Numayrid dynasty

Numayrid Emirate
النميريون an-Numayriwwun
990–1081
The Numayrids at their zenith, ca. 1058–1060
Capital		Harran
Languages		Arabic
Religion		Shia Islam
Government		Emirate
Emir
•	990–1019	Waththāb ibn Sābiq al-Numayrī
•	1019–1040	Shabīb ibn Waththāb
•	1040–1056	Muṭaʿin ibn Waththāb
•	1056–1063	Manīʿ ibn Shabīb
History
•	Independence from Hamdanids	990
•	Loss of Edessa	1031
•	Fatimid vassalage	1037
•	Abbasid allegiance	1060
•	Uqaylids' conquest and later Seljuks	1081
Currency		Dirham, dinar
Preceded by Succeeded by Hamdanid dynasty Uqaylid dynasty Seljuk Empire
Today part of		Turkey  Syria

The Numayrids were an Arab dynasty based in Diyar Mudar (western Upper Mesopotamia). They were emirs (princes) of their namesake tribe, the Banu Numayr. The senior branch of the dynasty, founded by Waththab ibn Sabiq in 990, more or less continuously ruled the Euphrates cities of Harran, Saruj and Raqqa until the late 11th century. In the early part of Waththab's reign (990–1019), the Numayrids also seized Edessa, until the Byzantines conquered it in the early 1030s. In 1062, the Numayrids lost Raqqa to their distant kinsmen and erstwhile allies, the Mirdasids, while by 1081, their capital Harran and nearby Saruj were conquered by the Turkish Seljuks and their Arab Uqaylid allies. Numayrid emirs continued to hold isolated fortresses in Upper Mesopotamia, such as Qal'at an-Najm and Sinn Ibn Utayr near Samosata until the early 12th century, but nothing is heard of them after 1120.

As Bedouin (nomadic Arabs), most Numayrid emirs avoided settled life in the cities they controlled; rather, they ruled their emirates (principalities) from their tribal encampments in the countryside, while entrusting administration of the cities to their ghulams (military slaves). An exception to this situation was the emir Mani' ibn Shabib (r. ca. 1044–1063), under whose reign the Numayrids reached their territorial peak. Mani' resided in Harran itself, transforming its Sabian temple into an ornate, fortified palace. The Numayrids were Shia Muslims and initially recognized the religious sovereignty of the Sunni Muslim Abbasid Caliphate, at least nominally, but later switched allegiance to the Shia Fatimid Caliphate after the latter extended its rule into northern Syria in 1037. By 1060, they likely reverted to the Abbasids.