Qatr al-Nada facts for kids

Asma bint Khumarawayh ibn Ahmad ibn Tulun (Arabic: أسماء بنت خمارويه بن أحمد بن طولون) was a princess from ancient Egypt. She was better known as Qatr al-Nada (Arabic: قطر الندى, romanized: Qaṭr al-Nadā, lit. 'Dew Drop'). Her father was Khumarawayh ibn Ahmad ibn Tulun, a powerful ruler from the Tulunid family. Qatr al-Nada became the main wife of al-Mu'tadid, who was the sixteenth Abbasid caliph. A caliph was a very important leader in the Islamic world, like a king or emperor.

The Life of Qatr al-Nada

Qatr al-Nada's story is about a special marriage that helped bring peace.

Why Was Her Marriage Important?

Her father, Khumarawayh, offered Qatr al-Nada in marriage to Caliph al-Mu'tadid. This marriage was part of a big agreement. It was meant to end many years of fighting. The Tulunids (Qatr al-Nada's family) and the Abbasid court had been rivals.

The agreement was made in the spring of 893. It recognized Khumarawayh as the ruler of Egypt and Syria. This meant he could rule these lands on his own. In return, he had to send money to Baghdad every year.

Who Did She Marry?

At first, Qatr al-Nada was supposed to marry one of the Caliph's sons. His name was Ali, and he later became Caliph al-Muktafi. But Caliph al-Mu'tadid decided to marry her himself instead.

Qatr al-Nada brought a huge amount of money with her for the marriage. It was one million gold dinars. A historian named Thierry Bianquis said this was the most amazing wedding gift in Arab history.

Her Journey to Baghdad

The Caliph married her through a special representative. This person was a jewelry seller named Abu Abdallah al-Jawhari ibn al-Jassas. The marriage happened while Qatr al-Nada was still in Egypt.

She then traveled from Egypt to Baghdad. Ibn al-Jassas and her uncle, Abu al-Karadis, went with her. She arrived in Baghdad on March 3, 895. Her journey was very grand and fancy. This was a big contrast to the Caliph's court, which was not as rich at the time.

What Was She Like?

A scholar from Baghdad, Taj al-Din Ali ibn Anjab ibn al-Sa'i, wrote about her. He said she was "one of the most intelligent and regal women who ever lived." He also shared a story about her cleverness.

One day, her husband, the Caliph, told her she was lucky. He said she had married the Caliph and had nothing more to wish for. Qatr al-Nada quickly replied that he was the lucky one! She said their marriage made her father a subject of the Caliph. This meant the Caliph had more to be thankful for.

When Did She Die?

Qatr al-Nada passed away on July 8, 900. She was buried in the Caliph's palace in al-Rusafa. Years later, in 906, one of her half-sisters married Caliph al-Muktafi. This was the same son of al-Mu'tadid that Qatr al-Nada was first supposed to marry.

See also

• Hurra bint Badr

Sources

• Bianquis, Thierry (1998). [Qatr al-Nada at Google Books "Autonomous Egypt from Ibn Ṭūlūn to Kāfūr, 868–969"]. The Cambridge History of Egypt, Volume 1: Islamic Egypt, 640–1517. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 86–119. ISBN 0-521-47137-0. Qatr al-Nada at Google Books.
• Rosenthal, Franz, ed. (1985). [Qatr al-Nada at Google Books The History of al-Ṭabarī, Volume XXXVIII: The Return of the Caliphate to Baghdad: The Caliphates of al-Muʿtaḍid, al-Muktafī and al-Muqtadir, A.D. 892–915/A.H. 279–302]. SUNY Series in Near Eastern Studies.. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-87395-876-9. Qatr al-Nada at Google Books.
• Sobernheim, Moritz (1987). "[Qatr al-Nada at Google Books Khumārawaih]". E.J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913–1936, Volume IV: 'Itk–Kwaṭṭa. Leiden: Brill. 973.