Salih Ibn Mirdas - Life

Life

Salih and the Mirdasids originated as members of the Banu Kilab, which had been present in northern Syria for several centuries. Salih is first recorded in 1009 as being the wmir of Rahba. Between 1009 and 1012 the Kilab participated in the struggles between Mansur ibn Lu'lu', a Fatimid loyalist who ruled Aleppo, the Fatimids, and the Kurdish Marwanids for control of the region. When the Kilab demanded from Mansur ibn Lu'lu' several pasture lands, he invited the Arabs to a feast. After the Arabs had become drunk, he had many killed and imprisoned the rest. Salih ibn Mirdas was one of the prisoners. In 1014 he escaped and raised an army, and defeated and captured Mansur.

Salih managed to extract a promise from Mansur to return his wife, whom Mansur had seized, along with one of his daughters, a large ransom, and to give half of the revenues of Aleppo to the Kilab. After being released, Mansur did not fulfil all of his promises to the Arabs, causing them to lay waste to the lands around Aleppo. After becoming suspicious of the governor of the Aleppo citadel, Fath al-Kal'i, Mansur decided to flee to the Byzantine Empire.

Fath, having become the ruler of Aleppo, was advised by Salih ibn Mirdas to honor the promises made by Mansur to the Kalib. Salih also became friendly with the Byzantines. The Fatimids, however, convinced Fath to give up Aleppo to them in 1017. 'Aziz al-Dawla Fatik was sent to govern the city, but he quickly established his autonomy from Cairo and recognized Kalib control over northern Syria. The Fatimids disapproved of Fatik's level of independence and had him assassinated in 1022.

In an effort to prevent the Fatimids from establishing direct control of the region, Salih ibn Mirdas formed an alliance with several Arab tribes and entered Aleppo in 1024. Leaving a force behind to besiege the citadel, (which the Fatimid garrison managed to hold until 1025), he met up with his Arab allies and sent them to attack Damascus and Ramla. Although the Fatimids managed to defend these cities, Salih ibn Mirdas still ended up as the master of northern and central Syria.

Salih's reign after taking Aleppo only lasted for five years. His Arab allies in southern Syria appealed to him to defend them against the Fatimid governor of Damascus, al-Duzbari. The combined Arab forces were defeated by al-Duzbari on the eastern shore of Lake Tiberias in May 1029; Salih, one of his sons and his vizier were killed. Two other sons of Salih's, Shibl al-Dawla Nasr and Mu'izz al-Dawla Thimal, succeeded him.