Misplaced Pages

#500499

35-642: Jabiyah has a "curious etymology", according to historian Irfan Shahid . The name may be related to the Arabic word for "reservoir" or a Syriac word for "the Chosen". Jabiyah was first mentioned in circa 520 CE in a Syriac letter of Bishop Simeon of Beth Arsham in which he states that he wrote his letter from the camp of the Ghassanid king Jabalah IV ibn al-Harith at Jabiyah, which he refers to as "Gbīthā". The Ghassanids were an Arab Christian vassal kingdom of

70-565: A leadership crisis in the Caliphate at a time when the Mecca -based Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr was recognized as caliph in the Hejaz (western Arabia) and Iraq . Ibn Bahdal supported Mu'awiya's younger half brothers' claims to succession, though their youth and inexperience generally precluded either of them from being accepted as caliphs by the ashraf (tribal nobility) of Syria . In Syria,

105-641: A meeting of the Umayyad family and the Syrian ashraf , excluding Ubayd Allah, to settle the matter of Mu'awiya II's succession. The meeting was not held in the capital Damascus where al-Dahhak, whose allegiance was still under suspicion, ruled, but in Jabiya , a major town in the Jordan district. Al-Dahhak did not attend the meeting, having been convinced by the ashraf of Qays to boycott and mobilize for war. At

140-656: A meeting place for two Monophysite groups, one led by the Syriac Patriarch Peter and the other by the Coptic Pope Damian of Alexandria , that wanted to settle their religious disputes. The groups failed to reach an agreement, but the meeting of rival Monophysite factions in Jabiyah indicates its importance as a Monophysite center. Jabiyah functioned as the capital of the Ghassanids. It

175-510: A member of the dynasty and governor of Syria, Mu'awiya I , against the partisans of Caliph Ali at the Battle of Siffin in 657. During that battle, Ibn Bahdal was in command of his Quda'a confederate tribesmen from Jund Dimashq (military district of Damascus). Later, Ibn Bahdal was among three of Bahdal's grandchildren who dominated the Umayyad political scene during the Sufyanid period;

210-506: A speech, frequently mentioned in Muslim tradition, called khuṭbat al-Jābiya ; before a large gathering of generals and ṣaḥāba , Umar decreed the establishment of the dīwān (administrative endowments). Initially, it was decided that the local Arab tribes of Syria would be excluded from the dīwān , but they were ultimately incorporated under pressure of their opposition. According to ancient sources, Jews met with Umar in Jabiyah and, citing

245-695: Is attested to in the nearby hill which carries its name, Tell al-Jabiyah, and the Bab al-Jabiyah gate of old Damascus. Tell al-Jabiyah was described by a 19th-century Western archaeologist as "the most conspicuous point of all the country around. It is a hill with two peaks, the eastern and the highest of which reaches an elevation of 2,322 feet above the sea. It commands a fine view over Northern Hawran and Jedur". Irfan Shahid Irfan Arif Shahîd ( Arabic : عرفان عارف شهيد ʿIrfān ʿĀrif Shahīd ; January 15, 1926 – November 9, 2016), also known as Erfan Arif Kawar ( عرفان عارف قعوار ʿIrfān ʿĀrif Qaʿwār ),

280-547: The Banu Judham , Rawh ibn Zinba' , backed Marwan I for the caliphal throne, and the other chieftains followed suit. An agreement was finally reached whereby Marwan would become caliph, followed by Khalid ibn Yazid , then Amr ibn Sa'id al-Ashdaq . "In this way the unity of the Umayyad party was restored, and al-Jabiya became the cradle of the Marwanid dynasty", according to historian Henri Lammens . Marwan later changed

315-455: The Battle of Marj Rahit and secured for themselves the most prominent roles in the Umayyad administration and military. Hassan ibn Malik was a grandson of Bahdal ibn Unayf , chieftain of the Banu Kalb , one of the largest Bedouin tribes in 7th-century Arabia and Syria . Though not a son of Bahdal, Hassan was commonly referred to in medieval sources as 'Ibn Bahdal'. They belonged to

