Al-Sindi ibn Shahak | |
|---|---|
| Abbasid Governor of Syria | |
| In office 792–793 | |
| Monarch | Harun ar-Rashid |
| Abbasid Governor of Baghdad Sahib al-Shurta | |
| In office 802–813 | |
| Monarchs | Harun ar-Rashid al-Amin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Abbasid Caliphate |
| Died | 819 |
| Children | Ibrahim ibn al-Sindi (son) Nasr ibn al-Sindi (son) Kushajim (grandson) |
| Parent | Shahak |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Abbasid Caliphate |
| Years of service | 792–813 |
| Battles/wars | Fourth Fitna |
Al-Sindi ibn Shahak (died 819) was a late 8th-century Abbasid general and administrator who served as the governor of Syria,Damascus and Baghdad under al-Mansur,Harun ar-Rashid and al-Amin. As the head of shurta (military police),he oversaw the destruction and confiscation of properties belonging to the Barmakids during the reign of Harun.
The origins of al-Sindi are obscure; [1] he was apparently a former slaver from Sindh who had risen to high status. [2] He was a client ( mawali ) of Abbasid caliph al-Mansur,and served as governor of Syria during his reign. [3] In 792 or 793,he was sent by Harun al Rashid to quell the revolt of Abūal-Hadhām in Damascus as commander of Khurasani troops,where he is mentioned as governor for Musa ibn Isa. [4] [5] He commanded the garrison of Damascus ( Jund Dimashq ) for a few years. [6]
A decade later,he is mentioned as the governor of Baghdad in 802 (186 H) by Ibn al-Jawzi. [7] During the reign of Harun,al-Sindi was the sahib al-shurta ,and oversaw the destruction of Barmakids in 802. [8] [5] Shi'a traditions also held him responsible for death of seventh Shia Imam,Musa al-Kazim in 799 [9] and Yahya ibn Abdallah,a rebel Alid leader in 803. [10] However,Musa al-Kazim was probably under house arrest in the mansion of al-Sindi instead of prison. He was treated well,and the sister of al-Sindi reportedly looked after him. [11] Imam had died in his custody in September 799. [12]
Al-Sindi was one of the leading supporters of al-Amin in his civil war. [5] [13] Not much is known about him after the defeat and execution of al-Amin in 813.
The family of al-Sindi continued to serve the Abbasid caliphate for multiple decades. His son,Ibrahim ibn al-Sindi,was reportedly a polymath with more than a dozen occupations attributed to him. [14] His friend al-Jahiz stated him to be a philosopher of mutakallimun . [15] According to Jahiz,he was well-versed in grammar,poetry,astrology and medicine. [15] He was also employed in the intelligence service of caliph al-Ma'mun, [3] and served some time as governor of Kufa. [1] His another son,Nasr ibn al-Sindi was also renowned as a historian and traditionist. [16] His grandson,Mahmūd ibn al-Hāsan ibn al-Sindi,commonly known as Kushajim (c. 902 –970) was a famous court poet and polymath associated with the court of Sayf al-Dawla,the emir of Aleppo. Some of his well-known books include Adab an-nadīm (Etiquette of the Boon-Companion),Kitāb al-maṣāyid wa-l-maṭārid (The Book of Snares and Game),and Khaṣā’iṣaṭ-ṭarab (The Characteristics of Music). [17] [18]