Sulayman ibn Ali al-Hashimi

The son of Ali ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Abbas, Sulayman was a paternal uncle of the first two Abbasid caliphs al-Saffah (r. 750–754) and al-Mansur (r. 754–775),[1] making him one of the "uncles" ('umumah) that held a high degree of influence during the early years following the Abbasid Revolution.[2] In 750–1 he was appointed by al-Saffah as governor of the important post of Basra in southern Iraq together with its dependencies, as well as a number of other provinces including the Tigris districts, Bahrayn, Oman and Mihrajanqadhaq.[3] In 753 the caliph also selected him to lead the pilgrimage for that year.[4]

During his administration of Basra, Sulayman carried out extensive public works projects to develop the region, including building new canals and making improvements the local water supply.[5] He also assisted Khazim ibn Khuzayma al-Tamimi during the latter's campaign against Kharijite rebels in Oman in 750–1 by providing him with ships to transport his army,[6] and in 754 he allowed his brother Abd Allah take refuge in Basra after the failure of his rebellion against al-Mansur. He and Isa ibn Ali eventually delivered their brother to al-Mansur on the condition that his life be spared, but this agreement was quickly violated and the caliph surreptitiously put Abdallah to death.[7]

Sulayman remained as governor until c. 755, when al-Mansur dismissed him in favor of Sufyan ibn Mu'awiyah.[8] He died in Basra in October 759 at the age of 59, and was succeeded by several sons, including Muhammad and Ja'far.[9]

• Arjomand, Said Amir (1994). "'Abd Allah Ibn al-Muqaffa' and the 'Abbasid Revolution". Iranian Studies. 27 (1/4): 9–36. doi:10.1080/00210869408701818. JSTOR 4310884.
• Al-Baladhuri, Ahmad ibn Jabir (1924). The Origins of the Islamic State. Vol. 2. Ed. and Trans. Francis Clark Murgotten. New York: Columbia University.
• Bosworth, C.E. (1997). "Sulayman ibn 'Ali ibn 'Abd Allah". In Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W. P. & Lecomte, G. (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam. Volume IX: San–Sze (2nd ed.). Leiden: E. J. Brill. p. 381. ISBN 978-90-04-10422-8.
• Gordon, Matthew S.; Robinson, Chase F.; Rowson, Everett K.; et al., eds. (2018). The Works of Ibn Wadih al-Ya'qubi: An English Translation. Vol. 3. Leiden and Boston: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-35621-4.
• Ibn Hazm, Abu Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Sa'id al-Andalusi (1982). Harun, 'Abd al-Salam Muhammad (ed.). Jamharat Ansab al-'Arab (in Arabic) (5th ed.). Cairo: Dar al-Ma'arif.
• Lassner, Jacob (1980). The Shaping of 'Abbasid Rule. Princeton: Princeton University. ISBN 978-0-691-61628-5.
• Al-Mas'udi, Ali ibn al-Husain (1861–1917). Les Prairies D'Or (in French). Vol. 9 vols. Ed. and Trans. Charles Barbier de Meynard and Abel Pavet de Courteille. Paris: Imprimerie Nationale.
• Yarshater, Ehsan, ed. (1985–2007). The History of al-Ṭabarī (40 vols). SUNY Series in Near Eastern Studies. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-7249-1.