350-530: The Byzantine Empire . The letter noted that there was a Ghassanid military camp nearby. According to Shahid, Simeon's letter reveals that Jabiyah was the place where foreign envoys and other dignitaries convened with the Ghassanid kings, indicating the town's importance. The town was again referenced in 569 in a Syriac letter noting the "monastery of St. Sergius " in Jabiyah. In 587, Jabiyah served as

385-536: The Quran ; and Arabic literature , especially classical and medieval Arabic poetry. Ibn Bahdal Hassan ibn Malik ibn Bahdal al-Kalbi ( Arabic : حسان بن مالك بن بحدل الكلبي , romanized :  Ḥassān ibn Mālik ibn Baḥdal al-Kalbī , commonly known as Ibn Bahdal ( Arabic : ابن بحدل , romanized :  Ibn Baḥdal ; d. 688 or 689), was the Umayyad governor of Palestine and Jordan during

SECTION 10

#1732764966501

420-491: The Jabiya summit, Ibn Bahdal declared Ibn al-Zubayr to be a munafiq (hypocrite) who betrayed the Umayyad cause. The attending ashraf agreed, but rejected both Khalid and Abd Allah, saying "we dislike the idea that the others [Qaysi ashraf ] should come to us with a shaykh [Ibn al-Zubayr] while we bring them a youngster". After forty days of talks, the Jabiya summit concluded with an agreement nominating Marwan as

455-619: The Kalb's princely house, known as the Banu Haritha ibn Janab , which gave Ibn Bahdal prestige and authority over his tribesmen. Moreover, through his aunt, Maysun bint Bahdal , Ibn Bahdal was also a cousin of the Umayyad caliph Yazid I , which increased his influence with the ruling Umayyad dynasty. He later became Yazid's brother-in-law as well. Prior to the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate in 661, Ibn Bahdal fought for

490-567: The Sufyanids, members of the Umayyad dynasty 's Abu Sufyan line, ruled the Caliphate between 661 and 684. Owing to the power of the Banu Kalb and his marital relations with the Sufyanids, Ibn Bahdal was appointed governor over Jund Filastin (military district of Palestine) and Jund al-Urdunn (military district of Jordan) by Mu'awiya I ( r.  661–680 ) and Yazid I ( r.  680–683 ). Ibn Bahdal accompanied Yazid to Damascus, where

525-514: The Umayyad dynasty. The Qaysi governors of Qinnasrin and Hims sent al-Dahhak troops, as did Natil ibn Qays of Palestine. Marwan's tribal allies included the Kalb of Jordan, the Kindites and the Ghassanids . While the historian Patricia Crone states Ibn Bahdal was present at Marj Rahit, the medieval historian al-Tabari wrote that Ibn Bahdal "rode off to the Jordan district". In July 684,

560-530: The Umayyad–Kalbi triumph at Marj Rahit, "but this is clearly not impossible", according to Crone. Marwan died in April 685, less than a year after becoming caliph; however, before his death, he managed to oblige Ibn Bahdal to recognize his son Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan as successor to the Caliphate instead of Khalid ibn Yazid. Subsequently, Ibn Bahdal's influence gradually receded. He supported Abd al-Malik against

595-624: The administrative and courtly privileges of his household and the Banu Kalb. He left his home in Palestine for Jordan to keep a closer eye on developments in Damascus. He assigned Rawh ibn Zinba' , a chieftain of the Judham , as his replacement in Palestine, but Rawh was soon after expelled by his rival in the Judham, Natil ibn Qays , who rebelled and gave allegiance to Ibn al-Zubayr. Meanwhile,

