Georgios I of Makuria
Encyclopedia
Georgios I was a ruler of the Nubian state of Makuria
(c. AD 860 - 920). The events about the king are preserved in the writings of the Egyptian historians Al-Maqrizi
, el-Balawi and Ibn Taghribirdi
. Their description of the events is not always conclusive and they provide at several points contradditory information, making it for the modern historian difficult to reconstruct the events.
In his youth, his father Zacharias III
appointed him co-regent and dispatched him on the long journey to Baghdad
.
For several years Egypt
had been wracked by civil war and Zacharias had halted payments of the baqt. Once Ibrahim had gained control over Egypt he demanded the baqt be resumed and the payment of all arrears. In an attempt to reduce these demands, Georgios was sent to meet the Caliph. It is not certain if he traveled all the way to Baghdad or whether he simply went to Cairo
; either way his journey had a major effect, and a new treaty was signed canceling the arrears and changing the terms of the baqt so that it only needed to be paid once every three years.
There is another story of Georgios being captured in his youth and brought to Baghdad as a prisoner. It is possible, but unlikely, that he made the journey twice. It is also possible that in this story he was confused with another person.
During Georgios' long reign the Arab
adventurer Abu al-Rahman al-Umari invaded the gold mining area near Abu Haman with his private army. Georgios dispatched his nephew and heir Niuty to battle him, but Niuty rebelled. Georgios sent one of his sons, but he was defeated and forced to flee to Alodia
. Another son, Zacharias, was dispatched, defeated once by Niuty's forces he allied himself with al-Umari and defeated Niuty. He then turned on al-Umari forcing him back to the north.
Makuria
The Kingdom of Makuria was a kingdom located in what is today Northern Sudan and Southern Egypt. It was one of a group of Nubian kingdoms that emerged during the decline of the Aksumite Empire, which it had been part of from approximately 4BC to AD 950...
(c. AD 860 - 920). The events about the king are preserved in the writings of the Egyptian historians Al-Maqrizi
Al-Maqrizi
Taqi al-Din Ahmad ibn 'Ali ibn 'Abd al-Qadir ibn Muhammad al-Maqrizi ; Arabic: , was an Egyptian historian more commonly known as al-Maqrizi or Makrizi...
, el-Balawi and Ibn Taghribirdi
Ibn Taghribirdi
Jamal al-Din Yusuf bin al-Amir Sayf al-Din Taghribirdi or Ibn Taghribirdi was an Egyptian historian born into the Turkish Mamluk elite of Cairo in the 15th century. He studied under al-Ayni and al-Maqrizi, two of the leading Cairene historians and scholars of the day...
. Their description of the events is not always conclusive and they provide at several points contradditory information, making it for the modern historian difficult to reconstruct the events.
In his youth, his father Zacharias III
Zacharias III of Makuria
Zacharias III was ruler of the Nubian kingdom of Makuria. In 833 he ceased paying the Baqt to the rulers of Egypt, and prepared to fight the Abbasid Caliph al-Mu'tasim over the tribute...
appointed him co-regent and dispatched him on the long journey to Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
.
For several years Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
had been wracked by civil war and Zacharias had halted payments of the baqt. Once Ibrahim had gained control over Egypt he demanded the baqt be resumed and the payment of all arrears. In an attempt to reduce these demands, Georgios was sent to meet the Caliph. It is not certain if he traveled all the way to Baghdad or whether he simply went to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
; either way his journey had a major effect, and a new treaty was signed canceling the arrears and changing the terms of the baqt so that it only needed to be paid once every three years.
There is another story of Georgios being captured in his youth and brought to Baghdad as a prisoner. It is possible, but unlikely, that he made the journey twice. It is also possible that in this story he was confused with another person.
During Georgios' long reign the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
adventurer Abu al-Rahman al-Umari invaded the gold mining area near Abu Haman with his private army. Georgios dispatched his nephew and heir Niuty to battle him, but Niuty rebelled. Georgios sent one of his sons, but he was defeated and forced to flee to Alodia
Alodia
Alodia or Alwa was the southernmost of the three kingdoms of Christian Nubia; the other two were Nobatia and Makuria to the north.Much about this kingdom is still unknown, despite its thousand year existence and considerable power and geographic size. Due to fewer excavations far less is known...
. Another son, Zacharias, was dispatched, defeated once by Niuty's forces he allied himself with al-Umari and defeated Niuty. He then turned on al-Umari forcing him back to the north.