Georgios I of Makuria

Georgios I (Old Nubian: ⲅⲉⲱⲣⲅⲓⲟⲥ; Arabic: Firaki) was a ruler of the Nubian state of Makuria (c. 815 – c. 887). The events about the king are preserved in the writings of Egyptian historians al-Maqrizi, al-Balawi and Ibn Taghribirdi. Their description of the events is not always conclusive and they provide contradictory information at several points, making it difficult for modern historian to reconstruct the events.

Georgios I
Caesar
King of Makuria
Reign	c. 856 – 887
Predecessor	Zacharias III
Born	c. 815 Dongola
Died	c. 887
Spouse	Mariam
Issue	Zacharias IV
Religion	Coptic Orthodox Christianity

Life

Caesar

Georgios first appears in the historical record in 835 during the reign of his father Zacharias III when the 20 year old Georgios was appointed co-regent, possibly with the title of caesar (Ancient Greek: καῖσαρ), and dispatched him on along journey to Baghdad to settle a dispute with the Abbasid Caliphate.^[1][2] For several years Egypt had been wracked by the Fourth Fitna and Zacharias had halted payments of the baqt. Once the caliph's brother Ibrahim had gained control over Egypt he demanded the baqt be resumed and the payment of all arrears. It is not certain if he traveled all the way to Baghdad or whether he simply went to Cairo; either way his journey had a major effect, and, with the help of the patriarch Joseph I of Alexandria, a new treaty was signed canceling the arrears and changing the terms of the baqt so that it only needed to be paid once every three years.^[3] Georgios returned to Dongola in early 837, and appears to have co-ruled with his father.^[4]

There is another story of Georgios being captured in his youth and brought to Baghdad as a prisoner. It is possible, but unlikely, that he made the journey twice. It is also possible that in this story he was confused with another person.^[1]

Sole Reign

Zacharias died sometime before 856, by which time Georgios was ruling alone. Unlike his Roman predecessors and Byzantine contemporaries, Georgios continued to use the title of Caesar rather than the traditionally senior title of Augustus which his father had used.^[5]

During his long reign the Arab adventurer Abu al-Rahman al-Umari invaded the gold mining area near Abu Haman with his private army. Georgios dispatched his nephew and heir Niuty to battle him, but Niuty rebelled. Georgios sent one of his sons, but he was defeated and forced to flee to Alodia. Another son, Zacharias, was dispatched, defeated once by Niuty's forces he allied himself with al-Umari and defeated Niuty. He then turned on al-Umari forcing him back to the north.^[1]

Death and Succession

Georgios' longevity is attested to by the 13th century Coptic priest Abu al-Makarim, who records a portrait in a Nubian church depicting "Georgios, son of Zacharias, king of Nubia, as an old man... his age is eighty years."^[6] This is confirmed by the funerary inscription of the Makurian tetrarch Mariankouda in June 887 which mentions the deceased Georgios, suggesting the king had died not long before.^[7] It is unknown who directly succeeded Georgios, but one of his sons Zacharias IV eventually came to the throne in 916/917. Georgios' wife Mariam ruled as queen mother (Ancient Greek: μήτηρ βασιλέως) during her son's reign.^[8]