Juhhar as-Siqillī

Dschauhar as-Siqillī , Arabic جوهر الصقلي, DMG Ǧauhar aṣ-Ṣiqillī (†  February 1, 992 ), was an important military leader of the Fatimids . His other nicknames were as-Saqlabi  /الصقلبي / aṣ-ṣaqlabī  / 'the slave', ar-Rumi  /الرومي / ar-rūmī  / 'the Byzantines', but above all al-Qa'id  /القائد / al-qāʾid  / 'the general'.

Dschauhar came from a Christian family in Sicily (hence the nickname "the Sicilians") and came to Ifrīqiya as a slave of Sabir al-Fata - at a time when Islam followed the Fatimids in Sicily . Because of his cleverness, it was given to Caliph Ismail al-Mansur as a gift. Under his son Abu Tamim al-Muizz (953-975), he achieved his release and began his ascent as the personal secretary of this caliph . Soon he also became a vizier and chief army leader of the Fatimids. As such, he took up the expansion of the Fatimids again and in 958 conquered Fez in northern Morocco with the Zirids and advanced to the Atlantic . Only the fortresses of Ceuta and Tangier could be held by the Umayyads from Córdoba .

After the western borders had been secured, Dschauhar as-Siqilli advanced into Egypt in 969 and, after a victory at Gize over the Ichschididen, occupied the land on the Nile . The conquest had been prepared by a treaty with the vizier of the Ichschididen (assurance of religious freedom for the Sunnis), so that the Fatimids did not encounter any great resistance. First Jawhar ruled Egypt as viceroy until 972.

As such, he founded the city of Cairo near Fustat on May 3, 970 , which was to serve as the new residence of the Fatimid caliphs. Although Palestine was still occupied after the conquest of Egypt , Syria could not be conquered after a defeat against the Karmatians near Damascus . But when the Karmatians invaded Egypt, they were defeated on December 22nd, 970 by Dschauhar north of Cairo. Nevertheless, the fighting continued until 974. To secure the southern border of Egypt, an embassy was sent to the Christian empires in Nubia .

After moving the residence to Cairo, Jawhar fell out of favor with al-Muizz. Under his successor al-ʿAzīz (975-996), in whose accession Dschauhar played an important role, he was rehabilitated. Until 979 he was regent again, but was finally ousted after a campaign to Syria before Damascus failed again. Dschauhar died on February 1, 992.

literature

• Ulrich Haarmann : History of the Arab World. Edited by Heinz Halm . 4th revised and expanded edition. CH Beck, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-406-47486-1 (Beck's historical library) .
• Stephan Ronart, Nandy Ronart: Lexicon of the Arab World. A historical-political reference work. Artemis Verlag, Zurich et al. 1972, ISBN 3-7608-0138-2 .