Husayn ibn Hamdan | |
|---|---|
| Died | October/November 918 Baghdad |
| Allegiance |  Abbasid Caliphate |
| Years of service | 895–915 |
| Relations | Hamdan ibn Hamdun (father), Abdallah ibn Hamdan and Sa'id ibn Hamdan (brother), Nasir al-Dawla and Sayf al-Dawla (nephews) |
Husayn ibn Hamdan ibn Hamdun ibn al-Harith al-Taghlibi (Arabic: حسين بن حمدان بن حمدون بن الحارث التغلبي) was an early member of the Hamdanid family, who distinguished himself as a general for the Abbasid Caliphate and played a major role in the Hamdanids' rise to power among the Arab tribes in the Jazira.
Husayn entered caliphal service in 895, and through his co-operation with the caliphal government, he established himself and his family as the leader of the Arabs and Kurds of the Jazira, leading his troops to successful campaigns against the Qarmatians, Dulafids and Tulunids over the next few years. As one of the most distinguished generals of the Abbasid Caliphate, he rose in power and influence until 908, when he was one of the leading conspirators in the abortive coup against Caliph al-Muqtadir. Although the coup failed and Husayn was forced to flee the capital, he soon secured a pardon and served as governor in Jibal, where he again distinguished himself in military operations in south-central Iran. In ca. 911, he was appointed governor in Mosul, where he remained until rising in revolt in 914/5, for reasons that are unclear. Defeated and captured in 916, he was imprisoned in Baghdad, where he was executed in 918. Through his influence, the family rose to high offices, beginning a long period during which Mosul and the entire Jazira were ruled by the Hamdanids. His nephews, Nasir al-Dawla and Sayf al-Dawla, went on to establish autonomous emirates in Mosul and Aleppo respectively.