IKHSHIDID

The Ikhshidid Dynasty was of Mamluk [i] origin, which consisted of enslaved soldiers, freed slaves, and Muslim rulers. The society persisted until a famine in 963 CE led to a weakened state, and attacks from Nubians in 950 CE, along with continued invasion in 965 CE, diminished the empire’s status. A general from the Fatimid [ii] civilization conquered Egypt in 969 CE and overthrew the last of the Ikhshidid rulers. Ubayd Allah, the brother of the Ikhshidid founder, was able to hold out for some time in Syria, but was ultimately taken prisoner; signaling the official end of the Ikhshidids as a ruling power [iii].

Over the final 15 years of the dynasty, the Nubians, Amazigh, Bedouins, and Qarmatians [iv] overpowered the Ikhshidid civilization. Byzantine [v] incursions also occurred, which destroyed the Egyptian fleet and inspired Melkite Christians to rebel. The Fatimid [vi] governor of Middle Egypt led a rebellion that captured Fustat [vii]. However, following the governor’s untimely death, power fell into the hands of Kāfūr, a high ranking official. During Kāfūr’s rule, internal conflicts between the rulers’ soldiers and the Ikhshidid founders’ sons took hold. When the Ikhshidid ruling family departed after the enduring internal strife, the Fatimids dispatched an army and ultimately conquered Egypt in 969 CE.

Under Muhammad ibn Tugjh [viii], the Ikhshidid Empire flourished culturally and economically thanks to its political independence from the Abbasid state. This independence significantly aided the dynasty’s inception and afforded them an influx of useful resources. Due to its short-lived nature of 30 years, the Ikshidid’s impact of today’s modern Egypt is not widely visible, however, the civilization’s coin system had major influence on the societies that followed. This is especially apparent in the Fatimid Dynasty. Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid’s love of eastern luxuries [ix] also spread among upper classes of Fustat and influenced the style of Egyptian products for many years after.

The “Emir”, or governor, was the highest governing official in the civilization. As Emir, Muhammad Ibn Tughj established his authority over the treasury and army. He founded a dynasty, and several governorships [x] which persisted for 30 years under his descendants’ rule. However, the Abbasid government itself, which formally appointed the Emir position with full financial and military power in Egypt, was not functioning. Despite the government’s instability, the ruling Ikshidids did not willfully surrender much control. It wasn;t until Kāfūr’s death in 968 CE that the Ikhshidids could not maintain order in the army or in the governments’ bureaucratic system.

The Empire’s founder, Muḥammad ibn Ṭughj, was the protégé of Takin, the three-time Governor of Egypt [xi] and the most successful Abbasid governor at the time of the Tulunid Dynasty’s destruction [xii]. Many conflicts and intrusions [xiii] came during the dynasty’s reign, but more notably, from 946 until 968, the high official and former enslaved Mamluk, Abū al-Misk Kāfūr, went on to hold substantial governmental power. This is especially notable as Ibn Ṭughj’s sons, Ūnūjūr and ʿAlī, remained generally nominal rulers. Kāfūr also managed to successfully ward off multiple Faṭimid intrusions into his territories, largely paving the way for the empire’s continued success.

Muhammad ibn Tughj reasserted Egyptian influence in Syria, thwarted the Fāṭimids attacks, and even won the governorship of the holy cities of Arabia: Mecca, and Medina [xiv] There was remarkable stability in the empie’s early years marked by an absence of economic chaos. This, combined with the prohibition of looting, helped immensely to pacify the territory [xv]. There was also progress in many social, cultural, and economic aspects due to the political independence of Egypt from Abbasid Caliphate. The Ikhshidids brought Egypt peace and prosperity by pursuing wise and thoughtful agrarian policies [xvi]. that increased yields by eliminating tax abuses and reforming the administration.

The Ikhshidids enslaved Black slave troops throughout its short-lived infantry due to financial reasons [xvii]. However, the most prominent aspect of the Ikshdidid’s economic policy was their coinage system. The main image above showcases the empires’ rarest coin [xviii], providing some evidence of the struggle between the Ikhshidids and the Qarmatids in their quests to establish supremacy over Arabia and Syria. The inscription itself is rare [xix] as well, as it included a verse of the Qur’an and the actual name of the ruler instead of just a title. This was a common practice amongst North African empires, especially the Idrisid dirhams of Morocco [xx].