Hurmuzan, al-
Hurmuzan, al- (d. 644). Persian ruler and general. He was killed at Medina by ‘Ubayd Allah ibn ‘Umar under the suspicion of being involved in Caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab’s murder by the Persian slave Abu Lu’lu’a.
Hurmuzan, al- (d. 644). Persian ruler and general. He was killed at Medina by ‘Ubayd Allah ibn ‘Umar under the suspicion of being involved in Caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab’s murder by the Persian slave Abu Lu’lu’a.
Hurrem Sultana
Hurrem Sultana (Sultana Roxalena) (d. 1558). First woman to formally marry a sultan.
As with most of the women who passed through the harems of the Ottoman Sultans, Roxalena’s origins are shrouded in mystery. Presumably she was a Russian slave from the Ukraine. Such an origin might explain the name “Roxalena” or “Russalena.” Roxalena was purchased at the open air market by Suleyman’s best friend, the grand vizier, Ibrahim.
The portraits of Roxalena suggest a mosaic refinement, with classical features and blazing red hair. There is depth and intelligence in her eyes. An extraordinary strategist and a true political artist, Roxalena planned her moves as if she were playing chess.
At the beginning, Suleyman was attracted to Roxalena by her silent charm. Lured by her beauty and intelligence, Suleyman made Roxalena his favorite. Soon she bore him a son and this birth elevated her to third kadin -- the third most powerful woman in the hierarchy of the harem.
Despite her lofty status, Roxalena knew all too well that, according to the Code of Laws established by Muhammad the Conqueror, the throne passed to the oldest male child of the Sultan and that once the oldest male child ascended to the throne, all of his brothers were subject to being put to death. As such, Roxalena realized from the beginning that the ascension of the eldest son of Suleyman, Prince Mustafa, meant the death warrant for her own male children.
In 1526, a vicious quarrel erupted between Roxalena, and Gulbahar Sultana, the first kadin and the mother of Prince Mustafa. During the quarrel, Gulbahar pulled Roxalena’s hair and badly scratched Roxalena’s face. Wounded, Roxalena confined herself to her apartments. Using her disfigurement as an excuse, Roxalena refused to appear before the Sultan. She continued to withhold favors from Suleyman, and began to demand that he legally marry her and consent to share not only pleasure but also power with her.
Roxalena’s bold obstinacy could well have cost her her life. However, Suleyman was intrigued and impressed by Roxalena’s sharp mind and her seeming fearlessness. In partial concession to her demand, Suleyman appointed Prince Mustafa to be governor of Manisa, a province far from the seat of power. Mustafa’s mother, Gulbahar, in accordance with protocol, was dispatched along with Mustafa. To further cement his fidelity to Roxalena, Suleyman slowly released his other concubines, marrying off many of the most beautiful women to his pashas.
Ultimately, Suleyman acceded to Roxalena’s every demand, including marriage. In triumph, Roxalena became the first woman to officially marry a sultan.
"This week there has occurred in this city a most extraordinary event, one absolutely unprecedented in the history of the sultans. The Grand Signor Suleiman has taken to himself as his Empress a slave woman from Russia, called Roxalena, and there has been great feasting. The ceremony took place in the Seraglio, and the festivities have been beyond all record. There was a public procession of the presents. At night the principal streets were gaily illuminated and there is much music and feasting. The Houses are festooned with garlands and there are everywhere swings in which the people swing by the hour with great enjoyment. In the old Hippodrome, a great tribune is set up, the place reserved for the Empress and her ladies screened with gilt lattice. Here Roxalena and the court attended a great tournament in which both Christian and Moslem Knights were engaged, and tumblers and jugglers and a procession of wild beasts, and giraffes with necks so long they, as it were, touched the sky. ... There is a great deal of talk about the marriage and none can say what it means." England’s Sir George Young (1530)
In Roxalena, Suleyman found his soul mate. They became devoted to each other. Suleyman was a poet. He loved the language of poetry, and within Roxalena was the blood of a poet as well. They courted each other through verse, her voice carrying through the fields of battle, muting the sounds of cannon and slashing swords. Suleyman had found a woman who not only fulfilled him in bed but also became his companion in affairs of state and in a shared appreciation of the arts.
"He bears her such love and keeps such faith to her that all of his subjects marvel and say that she has bewitched him, and they call her the ziadi [jadi], or the witch. On this account the army and the court hate her and her children, but because he loves her, no one dares to protest: For myself I have always heard every one speak ill of her and of her children, and well of the first-born and his mother." Da Zara
Under Roxalena, the harem became a place of beauty and enlightenment. Indeed, for Suleyman, Roxalena became synonymous with lightness and, accordingly, he named Roxalena “Hurrem” – “the laughing one” -- because of her crystalline laughter and freedom from inhibition.
However, despite these displays of lightness, Roxalena also had her dark side.
Having vanquished her chief female rivals, Roxalena soon focused her attention on another rival for Suleyman’s favors. Roxalena soon focused her attention on the man who had originally owned her -- Ibrahim, the grand vizier.
Ibrahim was the inseparable friend and companion of Suleyman. Ibrahim shared Suleyman’s tent and his dreams. Ibrahim had been promoted from the status of royal falconer to Lord of Rumelia and, later, grand vizier. Ibrahim had also been chosen to marry the sultan’s own sister, Hatice Sultana, and had been the recipient of great wealth and honor.
Grown resentful of his influence and jealous of Suleyman’s affection of him, Roxalena set out to orchestrate Ibrahim’s death. Roxalena took advantage of every bit of gossip and information to inflame Suleyman’s mind against his friend. One night, when Ibrahim was in the harem as a privileged friend of the sultan, the deaf-mute guards strangled him in his sleep. It is believed that the person responsible for this assassination was none other than Roxalena.
In 1541, when the Old Palace, which housed the sultan’s harem, partially burned down, Roxalena, with her entourage of odalisques and eunuchs, moved to the Grand Seraglio, where she could be closer to Suleyman and the seat of power. This move marked the beginning of the Grand Harem and the period of Ottoman history known as “The Reign of Women.”
Some time after Ibrahim’s death, Suleyman declared to Roxalena that he wanted to build her a new palace. Roxalena feared that this declaration was an attempt by Suleyman to distance himself from her. As a diversionary countermeasure, Roxalena came up with a more challenging project for her “beloved” sultan. She suggested to Suleyman that he instead construct a mosque utilizing the services of the greatest architect of the time, Sinan. The mosque was to be named after Suleyman and was to be the grandest mosque ever constructed.
Suleyman fell for the ploy. Construction on the mosque -- the Suleymaniye -- began in 1549 and would not be finished until 1556, two years before Roxalena’s death.
As Roxalena’s sons grew older, the heir to the Ottoman throne, Prince Mustafa, loomed as a greater and greater threat. Mustafa was an able and intelligent prince. He was much admired by the people and the army. He was also Suleyman’s favorite son. However, these were merely obstacles for the devious Roxalena to overcome.
Somehow a forged letter supposedly written by Mustafa to the shah of Persia declaring that Mustafa wanted to dethrone Suleyman and asking for the shah’s assistance wound up in Suleyman’s hands. This forgery turned Suleyman against Mustafa and provoked a battle between the two on the plains of Eregli. It is said that several times both Suleyman and Mustafa turned back as they rode to the battlefield, both reluctant to face their loved one in battle. But fate (or perhaps the force of Roxalena’s will) urged them forward. Their history had already been written by kismet.
Mustafa ran to his father, alone, unarmed, to redeem himself. He reached the sultan’s tent, going through four partitions. When he came to the fifth, his cries echoed through the plains. It is said that Suleyman shed tears for the son he had killed as well as for himself -- the woeful father who had wrongly killed his own glorious son.
As for Roxalena, she had triumphed. The line of succession now clearly ran through her. Roxalena had four sons, Muhammad (Mehmed), Cihangir, Bayazid (Beyazit), and Selim. Of Roxalena’s four sons, Muhammad died young of natural causes; Cihangir, although possessed of a brilliant mind, was deformed and epileptic; and Bayazid was able but cruel. That left Selim as Roxalena’s choice as heir. Roxalena, preferred Selim, in part, because she was convinced that Selim’s soft nature would not allow him to murder his brothers. Roxalena also knew that Selim drank to dull his prophetic awareness of his own impending death.
Roxalena wanting to preserve all her sons encouraged Selim’s weakness. Against the wishes of Suleyman, Roxalena supplied Selim with the wine that he needed to ease his pain. Selim became an alcoholic. He became known as “Selim the Sot.”
Although Roxalena had set the stage for the succession of her son, she did not get to see the play. Roxalena died in 1558, eight years before Selim assumed the throne.
However, her legacy was not simply through the sultancy. Her promotion of the weak Selim would lead to the dominance of the sultancy by women, namely Roxalena’s own daughter, Mihrimah, and her granddaughter, Aisha Humashah. The “Reign of Women” had begun.
Hurrem Sultana was born in 1506. She was the wife of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent and she played an important role in the Ottoman history as being the favourite wife of the Sultan. Hurrem Sultana was Russian originated and her real name was Roxelanne. As a child, she was presented to the Ottoman palace by the Khan of The Crimea because of her beauty. She had a special education in the palace. She attracted the interest of Sultan Suleyman, by using her femininity, intelligence and talents. She became very influential for the women of Harem and for the other people of the palace. She won the love and reliance of Sultan Suleyman in a short time and became the legal wife of him. She acted very well planned and her intrigues very negatively effected the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. Prince Mustafa was the eldest son of Sultan Suleyman, born from Gulbahar Hatun. Hurrem Sultan had ordered firstly to strangle her most dangerous rival Gulbahar Hatun and next 40 years old prince Mustafa. Hurrem Sultan became very influential in the governmental administrations and she supported the war with Persia and she restored the peace with Russia and Poland. She died before seeing, one of her sons on the throne. She was 52 years old when she died.
.
Sultana Roxalena see Hurrem Sultana
Roxalena see Hurrem Sultana
Russalena see Hurrem Sultana
"The Laughing One" see Hurrem Sultana
"Laughing One" see Hurrem Sultana
Hurrem Sultana (Sultana Roxalena) (d. 1558). First woman to formally marry a sultan.
As with most of the women who passed through the harems of the Ottoman Sultans, Roxalena’s origins are shrouded in mystery. Presumably she was a Russian slave from the Ukraine. Such an origin might explain the name “Roxalena” or “Russalena.” Roxalena was purchased at the open air market by Suleyman’s best friend, the grand vizier, Ibrahim.
The portraits of Roxalena suggest a mosaic refinement, with classical features and blazing red hair. There is depth and intelligence in her eyes. An extraordinary strategist and a true political artist, Roxalena planned her moves as if she were playing chess.
At the beginning, Suleyman was attracted to Roxalena by her silent charm. Lured by her beauty and intelligence, Suleyman made Roxalena his favorite. Soon she bore him a son and this birth elevated her to third kadin -- the third most powerful woman in the hierarchy of the harem.
Despite her lofty status, Roxalena knew all too well that, according to the Code of Laws established by Muhammad the Conqueror, the throne passed to the oldest male child of the Sultan and that once the oldest male child ascended to the throne, all of his brothers were subject to being put to death. As such, Roxalena realized from the beginning that the ascension of the eldest son of Suleyman, Prince Mustafa, meant the death warrant for her own male children.
In 1526, a vicious quarrel erupted between Roxalena, and Gulbahar Sultana, the first kadin and the mother of Prince Mustafa. During the quarrel, Gulbahar pulled Roxalena’s hair and badly scratched Roxalena’s face. Wounded, Roxalena confined herself to her apartments. Using her disfigurement as an excuse, Roxalena refused to appear before the Sultan. She continued to withhold favors from Suleyman, and began to demand that he legally marry her and consent to share not only pleasure but also power with her.
Roxalena’s bold obstinacy could well have cost her her life. However, Suleyman was intrigued and impressed by Roxalena’s sharp mind and her seeming fearlessness. In partial concession to her demand, Suleyman appointed Prince Mustafa to be governor of Manisa, a province far from the seat of power. Mustafa’s mother, Gulbahar, in accordance with protocol, was dispatched along with Mustafa. To further cement his fidelity to Roxalena, Suleyman slowly released his other concubines, marrying off many of the most beautiful women to his pashas.
Ultimately, Suleyman acceded to Roxalena’s every demand, including marriage. In triumph, Roxalena became the first woman to officially marry a sultan.
"This week there has occurred in this city a most extraordinary event, one absolutely unprecedented in the history of the sultans. The Grand Signor Suleiman has taken to himself as his Empress a slave woman from Russia, called Roxalena, and there has been great feasting. The ceremony took place in the Seraglio, and the festivities have been beyond all record. There was a public procession of the presents. At night the principal streets were gaily illuminated and there is much music and feasting. The Houses are festooned with garlands and there are everywhere swings in which the people swing by the hour with great enjoyment. In the old Hippodrome, a great tribune is set up, the place reserved for the Empress and her ladies screened with gilt lattice. Here Roxalena and the court attended a great tournament in which both Christian and Moslem Knights were engaged, and tumblers and jugglers and a procession of wild beasts, and giraffes with necks so long they, as it were, touched the sky. ... There is a great deal of talk about the marriage and none can say what it means." England’s Sir George Young (1530)
In Roxalena, Suleyman found his soul mate. They became devoted to each other. Suleyman was a poet. He loved the language of poetry, and within Roxalena was the blood of a poet as well. They courted each other through verse, her voice carrying through the fields of battle, muting the sounds of cannon and slashing swords. Suleyman had found a woman who not only fulfilled him in bed but also became his companion in affairs of state and in a shared appreciation of the arts.
"He bears her such love and keeps such faith to her that all of his subjects marvel and say that she has bewitched him, and they call her the ziadi [jadi], or the witch. On this account the army and the court hate her and her children, but because he loves her, no one dares to protest: For myself I have always heard every one speak ill of her and of her children, and well of the first-born and his mother." Da Zara
Under Roxalena, the harem became a place of beauty and enlightenment. Indeed, for Suleyman, Roxalena became synonymous with lightness and, accordingly, he named Roxalena “Hurrem” – “the laughing one” -- because of her crystalline laughter and freedom from inhibition.
However, despite these displays of lightness, Roxalena also had her dark side.
Having vanquished her chief female rivals, Roxalena soon focused her attention on another rival for Suleyman’s favors. Roxalena soon focused her attention on the man who had originally owned her -- Ibrahim, the grand vizier.
Ibrahim was the inseparable friend and companion of Suleyman. Ibrahim shared Suleyman’s tent and his dreams. Ibrahim had been promoted from the status of royal falconer to Lord of Rumelia and, later, grand vizier. Ibrahim had also been chosen to marry the sultan’s own sister, Hatice Sultana, and had been the recipient of great wealth and honor.
Grown resentful of his influence and jealous of Suleyman’s affection of him, Roxalena set out to orchestrate Ibrahim’s death. Roxalena took advantage of every bit of gossip and information to inflame Suleyman’s mind against his friend. One night, when Ibrahim was in the harem as a privileged friend of the sultan, the deaf-mute guards strangled him in his sleep. It is believed that the person responsible for this assassination was none other than Roxalena.
In 1541, when the Old Palace, which housed the sultan’s harem, partially burned down, Roxalena, with her entourage of odalisques and eunuchs, moved to the Grand Seraglio, where she could be closer to Suleyman and the seat of power. This move marked the beginning of the Grand Harem and the period of Ottoman history known as “The Reign of Women.”
Some time after Ibrahim’s death, Suleyman declared to Roxalena that he wanted to build her a new palace. Roxalena feared that this declaration was an attempt by Suleyman to distance himself from her. As a diversionary countermeasure, Roxalena came up with a more challenging project for her “beloved” sultan. She suggested to Suleyman that he instead construct a mosque utilizing the services of the greatest architect of the time, Sinan. The mosque was to be named after Suleyman and was to be the grandest mosque ever constructed.
Suleyman fell for the ploy. Construction on the mosque -- the Suleymaniye -- began in 1549 and would not be finished until 1556, two years before Roxalena’s death.
As Roxalena’s sons grew older, the heir to the Ottoman throne, Prince Mustafa, loomed as a greater and greater threat. Mustafa was an able and intelligent prince. He was much admired by the people and the army. He was also Suleyman’s favorite son. However, these were merely obstacles for the devious Roxalena to overcome.
Somehow a forged letter supposedly written by Mustafa to the shah of Persia declaring that Mustafa wanted to dethrone Suleyman and asking for the shah’s assistance wound up in Suleyman’s hands. This forgery turned Suleyman against Mustafa and provoked a battle between the two on the plains of Eregli. It is said that several times both Suleyman and Mustafa turned back as they rode to the battlefield, both reluctant to face their loved one in battle. But fate (or perhaps the force of Roxalena’s will) urged them forward. Their history had already been written by kismet.
Mustafa ran to his father, alone, unarmed, to redeem himself. He reached the sultan’s tent, going through four partitions. When he came to the fifth, his cries echoed through the plains. It is said that Suleyman shed tears for the son he had killed as well as for himself -- the woeful father who had wrongly killed his own glorious son.
As for Roxalena, she had triumphed. The line of succession now clearly ran through her. Roxalena had four sons, Muhammad (Mehmed), Cihangir, Bayazid (Beyazit), and Selim. Of Roxalena’s four sons, Muhammad died young of natural causes; Cihangir, although possessed of a brilliant mind, was deformed and epileptic; and Bayazid was able but cruel. That left Selim as Roxalena’s choice as heir. Roxalena, preferred Selim, in part, because she was convinced that Selim’s soft nature would not allow him to murder his brothers. Roxalena also knew that Selim drank to dull his prophetic awareness of his own impending death.
