758:Abu'l-Hasan Ali ibn al-Ikhshid
201:was a dominant personality of
87:Abu'l-Hasan Ali ibn al-Ikhshid
1:
78:8 February 965 – 23 April 968
543:. Gorgias Press LLC. p.562-3
797:Abu'l-Fawaris Ahmad ibn Ali
666:Ehrenkreutz, A. S. (1978).
647:. In Petry, Carl F. (ed.).
601:2 ed. (Cairo, 1970), p. 255
97:Abu'l-Fawaris Ahmad ibn Ali
881:
850:Ikhshidid military leaders
599:Misr fi Asr al-Ikhshidiyin
793:
762:
754:
741:van Berchem, Max (1927).
149:
140:
47:
37:
791:January 966 – April 968
286:, a medieval Arab poet.
244:(Land of the Blacks) or
454:List of rulers of Egypt
359:(from south of Egypt).
216:of Egypt, becoming its
720:Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
301:Status as former slave
410:Patronage of the arts
252:, the founder of the
18:Abu'l-Misk Kafur
610:Jacob F. Ade Ajayi.
111:946 – 8 February 965
845:Ikhshidid officials
626:, pp. 115–116.
576:, pp. 418–419.
150:Abu al-Misk Kafur (
516:Yusuf Fadl Hasan,
250:Muhammad ibn Tughj
222:Muhammad bin Tughj
133:al-Haram al-Sharif
803:
802:
794:Succeeded by
786:Abbasid Caliphate
641:Bianquis, Thierry
588:, pp. 13–14.
326:While Kafur held
322:Domestic politics
275:Kafur became the
254:Ikhshidid dynasty
179:Abu al-Misk Kafur
176:
175:
162:
161:
33:Abu al-Misk Kafur
16:(Redirected from
872:
820:Ethiopian slaves
755:Preceded by
752:
748:
737:
714:
662:
627:
621:
615:
608:
602:
595:
589:
586:van Berchem 1927
583:
577:
574:Ehrenkreutz 1978
571:
544:
534:
521:
514:
508:
502:
496:
493:
482:
475:
459:History of Egypt
449:Slavery in Islam
404:Yaqub ibn Killis
339:Foreign politics
240:(Ethiopia), the
188:
157:
142:
52:
30:
21:
880:
879:
875:
874:
873:
871:
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869:
865:Egyptian slaves
815:Ikhshidid emirs
805:
804:
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734:
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684:Bosworth, C. E.
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659:
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537:Hitti, Philip K
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311:Islamic history
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234:
187:أبو المسك كافور
156:أبو المسك كافور
136:
120:
103:Vizier of Egypt
70:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
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827:
822:
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795:
792:
773:southern Syria
761:
756:
750:
749:
738:
732:
715:
672:van Donzel, E.
663:
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733:9780195382075
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658:0-521-47137-0
654:
650:
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642:
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625:
624:Bianquis 1998
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597:Kashif, S.I.
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505:Fromherz 2012
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365:Sayf al-Dawla
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69:caliph's name
68:
64:
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56:
51:
46:
43:
42:
36:
31:
19:
781:
767:governor of
763:
743:
723:
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648:
619:
611:
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598:
593:
581:
540:
517:
512:
500:
478:
473:
436:
433:
426:
420:
416:al-Mutanabbi
413:
400:
382:
369:
361:
347:(in Syria),
342:
333:
327:
325:
304:
295:Temple Mount
288:
284:al-Mutanabbi
276:
274:
266:
262:Philip Hitti
235:
217:
198:
194:
190:
178:
177:
38:
680:Pellat, Ch.
135:, Jerusalem
83:Predecessor
830:968 deaths
825:905 births
809:Categories
693:Volume IV:
465:References
353:Qarmatians
55:Gold dinar
765:Ikhshidid
711:758278456
676:Lewis, B.
437:Kāfūriyya
373:took over
345:Hamdanids
291:Jerusalem
238:Abyssinia
232:Biography
203:Ikhshidid
191:al-Laithi
122:Jerusalem
119:April 968
108:In office
93:Successor
63:Palestine
784:for the
775:and the
722:(eds.).
695:Iran–Kha
686:(eds.).
643:(1998).
443:See also
349:Fatimids
328:de facto
317:Policies
278:de facto
226:Damascus
218:de facto
167:Religion
835:Eunuchs
782:de jure
668:"Kāfūr"
634:Sources
391:in 954;
379:Economy
357:Nubians
307:mamluks
199:al-Labi
195:al-Suri
67:Abbasid
730:
709:
682:&
655:
389:Fustat
258:eunuch
214:vizier
183:Arabic
152:Arabic
128:Burial
777:Hejaz
769:Egypt
670:. In
423:ulema
270:Hejaz
246:Nubia
210:Syria
206:Egypt
171:Islam
145:Names
65:with
59:Ramla
41:Hejaz
728:ISBN
707:OCLC
653:ISBN
428:jinn
208:and
116:Died
75:Rule
699:doi
811::
788:)
771:,
705:.
691:.
678:;
674:;
548:^
539:.
525:^
486:^
431:.
375:.
297:.
248:.
197:,
193:,
185::
154::
61:,
780:(
736:.
713:.
701::
661:.
507:.
181:(
158:)
20:)
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