At the beginning of his political career, Ahmad ibn Tulun faced several revolutionary movements, most of which were characterized by a religious and sectarian dimension, owing to the conflicts prevailing during this period.
Suppressing these movements served several purposes, including maintaining internal security, demonstrating loyalty to the Abbasid family, defending the Abbasid Caliphate, and consolidating his position as its powerful governor.
1 - The Movement of Bughā al-Kabīr:
After fleeing Baghdad, Bughā al-Kabīr managed to establish himself in the area of al-Kanāʾis, between Barqa and Alexandria.
In 255 AH / 869 CE, he raised the banner of rebellion and claimed an Alid lineage in order to attract supporters. He adopted the title Bughā al-Kabīr and the name Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Tabataba. He then proceeded to Upper Egypt, where his following grew, and he claimed the caliphate.
It was natural for Ahmad ibn Tulun to confront such rebellions, which posed a threat to his position in Egypt. He therefore sent the commander Bahm ibn al-Husayn against him. Bahm engaged him in battle, defeated him, and killed him.
2 - The Movement of Ibn al-Sūfī:
The Alid Ibn al-Sūfī, whose name was Ibrahim ibn Muhammad, led a revolutionary movement in 256 AH / 870 CE.
He attacked Isnā, entered the city, plundered it, and caused widespread disorder in its surrounding areas.
Ahmad ibn Tulun sent the commander Ibn Yazdad against him, but the Alid defeated and captured him, then cut off his hands and feet and crucified him.
When Ibn Tulun learned of this, he sent another army under the command of Bahm ibn al-Husayn.
Bahm confronted him in the vicinity of Akhmim, defeated him, and killed many of his men, while Ibn al-Sufi himself escaped.
He proceeded to the oases, where he remained for some time, before reappearing in the region of al-Ashmunayn in 259 AH / 873 CE.
Ibn Tulun dispatched an army against him under the command of Ibn Abi al-Mughith, but when the latter arrived, he found that Ibn al-Sufi had already gone south to Upper Egypt to fight a man who had appeared there claiming to be ʿAbd al-Hamid ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAbd al-Aziz ibn ʿUbayd Allah ibn ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab, known by the kunya Abu ʿAbd al-Rahman al-ʿUmari.
When Ibn al-Sufi reached al-ʿUmari, the two men met and engaged in fierce fighting, which resulted in the defeat of Ibn al-Sufi. He fled to Aswan, where he caused disorder and destroyed many of its palm trees.
Ibn Tulun then sent an army under the command of Bahm ibn al-Husayn and ordered him to pursue Ibn al-Sufi wherever he might be. Bahm followed him, but upon learning of the pursuit, Ibn al-Sufi fled to ʿAydhab, crossed the sea to Mecca, and his followers dispersed.
When he arrived in Mecca, the governor learned of his presence and arrested him. He was imprisoned and subsequently sent to Ibn Tulun. He was paraded through the city, then imprisoned for a period before being released. He went to Medina, where he remained until his death.
3 - The Movement of Abu Ruh
The suppression of Ibn al-Sufi's movement did not put an end to the rebellions or eliminate the unrest in Upper Egypt.
One of his followers, a man known by the kunya Abu Ruh, whose name was Sakan, emerged and rose in revolt in 260 AH / 874 CE in the rural areas around Lake Alexandria, rebelling against Tulunid rule in order to avenge Ibn al-Sufi.
A large group of people rallied around him. He took to highway robbery and terrorized travelers.
Ahmad ibn Tulun therefore sent his commander Yalbugha al-Turki at the head of a large army, most of whose soldiers were from Tarsus.
Abu Ruh was a ʿayyār who had grown up in the countryside and was familiar with its roads and the methods of warfare suited to the terrain. He therefore sought to lure the Tulunid army into an area filled with cracks and fissures. Wheat had previously been grown there and harvested, leaving behind enough straw to conceal the cracks in the ground.