Roxalena wanting to preserve all her sons encouraged Selim’s weakness. Against the wishes of Suleyman, Roxalena supplied Selim with the wine that he needed to ease his pain. Selim became an alcoholic. He became known as “Selim the Sot.”
Although Roxalena had set the stage for the succession of her son, she did not get to see the play. Roxalena died in 1558, eight years before Selim assumed the throne.
However, her legacy was not simply through the sultancy. Her promotion of the weak Selim would lead to the dominance of the sultancy by women, namely Roxalena’s own daughter, Mihrimah, and her granddaughter, Aisha Humashah. The “Reign of Women” had begun.
Hurrem Sultana was born in 1506. She was the wife of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent and she played an important role in the Ottoman history as being the favourite wife of the Sultan. Hurrem Sultana was Russian originated and her real name was Roxelanne. As a child, she was presented to the Ottoman palace by the Khan of The Crimea because of her beauty. She had a special education in the palace. She attracted the interest of Sultan Suleyman, by using her femininity, intelligence and talents. She became very influential for the women of Harem and for the other people of the palace. She won the love and reliance of Sultan Suleyman in a short time and became the legal wife of him. She acted very well planned and her intrigues very negatively effected the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. Prince Mustafa was the eldest son of Sultan Suleyman, born from Gulbahar Hatun. Hurrem Sultan had ordered firstly to strangle her most dangerous rival Gulbahar Hatun and next 40 years old prince Mustafa. Hurrem Sultan became very influential in the governmental administrations and she supported the war with Persia and she restored the peace with Russia and Poland. She died before seeing, one of her sons on the throne. She was 52 years old when she died.
.
Sultana Roxalena see Hurrem Sultana
Roxalena see Hurrem Sultana
Russalena see Hurrem Sultana
"The Laughing One" see Hurrem Sultana
"Laughing One" see Hurrem Sultana
Hurriyyet we I’tilaf Firqasi
Hurriyyet we I’tilaf Firqasi (“Freedom and Accord Party”). Liberal political party in Turkey, formed in November 1911. The Liberals assumed power in 1912 but were overthrown by the Unionists in 1913. A second party of the same name was formed in 1919 but was rejected in the elections of that year.
"Freedom and Accord Party" see Hurriyyet we I’tilaf Firqasi
Hurriyyet we I’tilaf Firqasi (“Freedom and Accord Party”). Liberal political party in Turkey, formed in November 1911. The Liberals assumed power in 1912 but were overthrown by the Unionists in 1913. A second party of the same name was formed in 1919 but was rejected in the elections of that year.
"Freedom and Accord Party" see Hurriyyet we I’tilaf Firqasi
Hurufiyya
Hurufiyya. Unorthodox Muslim sect of gnostic-cabalistic tendencies founded by Fadl Alah Hurufi (1340-1394) of Astarabad in Persia.
Hurufism (Arabic: hurufiyya) was a mystical kabbalistic Sufi doctrine, which spread in areas of western Persia, Anatolia and Azerbaijan in later 14th - early 15th century. The Arabic word hurūf literally means "letters" (of the alphabet).
The creator and spiritual head of the Hurufi movement was Fazlallah Astarabadi also called Naimi (1340-1394). Born in Astrabad, Iran, he was strongly drawn to Sufism and the teachings of Al-Hallaj and Rumi at an early age. In the mid-1370s, young Naimi started to propagate his teachings all over Persia and Azerbaijan. While living in Tabriz Fadlullah gained an elite following in the Jalayirid court, where the writing of his main work — Jawidan-Al-Kabir — allegedly took place. At that time he was still in the mainstream of Sufi tradition. Later, he moved towards more esoteric spirituality, and, failing to convert Timur, was executed in 1394 near Alinjak castle in Nakhichevan by the ruler's son Miranshah. The uprising of Hurufis, who had gathered a large following, was crushed in Azerbaijan, but the popular movement survived for another decade or so in different guises.
According to Fadlullah, the key to open the seventh sealed book, the Qur'an, is a kabbalistic system of letters that is expounded by later Hurufis in the Hidayat-nama, Jawidan and in the Mahram-Nama. The Universe is eternal and moves by rotation. God's visage is imperishable and is manifest in Man, the best of forms — zuhur kibriya. God is incarnated in every atom. Hurufis considered Fadlullah a manifestation of God's force after Adam, Moses and Muhammad. God is also embodied in words and 28 letters of Arabic alphabet and 32 letters of Persian which are the basis for love and beauty in the world. Seven is a key number corresponding to noble parts of the face, the verses of fatiha and verbal confession of faith. Man is a supreme copy of the divine and the key to Haqiqa.
Hurufism was an expression of Ismailism in its mystical identification of human figure, but differed in recognition in the substance of letters rather than in the person of the Imam.
After his death Naimi's ideas were developed and propagated by Nasimi and Ali-ul A'la in Azerbaijan and Seyid Ishag in Turkey. Poet Imadeddin Nasimi (?-1417) and other Hurufis, make kabbalistic tendencies subordinate to mystic concepts of Sufism, and specifically those of Hallaj, who was another great influence on Nasimi.
Through Nasimi's poetry, Hurufi ideas influenced, in different degrees, people like Niyaz-i Misri, Fuzuli, Habibi, Khatai (Ismail I), and Rushani. The Bektashi sect in Turkey and the Ahl-e Haqq in Iran owe a lot of their theological vocabulary to Hurufism.
The Bektashi order in the Balkans (Albania) have preserved the legacy of Fadlullah's teachings the longest and still continue to this day. Gül Baba provided an extensive compendium of Hurufi ideas: The Key to the Unseen .
The Shattari tariqah is a contemporary repository of Hurf-e-Muqattiyat (secrets of the alphabets).
Hurufiyya. Unorthodox Muslim sect of gnostic-cabalistic tendencies founded by Fadl Alah Hurufi (1340-1394) of Astarabad in Persia.
Hurufism (Arabic: hurufiyya) was a mystical kabbalistic Sufi doctrine, which spread in areas of western Persia, Anatolia and Azerbaijan in later 14th - early 15th century. The Arabic word hurūf literally means "letters" (of the alphabet).
The creator and spiritual head of the Hurufi movement was Fazlallah Astarabadi also called Naimi (1340-1394). Born in Astrabad, Iran, he was strongly drawn to Sufism and the teachings of Al-Hallaj and Rumi at an early age. In the mid-1370s, young Naimi started to propagate his teachings all over Persia and Azerbaijan. While living in Tabriz Fadlullah gained an elite following in the Jalayirid court, where the writing of his main work — Jawidan-Al-Kabir — allegedly took place. At that time he was still in the mainstream of Sufi tradition. Later, he moved towards more esoteric spirituality, and, failing to convert Timur, was executed in 1394 near Alinjak castle in Nakhichevan by the ruler's son Miranshah. The uprising of Hurufis, who had gathered a large following, was crushed in Azerbaijan, but the popular movement survived for another decade or so in different guises.
According to Fadlullah, the key to open the seventh sealed book, the Qur'an, is a kabbalistic system of letters that is expounded by later Hurufis in the Hidayat-nama, Jawidan and in the Mahram-Nama. The Universe is eternal and moves by rotation. God's visage is imperishable and is manifest in Man, the best of forms — zuhur kibriya. God is incarnated in every atom. Hurufis considered Fadlullah a manifestation of God's force after Adam, Moses and Muhammad. God is also embodied in words and 28 letters of Arabic alphabet and 32 letters of Persian which are the basis for love and beauty in the world. Seven is a key number corresponding to noble parts of the face, the verses of fatiha and verbal confession of faith. Man is a supreme copy of the divine and the key to Haqiqa.
Hurufism was an expression of Ismailism in its mystical identification of human figure, but differed in recognition in the substance of letters rather than in the person of the Imam.
After his death Naimi's ideas were developed and propagated by Nasimi and Ali-ul A'la in Azerbaijan and Seyid Ishag in Turkey. Poet Imadeddin Nasimi (?-1417) and other Hurufis, make kabbalistic tendencies subordinate to mystic concepts of Sufism, and specifically those of Hallaj, who was another great influence on Nasimi.
Through Nasimi's poetry, Hurufi ideas influenced, in different degrees, people like Niyaz-i Misri, Fuzuli, Habibi, Khatai (Ismail I), and Rushani. The Bektashi sect in Turkey and the Ahl-e Haqq in Iran owe a lot of their theological vocabulary to Hurufism.
The Bektashi order in the Balkans (Albania) have preserved the legacy of Fadlullah's teachings the longest and still continue to this day. Gül Baba provided an extensive compendium of Hurufi ideas: The Key to the Unseen .
The Shattari tariqah is a contemporary repository of Hurf-e-Muqattiyat (secrets of the alphabets).
Husain ibn 'Ali
Husain ibn 'Ali (Husayn ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, al-) (3rd Sha‘bān 4 AH - 10th Muharram 61 AH; January 8, 626 - October10, 680). Grandson of Muhammad and the second son of Fatima and 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. Encouraged to raise the claims of his family against the Umayyads and motivated by a personal vision of an ideal Islam, Husain went into battle and met a tragic end at Karbala in Iraq. The date, 10 Muharram 61 A.H. (October 10, 680), is commemorated as Ashura throughout the Shi‘ite world with an annual ritual lamentation and pilgrimage to the Shi‘ite shrines, especially Karbala. The figure of Husain gave rise to many legends, while the events surrounding his death are the subject of popular drama in Iran and elsewhere.
Husayn ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (the final Rashidun Caliph and the first Shī‘a Imām) and Fātimah Zahrā (daughter of Muhammad). Husayn is an important figure in Islām as he is a member of the Ahl al-Bayt (the household of Muhammad) and Ahl al-Kisā, as well as being a Shī‘a Imām, and one of The Fourteen Infallibles of the Shī'a Twelvers.
Husayn ibn ‘Alī is revered by all Shi'a as a martyr who fought tyranny, as he refused to pledge allegiance to Yazīd I, the Umayyad caliph. He rose up to create a regime that would reinstate a "true" Islāmic polity as opposed to what he considered the unjust rule of the Umayyads. As a consequence, Husayn was killed and beheaded in the Battle of Karbalā in 680 (61AH) by Shimr Ibn Thil-Jawshan. The anniversary of his Shahid ("martydom") is called ‘Āshūrā ("tenth" day of Muharram) and is a day of mourning for Shia Muslims. Revenge for Husayn's death was turned into a rallying cry that helped undermine the Umayyad caliphate, and gave impetus to the rise of a powerful Shī‘a movement.
According to most reports, Imam Husayn ibn Ali was born on January 10, 626.
Imam Husayn and his brother Imam Hassan were the only descendants of Muhammad who remained alive. There are many of the accounts of Muhammad's great love for his grandsons, and refer to them together, and at times confuse them. Muhammad is reported to have said that "whoever loves them [his grandsons] loves me and whoever hates them hates me." Muhammad also said that "al-Hasan and al-Husayn are the sayyids of the youth of Paradise". This quote has been particularly important for Shias who have used it in support of the right of Muhammad's descendants to the imamate. Muhammad, according to other traditions, is depicted with his grandsons on his knees, on his shoulders, or even on his back during the prayer at the moment of prostrating himself. According to Madelung, Muhammad loved them and declared them as his Ahl al-Bayt frequently. The Quran has accorded the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet an elevated position above the rest of the faithful.
In addition to these traditions, a number of traditions also involve the presence of angels. From a Muslim point of view, these traditions do not create any problem but to non-Muslims they appear as legends created under the Shi'a influence.
Shi'as proclaimed that Ali's eldest son, Hassan, who was the successor to Ali's Imamate, should be the caliph and that the Islamic tradition should not be discarded again. Muawiyah had fought Ali for the leadership of the empire and now prepared to fight Hassan. After a few inconclusive skirmishes between the armies of Hassan and Muawiyah, Hassan reminded his followers of Ali's position that the Imamate is sufficient for successorship of Muhammad and that leading the Muslim state was not a criterion. Thus, to avoid the agonies of another civil war, he signed a treaty with Muawiyah and relinquished the control of what had turned into an Arabian kingdom. Hassan did indeed pledge his to Muawiyah. After making this treaty Hassan was poisoned by an unknown person. This left Husayn as the head of the Alids and the successor to Hassan's Imamate.
At the time of the siege of the caliph Uthman's residence in Medina, by rebels from Basrah and Egypt (led by Ibn Saba), when Uthman asked Ali to join the defender of his house, Ali sent Hassan and Husayn. While Hassan and Husayn guarded the gates of the Caliph's residence, the rebels entered from the back door and killed Uthman.
During Ali's caliphate, the brothers Hassan, Husayn, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, and their cousin 'Abd Allah ibn J'afar appear as his closest assistants within his household.
When Imam Hassan ibn Ali agreed to a peace treaty with Muawiyah I, the first Umayyad caliph, he left Kufa and went to Medina with his brother Imam Husayn.
According to Shi'a belief, he lived under the most difficult outward conditions of suppression and persecution. This was due to the fact that, first of all, religious laws and regulations had lost much of their weight and credit, and the edicts of the Umayyad government had gained complete authority and power. Secondly, Mu'awiyah and his aides made use of every possible means to put aside past disputes and move out of the way the Household of Muhammad and the lovers of Imam Ali and his sons and thus obliterate the name of Ali and his family.
Muawiyah I ordered public curses of 'Ali and his major supporters including Imam Husayn and his brother.
According to Shi'a belief Imam Husayn became the third Imam for a period of ten years after death of his brother Imam Hassan in 669. All of this time but the last six months coinciding with the caliphate of Mu'awiyah.
Muawiyah designated his son, Yazid I, as his successor before his death in 680.
When Yazid I became caliph he forced Husayn ibn Ali and Abd Allah ibn Zubayr to pledge alliance with him, but they refused and migrated from Medina to Mecca in that year.
Husayn left Medina with his sisters, daughters, sons, brothers, and the sons of Hasan. He took a side road to Mecca to avoid being pursued, and once in Mecca Husayn stayed in the house of `Abbas ibn `Abd al-Muttalib and remained there for four months.
Husayn opposed Yazid I and declared that Umayyad rule was not only oppressive, but also religiously misguided. In his view the integrity and survival of the Islamic community depended on the re-establishment of the correct guidance. Husayn also believed that the succession of Yazid I was an attempt to establish an illegitimate hereditary dynasty.
The religious attitudes of the Umayyad also inspired people who believed that leadership of the Muslim community rightly belonged to the descendants of Ali, so they urged Husayn to join them and come to Kufa to establish his caliphate since they had no imam. They told him that they did not attend the Friday prayer with the governor of Kufa, No'man ibn Bashir, and would drive him out of the town as soon as Husayn agreed to come to them.
To convince Husayn to come they sent him seven messengers with bags of letters of support by Kufan warriors and tribal leaders. Husayn wrote the Kufans and told them that he understood from their letters that they had no imam and they wished him to come to unite them by the correct guidance. He informed them that he was sending his cousin Moslem ibn Aqil to report to him on the situation. If he found them united as their letters indicated he would quickly join them, for it was the duty of the imam to act in accordance with the Quran and to uphold justice, proclaim the truth, and to dedicate himself to the cause of God. The mission of Moslem was initially successful. The Kufan Shi'as visited him freely, and 18,000 men are said to have enlisted with him in support of Husayn. Moslem wrote to Husayn, encouraging him to come quickly to Kufa.
Husayn was also visited by a Shi'a supporter with two of his sons from Basra, where Shi'a sentiment was limited. He then sent identical letters to the chiefs of the five divisions into which the Basran tribes were divided. He wrote them that Muhammad's family were his family and were the rightful heirs of his position, and that others had illegitimately claimed the right which belonged exclusively to Muhammad's family. The family had initially consented to the actions of the first caliphs for the sake of the unity of the Ummah. He said that the caliphs who had seized the right of Muhammad's family had done many good things, and had sought the truth. The letter closely reflected the guidelines set by Ali, who had strongly upheld the sole right of the family of Muhammad to leadership of the Muslim community but had also praised the conduct of the first caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar. While most of the recipients of the letter kept it secret, one of them suspected that it was a ploy of the governor Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziad to test their loyalty and turned it over to him. Ubayd-Allah seized and beheaded Husayn's messenger and addressed a stern warning to the people of Basra.
In Kufa the situation changed radically when Yazid replaced Noman ibn Bashir with Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziad, ordering the latter to deal severely with Husayn's cousin, Moslem ibn Aqil. Ubayd-Allah succeeded in intimidating the tribal chiefs, and a revolt collapsed when the rebels failed to capture the governor's palace. Moslem was found and delivered to Ubayd-Allah, who had him beheaded on the top of the palace and his body thrown down to the crowd. Yazid wrote to Ubayd-Allah, commending him highly for his decisive action and ordering him to set up watches for Husayn and his supporters and to arrest them but to kill only those who would fight him.
Yazid perceived Husayn's refusal to pledge allegiance as a danger to his throne because he was Muhammad's family, so he plotted to kill the grandson of Muhammad during the Hajj, in the precincts of the Holy Kaaba, thus defiling and desecrating it (killing a person in Mecca is prohibited in Islam). In order to avoid this sacrilege, Husayn took along his wives, children, a few friends and relatives and headed towards Kufa to fulfill the responsibility of the bearer of the Imamate and to fulfill his destiny as was prophesied by his grandfather, Muhammad.
On his way, he was offered military support by the tribe of Banu Tayy as well as sanctuary in their hills from where he could (if he wanted to) safely lead a revolt and overthrow Yazid. But Husayn refused the offer and continued his journey with his few companions.
Husayn in his path toward Kufa encountered the army of Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufa, led by al-Hurr al-Riyahi (a top commander in the Umayyad army who later changed sides).
