Ashinas
general of the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim
Years: 795 - 844
Abu Ja'far Ashinas is a general of the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim, possibly of the sacred clan of the First Turkic empire, transcribed in Chinese as Ashina.
While a folk etymology of his name is given in al-Tabari, al-Mu'tasim gives him the first rank among his Turkish generals and a text of al-Mas'udi described him as a great noble.
The name Ashinas is only known for princes, it is quite certain that he was a late member of the imperial clan of the Turks.
According to al-Tabari, he was purchased by al-Mu'tasim in Baghdad during the reign of al-Ma'mun, along with Itakh al-Khazari and Wasif.
He was in charge at Samarra, the Abbasid capital at the time, of the Turkish troops of al-Mu'tasim.
When he died in 844 he was governor of Egypt, and the most powerful general serving the Abbasids.
