Ali ibn Yahya al-Armani

Who is Ali ibn Yahya al-Armani?

Ali ibn Yahya al-Armani was a famed Muslim military commander of the mid-9th century of Armenian decent.

In 840, he was sent to Egypt as its governor, replacing Malik ibn Kaydur.

Later he was named commander of the Abbasid Caliphate's borderlands in Cilicia, confronting the Byzantine Empire. He is the first governor of Tarsus known to have exercised near-independent authority, taking advantage of the decline in the power of the Abbasid Caliphate's central government. Ali held the post at least from 238 A.H. until October/November 862. From this post, Ali undertook several summer raiding expeditions over the Taurus Mountains into Byzantine-held Anatolia: summer raids led by Ali are recorded for the years 852/3, 853/4, 859/60 and 860/1, while he was also present at the prisoner exchange of 856. In 862 he was appointed governor of Armenia and Azerbaijan, and in the next year, he was killed in battle with the Byzantines. His son Muhammad later also served as amir of Tarsus, from 871/2 to 872/3 or 873/4.