On October 10, 680 (Muharram 10, 61 AH), Husayn and his small group of followers and family members, fought a large army of under the command of Umar ibn Sa'ad, son of the founder of Kufah. Husayn and all of his men were killed and beheaded. The bodies were left for three days without burial and survivors from Husayn's family were taken as prisoners to al-Sham (Syria and Lebanon today) to Yazid.
Today, the death of Husayn ibn Ali is commemorated during every Muharram by Shiite Muslims, with the most important of these days being its tenth day, Ashura. Ashura is also commemorated by Sunni Muslims, but not like Shi'a.
Husayn's body is buried in Karbala, near the site of his death. His head is said to have been returned from Damascus and interred with his body.
Husayn's grave became the most visited place for Shi'as. The Imam Husayn Shrine was later built over his grave. In 850 Abbasid caliph, al-Mutawakkil, destroyed his shrine in order to stop Shi'a pilgrimages. However, pilgrimages continued. It is now a holy site of pilgrimage for Shi'a Muslims.
The Day of Ashura is commemorated by the Shi‘a as a day of mourning for the death of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala. In some countries and regions such as Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Bahrain, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali has become a national holiday and all ethnic and religious communities participate in it.
Husayn ibn 'Ali see Husain ibn 'Ali Husayn ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, al- see Husain ibn 'Ali
Imam Husayn and his brother Imam Hassan were the only descendants of Muhammad who remained alive. There are many of the accounts of Muhammad's great love for his grandsons, and refer to them together, and at times confuse them. Muhammad is reported to have said that "whoever loves them [his grandsons] loves me and whoever hates them hates me." Muhammad also said that "al-Hasan and al-Husayn are the sayyids of the youth of Paradise". This quote has been particularly important for Shias who have used it in support of the right of Muhammad's descendants to the imamate. Muhammad, according to other traditions, is depicted with his grandsons on his knees, on his shoulders, or even on his back during the prayer at the moment of prostrating himself. According to Madelung, Muhammad loved them and declared them as his Ahl al-Bayt frequently. The Quran has accorded the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet an elevated position above the rest of the faithful.
In addition to these traditions, a number of traditions also involve the presence of angels. From a Muslim point of view, these traditions do not create any problem but to non-Muslims they appear as legends created under the Shi'a influence.
Shi'as proclaimed that Ali's eldest son, Hassan, who was the successor to Ali's Imamate, should be the caliph and that the Islamic tradition should not be discarded again. Muawiyah had fought Ali for the leadership of the empire and now prepared to fight Hassan. After a few inconclusive skirmishes between the armies of Hassan and Muawiyah, Hassan reminded his followers of Ali's position that the Imamate is sufficient for successorship of Muhammad and that leading the Muslim state was not a criterion. Thus, to avoid the agonies of another civil war, he signed a treaty with Muawiyah and relinquished the control of what had turned into an Arabian kingdom. Hassan did indeed pledge his to Muawiyah. After making this treaty Hassan was poisoned by an unknown person. This left Husayn as the head of the Alids and the successor to Hassan's Imamate.
At the time of the siege of the caliph Uthman's residence in Medina, by rebels from Basrah and Egypt (led by Ibn Saba), when Uthman asked Ali to join the defender of his house, Ali sent Hassan and Husayn. While Hassan and Husayn guarded the gates of the Caliph's residence, the rebels entered from the back door and killed Uthman.
During Ali's caliphate, the brothers Hassan, Husayn, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, and their cousin 'Abd Allah ibn J'afar appear as his closest assistants within his household.
When Imam Hassan ibn Ali agreed to a peace treaty with Muawiyah I, the first Umayyad caliph, he left Kufa and went to Medina with his brother Imam Husayn.
According to Shi'a belief, he lived under the most difficult outward conditions of suppression and persecution. This was due to the fact that, first of all, religious laws and regulations had lost much of their weight and credit, and the edicts of the Umayyad government had gained complete authority and power. Secondly, Mu'awiyah and his aides made use of every possible means to put aside past disputes and move out of the way the Household of Muhammad and the lovers of Imam Ali and his sons and thus obliterate the name of Ali and his family.
Muawiyah I ordered public curses of 'Ali and his major supporters including Imam Husayn and his brother.
According to Shi'a belief Imam Husayn became the third Imam for a period of ten years after death of his brother Imam Hassan in 669. All of this time but the last six months coinciding with the caliphate of Mu'awiyah.
Muawiyah designated his son, Yazid I, as his successor before his death in 680.
When Yazid I became caliph he forced Husayn ibn Ali and Abd Allah ibn Zubayr to pledge alliance with him, but they refused and migrated from Medina to Mecca in that year.
Husayn left Medina with his sisters, daughters, sons, brothers, and the sons of Hasan. He took a side road to Mecca to avoid being pursued, and once in Mecca Husayn stayed in the house of `Abbas ibn `Abd al-Muttalib and remained there for four months.
Husayn opposed Yazid I and declared that Umayyad rule was not only oppressive, but also religiously misguided. In his view the integrity and survival of the Islamic community depended on the re-establishment of the correct guidance. Husayn also believed that the succession of Yazid I was an attempt to establish an illegitimate hereditary dynasty.
The religious attitudes of the Umayyad also inspired people who believed that leadership of the Muslim community rightly belonged to the descendants of Ali, so they urged Husayn to join them and come to Kufa to establish his caliphate since they had no imam. They told him that they did not attend the Friday prayer with the governor of Kufa, No'man ibn Bashir, and would drive him out of the town as soon as Husayn agreed to come to them.
To convince Husayn to come they sent him seven messengers with bags of letters of support by Kufan warriors and tribal leaders. Husayn wrote the Kufans and told them that he understood from their letters that they had no imam and they wished him to come to unite them by the correct guidance. He informed them that he was sending his cousin Moslem ibn Aqil to report to him on the situation. If he found them united as their letters indicated he would quickly join them, for it was the duty of the imam to act in accordance with the Quran and to uphold justice, proclaim the truth, and to dedicate himself to the cause of God. The mission of Moslem was initially successful. The Kufan Shi'as visited him freely, and 18,000 men are said to have enlisted with him in support of Husayn. Moslem wrote to Husayn, encouraging him to come quickly to Kufa.
Husayn was also visited by a Shi'a supporter with two of his sons from Basra, where Shi'a sentiment was limited. He then sent identical letters to the chiefs of the five divisions into which the Basran tribes were divided. He wrote them that Muhammad's family were his family and were the rightful heirs of his position, and that others had illegitimately claimed the right which belonged exclusively to Muhammad's family. The family had initially consented to the actions of the first caliphs for the sake of the unity of the Ummah. He said that the caliphs who had seized the right of Muhammad's family had done many good things, and had sought the truth. The letter closely reflected the guidelines set by Ali, who had strongly upheld the sole right of the family of Muhammad to leadership of the Muslim community but had also praised the conduct of the first caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar. While most of the recipients of the letter kept it secret, one of them suspected that it was a ploy of the governor Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziad to test their loyalty and turned it over to him. Ubayd-Allah seized and beheaded Husayn's messenger and addressed a stern warning to the people of Basra.
In Kufa the situation changed radically when Yazid replaced Noman ibn Bashir with Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziad, ordering the latter to deal severely with Husayn's cousin, Moslem ibn Aqil. Ubayd-Allah succeeded in intimidating the tribal chiefs, and a revolt collapsed when the rebels failed to capture the governor's palace. Moslem was found and delivered to Ubayd-Allah, who had him beheaded on the top of the palace and his body thrown down to the crowd. Yazid wrote to Ubayd-Allah, commending him highly for his decisive action and ordering him to set up watches for Husayn and his supporters and to arrest them but to kill only those who would fight him.
Yazid perceived Husayn's refusal to pledge allegiance as a danger to his throne because he was Muhammad's family, so he plotted to kill the grandson of Muhammad during the Hajj, in the precincts of the Holy Kaaba, thus defiling and desecrating it (killing a person in Mecca is prohibited in Islam). In order to avoid this sacrilege, Husayn took along his wives, children, a few friends and relatives and headed towards Kufa to fulfill the responsibility of the bearer of the Imamate and to fulfill his destiny as was prophesied by his grandfather, Muhammad.
On his way, he was offered military support by the tribe of Banu Tayy as well as sanctuary in their hills from where he could (if he wanted to) safely lead a revolt and overthrow Yazid. But Husayn refused the offer and continued his journey with his few companions.
Husayn in his path toward Kufa encountered the army of Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufa, led by al-Hurr al-Riyahi (a top commander in the Umayyad army who later changed sides).
On October 10, 680 (Muharram 10, 61 AH), Husayn and his small group of followers and family members, fought a large army of under the command of Umar ibn Sa'ad, son of the founder of Kufah. Husayn and all of his men were killed and beheaded. The bodies were left for three days without burial and survivors from Husayn's family were taken as prisoners to al-Sham (Syria and Lebanon today) to Yazid.
Today, the death of Husayn ibn Ali is commemorated during every Muharram by Shiite Muslims, with the most important of these days being its tenth day, Ashura. Ashura is also commemorated by Sunni Muslims, but not like Shi'a.
Husayn's body is buried in Karbala, near the site of his death. His head is said to have been returned from Damascus and interred with his body.
Husayn's grave became the most visited place for Shi'as. The Imam Husayn Shrine was later built over his grave. In 850 Abbasid caliph, al-Mutawakkil, destroyed his shrine in order to stop Shi'a pilgrimages. However, pilgrimages continued. It is now a holy site of pilgrimage for Shi'a Muslims.
The Day of Ashura is commemorated by the Shi‘a as a day of mourning for the death of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala. In some countries and regions such as Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Bahrain, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali has become a national holiday and all ethnic and religious communities participate in it.
Husayn ibn 'Ali see Husain ibn 'Ali Husayn ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, al- see Husain ibn 'Ali
Husainids
Husainids. See Husaynids.
Husaynids see Husainids.
Husainids. See Husaynids.
Husaynids see Husainids.
Husain Shahi
Husain Shahi (Hussain Shahi). Bengali dynasty whose name derives from Alauddin Husain Shah, ruler of Bengal (r.1494 to 1519). His successors were Nusrat Shah (r. 1519-1532), Firuz Shah (r. 1532-1533), and Mahmud Shah (r. 1533-1538). The Husain Shahis patronized the cultural life of Bengal -- most prominently through architecture and literature. Husain Shah made Ekdala his capital and established a progressive administration. He extended his kingdom to the borders of Orissa, occupied northern Bihar, invaded the Ahom kingdom of Assam, and recovered Chittagong from Arakanese occupation. His son, Nusrat Shah, annexed Tirhut and entered into conflict with Babur, but was forced to sue for peace. During this period two famous mosques -- Bara Sona Masjid ("Great Golden Mosque") and Qadam-i Rasul ("Foot Impression of the Prophet") -- were constructed at Gaur, and the Hindu epic Mahabharata was translated into Bengali. Assassinated by his eunuchs in 1532, Nusrat was succeeded by his son Alauddin Firuz Shah, who in turn was killed by his uncle Ghiyas ud-Din Mahmud Shah. Ghiyas, the last king of the dynasty, was expelled from Bengal by Sher Khan Suri.
The Husain Shahi (Hussain Shahi) dynasty ruled from 1494-1538. Alauddin Hussain Shah was considered the greatest of all the sultans of Bengal for bringing cultural renaissance during his reign. He conquered Kamarupa, Kamata, Jajnagar, Orissa and extended the sultanate all the way to the port of Chittagong, which witnessed the arrival of the first Portuguese merchants. Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah gave refuge to the Afghan lords during the invasion of Babur though he remained neutral. However, Nusrat Shah made a treaty with Babur and saved Bengal from a Mughal invasion. The last Sultan of the dynasty, who continued to rule from Gaur, had to contend with rising Afghan activity on his northwestern border. Eventually, the Afghans broke through and sacked the capital in 1538 where they remained for several decades until the arrival of the Mughals.
The Husain Shahi rulers were:
1. Alauddin Hussain Shah (1494-1519)
2. Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah (1519-1533)
3. Alauddin Firuz Shah (1533)
4. Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah (1533-1538)
Hussain Shahi see Husain Shahi
Husain Shahi (Hussain Shahi). Bengali dynasty whose name derives from Alauddin Husain Shah, ruler of Bengal (r.1494 to 1519). His successors were Nusrat Shah (r. 1519-1532), Firuz Shah (r. 1532-1533), and Mahmud Shah (r. 1533-1538). The Husain Shahis patronized the cultural life of Bengal -- most prominently through architecture and literature. Husain Shah made Ekdala his capital and established a progressive administration. He extended his kingdom to the borders of Orissa, occupied northern Bihar, invaded the Ahom kingdom of Assam, and recovered Chittagong from Arakanese occupation. His son, Nusrat Shah, annexed Tirhut and entered into conflict with Babur, but was forced to sue for peace. During this period two famous mosques -- Bara Sona Masjid ("Great Golden Mosque") and Qadam-i Rasul ("Foot Impression of the Prophet") -- were constructed at Gaur, and the Hindu epic Mahabharata was translated into Bengali. Assassinated by his eunuchs in 1532, Nusrat was succeeded by his son Alauddin Firuz Shah, who in turn was killed by his uncle Ghiyas ud-Din Mahmud Shah. Ghiyas, the last king of the dynasty, was expelled from Bengal by Sher Khan Suri.
The Husain Shahi (Hussain Shahi) dynasty ruled from 1494-1538. Alauddin Hussain Shah was considered the greatest of all the sultans of Bengal for bringing cultural renaissance during his reign. He conquered Kamarupa, Kamata, Jajnagar, Orissa and extended the sultanate all the way to the port of Chittagong, which witnessed the arrival of the first Portuguese merchants. Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah gave refuge to the Afghan lords during the invasion of Babur though he remained neutral. However, Nusrat Shah made a treaty with Babur and saved Bengal from a Mughal invasion. The last Sultan of the dynasty, who continued to rule from Gaur, had to contend with rising Afghan activity on his northwestern border. Eventually, the Afghans broke through and sacked the capital in 1538 where they remained for several decades until the arrival of the Mughals.
The Husain Shahi rulers were:
1. Alauddin Hussain Shah (1494-1519)
2. Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah (1519-1533)
3. Alauddin Firuz Shah (1533)
4. Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah (1533-1538)
Hussain Shahi see Husain Shahi
Husain, Zakir
Husain, Zakir (Zakir Husain) (Zakir Hussain) (February 8, 1897 - May 3, 1969). Indian educator and politician. Although his family’s roots were in the Farrukhabad district of Uttar Pradesh, Zakir Husain was born in Hyderabad (Deccan), where his father had gone to practice law in the courts of the nizam. Returning to the North for his education, Husain graduated from Aligarh Muslim University. During the Khilafat and Non-cooperation movements, he joined other Aligarh “old boys” in rejecting their old school as a government pawn. He was instrumental in the founding of a Muslim “National” University, the Jamia Millia, located in New Delhi. He left India in 1923 to study economics in Berlin, receiving a doctorate there in 1926. On his return to India, Husain involved himself in the politics of the Congress Party, becoming its educational expert. He served in a number of prestigious posts, including vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (1948), representative to UNESCO (1956), and governor of Bihar (1957). He became the third president of India in 1967, but died while in office.
Zakir Hussain was the third President of India from May 13, 1967 until his death on May 3, 1969. He was the first elected Muslim president of India.
Hussain was born in Etawah, India (India). His family had migrated to Hyderabad from Kaimganj, district Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh. He was educated at Islamia High School, Etawah and at the Anglo-Muhammadan Oriental College (now Aligarh Muslim University, where he was a prominent student leader). He was known, even in those days for his love of knowledge, his wit and eloquence and his readiness to help his fellow students. His father, Fida Hussain Khan, went to Hyderabad, studied Law and had a most successful career. Unfortunately, he died when Zakir was only ten years old.
Hussain, then only 23, was among the small group of students and teachers who founded a National Muslim University near Delhi and named it Jamia Millia Islamia. He subsequently went to Germany to obtain a doctorate degree from the University of Berlin in Economics. While in Germany, Hussain was instrumental in bringing out the anthology of arguably the greatest Urdu poet Mirza Assadullah Khan "Ghalib" (1797-1868).
He returned to India to head the Jamia Millia Islamia which was facing closure in 1927. He continued in that position for the next twenty-one years providing academic and managerial leadership to an institution that was intimately involved with India's struggle for freedom from the British Rule and experimented with value base education on the lines advocated by Mahatma Gandhi. During this period he continued to engage himself with movements for educational reforms in India and was particularly active in the affairs of his old alma mater the MAO College, now the Aligarh Muslim University. During this period Hussain emerged as one of the most prominent educational thinkers and practitioners of modern India. His personal sacrifice and untiring efforts to keep the Jamia afloat in very adverse circumstances won him appreciation of even his arch political rivals like Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
Soon after India attained independence, Hussain agreed to be the Vice chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University which was facing trying times in post partition India because of the active involvement of a segment of its teachers and students in the movement for the creation of Pakistan, where incidentally Hussain's relatives, brother Dr. Mahmood Hussain and nephew General Rahimuddin Khan would migrate to and achieve eminence. Hussain, again, provided leadership during a critical phase of the history of the University at Aligarh from 1948-1956. Soon after completing his term as Vice Chancellor he was nominated as a member of the Upper House of Indian Parliament in 1956, a position he vacated in 1957 to become Governor of the State of Bihar.
After serving as the Governor of Bihar from 1957 to 1962, and as the second Vice President of India from 1962 to 1967, Hussain was elected President of India on May 13, 1967. In his inaugural speech he said that the whole of India was his home and all its people were his family.
Hussain was awarded the highest Indian national honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 1963.
