Hamdanid Dynasty الحمدانيون al-Hamdaniyyun
890–1004
Hamdanid territory in 955 during the rule of Sayf al-Dawla
Capital	Mardin (892–895) Mosul (905–990) (in Iraq) Aleppo (944–1002) (in Syria)
Common languages	Arabic Syriac
Religion	Shia Islam
Government	Hereditary monarchy
Emir
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Established	890
• Husayn ibn Hamdan establishes himself as leader of Al-Jazira for the Abbasids.	895
• Sayf al-Dawla establishes himself in Aleppo after successfully countering the Ikhshidids of Egypt.	944
• Disestablished	1004
Preceded by Succeeded by Abbasid Caliphate Uqaylid dynasty Fatimid Caliphate

Historical Arab states and dynasties
Ancient Arab states Kingdom of Qedar 800 BC–300 BC Kingdom of Lihyan 600 BC–100 BC Nabataean Kingdom 400 BC–106 AD Kingdom of Kinda 450 AD–550 AD Kingdom of Osroene 132 BC–244 AD Emesan dynasty 64 BC–300s AD Kingdom of Hatra 100s–241 AD Tanukhids 196–1100 AD Ghassanids 220–638 AD Salihids 300s–500s AD Lakhmids 300s–602 AD
Arab empires and caliphates Rashidun 632–661 Umayyads 661–750 Abbasids 750–1258 Fatimids 909–1171
Eastern dynasties Emirate of Armenia 654–884 Emirate of Tbilisi 736–1122 Emirate of Crete 824–961 Dulafids 840–897 Habbarids 854–1011 Kaysites 860–964 Shirvanshah 861–1538 Alavids 864–928 Hamdanids 890–1004 Rawadids 955–1071 Mazyadids 961–1150 Jarrahids 970–1107 Uqaylids 990–1096 Numayrids 990–1081 Mirdasids 1024–1080 Munqidhites 1025–1157 Ma'nids 1517–1697 Turabays 1480–1677 Harfushs 1517–1865 Shihabs 1697–1842
Western dynasties and caliphates Salihids 710–1019 Umayyads of Córdoba 756–929 Muhallabids 771–793 Idrisids 788–974 Aghlabids 800–909 Sulaymanids 814–922 Emirate of Sicily 831–1091 Caliphate of Córdoba 929–1031 Kanzids 1004–1412 Bakrids 1012–1051 Tujibids 1013–1039 Amirids 1020–1086 Abbadids 1023–1091 Yahsubids 1023–1062 Hammudids 1026–1057 Muzaynids 1027–1063 Jawharids 1031–1091 Hudids 1039–1110 Sumadihids 1041–1091 Tahirids 1049–1078 Nasrids 1230–1492 Saadids 1554–1659 Senussids 1837–1969
Arabian Peninsula Imamate of Oman 751–1970 Ziyadids 819–1138 Yufirids 847–997 Ukhaidhirds 865–1066 Rassids 897–1962 Qarmatians 899–1077 Wajihids 926–965 Sharifate of Mecca 968–1925 Sulayhids 1047–1138 Sulaymanids 1063–1174 Uyunids 1076–1253 Zurayids 1083–1174 Nabhanids 1154–1624 Mahdids 1159–1174 Rasulids 1229–1454 Usfurids 1253–1320 Jarwanids 1305–1487 Kathirids 1395–1967 Tahirids 1454–1526 Jabrids 1463–1521 Qasimids 1597–1872 Ya'arubids 1624–1742 Upper Yafa 1800–1967 Muscat and Oman 1820–1970 Rashidids 1836–1921 Qu'aitids 1858–1967 Emirate of Beihan 1903–1967 Idrisids 1906–1934 Mutawakkilite Kingdom 1926–1970
East Africa Makhzumi dynasty (Shewa) 896–1279 Nabahani dynasty (Pate Island) 1203–1894 Mahdali dynasty (Kilwa) 1277–1495 Mazrui dynasty (Mombasa) 1746–1828 Sultanate of Zanzibar 1856–1964 Nabahani dynasty (Wituland) 1858–1895 Tippu Tip's State 1860–1887
Current monarchies 'Alawis (Morocco) 1631–present Al Qasimi (Ras al Khaymah) 1727–present Al Qasimi (Sharjah) 1727–present Al Saud (Saudi Arabia) 1744–present Al Said (Oman) 1749–present Al Sabah (Kuwait) 1752–present Al Nahyan (Abu Dhabi) 1761–present Al Mualla (Umm al-Quwain) 1775–present Al Khalifa (Bahrain) 1783–present Al Nuaimi (Ajman) 1810–present Al Maktoum (Dubai) 1833–present Al Thani (Qatar) 1868–present Al Sharqi (Fujairah) 1900–present Hashemites (Jordan) 1921–present

Family tree of the Hamdanid dynasty

The Hamdanid dynasty (Arabic: الحمدانيون, romanized: al-Ḥamdāniyyūn) was a Shia Muslim Arab^[1][2] dynasty of Northern Mesopotamia and Syria (890–1004). They descended from the ancient Banu Taghlib tribe of Mesopotamia and Arabia.