630-485: The chieftain of the Banu Kalb and cousin of Caliph Yazid I (r. 680–683). The summit was not attended by the Qaysi tribes or the governor of Jund Dimashq, al-Dahhak ibn Qays al-Fihri , all of whom supported or sympathized with Ibn al-Zubayr. Though Ibn Bahdal lobbied for Mu'awiya II's half-brothers to accede, the other Arab chieftains dismissed this suggestion due to the half-brothers' youth and inexperience. A chieftain of

665-518: The endurance of the Qais", according to historian Julius Wellhausen . Under their main leader in the district, Zufar ibn al-Harith al-Kilabi , the Qays ousted Sa'id. Meanwhile, Yazid died in 683 and Ibn Bahdal became the guardian of his young sons, Mu'awiya II , Khalid and Abd Allah . As a result of Ibn Bahdal's influence, Mu'awiya II succeeded his father as caliph, but died of illness in 684, sparking

700-467: The expelled Umayyad governor of Iraq, Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad , arrived in Damascus and strove to uphold Umayyad rule. However, instead of Yazid's young children, Ubayd Allah turned to Marwan I , a non-Sufyanid member of the Umayyad clan; the latter had been on his way to Mecca to recognize Ibn al-Zubayr's caliphate, but Ubayd Allah persuaded him to return to Palmyra and claim the throne himself. Ibn Bahdal still favored Khalid ibn Yazid and presided over

735-519: The governor of Damascus, al-Dahhak ibn Qays al-Fihri , leaned toward Ibn al-Zubayr, while the governors of Jund Hims (military district of Homs) and Qinnasrin, Nu'man ibn Bashir al-Ansari and Zufar ibn al-Harith al-Kilabi, respectively, the Qaysi tribes in general, and even members of the extended Umayyad family offered their full-fledged recognition of Ibn al-Zubayr's sovereignty. Ibn Bahdal fervently sought to maintain Umayyad rule, and by extension,

SECTION 20

#1732764966501

770-498: The governorship of Mu'awiya I . After the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate by Mu'awiya I in 661, Jabiyah would become a city that all Umayyad caliphs would pass through during their reigns. With the death of Mu'awiya II in 684 and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr 's growing control over the Caliphate, the local Arab tribes of Syria convened at Jabiyah to maintain Umayyad rule. The summit was presided over by Ibn Bahdal ,

805-474: The guardian of his son and successor, Mu'awiya II , until the latter's premature death in 684. Amid the political instability and rebellions that ensued in the caliphate, Ibn Bahdal attempted to secure the succession Mu'awiya II's brother Khalid , but ultimately threw his support behind Marwan I , who hailed from a different branch of the Umayyads. Ibn Bahdal and his tribal allies defeated Marwan's opponents at

840-426: The harsh climate and plagues, requested permission to drink wine, but after suggesting honey, which they found ineffective, Umar allowed them to prepare a non-intoxicating dish from boiled grape syrup, which he remarked resembled camel ointment. Jabiyah served as the initial administrative center of Jund Dimashq (military district of Damascus). During the plague of Imwas , which killed numerous Muslim troops, Jabiyah

875-509: The latter came to assume the caliphate following Mu'awiya's death. He went on to be an influential voice in Yazid's court. Yazid also appointed Ibn Bahdal's brother, Sa'id , as governor of Jund Qinnasrin (military district of Chalcis). This district was dominated by Qaysi tribes resentful of the Kalb's privileged position in the Umayyad court. Sa'id's authority in Qinnasrin was "beyond

910-675: The main Syrian military camp was shifted north to Dabiq near the Arab–Byzantine frontier . Nonetheless, Jabiyah remained the center of a district within Jund Dimashq. Its significance waned further with the rise of the Iraq-based Abbasid Caliphate in 750. Jabiyah's decline beginning in the early 8th century has rendered it, in Shahid's words, as "entirely vanished" in the present day. Jabiyah's former existence