Hussain died on May 3, 1969, the first Indian President to die in office. He is buried on the campus of the Jamia Millia Islamia (or Central University) in New Delhi.
Zakir Husain see Husain, Zakir Zakir Hussain see Husain, Zakir Hussain, Zakir see Husain, Zakir
Husain, Zakir (Zakir Husain) (Zakir Hussain) (February 8, 1897 - May 3, 1969). Indian educator and politician. Although his family’s roots were in the Farrukhabad district of Uttar Pradesh, Zakir Husain was born in Hyderabad (Deccan), where his father had gone to practice law in the courts of the nizam. Returning to the North for his education, Husain graduated from Aligarh Muslim University. During the Khilafat and Non-cooperation movements, he joined other Aligarh “old boys” in rejecting their old school as a government pawn. He was instrumental in the founding of a Muslim “National” University, the Jamia Millia, located in New Delhi. He left India in 1923 to study economics in Berlin, receiving a doctorate there in 1926. On his return to India, Husain involved himself in the politics of the Congress Party, becoming its educational expert. He served in a number of prestigious posts, including vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (1948), representative to UNESCO (1956), and governor of Bihar (1957). He became the third president of India in 1967, but died while in office.
Zakir Hussain was the third President of India from May 13, 1967 until his death on May 3, 1969. He was the first elected Muslim president of India.
Hussain was born in Etawah, India (India). His family had migrated to Hyderabad from Kaimganj, district Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh. He was educated at Islamia High School, Etawah and at the Anglo-Muhammadan Oriental College (now Aligarh Muslim University, where he was a prominent student leader). He was known, even in those days for his love of knowledge, his wit and eloquence and his readiness to help his fellow students. His father, Fida Hussain Khan, went to Hyderabad, studied Law and had a most successful career. Unfortunately, he died when Zakir was only ten years old.
Hussain, then only 23, was among the small group of students and teachers who founded a National Muslim University near Delhi and named it Jamia Millia Islamia. He subsequently went to Germany to obtain a doctorate degree from the University of Berlin in Economics. While in Germany, Hussain was instrumental in bringing out the anthology of arguably the greatest Urdu poet Mirza Assadullah Khan "Ghalib" (1797-1868).
He returned to India to head the Jamia Millia Islamia which was facing closure in 1927. He continued in that position for the next twenty-one years providing academic and managerial leadership to an institution that was intimately involved with India's struggle for freedom from the British Rule and experimented with value base education on the lines advocated by Mahatma Gandhi. During this period he continued to engage himself with movements for educational reforms in India and was particularly active in the affairs of his old alma mater the MAO College, now the Aligarh Muslim University. During this period Hussain emerged as one of the most prominent educational thinkers and practitioners of modern India. His personal sacrifice and untiring efforts to keep the Jamia afloat in very adverse circumstances won him appreciation of even his arch political rivals like Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
Soon after India attained independence, Hussain agreed to be the Vice chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University which was facing trying times in post partition India because of the active involvement of a segment of its teachers and students in the movement for the creation of Pakistan, where incidentally Hussain's relatives, brother Dr. Mahmood Hussain and nephew General Rahimuddin Khan would migrate to and achieve eminence. Hussain, again, provided leadership during a critical phase of the history of the University at Aligarh from 1948-1956. Soon after completing his term as Vice Chancellor he was nominated as a member of the Upper House of Indian Parliament in 1956, a position he vacated in 1957 to become Governor of the State of Bihar.
After serving as the Governor of Bihar from 1957 to 1962, and as the second Vice President of India from 1962 to 1967, Hussain was elected President of India on May 13, 1967. In his inaugural speech he said that the whole of India was his home and all its people were his family.
Hussain was awarded the highest Indian national honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 1963.
Hussain died on May 3, 1969, the first Indian President to die in office. He is buried on the campus of the Jamia Millia Islamia (or Central University) in New Delhi.
Zakir Husain see Husain, Zakir Zakir Hussain see Husain, Zakir Hussain, Zakir see Husain, Zakir
Husayn I ibn Shah Sulayman I
Husayn I ibn Shah Sulayman I (1668-1726). Safavid monarch (r.1694-1722). During his reign, Persia was attacked by Mahmud of Qandahar and by Turkey and Russia. The Shah was deposed in 1722.
Husayn I ibn Shah Sulayman I (1668-1726). Safavid monarch (r.1694-1722). During his reign, Persia was attacked by Mahmud of Qandahar and by Turkey and Russia. The Shah was deposed in 1722.
Husayn ibn al-Dahhaq, al-
Husayn ibn al-Dahhaq, al- (al-Khali’) (d. 864). Poet from Basra at the ‘Abbasid court. He can be regarded as the ideal type of court poet, at least at a court dominated by the taste for pleasure.
Khali', al- see Husayn ibn al-Dahhaq, al-
Husayn ibn al-Dahhaq, al- (al-Khali’) (d. 864). Poet from Basra at the ‘Abbasid court. He can be regarded as the ideal type of court poet, at least at a court dominated by the taste for pleasure.
Khali', al- see Husayn ibn al-Dahhaq, al-
Husayn ibn al-Husayn
Husayn ibn al-Husayn (d. 1838). Last dey of Algiers (r.1818- 1830). In 1830, he set his seal upon the capitulation proposals formulated by the French government.
Husayn ibn al-Husayn (d. 1838). Last dey of Algiers (r.1818- 1830). In 1830, he set his seal upon the capitulation proposals formulated by the French government.
Husayn ibn ‘Ali
Husayn ibn ‘Ali (Hussein bin Ali) (1854 — June 4, 1931). Amir and sharif of Mecca and the Hijaz (1908-1916), and king of the Hijaz (1916-1924). Appointed by the Ottoman sultan, he at first showed loyalty to the sultan, but prevented the extension of the Hijaz Railway southward from Medina. In 1916, he proclaimed the Arab revolt and expelled the Turks from Mecca, but the Allied military occupation of Syria and Iraq precluded effective Arab rule. In 1924, he adopted the title of caliph, but did not find support for his assumption of the caliphate. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Sa‘ud forced him to abdicate in the same year.
Husayn, of the ‘Awn branch of the Hashemite family, was appointed to the emirate by Sultan ‘Abdulhamid II in 1908. Husayn and his son, ‘Abd Allah (Abdullah), engineered the appointment, portraying the former as loyal to the sultan and opposed to the Committee for Union and Progress, which had proposed ‘Ali Haydar of the Zayd branch of the Hashemites as its candidate.
Husayn supported the Ottomans when he attacked ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman Al Sa‘ud of Najd (1910) and the Idrisi of ‘Asir (1911), but such operations dovetailed with his efforts to prevent those leaders from encroaching on tribes whose loyalty he claimed. However, attempts by the vali (in Arabic, wali – Ottoman governor) to extend his control over the vilayet (in Arabic, wilayah – Ottoman administrative district) of Hejaz ( the district containing Mecca) and the threatened extension of the Hejaz railway from Medina to Mecca, moved Husayn to seek help. In 1914, ‘Abd Allah met Lord Kitchener in Cairo, asking for British support should the Ottomans attempt to remove Husayn. Kitchener demurred, since the Ottomans had yet to enter World War I. Husayn had coveted the emirate of Hejaz for himself and his progeny, but when the Ottomans entered the war in October, Britain sought Hashemite assistance by enticing Husayn with promises of future glory. Kitchener cabled ‘Abd Allah: “It may be that an Arab of true race will assume the Khalifate at Mecca or Medina, and so good may come by the help of God out of all the evil that is now occurring.” These comments, although ambiguous, were heady words for Husayn, and he must have swelled with expectation. In subsequent negotiations with Britain, London tried unsuccessfully to downplay the caliphal notion. Nevertheless, Britain let him believe that he would obtain large areas of Arab territory, including Syria, Palestine, and Iraq, to rule. It was on this basis, along with substantial financial assistance, that Husayn loosed the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire in June 1916.
Husayn presented the revolt as more Islamic than Arab, and demonstrated this by the application of shari‘a (the divine law) in Hejaz. But he contended that, although the revolt was inspired by Islam, the Arabs were best qualified to lead it.
Husayn never received the support he hoped for from the Arab and Muslim world. Many Arabs later saw in him an accessory to British and French imperialism. Indian Muslims never forgave him for revolting against the caliph, and they castigated him for his abuse of pilgrims.
Husayn’s rule in Hejaz lasted until the fall of Mecca to Ibn Sa‘ud in 1924, and it was plagued by financial problems exacerbated by the reduction and eventual suppression of his British subsidy. Husayn’s preoccupation with what he saw as British perfidy in Syria, Iraq, and Palestine, his inability to form the tribal confederacy necessary to confront Ibn Sa‘ud, his cruel method of government, and his alienation of the Hejazi merchant class led to his downfall. Proclaiming himself caliph in March 1924 earned him only ridicule. As Ibn Sa‘ud bore down on Hejaz, the British left Husayn without much support. Neither of his sons, who ruled in Transjordan and Iraq, gave him shelter, and he died a broken man in Amman in 1931, after spending most of his exile in the distinctly non-Arab country of Cyprus.
Hussein bin Ali see Husayn ibn ‘Ali
Husayn ibn ‘Ali (Hussein bin Ali) (1854 — June 4, 1931). Amir and sharif of Mecca and the Hijaz (1908-1916), and king of the Hijaz (1916-1924). Appointed by the Ottoman sultan, he at first showed loyalty to the sultan, but prevented the extension of the Hijaz Railway southward from Medina. In 1916, he proclaimed the Arab revolt and expelled the Turks from Mecca, but the Allied military occupation of Syria and Iraq precluded effective Arab rule. In 1924, he adopted the title of caliph, but did not find support for his assumption of the caliphate. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Sa‘ud forced him to abdicate in the same year.
Husayn, of the ‘Awn branch of the Hashemite family, was appointed to the emirate by Sultan ‘Abdulhamid II in 1908. Husayn and his son, ‘Abd Allah (Abdullah), engineered the appointment, portraying the former as loyal to the sultan and opposed to the Committee for Union and Progress, which had proposed ‘Ali Haydar of the Zayd branch of the Hashemites as its candidate.
Husayn supported the Ottomans when he attacked ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman Al Sa‘ud of Najd (1910) and the Idrisi of ‘Asir (1911), but such operations dovetailed with his efforts to prevent those leaders from encroaching on tribes whose loyalty he claimed. However, attempts by the vali (in Arabic, wali – Ottoman governor) to extend his control over the vilayet (in Arabic, wilayah – Ottoman administrative district) of Hejaz ( the district containing Mecca) and the threatened extension of the Hejaz railway from Medina to Mecca, moved Husayn to seek help. In 1914, ‘Abd Allah met Lord Kitchener in Cairo, asking for British support should the Ottomans attempt to remove Husayn. Kitchener demurred, since the Ottomans had yet to enter World War I. Husayn had coveted the emirate of Hejaz for himself and his progeny, but when the Ottomans entered the war in October, Britain sought Hashemite assistance by enticing Husayn with promises of future glory. Kitchener cabled ‘Abd Allah: “It may be that an Arab of true race will assume the Khalifate at Mecca or Medina, and so good may come by the help of God out of all the evil that is now occurring.” These comments, although ambiguous, were heady words for Husayn, and he must have swelled with expectation. In subsequent negotiations with Britain, London tried unsuccessfully to downplay the caliphal notion. Nevertheless, Britain let him believe that he would obtain large areas of Arab territory, including Syria, Palestine, and Iraq, to rule. It was on this basis, along with substantial financial assistance, that Husayn loosed the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire in June 1916.
Husayn presented the revolt as more Islamic than Arab, and demonstrated this by the application of shari‘a (the divine law) in Hejaz. But he contended that, although the revolt was inspired by Islam, the Arabs were best qualified to lead it.
Husayn never received the support he hoped for from the Arab and Muslim world. Many Arabs later saw in him an accessory to British and French imperialism. Indian Muslims never forgave him for revolting against the caliph, and they castigated him for his abuse of pilgrims.
Husayn’s rule in Hejaz lasted until the fall of Mecca to Ibn Sa‘ud in 1924, and it was plagued by financial problems exacerbated by the reduction and eventual suppression of his British subsidy. Husayn’s preoccupation with what he saw as British perfidy in Syria, Iraq, and Palestine, his inability to form the tribal confederacy necessary to confront Ibn Sa‘ud, his cruel method of government, and his alienation of the Hejazi merchant class led to his downfall. Proclaiming himself caliph in March 1924 earned him only ridicule. As Ibn Sa‘ud bore down on Hejaz, the British left Husayn without much support. Neither of his sons, who ruled in Transjordan and Iraq, gave him shelter, and he died a broken man in Amman in 1931, after spending most of his exile in the distinctly non-Arab country of Cyprus.
Hussein bin Ali see Husayn ibn ‘Ali
Husayn ibn ‘Ali, al-
Husayn ibn ‘Ali, al-. Bey of Tunis (1705-1735). Recognized by the Ottoman sultan, he was the founder of the Husaynid dynasty, which reigned over Tunisia from 1705 until the establishment of the Republic of Tunisia in 1957.
Al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī, an Ottoman officer, was proclaimed bey in 1705 after the Algerians captured the former ruler of Tunis. He received legal recognition by the Ottoman sultan as governor (beylerbeyi) of the province and assured the survival of his line by promulgating a law of succession in 1710. Al-Ḥusayn conducted his affairs without Ottoman interference and with a measure of independence that allowed him to maintain separate treaties with France (1710; 1728), Great Britain (1716), Spain (1720), Austria (1725), and Holland (1728).
Husayn ibn ‘Ali, al-. Bey of Tunis (1705-1735). Recognized by the Ottoman sultan, he was the founder of the Husaynid dynasty, which reigned over Tunisia from 1705 until the establishment of the Republic of Tunisia in 1957.
Al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī, an Ottoman officer, was proclaimed bey in 1705 after the Algerians captured the former ruler of Tunis. He received legal recognition by the Ottoman sultan as governor (beylerbeyi) of the province and assured the survival of his line by promulgating a law of succession in 1710. Al-Ḥusayn conducted his affairs without Ottoman interference and with a measure of independence that allowed him to maintain separate treaties with France (1710; 1728), Great Britain (1716), Spain (1720), Austria (1725), and Holland (1728).
Husayn ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, al-
Husayn ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, al- (Husain ibn 'Ali) (625 [626?]-680). Grandson of the Prophet and the second son of ‘Ali and Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad. Husayn was born in Medina. The fame of Husayn is based on his martyrdom at Karbala on the tenth day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic year (October 10, 680 C.C.).
Though pressed by the Shi‘is, Husayn actually did not resist the Umayyad Caliph Mu‘awiya I after his father’s death in 661. ‘Ali, Husayn’s father, was assassinated in 661 after a short and turbulent caliphate and was succeeded by his elder son, Hasan. However, Hasan soon abdicated as he realized the disunity and fickleness of his followers and the superiority of Mu‘awiyah’s well-organized forces.
Husayn reluctantly accepted his brother’s compromise although he refused to pay allegiance to Mu‘awiyah. However, during Mu‘awiyah’s long reign (661-680), Husayn honored his brother’s agreement with the Umayyad caliph. Among the stipulations of this agreement was that after Mu‘awiyah’s death his successor would be either chosen through shura (consultation) or that – according to Shi‘a reports – the caliphate would revert to one of the two sons of ‘Ali.
Hasan died in 671 and Mu‘awiyah appointed his own son Yazid as his successor. Yazid is reputed to have been a lewd character given to drinking and other illicit pleasures. Many, particularly in the Hejaz and Iraq, opposed Yazid’s appointment, and a small number of notables, including Husayn, withheld their allegiance. Wishing to assert his authority and quell opposition at any cost, Yazid in 680 ordered his governor in Medina to take everyone’s oath of allegiance and execute anyone who refused.
Husayn left Medina (Madinah) secretly and sought protection in the sanctuary of Mecca (Makkah). There, he received numerous letters from the Shi‘ah of Kufa inviting him to lead them in an insurrection against Yazid. Husayn sent his cousin Muslim ibn ‘Aqil to Kufa to investigate the situation. Muslim sent word that support for Husayn was strong and that he should hasten to Kufa without delay.
Apprised of these developments, Yazid dismissed the governor of Kufa and extended the authority of ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Basra, to include Kufa. 'Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad was a shrewd and ruthless politician. By means of threats and bribes he quickly contained the uprising and sent a small detachment to prevent Husayn from reaching Kufa. He captured Muslim and had him executed with some of his close supporters.
Husayn now set out for Iraq with his women and children and a small band of followers. Learning of Muslim’s fate along the way, he released his relatives and followers from all obligations and advised them to go. Many did, and he was left with a small group of loyal supporters and family members. He was intercepted by a small detachment and diverted away from Kufa to a spot called Karbala on the banks of the Euphrates.
An army of about four thousand men was then assembled to confront Husayn and his band of seventy-odd followers. The army was headed by ‘Umar ibn Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, the son of a respected companion of the Prophet. Ibn Ziyad also made sure that some of Husayn’s Kufic supporters were conscripted.
Husayn arrived at Karbala on the second of Muharram. After a week of fruitless negotiations between Husayn and ‘Umar ibn Sa‘d, Ibn Ziyad sent an alternative leader, Shamir ibn Dhi al-Jawshan, with instructions to execute the reluctant ‘Umar ibn Sa‘d should he refuse to carry out his orders. Husayn, Ibn Ziyad ordered, should either surrender and be brought to him as a war-captive or be killed in battle. For some days, Husayn and his followers were denied water from the Euphrates in order to force them to surrender.
