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Capture of Faruriyyah

Capture of Faruriyyah
Part of the Arab–Byzantine Wars
Asia Minor ca 842 AD.svg
Map of Byzantine Asia Minor and the Byzantine-Arab frontier region in the middle of the 9th century
Date Summer 862
Location Syrian frontier region, near Tarsus
Result Fortress of Faruriyyah conquered by the Abbasids
Belligerents
Abbasid Caliphate Byzantine Empire
Commanders and leaders
Wasif al-Turki Unknown
Strength
10,000 or more Unknown

The Capture of Faruriyyah in 862 was a military campaign conducted by the Abbasid Caliphate against the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire. Planned during the short caliphate of al-Muntasir (r. 861–862), it was commanded by the Turkish general Wasif, and was intended to strike against Byzantine defensive positions in southern Anatolia. Originally envisioned as a major multi-year operation, the campaign was cut short in the aftermath of the death of al-Muntasir, and only scored a minor success with the capture of the fortress of Faruriyyah.

Al-Muntasir became caliph on December 11, 861, after his father al-Mutawakkil was assassinated by members of his Turkish guard. Although he was suspected of being involved in the plot to kill al-Mutawakkil, he was able to quickly take control of affairs in the capital city of Samarra and receive the oath of allegiance from the leading men of the state. Al-Muntasir's sudden elevation to the caliphate served to benefit several of his close associates, who gained senior positions in the government after his ascension. Included among these were his secretary, Ahmad ibn al-Khasib, who became vizier, and Wasif, a senior Turkish general who had likely been heavily involved in al-Mutawakkil's murder.

Shortly after securing his position as caliph, al-Muntasir decided to send an army against the Byzantines. According to the historian al-Tabari, this decision was prompted by Ahmad ibn al-Khasib; the vizier had recently had a falling out with Wasif, and he sought to find an excuse to get him out of the capital. Ahmad ultimately decided that the best way to accomplish this was to put him at the head of a military campaign. He was eventually able to convince the caliph to go along with the plan, and al-Muntasir ordered Wasif to head to the Byzantine frontier.

Regardless of the motivations for the expedition, Wasif seems to have had no objection to his assignment, and preparations for the operation soon began. Although the traditional annual summer raids (sawaʾif) against the Byzantine Empire had been maintained by local frontier commanders like 'Ali ibn Yahya al-Armani and 'Umar ibn 'Abdallah al-Aqta during the reign of al-Mutawakkil, this was to be the first large-scale expedition in several years that the central government planned to send against the Byzantines, and the caliph was prepared to put a large amount of resources into the venture.


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