Qirwash ibn al-Muqallad facts for kids

Qirwash ibn al-Muqallad (Arabic: قرواش بن المقلد, romanized: Qirwāsh ibn al-Muqallad) was an important ruler in ancient Iraq. He was the third Uqaylid emir (a type of prince or governor) of Mosul. He also ruled other cities in Iraq from 1001 to 1050. Qirwash was known by the special title Muʿtamid al-Dawla (Arabic: معتمد الدولة, lit. 'Trusted of the State').

Like other rulers of his time, Qirwash was very ambitious. He was always trying to keep and expand his lands. This meant he often had to make and break alliances with different groups. These included the Buyid rulers of Baghdad, other Bedouin tribes, and even members of his own family. In 1010, Qirwash even briefly switched his loyalty from the Abbasid rulers to the Fatimid Caliphate in Cairo. He was later defeated and put in prison by his brother, Baraka. Qirwash died on October 27, 1052.

Life of Qirwash

Becoming the Emir

Qirwash was the oldest son of al-Muqallad ibn al-Musayyab, who was the Emir of Mosul. His father was killed in 1001 while planning to take over Baghdad. During his rule (996–1001), al-Muqallad had taken control of several towns in Iraq. These included Anbar and Tikrit, which were very close to Baghdad.

The Uqaylid rulers relied on Bedouin tribes for their army. When Qirwash's father died suddenly, it caused a lot of confusion. Qirwash and his uncle, al-Hasan, both wanted to lead the tribe. They soon had to work together against another tribal leader, Qarrad ibn Ladid. They decided to split the money from Mosul. Qirwash also took over his father's rule in Kufa. He had to force out the Khafaja tribe that had taken control of Kufa.

Fighting the Buyids

In 1002, Qirwash teamed up with the Banu Asad tribe. They tried to capture al-Mada'in from the Buyids. The Buyid army fought back but was defeated near Kufa. The Buyid commander then asked the Khafaja and Kurdish Annazids for help. This time, the Buyids won a big victory.

The alliance between Qirwash and the Banu Asad broke apart. The Buyids won again in other battles. The Khafaja even looted Qirwash's camp, which was a big insult for Bedouin tribes. The Buyids then used a "divide and rule" strategy. They made peace with the Banu Asad, giving their leader the position Qirwash had held. The Khafaja likely got Kufa back.

Qirwash then tried to get back the towns his father had controlled. For a few years, the Uqaylids could only raid and kidnap. Things changed when the Khafaja joined a rebellion in Basra. To stop them, the Buyids gave Kufa back to Qirwash in 1005 or 1006. Qirwash also visited Baghdad. There, the Caliph al-Qadir gave him the title "Muʿtamid al-Dawla." This title meant "Support of the Dynasty." It confirmed him as the leader of the Bedouin.

Around 1006 or 1007, Qirwash became the only leader of his tribe. This happened after his last uncle died. He tried to take Kufa but failed. Still, Qirwash was able to gain more power in Iraq. In 1008 or 1009, the Uqaylids even took Rahba from a leader who supported the Fatimids.

Switching Sides to the Fatimids

Qirwash decided to change his loyalty from the Sunni Abbasid Caliph to the Shi'a Fatimid caliph in Cairo. This caliph was named al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah. On August 18, 1010, Qirwash ordered that the khutba (Friday sermon) in Mosul be read in al-Hakim's name. This was also done in Anbar and al-Mada'in later that year.

This move did not work out well for Qirwash. The Buyids gathered an army and money to fight him. Even before gifts from Cairo arrived, Qirwash switched back to supporting the Abbasids. This event made his position in Iraq much weaker. It also led to the Caliph al-Qadir issuing a statement against the Fatimids.

Under New Buyid Rulers

The main Buyid ruler, Baha al-Dawla, died in December 1012. His son, Sultan al-Dawla, took over. Sultan al-Dawla faced many challenges from other powerful leaders. He allied with Qirwash and even married Qirwash's sister or daughter. With Qirwash's help, he took control of Baghdad. He also brought other Bedouin tribes under control.