945-532: The nearby Battle of Yarmouk . Afterward, Jabiyah became the main military camp of the Muslims in Syria . The site was chosen by Caliph Umar in 638 to hold a meeting of the principal ṣaḥāba (companions of Muhammad ) to determine the affairs of Syria. This included the distribution of war spoils, organization of the military administration of Syria and determination of the soldiers' wages. That same year, Umar made

980-465: The new caliph. Although Ibn Bahdal's candidate was rejected, he managed to secure a stipulation whereby Khalid would succeed Marwan. Moreover, in exchange for his nomination, Marwan had financial and administrative obligations to Ibn Bahdal, the Banu Kalb and the attending ashraf . Al-Dahhak, meanwhile, had pitched camp at Marj Rahit, north of Damascus, with the garrison of Damascus, publicly proclaimed his allegiance with Ibn al-Zubayr and renounced

1015-423: The reigns of Mu'awiya I ( r.  661–680 ) and Yazid I ( r.  680–683 ), a senior figure in the caliph's court, and a chieftain of the Banu Kalb tribe. He owed his position both to his leadership of the powerful Kalb, a major source of troops, and his kinship with the Umayyads through his aunt Maysun bint Bahdal , the wife of Mu'awiya and mother of Yazid. Following Yazid's death, Ibn Bahdal served as

1050-548: The renowned British historian A. N. Sherwin-White . He received his PhD from Princeton University in Arabic and Islamic Studies. His doctorate thesis was "Early Islam and Poetry" and his research was primarily focused on three major areas: the area where the Greco-Roman world, especially the Byzantine Empire , meets the Arabic and Islamic worlds in the late antique and medieval times ; Islamic studies , particularly

1085-579: The succession order agreed to at Jabiyah by designating his own son Abd al-Malik as his heir. During the latter's reign (685–705), Jabiyah was often used by the caliph as a month-long resort in the spring on his return to Damascus from his winter resort at al-Sinnabra on Lake Tiberias . It was at Jabiyah that Abd al-Malik decreed that his sons al-Walid I and Sulayman should succeed him as caliph. Lammens and Shahid both described this as "the last great political event" that occurred in Jabiyah. During Caliph Sulayman's reign (715–717), Jabiyah's role declined as

Jabiyah - Misplaced Pages Continue

1120-469: The two sides fought in the Battle of Marj Rahit , which ended with a massive rout for the Qays and the slaying of al-Dahhak. With this Marwan assumed the caliphate in Damascus while the repercussions of the battle led to a long-running blood feud between Qays and Kalb . In these later battles, the Kalb was led by Ibn Bahdal's cousin, Humayd ibn Hurayth ibn Bahdal . Medieval sources do not mention if Ibn Bahdal resumed his governorship of Palestine following

1155-657: Was an American professor and scholar in the field of Oriental studies . Between 1982 and 2016, he was the Oman Professor of Arabic and Islamic Literature at Georgetown University . Shahîd also became a Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America in 2012. Shahîd was born in Nazareth , Mandatory Palestine , to a family of Palestinian Christians . He left in 1946 to attend St John's College, Oxford , where he studied classics and Greco-Roman history under

1190-464: Was used as a refuge for ill soldiers to recuperate due to its favorable climatic conditions. As a result, it became the site where soldiers' pay was distributed. A large mosque with minbar (pulpit) was built in the town, which was a privilege putting Jabiyah on par with provincial capitals of the Caliphate . Between 639/40 and 660, Jabiyah served as the capital of Islamic Syria in its entirety under

1225-573: Was used by the Ghassanid kings for their residences. Jabiya was referred to as "Jābiyat al-Jawlān" (the Jabiyah of Gaulanitis) by the Ghassanid court poet Hassan. The city was apparently unscathed in the Lakhmid -led raids against Byzantine Syria and in the Persian invasion of Syria . During the Muslim conquest of Syria , Muslim forces captured booty from the defeated Byzantine army in the aftermath of

#500499