On the morning of 10 Muharram (in 680 of the Christian calendar), the battle began. Greatly outnumbered, Husayn and his followers were annihilated by the early afternoon. One by one, Husayn witnessed his own children and other relatives fall. Even an infant whom he held in his arms was slain. Finally, after a brave fight, Husayn himself fell. On orders from Ibn Ziyad, Husayn’s corpse was trampled by horses and his head and those of his followers were paraded in Kufa as a warning to others.
Few personalities in Muslim history have exerted as great and enduring an influence on Islamic thought and piety as Imam Husayn. For Sunni, and particularly Sufi piety, Husayn is the revered grandson of the Prophet and member of his household (ahl al-bayt). Husayn’s shrine-mosque in Cairo is a living symbol of Sunni devotion to the martyred imam.
Husayn’s revolt against Umayyad rule inspired not only religious Muslims, but also secular socialists. A powerful portrayal of Husayn the revolutionary was made by the socialist Egyptian writer ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sharqawi in his two-part play, “Husayn the Revolutionary” and “Husayn the Martyr.”
Although these ideas are also shared by many educated Shi‘is, Husayn occupies a central place in Twelver Shi‘a faith and piety. Pilgrimage (ziyarah), actual or ritualistic, to his tomb is second in importance to the hajj pilgrimage. Moreover, the ‘Ashura’ and other ta‘ziyah (passion play) celebrations have given the Shi‘a community an ethos of suffering and martyrdom distinguishing it sharply from the rest of the Muslim community.
The meaning and significance of the revolution, struggle and martyrdom of Imam Husayn continues to grow with changing times and political circumstances of Muslim society. He has become a symbol of political resistance for many Muslims, regardless of their ideological persuasion or walk of life. For Shi‘a Muslims Husayn is also a symbol of eschatological hope, as the expected Mahdi (messiah) will finally avenge his blood and vindicate him and all those who have suffered wrong at the hands of tyrannical rulers.
Since the middle ages special mosque annexes appropriately called husayniyahs have served as centers for the memorial observances of the sufferings and martyrdom of Husayn and his family and the social and political lessons that can be learned from this tragedy. It was in such centers in Beirut and south Lebanon that the first Shi‘a resistance movements were born. It was also in the Husayniyah-yi Irshad that the ideas of ‘Ali Shari‘ati kindled the final spark of Iran’s Islamic Revolution. Indications are that the example of Husayn will continue to inspire Muslim resistance and religious fervor for a long time to come.
Only one of Husayn’s sons survived. A young boy who lay sick at the time of the battle was the only surviving son. From him all the numerous line of Husayn’s offspring are descended.
In both Sunnite and Shi‘ite traditions Husayn has been regarded as a man of piety, idealism, nobility of character, and ascetic detachment. He upheld an ideal of Islamic social and political life which he saw violated in Umayyad rule. The drama of Karbala has had a remarkable history in the folklore, literature, art, and piety of the Shi‘ite community, and is commemorated annually. As for Husayn, legend speaks of the marvels connected with his birth and childhood, his death, his severed head, the punishment of those who had insulted and wounded him and of his supernatural attributes which caused other wonders and miracles. In this respect, the story of Husayn may have been influenced by Christian texts since Husayn’s story bears resemblance to the passion story of Christ. According to Islamic folklore, after death, Husayn was given a key to Paradise. On Judgment Day, Husayn shall use this key to allow believers to enter, but only if they have mourned over Husayn’s death during the ceremonies of Muharram.
Husain ibn 'Ali see Husayn ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, al-
Husayn ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, al- (Husain ibn 'Ali) (625 [626?]-680). Grandson of the Prophet and the second son of ‘Ali and Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad. Husayn was born in Medina. The fame of Husayn is based on his martyrdom at Karbala on the tenth day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic year (October 10, 680 C.C.).
Though pressed by the Shi‘is, Husayn actually did not resist the Umayyad Caliph Mu‘awiya I after his father’s death in 661. ‘Ali, Husayn’s father, was assassinated in 661 after a short and turbulent caliphate and was succeeded by his elder son, Hasan. However, Hasan soon abdicated as he realized the disunity and fickleness of his followers and the superiority of Mu‘awiyah’s well-organized forces.
Husayn reluctantly accepted his brother’s compromise although he refused to pay allegiance to Mu‘awiyah. However, during Mu‘awiyah’s long reign (661-680), Husayn honored his brother’s agreement with the Umayyad caliph. Among the stipulations of this agreement was that after Mu‘awiyah’s death his successor would be either chosen through shura (consultation) or that – according to Shi‘a reports – the caliphate would revert to one of the two sons of ‘Ali.
Hasan died in 671 and Mu‘awiyah appointed his own son Yazid as his successor. Yazid is reputed to have been a lewd character given to drinking and other illicit pleasures. Many, particularly in the Hejaz and Iraq, opposed Yazid’s appointment, and a small number of notables, including Husayn, withheld their allegiance. Wishing to assert his authority and quell opposition at any cost, Yazid in 680 ordered his governor in Medina to take everyone’s oath of allegiance and execute anyone who refused.
Husayn left Medina (Madinah) secretly and sought protection in the sanctuary of Mecca (Makkah). There, he received numerous letters from the Shi‘ah of Kufa inviting him to lead them in an insurrection against Yazid. Husayn sent his cousin Muslim ibn ‘Aqil to Kufa to investigate the situation. Muslim sent word that support for Husayn was strong and that he should hasten to Kufa without delay.
Apprised of these developments, Yazid dismissed the governor of Kufa and extended the authority of ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Basra, to include Kufa. 'Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad was a shrewd and ruthless politician. By means of threats and bribes he quickly contained the uprising and sent a small detachment to prevent Husayn from reaching Kufa. He captured Muslim and had him executed with some of his close supporters.
Husayn now set out for Iraq with his women and children and a small band of followers. Learning of Muslim’s fate along the way, he released his relatives and followers from all obligations and advised them to go. Many did, and he was left with a small group of loyal supporters and family members. He was intercepted by a small detachment and diverted away from Kufa to a spot called Karbala on the banks of the Euphrates.
An army of about four thousand men was then assembled to confront Husayn and his band of seventy-odd followers. The army was headed by ‘Umar ibn Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, the son of a respected companion of the Prophet. Ibn Ziyad also made sure that some of Husayn’s Kufic supporters were conscripted.
Husayn arrived at Karbala on the second of Muharram. After a week of fruitless negotiations between Husayn and ‘Umar ibn Sa‘d, Ibn Ziyad sent an alternative leader, Shamir ibn Dhi al-Jawshan, with instructions to execute the reluctant ‘Umar ibn Sa‘d should he refuse to carry out his orders. Husayn, Ibn Ziyad ordered, should either surrender and be brought to him as a war-captive or be killed in battle. For some days, Husayn and his followers were denied water from the Euphrates in order to force them to surrender.
On the morning of 10 Muharram (in 680 of the Christian calendar), the battle began. Greatly outnumbered, Husayn and his followers were annihilated by the early afternoon. One by one, Husayn witnessed his own children and other relatives fall. Even an infant whom he held in his arms was slain. Finally, after a brave fight, Husayn himself fell. On orders from Ibn Ziyad, Husayn’s corpse was trampled by horses and his head and those of his followers were paraded in Kufa as a warning to others.
Few personalities in Muslim history have exerted as great and enduring an influence on Islamic thought and piety as Imam Husayn. For Sunni, and particularly Sufi piety, Husayn is the revered grandson of the Prophet and member of his household (ahl al-bayt). Husayn’s shrine-mosque in Cairo is a living symbol of Sunni devotion to the martyred imam.
Husayn’s revolt against Umayyad rule inspired not only religious Muslims, but also secular socialists. A powerful portrayal of Husayn the revolutionary was made by the socialist Egyptian writer ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sharqawi in his two-part play, “Husayn the Revolutionary” and “Husayn the Martyr.”
Although these ideas are also shared by many educated Shi‘is, Husayn occupies a central place in Twelver Shi‘a faith and piety. Pilgrimage (ziyarah), actual or ritualistic, to his tomb is second in importance to the hajj pilgrimage. Moreover, the ‘Ashura’ and other ta‘ziyah (passion play) celebrations have given the Shi‘a community an ethos of suffering and martyrdom distinguishing it sharply from the rest of the Muslim community.
The meaning and significance of the revolution, struggle and martyrdom of Imam Husayn continues to grow with changing times and political circumstances of Muslim society. He has become a symbol of political resistance for many Muslims, regardless of their ideological persuasion or walk of life. For Shi‘a Muslims Husayn is also a symbol of eschatological hope, as the expected Mahdi (messiah) will finally avenge his blood and vindicate him and all those who have suffered wrong at the hands of tyrannical rulers.
Since the middle ages special mosque annexes appropriately called husayniyahs have served as centers for the memorial observances of the sufferings and martyrdom of Husayn and his family and the social and political lessons that can be learned from this tragedy. It was in such centers in Beirut and south Lebanon that the first Shi‘a resistance movements were born. It was also in the Husayniyah-yi Irshad that the ideas of ‘Ali Shari‘ati kindled the final spark of Iran’s Islamic Revolution. Indications are that the example of Husayn will continue to inspire Muslim resistance and religious fervor for a long time to come.
Only one of Husayn’s sons survived. A young boy who lay sick at the time of the battle was the only surviving son. From him all the numerous line of Husayn’s offspring are descended.
In both Sunnite and Shi‘ite traditions Husayn has been regarded as a man of piety, idealism, nobility of character, and ascetic detachment. He upheld an ideal of Islamic social and political life which he saw violated in Umayyad rule. The drama of Karbala has had a remarkable history in the folklore, literature, art, and piety of the Shi‘ite community, and is commemorated annually. As for Husayn, legend speaks of the marvels connected with his birth and childhood, his death, his severed head, the punishment of those who had insulted and wounded him and of his supernatural attributes which caused other wonders and miracles. In this respect, the story of Husayn may have been influenced by Christian texts since Husayn’s story bears resemblance to the passion story of Christ. According to Islamic folklore, after death, Husayn was given a key to Paradise. On Judgment Day, Husayn shall use this key to allow believers to enter, but only if they have mourned over Husayn’s death during the ceremonies of Muharram.
Husain ibn 'Ali see Husayn ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, al-
Husayn ibn ‘Ali, Sahib Fakhkh, al-
Husayn ibn ‘Ali, Sahib Fakhkh, al- (Sahib Fakhkh al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali) (d. 786). ‘Alid who led a revolt at Medina during the caliphate of the ‘Abbasid Caliph al-Hadi ila’l-Haqq and was killed at Fakhkh.
Sahib Fakhkh al-Husayn ibn 'Ali see Husayn ibn ‘Ali, Sahib Fakhkh, al-
Husayn ibn ‘Ali, Sahib Fakhkh, al- (Sahib Fakhkh al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali) (d. 786). ‘Alid who led a revolt at Medina during the caliphate of the ‘Abbasid Caliph al-Hadi ila’l-Haqq and was killed at Fakhkh.
Sahib Fakhkh al-Husayn ibn 'Ali see Husayn ibn ‘Ali, Sahib Fakhkh, al-
Husaynids
Husaynids (Husainids). Last dynasty of the Beys of Tunisia (r.1705-1957). Their main capital was Tunis (Bardo). It was founded by the Turkish cavalry commander Husain ibn Ali (r. 1705-1735), who in the confusion that followed the removal of the Muradids seized power in Tunisia and gained large scale independence from the Ottomans. Family strife under Husain’s nephew Ali Pasha (r. 1735-1756) led to the plundering of Tunis in 1756 and Algeria’s hegemony in the region. There followed a period of reconstruction and economic prosperity with the restoration of full sovereignty (in 1807) under Ali Bey (r. 1759-1782) and Hammuda Bey (r. 1782-1814 – “The Golden Age”), as well as cultural arabization of the country and creation of a national state. Facing increased economic pressure from Europe following the French occupation of Algeria (in 1830), Ahmed Bey (r. 1837-1855) and Muhammad al-Sadiq (r. 1859-1882) carried out reforms based on the European model. In 1869, there was an international financial inspectorate overseeing Tunisia and national reforms were prevented. In 1881, Tunisia became a French protectorate (via the Bardo Convention). The rule of subsequent beys stood between French tutelage and the support of national endeavors to gain independence (by the Destour Party). In 1943, the French deposed the nationalist bey Muhammad al-Munsif. In 1957, the last Husainid, Muhammad al-Amin, known as Bey Lamine (r. 1943-1957), was ousted when the Republic was proclaimed by Habib Bourguiba.
Civil wars that provoked Algerian intervention plagued the early years of the dynasty and persuaded the Husaynid beys, who were part of an Ottoman ruling elite only loosely integrated into Tunisian society, of the need to develop a broad base of support in the country. The beys began to integrate tribal warriors into their army and to elevate members of the urban bourgeoisie, especially the ‘ulama’, to positions of responsibility in the government.
A dramatic upturn in the economy owing to the revival of corsair activity during the Napoleonic Wars solidified the relationship between the beys and their subjects, but the absence of effective Husaynid leadership following the death of Hamudah Bey (r. 1782-1814) in 1814 left the country weak and vulnerable. A series of disastrous harvests and a widespread commercial slump in the following years gave European merchants an opportunity to insinuate themselves into the center of the Tunisian economy by lending money to Tunisians on the verge of financial ruin. The French occupation of Algeria in 1830 heightened the dangers of this European economic penetration by placing a major creditor on Tunisia’s borders. An Ottoman effort to re-assert direct control over Tripolitania in 1835 similarly jeopardized the bey’s autonomy.
Determined to avert both French and Ottoman encroachment, Ahmad Bey (r. 1837-1855) launched a campaign to strengthen the central government and make the country more self-sufficient, but the tax increases needed to implement these policies further undermined the economy. More important, Ahmad’s unchecked spending left his successors with no choice but to borrow money abroad. The highly unfavorable terms of these loans set off a spiral of indebtedness that placed Tunisia firmly in the grasp of its European creditors.
An intense competition between France and Great Britain for the economic and political domination of the country marked the quarter century between Ahmad’s death and the imposition of the French protectorate, with the Husaynids trying in vain to maintain their autonomy. The eagerness of many Tunisian officials to enrich themselves by collaborating with foreign governments and business interests produced a debilitating atmosphere of graft and corruption. In the hope of appeasing the powers, the Husaynids consented to demands for such “reforms” as the ‘ahd al-aman and the constitution of 1861, but this agenda served primarily the Europeans’ purposes and failed to promote either political or economic stability. When the European powers reached an agreement on the disposition of Tunisia at the Congress of Berlin (1878), a French occupation became inevitable.
The Bardo Treaty, signed after France invaded Tunisia in 1881, left Muhammad al-Sadiq (r. 1859-1882) on the throne, but without real authority. For the next seventy-five years, the Husaynids reigned but did not rule, their powers circumscribed by the protectorate bureaucracy. This long period of political impotence, the lack of interest in, or sympathy for, the nationalist movement on the part of the beys (with the possible exception of Munsif [r. 1942-1943]), and the enormous popularity of the nationalist leader, Habib Bourguiba, all contributed to the ease with which al-Amin Bey (r. 1943-1957) was deposed and the monarchy abolished in 1957
The Husainid Dynasty is the former ruling dynasty of Tunisia originally of Cretan origin. They came to power under Al-Husayn I ibn Ali at-Turki in 1705 replacing the Muradid Dynasty. After taking power the Husainids ruled as Beys with succession to the throne determined by age with the oldest member of the dynasty becoming Bey. The heir apparent to the Bey held the title Bey al-Mahalla. The Husainid's originally ruled under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire. In 1881 Tunisia came under the control of France as a protectorate. Following independence from France on March 20, 1956 the Bey Muhammad VIII al-Amin assumed the title of King and reigned as such until the prime minister Habib Bourguiba deposed the dynasty and declared Tunisia a republic on July 25, 1957.
Since October 2006 the current head of the dynasty is Prince Muhammad Bey (born 1928) who is a grandson of Muhammad V an-Nasir.
The ruling heads of the Husainid dynasty were:
* Al-Husayn I ibn Ali at-Turki (15 July 1705 - 7 September 1735)
* 'Abu'l Hasan 'Ali I (7 September 1735 - 22 September 1756)
* Muhammad I ar-Rashid (22 September 1756 - 11 February 1759)
* Ali II ibn Hussein (11 February 1759 - 26 May 1782)
* Hammuda ibn Ali (26 May 1782 - 15 September 1814)
* Uthman ibn Ali (15 September - 21 November 1814)
* Mahmud ibn Muhammad (21 November 1814 - 28 March 1824)
* Al-Husayn II ibn Mahmud (28 March 1824 - 20 May 1835)
* Al-Mustafa ibn Mahmud (20 May 1835 - 10 October 1837)
* Ahmad I ibn Mustafa (10 October 1837 - 30 May 1855)
* Muhammad II ibn al-Husayn (30 May 1855 - 22 September 1859)
* Muhammad III as-Sadiq (22 September 1859 - 27 October 1882)
* Ali III Muddat ibn al-Husayn (28 October 1882 - 11 June 1902)
* Muhammad IV al-Hadi (11 June 1902 - 11 May 1906)
* Muhammad V an-Nasir (11 May 1906 - 10 July 1922)
* Muhammad VI al-Habib (10 July 1922 - 11 February 1929)
* Ahmad II ibn Ali (11 February 1929 - 19 June 1942)
* Muhammad VII al-Munsif (19 June 1942 - 15 May 1943)
* Muhammad VIII al-Amin (15 May 1943 - 25 July 1957)
The non-ruling heads of the Husainid dynasty
* Muhammad al-Amin (1957 - 30 September 1962)
* Crown Prince Husain Bey (30 September 1962 - 9 April 1969)
* Prince Mustafa Bey (9 April 1969 - 1974)
* Prince Muhammad al-Taib Bey (1974 - 29 April 1989)
* Prince Sulaiman Bey (29 April 1989 - 1992)
* Prince 'Allalah Bey (1992 - 2001)
* Prince Shazli Bey (2001 - 2 July 2004)
* Prince Muhi ud-din Bey (2 July 2004 - 2006)
* Prince Muhammad Bey (2006 - )
Husainids see Husaynids
Husaynids (Husainids). Last dynasty of the Beys of Tunisia (r.1705-1957). Their main capital was Tunis (Bardo). It was founded by the Turkish cavalry commander Husain ibn Ali (r. 1705-1735), who in the confusion that followed the removal of the Muradids seized power in Tunisia and gained large scale independence from the Ottomans. Family strife under Husain’s nephew Ali Pasha (r. 1735-1756) led to the plundering of Tunis in 1756 and Algeria’s hegemony in the region. There followed a period of reconstruction and economic prosperity with the restoration of full sovereignty (in 1807) under Ali Bey (r. 1759-1782) and Hammuda Bey (r. 1782-1814 – “The Golden Age”), as well as cultural arabization of the country and creation of a national state. Facing increased economic pressure from Europe following the French occupation of Algeria (in 1830), Ahmed Bey (r. 1837-1855) and Muhammad al-Sadiq (r. 1859-1882) carried out reforms based on the European model. In 1869, there was an international financial inspectorate overseeing Tunisia and national reforms were prevented. In 1881, Tunisia became a French protectorate (via the Bardo Convention). The rule of subsequent beys stood between French tutelage and the support of national endeavors to gain independence (by the Destour Party). In 1943, the French deposed the nationalist bey Muhammad al-Munsif. In 1957, the last Husainid, Muhammad al-Amin, known as Bey Lamine (r. 1943-1957), was ousted when the Republic was proclaimed by Habib Bourguiba.
