Sabiq ibn Mahmud

Sābiq Abu ’l-Faḍā’il ibn Mahmūd was the Mirdasid emir of Aleppo from 1076-1080.

Life

Following the death of his older brother Nasr ibn Mahmud, Sabiq was installed as the emir of Aleppo with the support of the Banu Munqidh. His reign, however, was opposed by both the Banu Kilab and the Turkish mercenaries which had been hired by his predecessors. A civil war broke out the same year as his accession when Sabiq's brother Waththab actively contested his position as emir.

Compounding these internal divisions was the increased pressure exerted on Sabiq by Tutush I, who was attempted to expand his nascent Damascene state. In 1080, Tutush influenced Sabiq to cede the emirate to the Uqaylid emir Sharaf al-Dawla. This represented the permanent loss of Aleppo by the Mirdasids, who, despite being granted a few towns in the region as compensation for their loss, largely disappear from history after 1080.