Bugha al-Kabir
Encyclopedia
Bugha al-Kabir al-Sharabi or Bugha the Elder, also known as Bugha al-Turki ("Bugha the Turk"), was a 9th-century Turkic
general who served the Abbasids.
He was of Turkic origin, and acquired along with his sons as a military slave (ghulam
) by al-Mu'tasim
in 819/820. He is first mentioned in 825, and then again in 835, when he led reinforcements in the fight against the Khurramite rebels of Babak Khorramdin
. Bugha also participated in Mu'tasim's Amorium campaign
in 838, where he led the rearguard, and later served as the Caliph's chamberlain. In 844/845, he suppressed a revolt of the Bedouin tribes of central Arabia.
Next he played an important role in crushing the Armenian revolt of 850–855: in 852 he was entrusted by the Caliph al-Mutawakkil
with its suppression. Setting out from his base at Diyarbakir
, he first focused on the southern half of Armenia, i.e. the regions of Vaspurakan
and the Lake Van
, before moving north to Dvin
, Iberia
and Albania
. During these campaigns, he also defeated the renegade Emir of Tiflis
, Ishaq ibn Isma'il, and sacked and burned Tiflis. By the end of 853, he had subdued the country and made many Caucasian magnates and princes (the eristavi
, naxarar), such as the Georgian Kostanti-Kakhay
, captive, sending them to caliphal capital of Samarra
.
Bugha was dispatched to the frontier (thughur) against the Byzantine Empire
in 857/8, where he distinguished himself and where he remained for the next few years. He was thus absent from Samarra at the time of Mutawwakil's assassination, but returned immediately upon hearing of it. Following the death of Caliph al-Muntasir
a few months later, Bugha and the other Turkic commanders of the Abbasid army selected al-Musta'in
as his successor. Bugha died a few months later, in August 862, reportedly at an age of "over 90 [lunar] years". His son Musa, and his sons in turn, rose to the senior court and military offices in Samarra during the late 9th century.
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
general who served the Abbasids.
He was of Turkic origin, and acquired along with his sons as a military slave (ghulam
Ghulam
Ghulam is a 1998 Hindi film directed by Vikram Bhatt and starring Aamir Khan. The film was inspired by Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront . It is the second remake of On the Waterfront after Kabzaa starring Sanjay Dutt...
) by al-Mu'tasim
Al-Mu'tasim
Abu Ishaq 'Abbas al-Mu'tasim ibn Harun was an Abbasid caliph . He succeeded his half-brother al-Ma'mun...
in 819/820. He is first mentioned in 825, and then again in 835, when he led reinforcements in the fight against the Khurramite rebels of Babak Khorramdin
Babak Khorramdin
Bābak Khorram-Din was one of the main Persian revolutionary leaders of the Iranian Khorram-Dinān , which was a local freedom movement fighting the Abbasid Caliphate. Khorramdin appears to be a compound analogous to dorustdin and Behdin "Good Religion" , and are considered an offshoot of...
. Bugha also participated in Mu'tasim's Amorium campaign
Sack of Amorium
The Sack of Amorium by the Abbasid Caliphate in mid-August 838 was one of the major events in the long history of the Byzantine–Arab Wars. The Abbasid campaign was led personally by the Caliph al-Mu'tasim , in retaliation to a virtually unopposed expedition launched by the Byzantine emperor...
in 838, where he led the rearguard, and later served as the Caliph's chamberlain. In 844/845, he suppressed a revolt of the Bedouin tribes of central Arabia.
Next he played an important role in crushing the Armenian revolt of 850–855: in 852 he was entrusted by the Caliph al-Mutawakkil
Al-Mutawakkil
Al-Mutawakkil ʻAlā Allāh Jaʻfar ibn al-Muʻtasim was an Abbasid caliph who reigned in Samarra from 847 until 861...
with its suppression. Setting out from his base at Diyarbakir
Diyarbakir
Diyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
, he first focused on the southern half of Armenia, i.e. the regions of Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan was the first and biggest province of Greater Armenia, which later became an independent kingdom during the Middle Ages, centered around Lake Van...
and the Lake Van
Lake Van
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes . The original outlet from...
, before moving north to Dvin
Dvin
Dvin was a large commercial city and the capital of early medieval Armenia. It was situated north of the previous ancient capital of Armenia, the city of Artaxata, along the banks of the Metsamor River, 35 km to the south of modern Yerevan...
, Iberia
Caucasian Iberia
Iberia , also known as Iveria , was a name given by the ancient Greeks and Romans to the ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli , corresponding roughly to the eastern and southern parts of the present day Georgia...
and Albania
Caucasian Albania
Albania is a name for the historical region of the eastern Caucasus, that existed on the territory of present-day republic of...
. During these campaigns, he also defeated the renegade Emir of Tiflis
Emirate of Tbilisi
The Emirs of Tbilisi ruled over the parts of today’s eastern Georgia from their base in the city of Tbilisi, from 736 to 1080 . Established by the Arabs during their invasions of Georgian lands, the emirate was an important outpost of the Muslim rule in the Caucasus until recaptured by the...
, Ishaq ibn Isma'il, and sacked and burned Tiflis. By the end of 853, he had subdued the country and made many Caucasian magnates and princes (the eristavi
Eristavi
Eristavi was a Georgian feudal office, roughly equivalent to the Byzantine strategos and normally translated into English as "duke". In the Georgian aristocratic hierarchy, it was the title of the third rank of prince and governor of a large province...
, naxarar), such as the Georgian Kostanti-Kakhay
Kostanti-Kakhay
Kostanti-Kakhay, Kostanti-Kaxay , or Kostanti Kakhi was a Christian Georgian nobleman from Kartli, who was seized captive by the Abbasid general Bugha al-Kabir during his 853 expedition into the Caucasus. He was subsequently put to death, at the age of 85, for refusing to convert to Islam...
, captive, sending them to caliphal capital of Samarra
Samarra
Sāmarrā is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad-Din Governorate, north of Baghdad and, in 2003, had an estimated population of 348,700....
.
Bugha was dispatched to the frontier (thughur) against the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
in 857/8, where he distinguished himself and where he remained for the next few years. He was thus absent from Samarra at the time of Mutawwakil's assassination, but returned immediately upon hearing of it. Following the death of Caliph al-Muntasir
Al-Muntasir
Al-Muntasir was the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad from 861 to 862. His pious title means He that Triumphs in the Lord.Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari records that in A.H. 236 al-Muntasir led the pilgrimage. The previous year al-Mutawakkil had named his three son's heirs and seeming to favour al-Muntasir...
a few months later, Bugha and the other Turkic commanders of the Abbasid army selected al-Musta'in
Al-Musta'in
Al-Musta'in was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 862 to 866. After the death of previous Caliph, al-Muntasir, the Turkish chiefs held a council to select his successor; they would have none of al-Mu'tazz, nor his brothers; so they elected him, another grandson of al-Mu'tasim.The Arabs and...
as his successor. Bugha died a few months later, in August 862, reportedly at an age of "over 90 [lunar] years". His son Musa, and his sons in turn, rose to the senior court and military offices in Samarra during the late 9th century.