Muḥammad ibn Ṭughj

governor of Egypt

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July 1, 2026

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Muḥammad ibn Ṭughj was the founder of the Ikhshīdid dynasty, which ruled Egypt and Syria from 935 to 969 CE. Appointed governor of Egypt in 935, he later obtained the title ikhshīd (meaning "prince" or "ruler") from the Abbasid caliph. He successfully secured his authority in Egypt and Syria against rivals. For much of the dynasty's later period, real power lay with the vizier Abū al-Misk Kāfūr, who managed to defend the territories from incursions and patronized arts and learning. The Ikhshīdid dynasty was eventually overthrown by the Fāṭimids in 969.1

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Abū al-Misk Kāfūr
…founder of the Ikshīdid dynasty, Muḥammad ibn Ṭughj. Muḥammad recognized Kāfūr’s talent, made him tutor to his children, and promoted him to an officer. Kāfūr showed outstanding military abilities in the campaigns he conducted in Syria and the Hejaz. On his deathbed Muḥammad appointed Kāfūr guardian of one of his…
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…founder of the Ikshīdid dynasty, Muḥammad ibn Ṭughj. Muḥammad recognized Kāfūr’s talent, made him tutor to his children, and promoted him to an officer. Kāfūr showed outstanding military abilities in the campaigns he conducted in Syria and the Hejaz. On his deathbed Muḥammad appointed Kāfūr guardian of one of his…
Read More

Egypt
The Ikhshīdid dynasty (935–969)
The appointment of Muḥammad ibn Ṭughj, from Sogdiana in Central Asia, as governor in 935 led to a repetition of Aḥmad’s achievement; by bold measures Muḥammad established his authority over the treasury and the army, reasserted Egyptian influence in Syria, thwarted the Fāṭimids, and won the governorship of…
Read More
The appointment of Muḥammad ibn Ṭughj, from Sogdiana in Central Asia, as governor in 935 led to a repetition of Aḥmad’s achievement; by bold measures Muḥammad established his authority over the treasury and the army, reasserted Egyptian influence in Syria, thwarted the Fāṭimids, and won the governorship of…
Read More