Abu Shuja al-Rudhrawari
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Abū Shujā' al-Rūdhrāwarī | |
|---|---|
| Abbasid Vizier | |
| In office 1078–1078 | |
| Monarch | al-Muqtadi |
| Preceded by | Banu Jahir |
| Succeeded by | Banu Jahir |
| In office December 1083 or January 1084 – April or May 1091 | |
| Monarch | al-Muqtadi |
| Preceded by | Banu Jahir |
| Succeeded by | Fakhr ad-Dawla ibn Jahir |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1045 (437 AH) |
| Died | June 1095 (Jumada II, 488 AH) |
Abū Shujā' Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Rūdhrāwarī, also known by the honorific "Zaḥīr al-Dīn", was an 11th-century government official and author who served as vizier for the Abbasid Caliphate twice, once briefly in 1078 and the second time from 1083/4 until 1094.[1] He wrote a continuation to Miskawayh's history Tajārib al-umam.[1] He also wrote a diwan of poetry, of which about 80 verses survive.[1]
Abu Shuja al-Rudhrawari was born in Kangavar in 1045 (437 AH).[1] His father was originally from the Rudhrawar district near Hamadan, hence the name "Rudhrawari".[1]
His first term as vizier was very short in 1078 (471 AH), after the dismissal of the Banu Jahir.[1] His second term in office was much longer: he was appointed in December 1083 or January 1084 (Sha'ban, 476 AH) and stayed in office until April or May 1091 (Safar or Rabi' I, 484 AH).[1]
In 1091, an altercation broke out in Baghdad involving Ibn Samha, a Jewish commercial agent of the Seljuk vizier Nizam al-Mulk, and a Muslim carpet seller. [2] In response, Abu Shuja promulgated a harsh anti-dhimmi edict on behalf of the caliph, enforcing them to wear a ghiyar to distinguish them from Muslims.[2][note 1] These restrictions were especially harsh and intended to be as humiliating as possible to dhimmis.[2] Based on the accounts of Ibn al-Jawzi and Obadiah the Proselyte, an Italian convert to Judaism who was in Iraq around 1120, the distinguishing features included the zunnar, necklaces with a pendant saying "dhimmi", and distinct black and/or red shoes.[2] Obadiah also wrote that every Jewish woman had to wear a small brass bell either around her throat or on her shoe, so that the noise would serve to mark her as Jewish.[2][note 2] Based on Obadiah's account, these distinctions had the effect of singling out Jews for special physical and verbal abuse.[2][note 3]
The edict specifically stated that these restrictions also applied to government officials.[2] According to Ibn al-Athir, many dhimmi government officials went into hiding due to the edict.[2][note 4]
Ibn Samha was upset at Abu Shuja's actions and wrote to Nizam al-Mulk.[2] Besides being Ibn Samha's employer, Nizam al-Mulk also wanted to put the Seljuk sultan's authority on the caliph.[2] Nizam al-Mulk was able to pressure the caliph into firing Abu Shuja.[2] According to Ibn al-Jawzi, he was dismissed from office on Thursday, 9 Ramadan, 484 AH (25 October 1091 CE).[2] According to Ibn Khallikan, this happened instead on Thursday, 19 Safar, 484 AH (12 April 1091 CE).[3] According to Ibn Khallikan, he was put under house arrest and then exiled to Rudhrawar, where he lived for a while before going on hajj in 1094.[3]
In 1094 (478 AH) he went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, and he ended up spending the last year of his life as a mujawir in Madinah until his death in June 1095 (Jumada II, 488 AH).[1] He was buried at the Baqi al-Gharqad cemetery in Madinah.[1]