Civil wars that provoked Algerian intervention plagued the early years of the dynasty and persuaded the Husaynid beys, who were part of an Ottoman ruling elite only loosely integrated into Tunisian society, of the need to develop a broad base of support in the country. The beys began to integrate tribal warriors into their army and to elevate members of the urban bourgeoisie, especially the ‘ulama’, to positions of responsibility in the government.
A dramatic upturn in the economy owing to the revival of corsair activity during the Napoleonic Wars solidified the relationship between the beys and their subjects, but the absence of effective Husaynid leadership following the death of Hamudah Bey (r. 1782-1814) in 1814 left the country weak and vulnerable. A series of disastrous harvests and a widespread commercial slump in the following years gave European merchants an opportunity to insinuate themselves into the center of the Tunisian economy by lending money to Tunisians on the verge of financial ruin. The French occupation of Algeria in 1830 heightened the dangers of this European economic penetration by placing a major creditor on Tunisia’s borders. An Ottoman effort to re-assert direct control over Tripolitania in 1835 similarly jeopardized the bey’s autonomy.
Determined to avert both French and Ottoman encroachment, Ahmad Bey (r. 1837-1855) launched a campaign to strengthen the central government and make the country more self-sufficient, but the tax increases needed to implement these policies further undermined the economy. More important, Ahmad’s unchecked spending left his successors with no choice but to borrow money abroad. The highly unfavorable terms of these loans set off a spiral of indebtedness that placed Tunisia firmly in the grasp of its European creditors.
An intense competition between France and Great Britain for the economic and political domination of the country marked the quarter century between Ahmad’s death and the imposition of the French protectorate, with the Husaynids trying in vain to maintain their autonomy. The eagerness of many Tunisian officials to enrich themselves by collaborating with foreign governments and business interests produced a debilitating atmosphere of graft and corruption. In the hope of appeasing the powers, the Husaynids consented to demands for such “reforms” as the ‘ahd al-aman and the constitution of 1861, but this agenda served primarily the Europeans’ purposes and failed to promote either political or economic stability. When the European powers reached an agreement on the disposition of Tunisia at the Congress of Berlin (1878), a French occupation became inevitable.
The Bardo Treaty, signed after France invaded Tunisia in 1881, left Muhammad al-Sadiq (r. 1859-1882) on the throne, but without real authority. For the next seventy-five years, the Husaynids reigned but did not rule, their powers circumscribed by the protectorate bureaucracy. This long period of political impotence, the lack of interest in, or sympathy for, the nationalist movement on the part of the beys (with the possible exception of Munsif [r. 1942-1943]), and the enormous popularity of the nationalist leader, Habib Bourguiba, all contributed to the ease with which al-Amin Bey (r. 1943-1957) was deposed and the monarchy abolished in 1957
The Husainid Dynasty is the former ruling dynasty of Tunisia originally of Cretan origin. They came to power under Al-Husayn I ibn Ali at-Turki in 1705 replacing the Muradid Dynasty. After taking power the Husainids ruled as Beys with succession to the throne determined by age with the oldest member of the dynasty becoming Bey. The heir apparent to the Bey held the title Bey al-Mahalla. The Husainid's originally ruled under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire. In 1881 Tunisia came under the control of France as a protectorate. Following independence from France on March 20, 1956 the Bey Muhammad VIII al-Amin assumed the title of King and reigned as such until the prime minister Habib Bourguiba deposed the dynasty and declared Tunisia a republic on July 25, 1957.
Since October 2006 the current head of the dynasty is Prince Muhammad Bey (born 1928) who is a grandson of Muhammad V an-Nasir.
The ruling heads of the Husainid dynasty were:
* Al-Husayn I ibn Ali at-Turki (15 July 1705 - 7 September 1735)
* 'Abu'l Hasan 'Ali I (7 September 1735 - 22 September 1756)
* Muhammad I ar-Rashid (22 September 1756 - 11 February 1759)
* Ali II ibn Hussein (11 February 1759 - 26 May 1782)
* Hammuda ibn Ali (26 May 1782 - 15 September 1814)
* Uthman ibn Ali (15 September - 21 November 1814)
* Mahmud ibn Muhammad (21 November 1814 - 28 March 1824)
* Al-Husayn II ibn Mahmud (28 March 1824 - 20 May 1835)
* Al-Mustafa ibn Mahmud (20 May 1835 - 10 October 1837)
* Ahmad I ibn Mustafa (10 October 1837 - 30 May 1855)
* Muhammad II ibn al-Husayn (30 May 1855 - 22 September 1859)
* Muhammad III as-Sadiq (22 September 1859 - 27 October 1882)
* Ali III Muddat ibn al-Husayn (28 October 1882 - 11 June 1902)
* Muhammad IV al-Hadi (11 June 1902 - 11 May 1906)
* Muhammad V an-Nasir (11 May 1906 - 10 July 1922)
* Muhammad VI al-Habib (10 July 1922 - 11 February 1929)
* Ahmad II ibn Ali (11 February 1929 - 19 June 1942)
* Muhammad VII al-Munsif (19 June 1942 - 15 May 1943)
* Muhammad VIII al-Amin (15 May 1943 - 25 July 1957)
The non-ruling heads of the Husainid dynasty
* Muhammad al-Amin (1957 - 30 September 1962)
* Crown Prince Husain Bey (30 September 1962 - 9 April 1969)
* Prince Mustafa Bey (9 April 1969 - 1974)
* Prince Muhammad al-Taib Bey (1974 - 29 April 1989)
* Prince Sulaiman Bey (29 April 1989 - 1992)
* Prince 'Allalah Bey (1992 - 2001)
* Prince Shazli Bey (2001 - 2 July 2004)
* Prince Muhi ud-din Bey (2 July 2004 - 2006)
* Prince Muhammad Bey (2006 - )
Husainids see Husaynids
Husayni, Hajj Amin al-
Husayni, Hajj Amin al- (Hajj Amin al-Husayni) (Mohammad Amin al-Husayni) (Muhammad Amin al-Husseini) (1895 - July 4, 1974). Mufti of Jerusalem and a Palestinian Arab nationalist leader in the 1930s and 1940s. Al-Hajj Amin al-Husayni came from an aristocratic landowning family that traced its lineage to the prophet Muhammad. His grandfather, father, and half-brother served as muftis of Jerusalem. Husayni studied briefly at al-Azhar University in Cairo (1912-1913) and, after serving in the Ottoman army, became an active Arab nationalist. From 1918 to 1920, he supported the unification of Palestine with Syria, as a step toward a Pan-Arab state, and protested the British Balfour Declaration (November 1917) that promised to establish a national home in Palestine for the Jewish people. He fled to Damascus after participating in violent anti-Zionist protests in Jerusalem in April 1920.
Husayni emerged as a powerful figure when the British not only pardoned him but appointed him mufti of Jerusalem (May 1921) and president of the Supreme Muslim Council (January 1922). He pledged to maintain order and the British hoped the move would pacify the Palestinian elite. As president, he gained control over the Muslim religious schools, courts, orphanages, mosques, and awqaf (religious endowments) throughout the country.
Husayni’s effort to maintain calm while pressing for substantive political concessions from the British became more difficult to sustain in the wake of the Wailing Wall crisis (1928-1929) and soaring Jewish immigration in the early 1930s. He headed a delegation to London (January 1930) that sought a national government with an Arab majority. He also organized the General Islamic Congress in Jerusalem (December 1931) to galvanize support in the Muslim world. The failure of these initiatives to alter the Palestinians’ situation encouraged anti-British radicals to challenge Husayni’s influence. They later criticized his efforts, as president of the Arab Higher Committee, to limit the scope of the general strike that began in April 1936.
Husayni only broke decisively with the British when the Peel Commission called for the territorial partition of Palestine in July 1937. The nationalist cause appeared lost and British support for the Zionist movement irresistible. At this point he escaped to Lebanon (October 1937) and became a bitter enemy of the British. He supported the violent Palestinian revolt against the British (1938-1939), encouraged anti-British political forces in Iraq (October 1939 to May 1941), and fled through Iran to Italy and Germany. Husayni tried to persuade Hitler to pledge support for Arab independence, and appealed over the radio for Arabs and Muslims to revolt against the Allies. At the end of the war, he escaped to France (May 1945) and then to Cairo (May 1946), where he resumed his political activities. Discredited by his support for Hitler and unable to prevent the establishment of Israel in 1948, he lived in exile in Egypt until 1959 and then in Beirut. Husayni’s importance lies in his dual role as a religious and political leader. His religious stature enhanced his political leadership and he activated support for the Palestinian nationalist cause both inside Palestine and abroad.
Hajj Amin al-Husayni see Husayni, Hajj Amin al- Mohammad Amin al-Husayni see Husayni, Hajj Amin al- Muhammad Amin al-Husseini see Husayni, Hajj Amin al- Husseini, Muhammad Amin al- see Husayni, Hajj Amin al-
Husayni, Hajj Amin al- (Hajj Amin al-Husayni) (Mohammad Amin al-Husayni) (Muhammad Amin al-Husseini) (1895 - July 4, 1974). Mufti of Jerusalem and a Palestinian Arab nationalist leader in the 1930s and 1940s. Al-Hajj Amin al-Husayni came from an aristocratic landowning family that traced its lineage to the prophet Muhammad. His grandfather, father, and half-brother served as muftis of Jerusalem. Husayni studied briefly at al-Azhar University in Cairo (1912-1913) and, after serving in the Ottoman army, became an active Arab nationalist. From 1918 to 1920, he supported the unification of Palestine with Syria, as a step toward a Pan-Arab state, and protested the British Balfour Declaration (November 1917) that promised to establish a national home in Palestine for the Jewish people. He fled to Damascus after participating in violent anti-Zionist protests in Jerusalem in April 1920.
Husayni emerged as a powerful figure when the British not only pardoned him but appointed him mufti of Jerusalem (May 1921) and president of the Supreme Muslim Council (January 1922). He pledged to maintain order and the British hoped the move would pacify the Palestinian elite. As president, he gained control over the Muslim religious schools, courts, orphanages, mosques, and awqaf (religious endowments) throughout the country.
Husayni’s effort to maintain calm while pressing for substantive political concessions from the British became more difficult to sustain in the wake of the Wailing Wall crisis (1928-1929) and soaring Jewish immigration in the early 1930s. He headed a delegation to London (January 1930) that sought a national government with an Arab majority. He also organized the General Islamic Congress in Jerusalem (December 1931) to galvanize support in the Muslim world. The failure of these initiatives to alter the Palestinians’ situation encouraged anti-British radicals to challenge Husayni’s influence. They later criticized his efforts, as president of the Arab Higher Committee, to limit the scope of the general strike that began in April 1936.
Husayni only broke decisively with the British when the Peel Commission called for the territorial partition of Palestine in July 1937. The nationalist cause appeared lost and British support for the Zionist movement irresistible. At this point he escaped to Lebanon (October 1937) and became a bitter enemy of the British. He supported the violent Palestinian revolt against the British (1938-1939), encouraged anti-British political forces in Iraq (October 1939 to May 1941), and fled through Iran to Italy and Germany. Husayni tried to persuade Hitler to pledge support for Arab independence, and appealed over the radio for Arabs and Muslims to revolt against the Allies. At the end of the war, he escaped to France (May 1945) and then to Cairo (May 1946), where he resumed his political activities. Discredited by his support for Hitler and unable to prevent the establishment of Israel in 1948, he lived in exile in Egypt until 1959 and then in Beirut. Husayni’s importance lies in his dual role as a religious and political leader. His religious stature enhanced his political leadership and he activated support for the Palestinian nationalist cause both inside Palestine and abroad.
Hajj Amin al-Husayni see Husayni, Hajj Amin al- Mohammad Amin al-Husayni see Husayni, Hajj Amin al- Muhammad Amin al-Husseini see Husayni, Hajj Amin al- Husseini, Muhammad Amin al- see Husayni, Hajj Amin al-
Husayn Jahid
Husayn Jahid (Huseyin Cahit Yalcin) (December 7, 1875 - October 18, 1957). Turkish writer, journalist and politician. In 1930, in the presence of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, he publicly opposed a government sponsored language reform.
Huseyin Cahit Yalcin see Husayn Jahid Yalcin, Huseyin Cahit see Husayn Jahid Jahid, Husayn see Husayn Jahid
Husayn Jahid (Huseyin Cahit Yalcin) (December 7, 1875 - October 18, 1957). Turkish writer, journalist and politician. In 1930, in the presence of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, he publicly opposed a government sponsored language reform.
Huseyin Cahit Yalcin see Husayn Jahid Yalcin, Huseyin Cahit see Husayn Jahid Jahid, Husayn see Husayn Jahid
Husayn Kamil
Husayn Kamil (Hussein Kamel) (November 21, 1853 - October 9, 1917). Sultan of Egypt (r.1914-1917). Hussein Kamel was the Sultan of Egypt and Sudan from December 19, 1914 - October 9, 1917, during the British occupation which lasted from 1882-1922.
Hussein was the son of Khedive Isma'il Pasha, who was ruler of Egypt and Sudan from 1863 until 1879. He became Sultan of Egypt and Sudan after the deposition of his nephew, Khedive Abbas II by the British. Egypt was declared a British protectorate in 1914 at the beginning of World War I. This brought an end to the legal fiction of Ottoman sovereignty over Egypt, which had been largely nominal since Muhammad Ali's seizure of power in 1805.
Upon his death, Hussein Kamel's only son, Prince Kamal al-Din Husayn, declined the succession, and Hussein Kamel's brother Ahmed Fuad ascended the throne as Fuad I. At the beginning of Naguib Mahfouz's novel Palace Walk, Ahmad Abd al-Jawwad says "What a fine man Prince Kamal al-Din Husayn is! Do you know what he did? He refused to ascend the throne of his late father so long as the British are in charge."
In his lifetime, Hussein Kamel received the following honors:
* Imperial Order of the Osmans, 1st Class of Turkey
* Order of Nobility, 1st Class of Turkey
* Knight of the Order of Franz Joseph, 1st Class of Austria-1869
* Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword of Sweden-1891
* Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)-1914
* Grand Cross of the Legion d'Honneur of France-1916
* Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus of Italy-1916
* Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer of Greece-1916
* Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Romania-1916
* Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II of Belgium-1917
Kamil, Husayn see Husayn Kamil Hussein Kamel see Husayn Kamil Kamel, Hussein see Husayn Kamil
Husayn Kamil (Hussein Kamel) (November 21, 1853 - October 9, 1917). Sultan of Egypt (r.1914-1917). Hussein Kamel was the Sultan of Egypt and Sudan from December 19, 1914 - October 9, 1917, during the British occupation which lasted from 1882-1922.
Hussein was the son of Khedive Isma'il Pasha, who was ruler of Egypt and Sudan from 1863 until 1879. He became Sultan of Egypt and Sudan after the deposition of his nephew, Khedive Abbas II by the British. Egypt was declared a British protectorate in 1914 at the beginning of World War I. This brought an end to the legal fiction of Ottoman sovereignty over Egypt, which had been largely nominal since Muhammad Ali's seizure of power in 1805.
Upon his death, Hussein Kamel's only son, Prince Kamal al-Din Husayn, declined the succession, and Hussein Kamel's brother Ahmed Fuad ascended the throne as Fuad I. At the beginning of Naguib Mahfouz's novel Palace Walk, Ahmad Abd al-Jawwad says "What a fine man Prince Kamal al-Din Husayn is! Do you know what he did? He refused to ascend the throne of his late father so long as the British are in charge."
In his lifetime, Hussein Kamel received the following honors:
* Imperial Order of the Osmans, 1st Class of Turkey
* Order of Nobility, 1st Class of Turkey
* Knight of the Order of Franz Joseph, 1st Class of Austria-1869
* Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword of Sweden-1891
* Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)-1914
* Grand Cross of the Legion d'Honneur of France-1916
* Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus of Italy-1916
* Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer of Greece-1916
* Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Romania-1916
* Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II of Belgium-1917
Kamil, Husayn see Husayn Kamil Hussein Kamel see Husayn Kamil Kamel, Hussein see Husayn Kamil
Husayn Nizam Shah I
Husayn Nizam Shah I. Ruler of the Nizam Shahi sultanate of Ahmadnagar, western India (r.1554-1565). His reign was spent in almost continual warfare, mostly with Bijapur.
