Saqaliba

Saqaliba (Arabic صقالبة, DMG Saqaliba, Slavs ' ) called in medieval Arabic sources Slavs and other light-skinned and reddish peoples of North and Central Europe.

Etymology

The term aṣ - Saqaliba ( sing. Ṣaqlabī, Ṣiqlabī ) is borrowed from the Greek Σλάβος medium, which is in communication with the Slavic self-designation Slovĕnin. Because of the large number of Slavic slaves in several European languages ​​the word has the meaning " slave " is assumed (English slave, french esclave, Italian schiavo ), as well as in Spain, the Umayyads, where Saqaliba designated all foreign slaves.

Use

In the Arab world there was Saqaliba as soldiers, slaves, eunuchs, craftsmen and guards. Some were even famous, for example, Sabir al - Fata or the Fatimid general Jawhar as- Siqilli as the founder of Cairo. Through their role as soldiers they could establish different dynasties along with slaves of other origins, see also Mamluks. The title al - Fata ( " young man "; indeterminate Fatan ) denotes the released Saqlabī.

Slavs in Northern and Eastern Europe

Although the meaning of the term is somewhat blurred Saqaliba, he was referring primarily to the Slavs. However, at the beginning of the Arab tradition, he should have also includes neighboring peoples: al- Khwarizmi ( Surat al - Ard, 9th century ) mentions a " Gharmāniyā, land of Saqaliba ", and Ibn Faḍlāns trip report ( 921/22 ) is called the King of the Bulgarians a " king of the Saqaliba ".

The earliest information about the Slavic- Arab relations come from the Chronicle of Theophanes ( 10th century ):

  • In the year 664 or 665 ran 5,000 slaves to the Byzantine Umayyad Abd ar - Rahman b. Khalid on. They went with him to Syria and settled down there in Seleucobolus at Apamea.
  • In the year 692 or 693, during the reign of Caliph Abd al -Malik, the Byzantines Neboulos, leader of a kleinasischen Slavic army of 30,000 ran over with 20,000 men to the Arabs. Justinian II had the remaining Slavs in Leukate at Nicomedia kill.

The oldest mention in Arabic comes from the Christian poet al - Ach Valley (710 ), who describes in a poem a " mob reddish Slavs " ( جمعة الصقالبة الصهب Djam ʿ at as- Saqaliba as- suhb, DMG ǧam ʿ atu s- Saqaliba aṣ - ṣuhb ). The Umayyad administrator of Khorasan Yazīd bin al - Muhallab mentioned the Saqaliba in a speech ( 720).

These early mentions are mainly related to Slavic diaspora groups, a direct contact between Slavs and Arabs took place after the Arab conquest Choresmiens in the early 8th century.

Famous Saqaliba in Muslim Spain

  • Ghalib, to 976 was General Hakam II and then father in Almansor
  • Sabur, reigned 1009-1022 as emir in Badajoz and Lisbon
  • Khayran, reigned 1012-1028 as emir in Murcia, Almería and Orihuela
  • Labib as- Saqlabi reigned 1009-1039 as emir in Tortosa ( with Mujahid together briefly in Valencia)
  • Mujahid al - Amiri reigned 1012-1045 as emir in Denia and the Balearic Islands ( with 1017-19 Labib together in Valencia, without him until 1021)
  • Zuhayr, first governor Khayrans in Murcia, then his successor as King of Almería 1028 - 1038th was killed in a battle against the Zirids of Granada.
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