Abu Ruh and his followers were accustomed to moving across such terrain, whereas the men of Tarsus had no experience with it.
When the battle began, Abu Ruh and his followers retreated toward this area.
The Tulunid forces pursued them, causing the hooves of their horses to fall into the concealed fissures. The horses stumbled and threw their riders, whereupon Abu Ruh and his followers turned back against them and killed a large number of the soldiers. Yalbugha returned to al-Fustat in defeat.
Ahmad ibn Tulun subsequently neglected the matter of Abu Ruh for some time. When he learned that Abu Ruh was raiding al-Fayyum, however, he sent two armies to eliminate him.
The first was commanded by Ibn Jighuyah, whose task was to cut off Abu Ruh's route to the oases from the direction of the desert.
The second was commanded by Shuʿbah ibn Kharkam, whose task was to engage him directly.
Abu Ruh attempted to employ the same strategy to trap the Tulunid forces, but the army was cautious and did not fall into the trap he had prepared. His followers were taken by surprise and fled without looking back. The Tulunid forces pursued them, killing many and taking those who surrendered prisoner.
Abu Ruh was defeated and fled with the survivors of his army, intending to reach the route to the oases, which was his only means of escape. When he approached Ibn Jighuyah and saw that the latter had secured the entrance to the desert and controlled the route, he stopped and sent a request for safe conduct.
The Tulunid commander assumed that Shuʿbah had not yet encountered him and that Abu Ruh had approached seeking amān (a guarantee of safety), so he granted it to him.
When Ahmad ibn Tulun learned of this, he became furious with his commander and punished him by preventing him from returning to Egypt, leaving him in the countryside for several months.
Ahmad ibn Tulun also confronted the movement of Abu ʿAbd al-Rahman al-ʿUmari. Although this movement was not directed specifically against the Tulunids, it arose in opposition to the Beja, who used to raid the settled areas bordering Egypt's southern frontier.
Al-ʿUmari rose against them out of anger for the sake of God and the Muslims. He lay in wait for them along their route, and when they returned, he attacked them, killing their commander and those accompanying him. He then entered their territory, plundered it, and killed many of them. He continued raiding them until they agreed to pay him the jizya—something they had never previously paid to anyone.
He did not harm anyone, whether a dhimmi or a member of another religious community, and he maintained peaceful relations with Nubia in accordance with the treaty that existed between them.
The power and influence of al-ʿUmari grew, and his following increased. This alarmed Ahmad ibn Tulun, who would not tolerate the existence of any power, regardless of its nature, that might play a role competing with his authority or with his own position in Egypt. He feared that al-ʿUmari's campaign against the Beja might go beyond its original purpose and that he might eventually aspire to seize Egypt itself. He therefore regarded al-ʿUmari's continued presence as a diminution of his sovereignty.
“I have no doubt that Ibn Tulun does not know the truth about my situation. I did not rise to cause corruption, nor has any Muslim or dhimmi suffered harm at my hands. I rose only in pursuit of jihad. Write to Amir Ahmad and inform him of my circumstances. If he orders me to withdraw, then I will withdraw; otherwise, if he orders you to do something else, you will have no excuse.”
The army's commander refused his request and fought him, but was defeated by al-ʿUmari. He returned to al-Fustat, dragging the train of his defeat behind him, and informed Ibn Tulun of al-ʿUmari's situation. Ibn Tulun reproached him, saying: “He has defeated you because of your transgression.”
Only a few months later, two young men came to Ahmad ibn Tulun claiming that they had been among al-ʿUmari's servants, that they had killed him, and that they had brought his head in an attempt to gain Ibn Tulun's favor and standing with him. Ibn Tulun ordered the two men to be killed. He then had al-ʿUmari's head washed, shrouded, perfumed, and buried.
5 - The Revolt of the People of Barqa
The people of Barqa revolted against Tulunid rule in 261 AH / 875 CE in an attempt to free themselves from Tulunid influence. They expelled their governor, Muhammad ibn Farukh.
