Ubaydallah ibn al-Mahdi

Ubaydallah ibn Muhammad al-Mahdi (Arabic: عبيد الله بن محمد المهدي)[1] (771–810/11) was an Abbasid prince. He was the son of al-Mahdi, the third caliph of the Abbasid caliphate, and Raytah, daughter of the first Abbasid caliph Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah.[2]

Ubaydallah ibn al-Mahdi
عبيد الله بن محمد المهدي
Governor of Arminiya
In officec. 788–c. 791
PredecessorYazid ibn Mazyad al-Shaybani
SuccessorAbd al-Qadir (791) then Al-Fadl ibn Yahya
Governor of Egypt
In office795–795
(first term)
PredecessorAbdallah ibn al-Musayyab
SuccessorMusa ibn Isa
Governor of Egypt
In office796–797
(second term)
PredecessorMusa ibn Isa
SuccessorIsma'il ibn Salih
Born771
Abbasid Caliphate
Died810/11
Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate, now Iraq
Burial
Baghdad
Full name
Ubaydallah ibn al-Mahdi ibn al-Mansur
DynastyAbbasid
FatherAl-Mahdi
MotherRaytah
(daughter of al-Saffah)
ReligionIslam

During the reign of his half-brother Harun al-Rashid (r. 786–809), Ubaydallah was appointed as governor of Arminiyah and the northwestern provinces in 788/9, succeeding Yazid ibn Mazyad al-Shaybani.[3] He was later appointed to two brief stints as governor of Egypt, in 795 and 796.[4]

In 810 or 811 Ubaydallah died in Baghdad. His nephew al-Amin led the prayers at his funeral.[5]

Notes

  1. Le Strange 1922, p. 218 notes that he is sometimes mistakenly referred to as "Abdallah ibn al-Mahdi."
  2. Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi 2011, p. 310; Ibn Hazm 1982, p. 22.
  3. Bosworth 1989, p. 103; Al-Baladhuri 1916, p. 330. Numismatic evidence for this appointment is summarized by Bates 2019, p. 20. Al-Ya'qubi (Gordon et al. 2018, p. 1178) does not note Ubaydallah's governorship, saying instead that Ibn Mazyad was succeeded by Abd al-Kabir ibn Abd al-Hamid. Łewond (Bedrosian 2006, ch. 41), claims that following a conflict between Harun and Ubaydallah the empire was split in two, with Ubaydallah receiving the northern provinces of Atropatene, Armenia, Iberia/Georgia, and Aghuania; this assertion is however disputed by Bonner 1988, pp. 88–89, who notes that the Arabic sources from the period make no reference to any sort of conflict between the two brothers. Ibn Qutaybah n.d., p. 380, refers to Ubaydallah as a governor of the Jazira.
  4. Al-Kindi 1912, pp. 137–38; Ibn Taghribirdi 1930, pp. 93, 101; Khalifah ibn Khayyat 1985, pp. 463–64 (noting only one appointment to Egypt). During his first governorship he was placed in charge of both prayers/security (salah) and finances (kharaj); in his second administration he is mentioned as only being in charge of the salah.
  5. Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi 2011, p. 310; Ibn Taghribirdi 1930, p. 101.

References

Preceded by
Abd al-Malik ibn Salih
Governor of Egypt
795
Succeeded by
Musa ibn Isa ibn Musa al-Hashimi
Preceded by
Musa ibn Isa ibn Musa al-Hashimi
Governor of Egypt
796–797
Succeeded by
Isma'il ibn Salih ibn Ali al-Hashimi
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