al-Mufarraj ibn Sallam's Conquest of Twenty-Four Fortresses

فتح المفرج بن سلام أربعة وعشرين حصناً

between 847 and 870 CE

In al-Baladhuri: after Khalafun rose a man called al-Mufarraj — one copy: al-Mufarrikh — ibn Sallam who opened twenty-four fortresses and seized them; he wrote the postmaster in Egypt his news and that he deemed the absentee prayer unlawful for himself and the Muslims with him, asking the imam to contract him over his district and appoint him, to leave the state of usurpers — and he built a congregational mosque. Then his companions mutinied and killed him; Sawran — also read Sudan — succeeded and sent his envoy to al-Mutawakkil asking patent and letter of appointment, but al-Mutawakkil died before the envoy reached him, and al-Muntasir died whose caliphate was six months; al-Musta'in Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Mu'tasim ordered his Maghreb agent Utamish — the caliph's mawla — to contract it for him, but before his envoy could leave Samarra Utamish was killed and Wasif the caliph's mawla took the district and contracted and dispatched it.

Overview

al-Baladhuri reports that al-Mufarraj ibn Sallam conquered twenty-four forts after Khalfun, and then his companions killed him. Sawran rose after him. ¹

The conquest

After Khalfun a man called al-Mufarraj rose, in one copy al-Mufarrakh, son of Sallam. He conquered twenty-four forts and took control of them. He wrote to the postal official in Egypt to inform him of his success, and asked that the Imam appoint him over his region and confirm him in it, so that he might leave the ranks of the usurpers. He built a congregational mosque. ¹

His killing and his successor

His companions rioted against him and killed him. Sawran, in one copy Sudan, rose after him. He sent his messenger to al-Mutawakkil asking for an appointment and a letter of governorship, but the caliph died before the messenger returned. ¹

al-Muntasir then died after a caliphate of six months, and al-Musta'in rose. He ordered his governor of the Maghrib, Utamish, to confirm Sawran over his region. Utamish was killed before Sawran's messenger set out from Samarra, and Wasif was appointed over the region, and he confirmed and dispatched Sawran. ¹

Notes

The approximate period, from the time of al-Mutawakkil to Wasif's governorship, is derived and needs an additional source. Some names in the report differ between manuscripts, as noted.

The Conquest of Barah

In al-Baladhuri: in the Maghreb lies a land known as the Great Land, fifteen days' march from Barqa — or a little less or more — with a sea-shore city called Barah whose people were Christians though not Romans; Jabala, al-Aghlab's mawla, raided it but could not take it, then Khalafun al-Barbari — said to be a mawla of Rabi'a — raided it and opened it at the start of al-Mutawakkil's caliphate.

al-Mufarraj ibn Sallam's Conquest of Twenty-Four Fortresses

At a glance

In time

Overview

The conquest

His killing and his successor

Notes

Connections

People and things also explored

Sources

Time

The Conquest of Barah