Rifq
Abū'l-Faḍl Rifq al-Khādim (c. 970 — 30 August 1049) was a black African
Life
Service with the Fatimids
Abu'l-Fadl Rifq
According to historian
According to an anecdote cited by al-Musabbihi, Rifq was once consulted by an Egyptian Christian man whose Muslim convert son was arrested by the authorities for adorning Christian symbols, an apparent act of apostasy.[3] Rifq advised the man, with whom he had business dealings, to have his son feign insanity to avoid being convicted as an apostate, a capital offense in Fatimid Egypt.[3]
Expedition to Syria
In 1049, al-Mustansir appointed Rifq the commander of an expedition to subdue
Rifq was endowed amīr al-umarāʾ (commander of commanders), along with the additional titles of al-muzaffar ("the victorious"), fakhr al-mulk ("glory of the realm"), and ʿumdat al-dawla wa-ʿimāduhā ("mainstay and pillar of the dynasty").[2] Before he departed, he was bade farewell by the caliph at the outskirts of Cairo.[2] The army he headed consisted of 30,000 troops, according to Ibn Muyassar, and was composed of Berbers, Turks and Black Africans; these regiments were not only diverse, but often antagonistic as they competed for influence within the Fatimid military and court.[2]
Rifq halted his army at
Before he could depart from al-Ramla, Rifq's army became bogged down in raids by the
The Fatimid army eventually came together and moved north, capturing Hims then Hama; in both cities, quarreling between the factions took place and Rifq was forced to recruit more local forces.[11] On 24 August 1049, he reached the suburbs of Aleppo "in very bad shape", according to Zakkar.[11] Thimal had long prepared the city's defenses and his forces consisted of his Banu Kilab tribesmen and the city's inhabitants.[11] He was also sent funds from Constantine and had the backing of Antioch-based Byzantine troops on standby.[11]
Death in Aleppo
On 26 August, Rifq's forces clashed with the Mirdasid forces, during which a regiment of Kalbi mercenaries defected to Thimal.[12] Rifq's officers advised him to withdraw his forces southward to recuperate and punish the chieftains of Tayy and Kalb, who were blamed for the army's poor performance.[12] When Rifq refused these suggestions, the officers advised he appeal for peace with Thimal and issue a diploma in the caliph's name designating Thimal the governorship of Aleppo.[12] Rifq again refused, prompting many of his officers to desert him and withdraw southward.[12] The senior defections, coupled with Rifq's relocation of the army's treasures and provisions to Maarrat Misrin, was taken as a signal by the remainder of the army to desert.[12] Meanwhile, the remaining Bedouin mercenaries began looting the countryside and Rifq was unable to impose order.[12]
The following morning, Rifq and a handful of his soldiers, were captured by Thimal's Bedouin horsemen and taken to Aleppo.[12] At some point, Rifq was wounded in the head, causing him to be in a daze before dying on 30 August.[12] In Zakkar's assessment, "There is no doubt that al-Munstansir built great hopes on the success of this army ... Rifq, who was appointed to lead the expedition, was incompetent ... and, as it proved, lacked military knowledge."[13]
References
- ^ Ayalon 1999, p. 292.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Zakkar 1971, p. 143.
- ^ a b c d Lev 2001, p. 8.
- ^ Lev 2001, p. 9.
- ^ a b Bianquis 1989, p. 559.
- ^ a b Bianquis 1989, p. 394.
- ^ Zakkar 1971, p. 141.
- ^ Zakkar 1971, pp. 141–142.
- ^ a b Zakkar 1971, p. 144.
- ^ Zakkar 1971, pp. 144–145.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Zakkar 1971, p. 145.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Zakkar 1971, p. 146.
- ^ Zakkar 1971, pp. 143–144.
Bibliography
- Ayalon, David (1999). Eunuchs, Caliphs and Sultans: A Study in Power Relationships. Jerusalem: Magnes Press. ISBN 9789654930178.
- Bianquis, Thierry (1989). Dames et la Syrie sous la domination fatimide (359-468/969-1076): essai d'interprétation de chroniques arabes médiévales, Volume 2 (in French). Damascus: Institut française de Damas.
- Lev, Y. (2001). "Aspects of the Egyptian Society in the Fatimid Period". In Vermeulen, U.; van Steenbergen, J. (eds.). Egypt and Syria in the Fatimid, Ayyubid, and Mamluk Eras III: Proceedings of the 6th, 7th and 8th International Colloquium Organized at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in May 1997, 1998, and 1999. Leuven: Peeters Publishers. pp. 1–31. ISBN 90-429-0970-6.
- Zakkar, Suhayl (1971). The Emirate of Aleppo: 1004–1094. Aleppo: Dar al-Amanah.