Al-Mu'addal

Who is Al-Mu'addal?

Al-Mu'addal ibn Ali ibn al-Layth was the Saffarid ruler of Zarang for a part of 911.

In 890 al-Mu'addal and his brother al-Layth helped their father 'Ali escape from imprisonment at the hands of the latter's uncle, the Saffarid amir Amr ibn al-Layth. The three of them fled to Khurasan, where they entered the services of Rafi' ibn Harthama. After 'Ali died in 893, the brothers continued to serve Rafi'. In 896 they were captured by 'Amr, who however treated them well.

Near the end of 908 al-Layth made a bid for power against 'Amr's son and successor Tahir by occupying part of Zarang. Al-Mu'addal, who had been taken hostage by Tahir, was released in early 909 after Tahir was unable to dislodge al-Layth in an attempt to induce the latter to give up his struggle. Al-Layth maintained his position, however, and Tahir was eventually forced to withdraw.

Al-Layth was now amir, but many were opposed to him. In the east, supporters of Tahir were causing unrest in Zabulistan, while in the west, the Turkish general Sebük-eri had transferred his allegiance from the Saffarids to the Abbasid caliph, resulting in the loss of Fars and Kerman. Al-Mu'addal was sent to restore order to the Zabulistan; while doing so he managed to capture a brother of Sebük-eri's named Ghalib. He then moved on to Ghazna and killed a local leader there, but soon encountered stiff resistance and al-Layth was required to send him reinforcements. Despite this, he returned to Sistan near the end of 909 having established the authority of al-Layth in the eastern provinces.