39:
298:(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
323:
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.
319:
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,
407:. 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.
270:
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
414:(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
390:
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
256:
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
423:
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
351:
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.
249:. 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
359:
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
403:
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
828:
356:, 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.
843:
848:
838:
324:
His ability to resolve internal political complications is considered as having significantly prolonged the lifespan of the
Ikhshidids.
757:
320:
secure the
Egyptian throne. Only in 966, following the death of ʿAlī, did Kāfūr publicly declare himself as the sole master of Egypt.
386:
Recurrence of food-price inflation (sometimes resulting in famine), and consequent civil disturbances, in 949, 952, 955, and 963–968.
720:
645:
746:
75:
785:
85:
833:
38:
332:
One of Abu al-Misk Kafur's greatest achievements was his successful protection of the
Ikhshidid establishment from the
294:
Kafur's status as a former slave did not hinder him from rising to power under the
Ikhshidids. It was customary for
677:
733:
Matériaux pour un Corpus
Inscriptionum Arabicarum, Deuxième partie: Syrie du Sud. Tome deuxième: Jérusalem "Haram"
808:
660:
361:
853:
803:
442:
246:
194:
708:
225:
Abu al-Misk Kafur, whose name means "musky camphor", is described by the sources variously as coming from
261:. Kafur was involved in some diplomatic exchanges between the Ikhshidids and the caliph of Baghdad.
818:
813:
245:
of Egypt, purchased him as a slave in 923. He is recorded as having a dark complexion and being a
428:
gardens in his capital. No archaeological remains of his contributions have been found thus far.
238:
210:
121:
774:
716:
695:
641:
242:
633:
823:
687:
629:
484:
Abū al-Misk Kāfūr." Encyclopædia
Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Jul. 2008
447:
437:
392:
299:
171:
140:
55:
672:
668:
230:
797:
761:
691:
664:
353:
198:
51:
656:
525:
404:
283:
272:
250:
372:
Kafur generally maintained economic stability in Egypt, despite serious setbacks:
282:
next to the Ikhshidid emirs, at a location close to the Gate of the Tribes on the
707:
Fromherz, Allen J. (2012). "Kafur, Abu al-Misk". In Emmanuel Kwaku Akyeampong;
736:(in French). Cairo: Imprimerie de l'Institut français d'archéologie oriantele.
341:
43:
699:
213:. Thereafter, he ruled the Ikshidid domains—Egypt, southern Syria (including
753:
333:
279:
226:
191:
110:
601:
General History of Africa: Africa in the Nineteenth Century Until the 1880s
337:
266:
214:
507:
The Arabs and the Sudan From the Seventh to the Early Sixteenth Century
345:
731:
377:
295:
202:
765:
411:
258:
234:
159:
47:
29:
638:
The Cambridge History of Egypt, Volume 1: Islamic Egypt, 640–1517
416:
470:. Edited by: M. Th. Houtsma, E. van Donzel. Brill, 1993. p. 623
253:
noted, Kafur would be generously rewarded for such loyalty.
410:
As he was a pious man, Kafur was more comfortable with the
640:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 86–119.
16:
Autonomous Emir of Egypt, Syria and Hejaz (946 – 960)
383:
A major earthquake rocked Egypt in 955 or early 956;
634:"Autonomous Egypt from Ibn Ṭūlūn to Kāfūr, 868–969"
468:
E.J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam 1913-1936
155:
133:
116:
104:
96:
91:
81:
71:
63:
21:
509:(Edinburgh University Press, 1967), p. 225 n. 36.
530:History of Syria Including Lebanon and Palestine
395:, contributing to his economic accomplishments.
209:ruler from 946 after the death of his master,
715:. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.
302:of a sovereign with the lowliest of origins.
8:
480:
478:
476:
340:(in northern Africa, to the west of Egypt),
574:
562:
278:Kafur died in April 968, and was buried in
740:
678:The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition
376:A fire devastated the business section of
18:
686:. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 418–419.
28:Autonomous ruler of Egypt, Syria and the
612:
603:. University of California Press. p. 749
493:
201:. Originally a black slave, he was made
521:
519:
517:
515:
459:
558:
130:
46:of Abu al-Misk Kafur minted in 966 in
829:Viziers in the medieval Islamic world
556:
554:
552:
550:
548:
546:
544:
542:
540:
538:
7:
344:(in the Arabian peninsula), and the
217:) and Hijaz—until his death in 968.
175:
144:
14:
844:Slaves from the Abbasid Caliphate
849:Eunuchs of the Abbasid Caliphate
692:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_3781
466:"Kāfūr, Abu'l Misk al-Ikhsidi."
37:
713:Dictionary of African biography
178:) (905–968), also called
747:Abu'l-Hasan Ali ibn al-Ikhshid
190:was a dominant personality of
76:Abu'l-Hasan Ali ibn al-Ikhshid
1:
67:8 February 965 – 23 April 968
532:. Gorgias Press LLC. p.562-3
786:Abu'l-Fawaris Ahmad ibn Ali
655:Ehrenkreutz, A. S. (1978).
