Khalil ibn Ishaq al-Tamimi
Khalil ibn Ishaq al-Tamimi (
Early career
Khalil was a
In 927, he commanded the jund contingents from all Ifriqiya in al-Qa'im's campaign against the
Governorship of Sicily
A large-scale revolt against the Kutama-dominated and taxation-heavy Fatimid regime broke out in Sicily in April 937. The rebellion began at Agrigento, but spread quickly to the capital, Palermo, and other cities. The longtime Fatimid governor, Salim ibn Asad ibn Abi Rashid, found himself forced to lay siege to his own capital, and requested reinforcements from the Fatimid heartland in Ifriqiya.[5]
The Fatimid caliph,
In March 938, he moved against Agrigento, laying siege to the city. The siege dragged on as the inhabitants of the city defended it vigorously, with almost daily sorties, and the onset of winter forced Khalil to withdraw to Palermo in October.
Khalil also asked for reinforcements, and went on the offensive against the rebel strongholds. Over 939 and 940, he captured Mazara, Qal'at al-Ballut (modern Caltabellotta), Qal'at Abi Thawr (Caltavuturo), Qal'at al-Sirat (Collesano), and, in March 940, Qal'at Ablatano on the river Platani.[7][8] Agrigento finally capitulated on 20 November 940 against guarantee of safe passage for the garrison, a promise which was immediately broken. The remaining rebel strongholds began to capitulate after that, and in September 941, Khalil was able to return to Ifriqiya. On the high sea, he had the captive notables of Agrigento put on a ship and sunk it, killing all of them.[7][8] So many Sicilian Muslims again fled from the brutal suppression of the revolt to Byzantine territory, that the Fatimids agreed to renounce the Byzantine payment of tribute in exchange for truce, lest the Byzantines left the refugees to starve to death.[7]
Revolt of Abu Yazid
In February 944, a
Reacting to this unforeseen threat, al-Qa'im dispatched his chief commanders to secure the main cities of Ifriqiya. Khalil with a thousand of his men was to hold Kairouan, where he busied himself with repairing the city's fortifications.[10] On 13 October, Abu Yazid's forces appeared before the Aghlabid-era palace-city of Raqqada, which they plundered.[11] Khalil resisted his officers' calls to march out and confront the rebel army, awaiting the arrival of the main Fatimid army under Maysur al-Fata, who also hesitated to move decisively against the rebels.[11]
As a result, the disgruntled and unpaid soldiers of the jund began deserting to the rebels, until Khalil was left with only 400 men. Unable to man the city walls with this small a force, he withdrew to the governor's palace next to the
Family
His brother Ya'qub was a Fatimid military commander who led the Fatimid sack of Genoa in 934.[12]
References
- ^ Halm 1991, p. 246.
- ^ a b Halm 1991, p. 162.
- ^ Halm 1991, pp. 161–162.
- ^ Halm 1991, pp. 241–243.
- ^ a b Halm 1991, p. 254.
- ^ Halm 1991, pp. 254–255.
- ^ a b c d e f PmbZ, Ḫalīl b. Isḥāq (#22549).
- ^ a b c d Halm 1991, p. 255.
- ^ Halm 1991, pp. 267–268.
- ^ Halm 1991, pp. 268, 269.
- ^ a b c d Halm 1991, p. 269.
- ^ PmbZ, Yaʻqūb b. Isḥāq (#28461).
Sources
- ISBN 978-3-406-35497-7.
- Lilie, Ralph-Johannes; Ludwig, Claudia; Pratsch, Thomas; Zielke, Beate (2013). Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen Zeit Online. Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften. Nach Vorarbeiten F. Winkelmanns erstellt (in German). Berlin and Boston: De Gruyter.