Lakhmids

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Lakhmids (Arabic: اللخميون‎), less commonly Muntherids (Arabic: المناذرة‎), were a group of Arab Christians who lived in Southern Iraq, and made al-Hirah which was a fabulous city with many castles and bath-houses and Palm gardens their capital in (266CE). Poets described it as a Paradise on earth, an Arab Poet described the city's pleasant climate and beauty "One day in al-Hirah is better than a year of treatment". al-Hirah ruins is located 2 miles south of Kufa, on the west bank of the Euphrates.

1 History
2 Lakhmid Kingdom facts
3 Lakhmids Kings
4 References

[edit] History

The Lakhmid Kingdom was ruled by the Banu Lakhm, hence the name given it. The founder of the dynasty was 'Amr, whose son Imru' al-Qais (not to be confused with the famous poet Imru' al-Qais who lived in the 6th century) converted to Christianity. Gradually the whole city converted to that faith. Imru' al-Qais dreamt of a unified and independent Arab kingdom and, following that dream, he seized many cities in Arabia and defeated the king of Himyar Shemrir al-A'asha. He then formed a large army and developed the Kingdom as a naval power, which consisted of a fleet of ships operating along the Bahraini coast. From this position he attacked the coastal cities of Persia (Iran) (which at that time was in civil war, due to a dispute as to the succession), even raiding the birthplace of the Sassanid kings, the province of Pars (Fars).

In 325, the Persians, led by Shapur II, began a campaign against the Arab kingdoms. When Imru' al-Qais realised that a mighty Persian army composed of 60,000 warriors was approaching his kingdom, he asked for the assistance of the Roman Empire. Constantius II promised to assist him but was unable to provide that help when it was needed. The Persians advanced toward al-Hirah and a series of vicious battles took place over al-Hirah and the surrounding cities. Shapur II crushed the Lakhmid army and captured al-Hirah. He ordered the extermination of its population in retaliation of their raids on Pars. In this, the young Shapur acted much more violently than was normal at the time in order to demonstrate to both the Arab Kingdoms and the Persian nobility his power and authority. Shapur's title in Arabic is Zol 'Aktaf meaning the one who pierces shoulders as he did this with some of his captives. He installed Aus ibn Qallam and gave the city autonomy, thus making the kingdom a buffer zone between Persian Empire's mainland and the territory of other Arabs in the Peninsula.

Imru' al-Qais escaped to Bahrain, taking his dream of a unified Arab nation with him, and then to Syria seeking the promised assistance from Constantius II which never materialised, so he stayed there till he died. With him ended the dream of a united Arab kingdom until after the advent of Islam. When he died he was entombed at al-Nimarah in the Syrian desert. His funerary inscription is written in an extremely difficult type of script. Recently there has been a revival of interest in the inscription, and controversy has arisen over its precise implications. It is now certain that Imru' al-Qais claimed the title "King of all the Arabs" and claimed in the inscription to have campaigned successfully over the entire north and centre of the peninsula, as far as the border of Najran. Two years after his death, in the year 330, a revolt took place where Aus ibn Qallam was killed and succeeded by the son of Imru' al-Qais, 'Amr.

Thereafter, The Lakhmids' main rivals were Ghassanids, who were vassals kings of the Sassanid's arch enemy, the Byzantine Empire. The Lakhmid kingdom was a major centre of the Nestorian sect of Christianity which was nurtured by Sassanids, as it opposed the Orthodox sect of Byzantine. They remained influential throughout the 6th century. Nevertheless, in 602, the last Lakhmid king, Nu'man III, was put to death by the Sassanid king Khosrau II because of a false suspicion of treason and the Lakhmid kingdom was annexed. Islam overran the Sassanid Empire in the 7th century. At that point the city was abandoned and its materials were used to re-construct its exhausted twin Kufa.

It is now widely believed that annexation of Lakhmid kingdom was one of the main factors behind the Fall of Sassanid dynasty by Muslim Arabs and Islamic conquest of Persia.

[edit] Lakhmid Kingdom facts

al-Hirah was the cradle of the Arabic alphabet.
It was the birthplace of famous poets like al-Nabighah al-Thubyani, Laqete ibn Ya'amur al-Ayadi, 'Alqama ibn 'Abada and Uday ibn Zaid al-Abbadi. It was visited by other great poets like Tarafah ibn al-'Abd, Amr ibn Kulthum (who killed 'Amr III).
Sassanid army along with al-Mundhir IV himself and his army defeated the famed Byzantine general Belisarius twice at the Battle of Edessa (530) and Battle of Callinicum (531).
After the death of Nu'man III, Arabs defeated the Persians in the Battle of Thi-Qar.
Lakhmids some times had good relations with Persians as Bahram V lived in Al-Hirah and was educated at the court of al-Mundhir I, whose support helped him gain the throne after the assassination of his father.