Jawhar (general) facts for kids

Al-Qaid Jawhar ibn Abdallah (Arabic: جوهر بن عبد الله, romanized: Jawhar ibn ʿAbd Allāh), often called Jawhar al-Siqilli or "The Sicilian General," was a very important military leader. He was born in the Byzantine empire and lived until 992. Jawhar was a general for the Fatimid Caliphate, a powerful Muslim empire.

He helped the Fatimids conquer large areas of North Africa and then Egypt. He worked for the fourth Fatimid leader, al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah. Jawhar was in charge of Egypt until al-Mu'izz arrived in 973. He made sure the Fatimids had strong control over Egypt. He also helped start the famous city of Cairo. After this, he retired from public life.

Jawhar was known by several names. "Al-Siqilli" meant "The Sicilian" because he was from Sicily. "Al-Saqlabi" meant "The Slav." He was also called "Al-Katib" (The Secretary) and "Al-Qa'id" (The General).

Biography

We don't know exactly when Jawhar was born. But since he died in 992, and his most active years were between 950 and 975, he was likely born in the early 900s. He was born in Sicily, which was part of the Byzantine empire at that time.

Jawhar's father, Abdallah, was a slave. Jawhar himself started as a slave-soldier, called a ghulām. He might also have been a secretary for the third Fatimid leader, al-Mansur bi-Nasr Allah (r. 946 – 953).

In 958, al-Mansur's son, al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah (r. 953 – 975), chose Jawhar for a big mission. Jawhar was to lead a campaign to bring central and western North Africa back under Fatimid control. This campaign showed everyone how talented Jawhar was as a military leader.

First, Jawhar led the Fatimid armies to victory over the Zenata. This was a Berber tribe that had teamed up with the Fatimids' rivals, the Umayyads from Spain. Jawhar defeated and killed their leader, Ya'la ibn Muhammad al-Yafrani.

Then, he moved towards Sijilmasa, capturing the city and killing its ruler. About a year later, in October 960, he marched north to Fez. He took the city by force on November 13 and captured its Umayyad governor. With this victory, almost all of North Africa came under Fatimid rule. To show his success, Jawhar reportedly sent jars of live fish from the Atlantic Ocean to the Caliph in Ifriqiya.

It is said that before the North Africa campaign, al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah spent many hours discussing battle plans with Jawhar. When they finally parted, al-Mu'izz gave Jawhar great honors. All soldiers had to get off their horses to show respect for their commander-in-chief.

After securing the western borders, Jawhar led the Fatimid invasion of Egypt in 969. He approached Egypt from Alexandria and marched towards the capital, Fustat. His army faced little resistance. They secured the country with a peace treaty.

Some parts of the Egyptian army rebelled. They took positions on Roda Island in the Nile River. They wanted to stop the Fatimid army from reaching Fustat. Jawhar attacked the island with his troops and cleared out the enemy. Then, he peacefully entered Fustat.

While Jawhar was making Egypt peaceful, the Fatimid army also invaded Syria in 970. However, this army was defeated near Damascus in 971. This left Egypt without many defenders. An enemy group called the Qarmatians invaded Egypt in September.

Jawhar didn't have many soldiers. So, he gathered everyone in Fustat to build a strong defensive wall and ditch north of the city. The invaders were slowed down in the Nile Delta. This gave Jawhar enough time to finish his defenses. The invaders tried to take Fustat but were stopped by the defenses. Jawhar then defeated them in a battle outside the city.

Last campaign

Jawhar played a role in choosing al-Mu'izz's younger son, Nizar, as the next leader. This happened just before the caliph died in December 975. Jawhar and the court doctor brought Nizar out of the dying caliph's room. They placed him on a throne, showing he was the chosen heir.

The new caliph, al-Aziz, faced problems in Syria. The Fatimids tried to expand there, but local groups and Arab tribes resisted. A Turkish commander named Alptakin took over Damascus. The Qarmatians also allied with Alptakin. By early 976, the Qarmatians controlled Palestine. The Fatimids only held a few coastal cities, which were under threat.

Because of this, al-Aziz asked Jawhar to lead a large army of 20,000 men. This was the biggest Fatimid army sent to Syria so far. Jawhar's mission was to fight the Qarmatians and Alptakin.

The Qarmatians quickly retreated as Jawhar's army advanced. They left only a small group to join Alptakin. Jawhar offered Alptakin a pardon and gifts, suggesting he join the Fatimid service. But Alptakin refused. Still, Alptakin had to retreat to Damascus because Jawhar's army was much bigger.

Jawhar's army arrived at Damascus in July 976. They set up a strong camp and began a siege that lasted several months. As winter came, Jawhar's army suffered from hunger. News arrived that a Qarmatian army was coming. Jawhar decided to end the siege and left Damascus in December or January. The Fatimids were now outnumbered.

Jawhar retreated south, first to Tiberias and then towards Ramla. His enemies followed him closely. Many more Arab tribes joined the enemy forces. Jawhar lost many men to the freezing cold and snow. After a tough battle, he found himself trapped at Ramla. His army suffered from a lack of supplies and even water.

Jawhar was forced to leave Ramla and go to the coastal fortress of Ascalon. The Qarmatians entered Ramla in March 977. Soon, they joined Alptakin's forces and also besieged Ascalon. The blockade lasted for fifteen months. During this time, Jawhar lost most of his army to starvation.

Finally, Jawhar had to negotiate with Alptakin. The Qarmatians strongly opposed any deal. They wanted to keep the siege until the Fatimid army died of hunger. But Jawhar was allowed to leave in March or April 978. It was a difficult surrender. The surviving Fatimid troops had to march out of Ascalon under Alptakin's sword, which was hung at the city gate.

Jawhar agreed that the Fatimids would give up their claims to lands north of Gaza. Alptakin would rule the rest of Syria. He was effectively independent.

Death

The surrender at Ascalon marked the end of Jawhar's military career. He died on April 28, 992. It is believed he was buried in Cairo, Egypt. However, his exact resting place is still unknown.

See also

10th century in Lebanon § The Fatimids

Sources

• Daftary, Farhad (2007). [Jawhar (general) at Google Books The Ismāʿı̄lı̄s: Their History and Doctrines] (Second ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-61636-2. Jawhar (general) at Google Books.
• Gil, Moshe (1997). [Jawhar (general) at Google Books A History of Palestine, 634–1099]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-59984-9. Jawhar (general) at Google Books.
• Halm, Heinz (2003) (in de). [Jawhar (general) at Google Books Die Kalifen von Kairo: Die Fatimiden in Ägypten, 973–1074]. Munich: C. H. Beck. ISBN 3-406-48654-1. Jawhar (general) at Google Books.
• Monés, Hussain (1965). "D̲j̲awhar al-Ṣiḳillī". The Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition, Volume II: C–G. Leiden: E. J. Brill. 494–495. DOI:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_2034.