636:. In Petry, Carl F. (ed.).
590:2 ed. (Cairo, 1970), p. 255
86:Abu'l-Fawaris Ahmad ibn Ali
870:
839:Ikhshidid military leaders
588:Misr fi Asr al-Ikhshidiyin
782:
751:
743:
730:van Berchem, Max (1927).
138:
129:
36:
26:
780:January 966 – April 968
275:, a medieval Arab poet.
233:(Land of the Blacks) or
443:List of rulers of Egypt
348:(from south of Egypt).
205:of Egypt, becoming its
709:Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
290:Status as former slave
399:Patronage of the arts
241:, the founder of the
599:Jacob F. Ade Ajayi.
100:946 – 8 February 965
834:Ikhshidid officials
615:, pp. 115–116.
565:, pp. 418–419.
139:Abu al-Misk Kafur (
505:Yusuf Fadl Hasan,
239:Muhammad ibn Tughj
211:Muhammad bin Tughj
122:al-Haram al-Sharif
792:
791:
783:Succeeded by
775:Abbasid Caliphate
630:Bianquis, Thierry
577:, pp. 13–14.
315:While Kafur held
311:Domestic politics
264:Kafur became the
243:Ikhshidid dynasty
168:Abu al-Misk Kafur
165:
164:
151:
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22:Abu al-Misk Kafur
861:
809:Ethiopian slaves
744:Preceded by
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737:
726:
703:
651:
616:
610:
604:
597:
591:
584:
578:
575:van Berchem 1927
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563:Ehrenkreutz 1978
560:
533:
523:
510:
503:
497:
491:
485:
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471:
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448:History of Egypt
438:Slavery in Islam
393:Yaqub ibn Killis
328:Foreign politics
229:(Ethiopia), the
177:
146:
131:
41:
19:
869:
868:
864:
863:
862:
860:
859:
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854:Egyptian slaves
804:Ikhshidid emirs
794:
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749:
729:
723:
706:
673:Bosworth, C. E.
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300:Islamic history
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223:
176:أبو المسك كافور
145:أبو المسك كافور
125:
109:
92:Vizier of Egypt
59:
17:
12:
11:
5:
867:
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836:
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826:
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811:
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795:
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789:
784:
781:
762:southern Syria
750:
745:
739:
738:
727:
721:
704:
661:van Donzel, E.
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722:9780195382075
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613:Bianquis 1998
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586:Kashif, S.I.
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494:Fromherz 2012
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354:Sayf al-Dawla
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58:caliph's name
57:
53:
49:
45:
40:
35:
32:
31:
25:
20:
770:
756:governor of
752:
732:
712:
683:
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637:
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587:
582:
570:
529:
506:
501:
489:
467:
462:
425:
422:
415:
409:
405:al-Mutanabbi
402:
389:
371:
358:
350:
336:(in Syria),
331:
322:
316:
314:
293:
284:Temple Mount
277:
273:al-Mutanabbi
265:
263:
255:
251:Philip Hitti
224:
206:
187:
183:
179:
167:
166:
27:
669:Pellat, Ch.
124:, Jerusalem
72:Predecessor
819:968 deaths
814:905 births
798:Categories
682:Volume IV:
454:References
342:Qarmatians
44:Gold dinar
754:Ikhshidid
700:758278456
665:Lewis, B.
426:Kāfūriyya
362:took over
334:Hamdanids
280:Jerusalem
227:Abyssinia
221:Biography
192:Ikhshidid
180:al-Laithi
111:Jerusalem
108:April 968
97:In office
82:Successor
52:Palestine
773:for the
764:and the
711:(eds.).
684:Iran–Kha
675:(eds.).
632:(1998).
432:See also
338:Fatimids
317:de facto
306:Policies
267:de facto
215:Damascus
207:de facto
156:Religion
824:Eunuchs
771:de jure
657:"Kāfūr"
623:Sources
380:in 954;
368:Economy
346:Nubians
296:mamluks
188:al-Labi
184:al-Suri
56:Abbasid
719:
698:
671:&
644:
378:Fustat
247:eunuch
203:vizier
172:Arabic
141:Arabic
117:Burial
766:Hejaz
758:Egypt
659:. In
412:ulema
259:Hejaz
235:Nubia
199:Syria
195:Egypt
160:Islam
134:Names
54:with
48:Ramla
30:Hejaz
717:ISBN
696:OCLC
642:ISBN
417:jinn
197:and
105:Died
64:Rule
688:doi
800::
777:)
760:,
694:.
680:.
667:;
663:;
537:^
528:.
514:^
475:^
420:.
364:.
286:.
237:.
186:,
182:,
174::
143::
50:,
769:(
725:.
702:.
690::
650:.
496:.
170:(
147:)
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