Husayn Nizam Shah I. Ruler of the Nizam Shahi sultanate of Ahmadnagar, western India (r.1554-1565). His reign was spent in almost continual warfare, mostly with Bijapur.
Husayn Pasha
Husayn Pasha (Kucuk Huseyin Pasha) (Tayazade Groom) (1757 - December 7 1803). Ottoman Grand Admiral. He is deemed to be the founder of the modern Ottoman navy.
Kucuk Huseyin Pasha see Husayn Pasha Huseyin, Kucuk see Husayn Pasha Tavazade Groom see Husayn Pasha Groom, Tavazade see Husayn Pasha
Husayn Pasha (Kucuk Huseyin Pasha) (Tayazade Groom) (1757 - December 7 1803). Ottoman Grand Admiral. He is deemed to be the founder of the modern Ottoman navy.
Kucuk Huseyin Pasha see Husayn Pasha Huseyin, Kucuk see Husayn Pasha Tavazade Groom see Husayn Pasha Groom, Tavazade see Husayn Pasha
Husayn Pasha, Aga
Husayn Pasha, Aga (Aga Husayn Pasha) (1776-1849). Ottoman vizier. He is known for having suppressed the Janissaries in 1826.
Aga Husayn Pasha see Husayn Pasha, Aga
Husayn Pasha, Aga (Aga Husayn Pasha) (1776-1849). Ottoman vizier. He is known for having suppressed the Janissaries in 1826.
Aga Husayn Pasha see Husayn Pasha, Aga
Husayn Pasha, Hajji
Husayn Pasha, Hajji (Hajji Husayn Pasha) (Mezzomorto) (Hassan Mezzo Morto) (Hadji Hussein Mezzo Morto) (d.1700). Algerian corsair and Ottoman general. He owes his Italian nickname, Mezzomorto -- “half dead” -- to the fact that as a young man he had been wounded, apparently fatally, in a sea-fight with the Spaniards.
Hassan Mezzo Morto or Hadji Hussein Mezzo Morto (?–1700) was an Turkish corsair, then Dey and finally Ottoman admiral.
In 1682, he was at Algiers when it was bombarded by the French under Admiral Abraham Duquesne.
In 1683, he was the commander of the Algerian corsair fleet. After another French bombardment of Algiers in that year, he was offered by the Dey (de facto autonomous Ottoman governor), Baba Hassan, to the French as one of several hostages as a guarantee. Disagreeing with this, he killed the Dey and named himself Dey of Algiers.
In 1684, he signed a "100 year" treaty with Duquesne.
In 1688, he was named Turkish Kaptan Pasha (Ottoman admiral in chief).
He later fought a series of fairly successful actions against the Venetian fleet: circa 1687 (probably in 1688), 1690, 1695 and 1696.
He died in 1700.
Hajji Husayn Pasha see Husayn Pasha, Hajji Mezzomorto see Husayn Pasha, Hajji "Half Dead" see Husayn Pasha, Hajji Hassan Mezzo Morto see Husayn Pasha, Hajji Hadji Hussein Mezzo Morto see Husayn Pasha, Hajji Morto, Hadji Hussein Mezzo see Husayn Pasha, Hajji
Husayn Pasha, Hajji (Hajji Husayn Pasha) (Mezzomorto) (Hassan Mezzo Morto) (Hadji Hussein Mezzo Morto) (d.1700). Algerian corsair and Ottoman general. He owes his Italian nickname, Mezzomorto -- “half dead” -- to the fact that as a young man he had been wounded, apparently fatally, in a sea-fight with the Spaniards.
Hassan Mezzo Morto or Hadji Hussein Mezzo Morto (?–1700) was an Turkish corsair, then Dey and finally Ottoman admiral.
In 1682, he was at Algiers when it was bombarded by the French under Admiral Abraham Duquesne.
In 1683, he was the commander of the Algerian corsair fleet. After another French bombardment of Algiers in that year, he was offered by the Dey (de facto autonomous Ottoman governor), Baba Hassan, to the French as one of several hostages as a guarantee. Disagreeing with this, he killed the Dey and named himself Dey of Algiers.
In 1684, he signed a "100 year" treaty with Duquesne.
In 1688, he was named Turkish Kaptan Pasha (Ottoman admiral in chief).
He later fought a series of fairly successful actions against the Venetian fleet: circa 1687 (probably in 1688), 1690, 1695 and 1696.
He died in 1700.
Hajji Husayn Pasha see Husayn Pasha, Hajji Mezzomorto see Husayn Pasha, Hajji "Half Dead" see Husayn Pasha, Hajji Hassan Mezzo Morto see Husayn Pasha, Hajji Hadji Hussein Mezzo Morto see Husayn Pasha, Hajji Morto, Hadji Hussein Mezzo see Husayn Pasha, Hajji
Husayn Rahmi
Husayn Rahmi (Huseyin Rahmi Gurpinar) (August 17, 1864 - March 8, 1944). Turkish novelist and short story writer. He wrote about the everyday life of families and individuals and their development within the disintegrating Ottoman society.
Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar was a Turkish writer and politician.
Gürpınar was born in Istanbul, the son of a family close to the Ottoman court. Having lost his mother at an early age, he was sent to Crete where his father was an Ottoman civil servant. However, he was soon sent back to Istanbul, where he was brought up by his aunts and grandmothers in Istanbul.
Gürpınar started writing fiction at an early age. He became a civil servant, then a writer and journalist. He later served as a member of parliament in the early years of the Turkish Republic between 1935 and 1943.
Gurpinar's published books include:
* "Şık" (1889)
* "İffet" (1896)
* "Metres" (1900)
* "Tesadüf" (1900)
* "Şıpsevdi" (1911)
* "Nimetşinas" (1911)
* "Kuyruklu Yıldız Altında Bir İzdivaç" (1912)
* "Gulyabani" (1913)
* "Hakka Sığındık" (1919)
* "Efsuncu Baba" (1924)
* "Evlere Şenlik, Kaynanam Nasıl Kudurdu" (1927)
* "Namusla Açlık Meselesi" (1933)
* "Utanmaz Adam" (1934)
* "İki Hödüğün Seyahati" (1934)
* "Gönül Ticareti" (1939)
* "Melek Sanmıştım Şeytanı" (1943)
* "Dirilen İskelet" (1946)
* "Deli Filozof" (1964)
* "Kaderin Cilvesi" (1964)
* "Namuslu Kokotlar" (1973)
* "Shikure Babezu" (1974)
Rahmi, Husayn see Husayn Rahmi Huseyin Rahmi Gurpinar see Husayn Rahmi Gurpinar, Huseyin Rahmi see Husayn Rahmi
Husayn Rahmi (Huseyin Rahmi Gurpinar) (August 17, 1864 - March 8, 1944). Turkish novelist and short story writer. He wrote about the everyday life of families and individuals and their development within the disintegrating Ottoman society.
Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar was a Turkish writer and politician.
Gürpınar was born in Istanbul, the son of a family close to the Ottoman court. Having lost his mother at an early age, he was sent to Crete where his father was an Ottoman civil servant. However, he was soon sent back to Istanbul, where he was brought up by his aunts and grandmothers in Istanbul.
Gürpınar started writing fiction at an early age. He became a civil servant, then a writer and journalist. He later served as a member of parliament in the early years of the Turkish Republic between 1935 and 1943.
Gurpinar's published books include:
* "Şık" (1889)
* "İffet" (1896)
* "Metres" (1900)
* "Tesadüf" (1900)
* "Şıpsevdi" (1911)
* "Nimetşinas" (1911)
* "Kuyruklu Yıldız Altında Bir İzdivaç" (1912)
* "Gulyabani" (1913)
* "Hakka Sığındık" (1919)
* "Efsuncu Baba" (1924)
* "Evlere Şenlik, Kaynanam Nasıl Kudurdu" (1927)
* "Namusla Açlık Meselesi" (1933)
* "Utanmaz Adam" (1934)
* "İki Hödüğün Seyahati" (1934)
* "Gönül Ticareti" (1939)
* "Melek Sanmıştım Şeytanı" (1943)
* "Dirilen İskelet" (1946)
* "Deli Filozof" (1964)
* "Kaderin Cilvesi" (1964)
* "Namuslu Kokotlar" (1973)
* "Shikure Babezu" (1974)
Rahmi, Husayn see Husayn Rahmi Huseyin Rahmi Gurpinar see Husayn Rahmi Gurpinar, Huseyin Rahmi see Husayn Rahmi
Husayn, Saddam
Husayn, Saddam. See Hussein, Saddam.
Hussein, Saddam see Husayn, Saddam.
Saddam Hussein see Husayn, Saddam.
Saddam Husayn see Husayn, Saddam.
Husayn, Saddam. See Hussein, Saddam.
Hussein, Saddam see Husayn, Saddam.
Saddam Hussein see Husayn, Saddam.
Saddam Husayn see Husayn, Saddam.
Husayn Shah, al-Makki
Husayn Shah, al-Makki (al-Makki Husayn Shah) (d. 1519). Founder of the Husayn-Shah dynasty of Bengal. He claimed descent from the Sharifs of Mecca.
Makki Husayn Shah, al- see Husayn Shah, al-Makki Shah, al-Makki Husayn see Husayn Shah, al-Makki
Husayn Shah, al-Makki (al-Makki Husayn Shah) (d. 1519). Founder of the Husayn-Shah dynasty of Bengal. He claimed descent from the Sharifs of Mecca.
Makki Husayn Shah, al- see Husayn Shah, al-Makki Shah, al-Makki Husayn see Husayn Shah, al-Makki
Husayn Shah Arghun
Husayn Shah Arghun (b. 1490). Founder of the Arghun dynasty of Sind (r.1521-1555).
The Arghun Dynasty was a dynasty of either Mongol, Turkish or Turko-Mongol ethnicity that ruled parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, as well as the region of Sindh for most of the 16th century. The Arghuns can be divided into two branches: the Arghun branch of Dhu'l-Nun Beg Arghun that ruled until 1554, and the Tarkhan branch of Muhammad 'Isa Tarkhan that ruled until 1591.
In the late 15th century the Timurid sultan of Herat, Husayn Bayqarah, appointed Dhu'l-Nun Beg Arghun as governor of Kandahar. Dhu'l-Nun Beg soon began to ignore the authority of the central government in Herat and in around 1479 he began expanding in the direction of Baluchistan, taking over Pishin, Shal and Mustang. In 1485, his sons Shah Beg and Muhammad Mukim Khan also seized Sibi from the Samma Dynasty of Sindh, although this gain was only temporary.
In 1497, Dhu'l-Nun Beg threw his support behind the revolt of Husayn Bayqarah's son Badi' al-Zaman against his father. Dhu'l-Nun Beg, who married off his daughter to Badi' al-Zaman, subsequently gained a prominent position in the latter's government when the Timurid succeeded Husayn Bayqarah in Herat in 1506. Unfortunately for them, the Uzbeks under Muhammad Shaybani invaded Khorasan shortly after Badi' al-Zaman's ascension. In 1507, Dhu'l-Nun Beg was killed in battle against the Uzbeks and succeeded by his sons Shah Beg and Mukim.
The Arghuns ultimately lost control of their portion of Afghanistan to the Timurid prince Babur, who had been expelled from Transoxiana by the Uzbeks and had made his way south to Husayn Bayqarah's kingdom. In 1501/1502 Mukim had peacefully gained the submission of Kabul, which was in chaos after the death of its ruler Ulugh Beg ibn Abu Sa'id. This was contested by Babur, who besieged and took the city in 1504. Mukim fell back to Kandahar.
After Dhu'l-Nun Beg's death, Babur decided that as long as Shah Beg and Mukim remained in Kandahar they would remain a threat to them. In 1507 or 1508 he attacked them, but the brothers saved their position by agreeing to submit to the Uzbek Muhammad Shaybani. In the following years, Babur spent his time fighting against the Uzbeks in an attempt to regain Samarkand, giving Shah Beg and Mukim a degree of respite.
Shah Beg, however, seems to have realized that in the long term it would be impossible to hold Kandahar against Babur. In 1520, in the hopes of establishing a new power base, he invaded Sindh, where the Samma dynasty was struggling under Djam Firuz. Shah Beg defeated Jam Firuz's army and proceeded to sack Thatta. The two sides agreed to a peace, where Shah Beg gained the upper half of Sindh while the Sammas retained the lower half. Jam Firuz almost immediately broke this agreement, but was defeated by Shah Beg and forced to flee to Gujarat. This marked the end of Samma rule in Sindh, as Shah Beg gained control of the whole region.
In 1522, Babur took Kandahar after a drawn out siege and annexed it. Following this, Shah Beg made Bhakkar his official capital. He died in 1524 and his son Shah Husayn succeeded him. Shah Husayn had the khutba read in Babur's name and attacked Multan, probably at Babur's insistence. Multan, which was ruled by the Langah, fell in 1528 after an extended siege and Shah Husayn was appointed a governor of the city. Shortly after, Shah Husayn departed Multan for Thatta. However, the governor was thrown out of the city. The rebels administered Multan for a time independently, but soon afterwards submitted to the Mughal Empire, which had been founded by Babur after his capture of Delhi in 1526.
In 1540, Shah Husayn had to deal with the arrival of Babur's successor Humayun, who had been expelled from Hindustan by Sher Shah Suri. Humayun implored Shah Husayn to provide assistance in fighting against Sher Shah, but was unable to convince him to do so. Some time after this Humayun later attempted to wrest Sindh from Shah Husayn, but the latter was able to force a stalemate. The Mughal Emperor eventually agreed to leave Sindh and made his way to Kandahar in 1543.
Shah Husayn became increasingly incapable of ruling as he approached the end of his life. Because of this, the nobles of Sindh decided to elect Mirza Muhammad 'Isa Tarkhan, who was a member of a senior branch of the Arghuns, as their ruler in 1554. Shah Husayn was set aside and died childless in 1556.
During the civil war between Shah Husayn and Muhammad 'Isa Tarkhan, the latter had sent a request for help to the Portuguese at Bassein. A 700 man force under the command of Pedro Barreto Rolim sailed up to Thatta in 1555 only to find that Muhammad 'Isa Tarkhan had already won the conflict and there was no need for their assistance. Furious at the governor of Thatta's refusal to pay them, the Portuguese sacked the defenseless city and killed several thousand people.
Muhammad 'Isa Tarkhan was soon forced to deal with a rival claimant, Sultan Mahmud Gokaldash. He was eventually compelled to make peace with Sultan Mahmud. The two agreed that Muhammad 'Isa Tarkhan would keep lower Sindh, with his capital at Thatta, while Sultan Mahmud would rule upper Sindh from Bakhar. In 1567, Muhammad 'Isa Tarkhan died and was succeeded by his son Muhammad Baki. During the latter's reign upper Sindh was annexed by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1573.
Muhammad Baki committed suicide in 1585, and was succeeded by his son Jani Beg. In 1591, Akbar sent an army to conquer lower Sindh. Jani Beg put up a resistance but was defeated by the,Mughal forces and his principality was annexed. In 1599. he died of delirium tremens.
Arghun, Husayn Shah see Husayn Shah Arghun
Husayn Shah Arghun (b. 1490). Founder of the Arghun dynasty of Sind (r.1521-1555).
The Arghun Dynasty was a dynasty of either Mongol, Turkish or Turko-Mongol ethnicity that ruled parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, as well as the region of Sindh for most of the 16th century. The Arghuns can be divided into two branches: the Arghun branch of Dhu'l-Nun Beg Arghun that ruled until 1554, and the Tarkhan branch of Muhammad 'Isa Tarkhan that ruled until 1591.
In the late 15th century the Timurid sultan of Herat, Husayn Bayqarah, appointed Dhu'l-Nun Beg Arghun as governor of Kandahar. Dhu'l-Nun Beg soon began to ignore the authority of the central government in Herat and in around 1479 he began expanding in the direction of Baluchistan, taking over Pishin, Shal and Mustang. In 1485, his sons Shah Beg and Muhammad Mukim Khan also seized Sibi from the Samma Dynasty of Sindh, although this gain was only temporary.
In 1497, Dhu'l-Nun Beg threw his support behind the revolt of Husayn Bayqarah's son Badi' al-Zaman against his father. Dhu'l-Nun Beg, who married off his daughter to Badi' al-Zaman, subsequently gained a prominent position in the latter's government when the Timurid succeeded Husayn Bayqarah in Herat in 1506. Unfortunately for them, the Uzbeks under Muhammad Shaybani invaded Khorasan shortly after Badi' al-Zaman's ascension. In 1507, Dhu'l-Nun Beg was killed in battle against the Uzbeks and succeeded by his sons Shah Beg and Mukim.
The Arghuns ultimately lost control of their portion of Afghanistan to the Timurid prince Babur, who had been expelled from Transoxiana by the Uzbeks and had made his way south to Husayn Bayqarah's kingdom. In 1501/1502 Mukim had peacefully gained the submission of Kabul, which was in chaos after the death of its ruler Ulugh Beg ibn Abu Sa'id. This was contested by Babur, who besieged and took the city in 1504. Mukim fell back to Kandahar.
After Dhu'l-Nun Beg's death, Babur decided that as long as Shah Beg and Mukim remained in Kandahar they would remain a threat to them. In 1507 or 1508 he attacked them, but the brothers saved their position by agreeing to submit to the Uzbek Muhammad Shaybani. In the following years, Babur spent his time fighting against the Uzbeks in an attempt to regain Samarkand, giving Shah Beg and Mukim a degree of respite.