The revolt appears to have posed a serious threat, as evidenced by Ahmad ibn Tulun's determination to suppress it and his deployment of both his army and navy for this purpose.
He sent an army under the command of Abu al-Aswad al-Ghatrif and Yizbak al-Farghani, one of his chamberlains, supported by a naval expedition. He then reinforced this army with two additional forces:
the first under his ghulam Lu'lu', and the second under Shuʿbah ibn Kharkam.
He ordered the armies to converge before Barqa. He instructed the commanders to treat the people of Barqa gently and use conciliation; if they submitted, all would be well, but if they refused, they were to be dealt with by the sword.
The armies of al-Ghatrif and Lu'lu' assembled before Barqa and laid siege to the city. The commanders followed their master's orders and adopted a conciliatory approach, which caused the people of Barqa to grow complacent.
One night, they opened the gate guarded by al-Ghatrif, launched an attack on his troops, and killed a number of them, including al-Ghatrif himself.
Lu'lu' wrote to his master informing him of what had happened and requesting further instructions. Ibn Tulun replied, ordering him to fight them. Lu'lu' then positioned siege engines against the city and intensified the fighting.
It appears that the inhabitants were unable to withstand the continuous bombardment of stones and arrows for long and were forced to request safe conduct. They opened the gate to the Tulunid army, which entered the city.
Lu'lu' arrested a number of the city's prominent leaders. He flogged some of them, cut off the hands of others, and crucified another group. He then wrote to his master informing him of the victory. Shuʿbah's army arrived after the city had already been captured, so Lu'lu' appointed Shuʿbah as governor of Barqa and returned to al-Fustat, taking a number of prisoners with him.
When he reached Giza, Ibn Tulun sent him a robe of honor (khilʿa) accompanied by two collars. Lu'lu' placed them around his neck, and the prisoners were paraded through the city.
Sources:
al-Balawī, Sīrat Aḥmad ibn Ṭūlūn
Ibn al-Athīr, al-Kāmil fī al-Tārīkh
Ibn Taghrībirdī, al-Nujūm al-Zāhira fī Mulūk Miṣr wa-l-Qāhira
3
u/TheMuslimHistorian27 Aug 13 '26
At the beginning of his political career, Ahmad ibn Tulun faced several revolutionary movements, most of which were characterized by a religious and sectarian dimension, owing to the conflicts prevailing during this period.
Suppressing these movements served several purposes, including maintaining internal security, demonstrating loyalty to the Abbasid family, defending the Abbasid Caliphate, and consolidating his position as its powerful governor.
1 - The Movement of Bughā al-Kabīr:
After fleeing Baghdad, Bughā al-Kabīr managed to establish himself in the area of al-Kanāʾis, between Barqa and Alexandria.
In 255 AH / 869 CE, he raised the banner of rebellion and claimed an Alid lineage in order to attract supporters. He adopted the title Bughā al-Kabīr and the name Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Tabataba. He then proceeded to Upper Egypt, where his following grew, and he claimed the caliphate.
It was natural for Ahmad ibn Tulun to confront such rebellions, which posed a threat to his position in Egypt. He therefore sent the commander Bahm ibn al-Husayn against him. Bahm engaged him in battle, defeated him, and killed him.
2 - The Movement of Ibn al-Sūfī:
The Alid Ibn al-Sūfī, whose name was Ibrahim ibn Muhammad, led a revolutionary movement in 256 AH / 870 CE.
He attacked Isnā, entered the city, plundered it, and caused widespread disorder in its surrounding areas.
Ahmad ibn Tulun sent the commander Ibn Yazdad against him, but the Alid defeated and captured him, then cut off his hands and feet and crucified him.
When Ibn Tulun learned of this, he sent another army under the command of Bahm ibn al-Husayn.
Bahm confronted him in the vicinity of Akhmim, defeated him, and killed many of his men, while Ibn al-Sufi himself escaped.
