Muhammad ibn Abi'l-Saj
| Muhammad ibn Abi'l-Saj | |
|---|---|
| Afshin of the Sajid dynasty | |
| Reign | 889–901 |
| Successor | Devdad ibn Muhammad |
| Born | Unknown Iran |
| Died | 901 Bardaa |
| House | Sajid |
| Father | Abi'l-Saj Devdad |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Muhammad ibn Abi'l-Saj, also known as Muhammad al-Afshin (died 901), an Iranian appointed general of al-Mu'tadid, was the first Sajid amir of Azerbaijan, from 889 or 890 until his death. He was the son of Abi'l-Saj Devdad.
Like their father, Muhammad and his brother Yusuf had long and active careers. In 879 Muhammad was appointed by the Saffarid Amr ibn al-Layth as his representative in Mecca, and was later appointed by the Abbasids as the governor of Anbar and Rahba.
When the amir of Egypt Ahmad ibn Tulun died in 884, Muhammad was presented an opportunity to capture some of his territories in Syria from his inexperienced son and heir, Khumarawayh. He allied himself with another Abbasid general, Ishaq ibn Kundaj, who had received authorization and some troops from al-Muwaffaq. Ishaq clashed with the Tulunid governor of Raqqa in April 884, and soon after, the Tulunid governor of Damascus defected, bringing with him Antioch, Aleppo and Hims. Khumarawayh responded by sending troops to Syria, who soon succeeded in recovering the lost cities, before both sides settled into winter quarters. In the spring, al-Muwaffaq's son, Abu'l-Abbas Ahmad (the future Caliph al-Mu'tadid), arrived to take control. Ahmad and Ishaq defeated the Tulunids, who were driven back to Palestine, but Ahmad quarrelled with Ishaq and Muhammad, who departed with their troops, and at the Battle of the Mills on 6 April Khumarawayh's general Sa'd al-Aysar routed the Abbasid army. This signalled the end of the alliance between Muhammad and Ishaq: Muhammad now turned to Khumarawayh, and persuaded him to invade the Jazira. With Egyptian aid, Muhammad crossed the Euphrates, defeated Ishaq's forces in a number of battles in 886–887, and forced him to recognize Tulunid control. The entire Jazira now became a Tulunid province, a fact recognized by the Abbasid government in a treaty in the December 886 that confirmed Khumarawayh in his old and new possessions.
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