Lakhmids

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The Lakhmids (Template:Lang-ar) less commonly Muntherids (Template:Lang-ar) 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 (266). 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

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History

Kingdom ruled by the Banu Lakhm, hence the name Lakhmids was given to the kingdom. 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 the same faith. He always dreamt of a unified and independent Arab kingdom, following of his dream, he seized many cities in Arabia and defeated its king of Himyar Shemrir al-A'asha. He then formed a large army. His naval power consisted of a fleet of ships in Bahraini coast, from there attacked coastal cities of Persia (Iran) (which on that time was in civil wars of succession) he even raided on Sassanid kings birthplace, province of Pars (Fars).

In 325, the Persians, led by Shapur II, started a campaign against the Arab kingdoms. When Imru' al-Qais realised that the mighty and fierce Persian army which was composed of 60,000 warrior approaching his kingdom, he asked for the Roman Empire assistance. Constantius II promised to assist him but he didn't get any assistance when he needed it. Persians advanced toward al-Hirah and a vicious war took place over al-Hirah and surrounding cities. Shapur II crushed Kingdom's army and captured al-Hirah. He ordered to exterminate its population in retaliation of their raids on Pars, however the young Shapur acted much more violently than it was needed in order to show the Persian nobility of his power and authority. His title in Arabic is Zol 'Aktaf meaning the one who pierces shoulders as he did with it with some of the captives. He installed Aus ibn Qallam and gave the city autonomy thus making the kingdom a buffer zone between empire's mainland and those of other Arabs in the Peninsula.

Imru' al-Qais escaped to Bahrain with his dream of a unified country and then to Syria seeking for the promised assistant from Constantius II which never happened, so he stayed there till he died with his passions and it was the ending to all of his dreams. 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 is that Imru' al-Qays claimed the title "King of all the Arabs" and it 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 the death of Imru' al-Qais, in the year 330, a revolt took place where Aus ibn Qallam was killed and succeeded by the son of Imru' al-Qais "'Amr".

Lakhmids' rivals were Ghassanids, who were vassals kings of the Sassanid's arch enemy, the Byzantine Empire. The Lakhmid kingdom was a major centre of Nestorian sect of Christianity which was approved by Sassanids as it opposed of 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 and the Lakhmid kingdom was annexed. Islam overran the Sasanid Empire in the 7th century. Then the city was abandoned and its materials was 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 Iran.

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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).
In 542, Khosrau I and al-Mundhir IV defeated the Byzantine general Belisarius at the Battle of Callinicum.
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.