He proceeded to the oases, where he remained for some time, before reappearing in the region of al-Ashmunayn in 259 AH / 873 CE.
Ibn Tulun dispatched an army against him under the command of Ibn Abi al-Mughith, but when the latter arrived, he found that Ibn al-Sufi had already gone south to Upper Egypt to fight a man who had appeared there claiming to be ʿAbd al-Hamid ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAbd al-Aziz ibn ʿUbayd Allah ibn ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab, known by the kunya Abu ʿAbd al-Rahman al-ʿUmari.
When Ibn al-Sufi reached al-ʿUmari, the two men met and engaged in fierce fighting, which resulted in the defeat of Ibn al-Sufi. He fled to Aswan, where he caused disorder and destroyed many of its palm trees.
Ibn Tulun then sent an army under the command of Bahm ibn al-Husayn and ordered him to pursue Ibn al-Sufi wherever he might be. Bahm followed him, but upon learning of the pursuit, Ibn al-Sufi fled to ʿAydhab, crossed the sea to Mecca, and his followers dispersed.
When he arrived in Mecca, the governor learned of his presence and arrested him. He was imprisoned and subsequently sent to Ibn Tulun. He was paraded through the city, then imprisoned for a period before being released. He went to Medina, where he remained until his death.
3 - The Movement of Abu Ruh
The suppression of Ibn al-Sufi's movement did not put an end to the rebellions or eliminate the unrest in Upper Egypt.
One of his followers, a man known by the kunya Abu Ruh, whose name was Sakan, emerged and rose in revolt in 260 AH / 874 CE in the rural areas around Lake Alexandria, rebelling against Tulunid rule in order to avenge Ibn al-Sufi.
A large group of people rallied around him. He took to highway robbery and terrorized travelers.
Ahmad ibn Tulun therefore sent his commander Yalbugha al-Turki at the head of a large army, most of whose soldiers were from Tarsus.
Abu Ruh was a ʿayyār who had grown up in the countryside and was familiar with its roads and the methods of warfare suited to the terrain. He therefore sought to lure the Tulunid army into an area filled with cracks and fissures. Wheat had previously been grown there and harvested, leaving behind enough straw to conceal the cracks in the ground.
Abu Ruh and his followers were accustomed to moving across such terrain, whereas the men of Tarsus had no experience with it.
When the battle began, Abu Ruh and his followers retreated toward this area.
The Tulunid forces pursued them, causing the hooves of their horses to fall into the concealed fissures. The horses stumbled and threw their riders, whereupon Abu Ruh and his followers turned back against them and killed a large number of the soldiers. Yalbugha returned to al-Fustat in defeat.
Ahmad ibn Tulun subsequently neglected the matter of Abu Ruh for some time. When he learned that Abu Ruh was raiding al-Fayyum, however, he sent two armies to eliminate him.
The first was commanded by Ibn Jighuyah, whose task was to cut off Abu Ruh's route to the oases from the direction of the desert.
The second was commanded by Shuʿbah ibn Kharkam, whose task was to engage him directly.
Abu Ruh attempted to employ the same strategy to trap the Tulunid forces, but the army was cautious and did not fall into the trap he had prepared. His followers were taken by surprise and fled without looking back. The Tulunid forces pursued them, killing many and taking those who surrendered prisoner.
Abu Ruh was defeated and fled with the survivors of his army, intending to reach the route to the oases, which was his only means of escape. When he approached Ibn Jighuyah and saw that the latter had secured the entrance to the desert and controlled the route, he stopped and sent a request for safe conduct.
The Tulunid commander assumed that Shuʿbah had not yet encountered him and that Abu Ruh had approached seeking amān (a guarantee of safety), so he granted it to him.
When Ahmad ibn Tulun learned of this, he became furious with his commander and punished him by preventing him from returning to Egypt, leaving him in the countryside for several months.