Shah Beg, however, seems to have realized that in the long term it would be impossible to hold Kandahar against Babur. In 1520, in the hopes of establishing a new power base, he invaded Sindh, where the Samma dynasty was struggling under Djam Firuz. Shah Beg defeated Jam Firuz's army and proceeded to sack Thatta. The two sides agreed to a peace, where Shah Beg gained the upper half of Sindh while the Sammas retained the lower half. Jam Firuz almost immediately broke this agreement, but was defeated by Shah Beg and forced to flee to Gujarat. This marked the end of Samma rule in Sindh, as Shah Beg gained control of the whole region.
In 1522, Babur took Kandahar after a drawn out siege and annexed it. Following this, Shah Beg made Bhakkar his official capital. He died in 1524 and his son Shah Husayn succeeded him. Shah Husayn had the khutba read in Babur's name and attacked Multan, probably at Babur's insistence. Multan, which was ruled by the Langah, fell in 1528 after an extended siege and Shah Husayn was appointed a governor of the city. Shortly after, Shah Husayn departed Multan for Thatta. However, the governor was thrown out of the city. The rebels administered Multan for a time independently, but soon afterwards submitted to the Mughal Empire, which had been founded by Babur after his capture of Delhi in 1526.
In 1540, Shah Husayn had to deal with the arrival of Babur's successor Humayun, who had been expelled from Hindustan by Sher Shah Suri. Humayun implored Shah Husayn to provide assistance in fighting against Sher Shah, but was unable to convince him to do so. Some time after this Humayun later attempted to wrest Sindh from Shah Husayn, but the latter was able to force a stalemate. The Mughal Emperor eventually agreed to leave Sindh and made his way to Kandahar in 1543.
Shah Husayn became increasingly incapable of ruling as he approached the end of his life. Because of this, the nobles of Sindh decided to elect Mirza Muhammad 'Isa Tarkhan, who was a member of a senior branch of the Arghuns, as their ruler in 1554. Shah Husayn was set aside and died childless in 1556.
During the civil war between Shah Husayn and Muhammad 'Isa Tarkhan, the latter had sent a request for help to the Portuguese at Bassein. A 700 man force under the command of Pedro Barreto Rolim sailed up to Thatta in 1555 only to find that Muhammad 'Isa Tarkhan had already won the conflict and there was no need for their assistance. Furious at the governor of Thatta's refusal to pay them, the Portuguese sacked the defenseless city and killed several thousand people.
Muhammad 'Isa Tarkhan was soon forced to deal with a rival claimant, Sultan Mahmud Gokaldash. He was eventually compelled to make peace with Sultan Mahmud. The two agreed that Muhammad 'Isa Tarkhan would keep lower Sindh, with his capital at Thatta, while Sultan Mahmud would rule upper Sindh from Bakhar. In 1567, Muhammad 'Isa Tarkhan died and was succeeded by his son Muhammad Baki. During the latter's reign upper Sindh was annexed by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1573.
Muhammad Baki committed suicide in 1585, and was succeeded by his son Jani Beg. In 1591, Akbar sent an army to conquer lower Sindh. Jani Beg put up a resistance but was defeated by the,Mughal forces and his principality was annexed. In 1599. he died of delirium tremens.
Arghun, Husayn Shah see Husayn Shah Arghun
Husayn Shah ibn Mahmud Shah Sharqi
Husayn Shah ibn Mahmud Shah Sharqi (Hussain Shah Sharki) (1458-1493/1494). Son of Sultan Mahmud Shah Sharki (1440-1458) and last of the line of the Sharqi sultans of Jawnpur (r.1458-1479). He was a great musician.
Sharqi, Husayn Shah ibn Mahmud Shah see Husayn Shah ibn Mahmud Shah Sharqi Hussain Shah Sharki see Husayn Shah ibn Mahmud Shah Sharqi Sharki, Hussain Shah see Husayn Shah ibn Mahmud Shah Sharqi
Husayn Shah ibn Mahmud Shah Sharqi (Hussain Shah Sharki) (1458-1493/1494). Son of Sultan Mahmud Shah Sharki (1440-1458) and last of the line of the Sharqi sultans of Jawnpur (r.1458-1479). He was a great musician.
Sharqi, Husayn Shah ibn Mahmud Shah see Husayn Shah ibn Mahmud Shah Sharqi Hussain Shah Sharki see Husayn Shah ibn Mahmud Shah Sharqi Sharki, Hussain Shah see Husayn Shah ibn Mahmud Shah Sharqi
Husayn Shah Langah I
Husayn Shah Langah I. Founder of the Langah dynasty of Multan, western India (r.1469-1502).
Langah, Husayn Shah see Husayn Shah Langah I.
Langah, Husayn Shah I see Husayn Shah Langah I.
Husayn Shah Langah I. Founder of the Langah dynasty of Multan, western India (r.1469-1502).
Langah, Husayn Shah see Husayn Shah Langah I.
Langah, Husayn Shah I see Husayn Shah Langah I.
Husayn Shah Langah II
Husayn Shah Langah II. Son of Mahmud Langah (r. 1498-1524) and the last ruler of the Langah dynasty of Multan (r. 1524-1526). In 1526, Multan became a dependency of the Mughal Empire.
Langah, Husayn Shah II see Husayn Shah Langah II.
Husayn Shah Langah II. Son of Mahmud Langah (r. 1498-1524) and the last ruler of the Langah dynasty of Multan (r. 1524-1526). In 1526, Multan became a dependency of the Mughal Empire.
Langah, Husayn Shah II see Husayn Shah Langah II.
Husayn, Taha
Husayn, Taha (Taha Husayn) (Taha Hussein) (November 14, 1889—October 28, 1973) One of the most influential 20th century Egyptian writers and intellectuals, and a figurehead for the modernist movement in Egypt. His two Arabic nicknames summarize this famed writer’s life. One, ‘Amid al-Adab al-‘Arabi (Dean of Arabic literature), signals his pivotal role as one of the towering figures of Arabic letters in the twentieth century. The other, Qahir al-Zalam (Conqueror of Darkness), alludes to his blindness, a handicap that gives his story a heroic cast.
Taha Husayn was born in ‘Izbat al-Kilu, a small village in Upper Egypt, to a large family. At a young age, he contracted ophthalmia, and the village barber’s treatment caused the young boy to lose his sight. The handicap strengthened Taha’s resolve. He broke barrier after barrier in his rise to a position of leadership in Egyptian society and letters.
Taha Husayn’s education began in the village kuttab (Qur’anic school). In 1902, he went to Cairo, pursuing his schooling at al-Azhar, the most prestigious place for traditional Muslim education. But secularism attracted him more than traditionalism, and he began studies at the newly founded university in Cairo, from which he received a doctorate in 1914. Like many other Arab intellectuals, he was drawn to Europe and studied in Montpellier and then Paris, where he received his second doctorate in 1919.
In France, Taha Husayn met and married a Frenchwoman, Suzanne Taha Husayn, who maintained the practice of her own religion, Catholicism. That, combined with much travel and residence abroad, meant that Taha was immersed in two cultures. However, his impact was greatest on Egyptian society and contemporary Arab culture. In his roles as adviser to Egypt’s Ministry of Education and then as minister from 1950 to 1952, he saw to the implementation of educational reforms that ensured the expansion of the state school system.
It is for his writings, however, that Taha Husayn is best known in the Arab world today. Novels, short stories, historical and critical studies, and political articles sit side by side with his translations of Western classics into Arabic. He took the controversial critical position that the famous pre-Islamic odes were inauthentic. His criticism also includes impassioned writings on the blind ‘Abbasid poet Abu al-‘Ala’ al-Ma‘arri (d. 1058). In his cultural manifesto The Future of Culture in Egypt, he predicates his positions on intimate connections between Egypt and the West. Of all his works, it is Taha Husayn’s autobiography Al-ayyam (The Days) that has earned him a position in world literature. The three-volume masterpiece was published over forty years, a period critical in the development of Arabic literature. Its third person narrator exposes, among other things, the weaknesses of the traditional educational system.
More than a century after his birth, the figure of Taha Husayn still towers over the Arab cultural scene. As the Conqueror of Darkness, in a movie of the same title, he became familiar to millions of Arab cinema viewers. He stirred controversy during his lifetime with his ideas on pre-Islamic poetry and on Egypt and the West, and with his attitudes toward traditional learning. After his death, he was treated in many quarters as a virtual secular saint. With the rise of the Islamists in the Middle East, the figure of Taha Husayn has been drawn into the fray once again, this time as the object of attack by conservative religious thinkers. The arguments of his anti-secular opponents would not have surprised him. The question of the future of culture no longer applies only to Egypt, but to the whole of the Middle East and North Africa. Decades after his death, Taha Husayn continued to serve a role in the cultural game in which he was such an active player.
The works of Taha Husayn include:
* The Memory of Abu El Alaa 1915
* Selected Poetical Texts of the Greek Drama 1924
* Ibn Khaldun's Philosophy 1925
* Dramas by a Group of the Most Famous French Writers 1924
* Pioneers of Thoughts 1925
* Wednesday Talk 1925
* Pre-Islamic Poetry 1926
* In the Summer 1933
* The Days "3 Volumes" 1933
* Hafez and Shawki 1933
* The Prophet's Life "Ala Hamesh El Sira" 1933
* Curlew's Prayers 1934
* From a Distance 1935
* Adeeb 1935
* The Literary Life in the Arabian Peninsula 1935
* Together with Abi El Alaa in his Prison 1935
* Poetry and Prose 1936
* Bewitched Palace 1937
* Together with El Motanabi 1937
* The Future of Culture in Egypt 1938
* Moments 1942
* The Voice of Paris 1943
* Sheherzad's Dreams 1943
* Tree of Misery 1944
* Paradise of Thorn 1945
* Chapters on Literature and Criticism 1945
* The Voice of Abu El Alaa 1945
* Osman "The first Part of the Greater Sedition
* "El Fitna Al Kubra" 1947
* Spring Journey 1948
* The Tortured of Modern Conscience 1949
* The Divine Promise "El Wa'd El Haq" 1950
* The Paradise of Animals 1950
* The Lost Love 1951
* From There 1952
* Varieties 1952
* In The Midst 1952
* Ali and His Sons (The 2nd Part of the Greater Sedition" 1953
* (Sharh Lozoum Mala Yalzm, Abu El Alaa) 1955
* (Anatagonism and Reform 1955
* Criticism and Reform 1956
* Our Contemporary Literature 1958
* Mirror of Islam 1959
* Summer Nonsense 1959
* On the Western Drama 1959
* Talks 1959
* Al-Shaikhan (Abi Bakr and Omar Ibn El Khatab) 1960
* From Summer Nonsense to Winter Seriousness 1961
* Reflections 1965
* Beyond the River 1975
* Words 1976
* Tradition and Renovation 1978
* Books and Author 1980
* From the Other Shore 1990
Translations
* Jules Simon's The Duty 1920-1921
* Athenians System (Nezam Al-Ethnien) 1921
* The Spirit of Pedagogy 1921
* Dramatic Tales 1924
* Andromaque (Racine) 1935
* From the Greek Dramatic Literature (Sophocle) 1939
* Voltaire's Zadig or (The Fate) 1947
* André Gide: From Greek
* Legends' Heroes
* Sophocle-Oedipe 1947
Taha Husayn see Husayn, Taha 'Amid al-Adab al-'Arabi see Husayn, Taha "Dean of Arabic Literature" see Husayn, Taha Qahir al-Zalam see Husayn, Taha "Conquerorof Darkness" see Husayn, Taha Hussein, Taha see Husayn, Taha
Husayn, Taha (Taha Husayn) (Taha Hussein) (November 14, 1889—October 28, 1973) One of the most influential 20th century Egyptian writers and intellectuals, and a figurehead for the modernist movement in Egypt. His two Arabic nicknames summarize this famed writer’s life. One, ‘Amid al-Adab al-‘Arabi (Dean of Arabic literature), signals his pivotal role as one of the towering figures of Arabic letters in the twentieth century. The other, Qahir al-Zalam (Conqueror of Darkness), alludes to his blindness, a handicap that gives his story a heroic cast.
Taha Husayn was born in ‘Izbat al-Kilu, a small village in Upper Egypt, to a large family. At a young age, he contracted ophthalmia, and the village barber’s treatment caused the young boy to lose his sight. The handicap strengthened Taha’s resolve. He broke barrier after barrier in his rise to a position of leadership in Egyptian society and letters.
Taha Husayn’s education began in the village kuttab (Qur’anic school). In 1902, he went to Cairo, pursuing his schooling at al-Azhar, the most prestigious place for traditional Muslim education. But secularism attracted him more than traditionalism, and he began studies at the newly founded university in Cairo, from which he received a doctorate in 1914. Like many other Arab intellectuals, he was drawn to Europe and studied in Montpellier and then Paris, where he received his second doctorate in 1919.
In France, Taha Husayn met and married a Frenchwoman, Suzanne Taha Husayn, who maintained the practice of her own religion, Catholicism. That, combined with much travel and residence abroad, meant that Taha was immersed in two cultures. However, his impact was greatest on Egyptian society and contemporary Arab culture. In his roles as adviser to Egypt’s Ministry of Education and then as minister from 1950 to 1952, he saw to the implementation of educational reforms that ensured the expansion of the state school system.
It is for his writings, however, that Taha Husayn is best known in the Arab world today. Novels, short stories, historical and critical studies, and political articles sit side by side with his translations of Western classics into Arabic. He took the controversial critical position that the famous pre-Islamic odes were inauthentic. His criticism also includes impassioned writings on the blind ‘Abbasid poet Abu al-‘Ala’ al-Ma‘arri (d. 1058). In his cultural manifesto The Future of Culture in Egypt, he predicates his positions on intimate connections between Egypt and the West. Of all his works, it is Taha Husayn’s autobiography Al-ayyam (The Days) that has earned him a position in world literature. The three-volume masterpiece was published over forty years, a period critical in the development of Arabic literature. Its third person narrator exposes, among other things, the weaknesses of the traditional educational system.
More than a century after his birth, the figure of Taha Husayn still towers over the Arab cultural scene. As the Conqueror of Darkness, in a movie of the same title, he became familiar to millions of Arab cinema viewers. He stirred controversy during his lifetime with his ideas on pre-Islamic poetry and on Egypt and the West, and with his attitudes toward traditional learning. After his death, he was treated in many quarters as a virtual secular saint. With the rise of the Islamists in the Middle East, the figure of Taha Husayn has been drawn into the fray once again, this time as the object of attack by conservative religious thinkers. The arguments of his anti-secular opponents would not have surprised him. The question of the future of culture no longer applies only to Egypt, but to the whole of the Middle East and North Africa. Decades after his death, Taha Husayn continued to serve a role in the cultural game in which he was such an active player.
The works of Taha Husayn include:
* The Memory of Abu El Alaa 1915
* Selected Poetical Texts of the Greek Drama 1924
* Ibn Khaldun's Philosophy 1925
* Dramas by a Group of the Most Famous French Writers 1924
* Pioneers of Thoughts 1925
* Wednesday Talk 1925
* Pre-Islamic Poetry 1926
* In the Summer 1933
* The Days "3 Volumes" 1933
* Hafez and Shawki 1933
* The Prophet's Life "Ala Hamesh El Sira" 1933
* Curlew's Prayers 1934
* From a Distance 1935
* Adeeb 1935
* The Literary Life in the Arabian Peninsula 1935
* Together with Abi El Alaa in his Prison 1935
* Poetry and Prose 1936
* Bewitched Palace 1937
* Together with El Motanabi 1937
* The Future of Culture in Egypt 1938
* Moments 1942
* The Voice of Paris 1943
* Sheherzad's Dreams 1943
* Tree of Misery 1944
* Paradise of Thorn 1945
* Chapters on Literature and Criticism 1945
* The Voice of Abu El Alaa 1945
* Osman "The first Part of the Greater Sedition
* "El Fitna Al Kubra" 1947
* Spring Journey 1948
* The Tortured of Modern Conscience 1949
* The Divine Promise "El Wa'd El Haq" 1950
* The Paradise of Animals 1950
* The Lost Love 1951
* From There 1952
* Varieties 1952
* In The Midst 1952
* Ali and His Sons (The 2nd Part of the Greater Sedition" 1953
* (Sharh Lozoum Mala Yalzm, Abu El Alaa) 1955
* (Anatagonism and Reform 1955
* Criticism and Reform 1956
* Our Contemporary Literature 1958
* Mirror of Islam 1959
* Summer Nonsense 1959
* On the Western Drama 1959
* Talks 1959
* Al-Shaikhan (Abi Bakr and Omar Ibn El Khatab) 1960
* From Summer Nonsense to Winter Seriousness 1961
* Reflections 1965
* Beyond the River 1975
* Words 1976
* Tradition and Renovation 1978
* Books and Author 1980
* From the Other Shore 1990
Translations
* Jules Simon's The Duty 1920-1921
* Athenians System (Nezam Al-Ethnien) 1921
* The Spirit of Pedagogy 1921
* Dramatic Tales 1924
* Andromaque (Racine) 1935
* From the Greek Dramatic Literature (Sophocle) 1939
* Voltaire's Zadig or (The Fate) 1947
* André Gide: From Greek
* Legends' Heroes
* Sophocle-Oedipe 1947
Taha Husayn see Husayn, Taha 'Amid al-Adab al-'Arabi see Husayn, Taha "Dean of Arabic Literature" see Husayn, Taha Qahir al-Zalam see Husayn, Taha "Conquerorof Darkness" see Husayn, Taha Hussein, Taha see Husayn, Taha
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