However, the Buyid power was clearly getting weaker. This was partly because the Buyid rulers fought among themselves. This made Iraq even more unstable. Different Arab and Kurdish groups felt free to fight their rivals. For example, in 1018, Dubays, a grandson of Ibn Mazyad, teamed up with a Uqaylid leader against his own cousin. The Buyids joined Dubays' side. Qirwash helped the cousin, hoping to gain more power in central Iraq.

In 1020, the Banu Asad and Buyid troops defeated Qirwash. He was taken prisoner. Qirwash's ally then joined the other side and captured Tikrit. Qirwash managed to escape and sought help from the Khafaja. But he was defeated again by Buyid troops. Qirwash quickly made peace with the Buyids. This might have been easier because Sultan al-Dawla was replaced by his younger brother, Musharrif al-Dawla, in March 1021.

Musharrif al-Dawla had good relations with the Uqaylids. But after he died unexpectedly in 1025, the fighting between two Buyid emirs, Jalal al-Dawla and Abu Kalijar, made Iraq unstable again.

Challenges Under Jalal al-Dawla

In 1024, a Buyid official fled Baghdad and worked for Qirwash. But he was sent away in 1026 because the Abbasid caliph insisted. In 1026 or 1027, the Khafaja attacked Uqaylid lands in central Iraq. They allied with the Banu Asad and the Buyids. Qirwash's army was defeated near Kufa, and he had to flee. His enemies then took Anbar.

Qirwash also faced problems from other Uqaylid rivals. These included Abu Mansur Kamil, a son of Qarrad ibn Ladid, and Qirwash's own brother, Badran. During a battle, they made peace, and Badran kept control of Nisibis. Meanwhile, the Khafaja and Asad tribes started fighting each other. The Asad tribe then made peace with Qirwash. He helped the people of Anbar make their town stronger. Even though Qirwash kept Anbar, these events meant the Uqaylids lost their rule in the lands south of Baghdad.

In the fight between Jalal al-Dawla and Abu Kalijar, Qirwash first supported Abu Kalijar. He even tried to attack Baghdad in 1029 or 1030. But when Jalal al-Dawla took control of Baghdad, Qirwash accepted the new situation. In the 1030s, he supported the Buyid emir in politics and battles. For example, in 1036, Qirwash held a former Buyid official prisoner. He ordered him killed in 1039. In 1036 or 1037, Qirwash helped Jalal al-Dawla against a rebellion.

In 1040, Qirwash tried to take Tikrit back. But the rulers of Tikrit paid Jalal al-Dawla a lot of money. So, Jalal al-Dawla attacked Qirwash's lands, forcing Qirwash to give up on Tikrit. At the same time, Iraq faced its first attacks from the Oghuz Turks. On April 21, 1044, Qirwash led the Uqaylids and their allies. They won a big victory against the Turks, pushing them back.

Qirwash's End

By 1048 or 1049, another rival appeared: Qirwash's brother, Abu Kamil Baraka. Qirwash was supported by his nephew, Quraysh, who forced Baraka to flee. But in June 1049, the armies of the two brothers fought. Many of Qirwash's followers switched sides. Baraka captured Qirwash and took him to Mosul. For a while, Qirwash was still called the emir, but Baraka was the real ruler. Baraka put Qirwash in prison in 1050.

When Baraka died in 1052, his own son, Quraysh, became the ruler. Soon after, on October 27, 1052, Qirwash died in a fortress. Some reports say he was killed on his nephew's orders.

Sources

• Bosworth, C. E. (2000). "ʿUḳaylids". The Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition, Volume X: T–U. Leiden: E. J. Brill. 786–787. DOI:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_1274. 

• Donohue, John J. (2003). [Qirwash ibn al-Muqallad at Google Books The Buwayhid Dynasty in Iraq 334 H./945 to 403 H./1012: Shaping Institutions for the Future]. Leiden and Boston: Brill. ISBN 90-04-12860-3. Qirwash ibn al-Muqallad at Google Books.
• Kennedy, Hugh (2004). [Qirwash ibn al-Muqallad at Google Books The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates: The Islamic Near East from the 6th to the 11th Century] (Second ed.). Harlow: Longman. ISBN 978-0-582-40525-7. Qirwash ibn al-Muqallad at Google Books.