History

The Hamdanid dynasty was founded by Hamdan ibn Hamdun. By 892–893, he was in possession of Mardin, after fighting the Kharijites of the Jazira.^[3] In 895, Caliph al-Mutadid invaded and Hamdan fled Mardin.^[3]

Hamdan's son, Husayn, who was at Ardumusht, joined the caliph's forces.^[3] Hamdan later surrendered to the caliph and was imprisoned.^[3] In December 908, Husayn conspired to establish Ibn al-Mu'tazz as Caliph. Having failed, Husayn fled until he asked for mediation through his brother Ibrahim. Upon his return, he was made governor of Diyar Rabi'a.^[3] In 916, Husayn, due to a disagreement with vizier Ali b. Isa, revolted, was captured, imprisoned, and executed in 918.^[3]

Hamdan's other son, Abdallah, was made governor of Mosul in 905–906.^[4] He conducted campaigns against the Kurds in that region and in 913–914, was dismissed from his post and subsequently revolted.^[3] Abdallah submitted himself to Mu'nis, and with his pardon was made governor of Mosul in 914–915.^[3] During his brother Husayn's revolt, both he and his brother Ibrahim were temporarily imprisoned.^[3] By 919, Abdallah was commanding an army against Yusuf b. Abi l'Sadj, governor of Adharbaydjan and Armenia.^[3] During their rule the Hamdanids intermarried with Kurdish dignitaries.^[5]

The rule of Hassan Nasir al-Dawla (929–968), governor of Mosul and Diyar Bakr, was sufficiently tyrannical to cause him to be deposed by his own family.

His lineage still ruled in Mosul, a heavy defeat by the Buyids in 979 notwithstanding, until 990. After this, their area of control in northern Iraq was divided between the Uqaylids and the Marwanids.

Ali Sayf al-Dawla 'Sword of the State' ruled (945–967) northern Syria from Aleppo, and became the most important opponent of the Christian Byzantine Empire's re-expansion. His court was a centre of culture, thanks to its nurturing of Arabic literature, but it lost this status after the Byzantine conquest of Aleppo.

To stop the Byzantine advance, Aleppo was put under the suzerainty of the Fatimids in Egypt, but in 1003 the Fatimids deposed the Hamdanids.

Hamdanid rulers

Hamdanids in Al-Jazira

1. Hamdan ibn Hamdun
2. al-Husayn ibn Hamdan (895–916)
3. Abdallah ibn Hamdan (906–929)
4. Nasir al-Dawla (929–967)
5. Abu Taghlib (967–978)
6. Directly administered as part of the Buyid-controlled Abbasid Caliphate, 979–981
7. Abu Tahir Ibrahim ibn Nasir al-Dawla (989–990)
8. Abu Abdallah al-Husayn ibn Nasir al-Dawla (989–990)
9. Deposed by the Uqaylid chieftain Muhammad ibn al-Musayyab

Hamdanids in Aleppo

1. Sayf al-Dawla (945–967)
2. Sa'd al-Dawla (967–991)
3. Sa'id al-Dawla (991–1002)
4. Deposed by the ghulam Lu'lu' al-Kabir

See also

• Rulers of Aleppo
• List of Shi'a Muslim dynasties
• Mirdasids

References

Sources

• Bosworth, C.E. (1996). The New Islamic Dynasties. Columbia University Press. The Hamdanids came from the Arab tribe of Taghlib..[..]...the Hamdanids tended to follow the Shī'ī inclinations...
• Canard, Marius (1971). "Ḥamdānids". In Lewis, B.; Ménage, V. L.; Pellat, Ch. & Schacht, J. (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam. Volume III: H–Iram (2nd ed.). Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 126–131. OCLC 495469525.
• Corbin, Henry (2014). History Of Islamic Philosophy. Routledge.

Further reading

• Bikhazi, Ramzi J. (1981). The Hamdanid Dynasty of Mesopotamia and North Syria 254–404/868–1014. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.
• Canard, Marius (1951). Histoire de la dynastie des Hamdanides de Jazîra et de Syrie (in French). Algiers: Faculté des Lettres d'Alger. OCLC 715397763.
• Freytag, G. W. (1856). "Geschichte der Dynastien der Hamdaniden in Mosul und Aleppo". Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft (in German). X: 432–498.
• Freytag, G. W. (1857). "Geschichte der Dynastien der Hamdaniden in Mosul und Aleppo". Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft (in German). XI: 177–252.
• Kennedy, Hugh N. (2004). The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates: The Islamic Near East from the 6th to the 11th Century (2nd ed.). Harlow, England: Longman. ISBN 978-0-58-240525-7.
• Hukam (Arabic)