The monarchs of Aleppo reigned as kings, emirs and sultans of the city and its surrounding region since the later half of the 3rd millennium BC,Pettinato, Giovanni (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991) Ebla, a new look at history p.135 starting with the kings of Armi, followed by the Amorite dynasty of Yamhad. Muslim rule of the city ended with the Ayyubid dynasty which was ousted by the Mongol conquest in 1260.
The rulers of Yamhad used the titles of king and Great King, while the Hittite dynasty monarchs used the titles of king and viceroy.
The Emirate of Halab was established in 945 by the Hamdanid dynasty and lasted until 1086, when it became a sultanate under the Seljuq dynasty. The sultanate was sometimes ruled together with Damascus under the same sultan.
The Artuqids rulers used the titles of Malik and emir, as did the Zengid rulers which added the title atabeg. The Ayyubid monarchs used the titles of sultan and malik.
The dates for Yamhad and the Hittite Dynasties are proximate and calculated by the Middle chronology.
Yamhad Kings
Yamhad was the name of the Amorite kingdom centered at Ḥalab (modern day Aleppo), its dynasty ruled for more than two centuries, Aleppo became a major power and dominated Northern Syria with the monarch holding the title of Great King.
Portrait Name King From King Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) TitleSumu-Epuhc. 1810 BCc. 1780 BCKing of Yamhad (Halab)Yarim-Lim Ic. 1780 BCc. 1764 BCSon of Sumu-EpuhGreat King of Yamhad (Halab)Hammurabi Ic. 1764 BCc. 1750 BCSon of Yarim-Lim IAbba-El Ic. 1750 BCc. 1720 BCSon of Hammurabi IYarim-Lim IIc. 1720 BCc. 1700 BCSon of Abba-El INiqmi-Epuhc. 1700 BCc. 1675 BCSon of Yarim-Lim IIIrkabtumc. 1675 BC Middle 17th century BCSon of Niqmi-EpuhHammurabi IIMiddle 17th century BCYarim-Lim IIIc. 1625 BCProbably Son of Niqmi-EpuhHammurabi IIIc. 1625 BCc. 1600 BCSon of Yarim-Lim IIIKing of Yamhad (Halab)
During these centuries, Aleppo had to deal with the rising power of both the Mitanni (Hurrian), and the Hittite kingdoms.
The Hurrians's influence seems clear already during the reign of Abba-El I (Abban) (1750-1720 BC); he recalls the help given to him by the Hurrian Goddess Hebat.
Then Aleppo and its allies were attacked by the Hittite king Hattusili I starting c. 1650 BC (Middle chronology). After many campaigns, Hattusili I finally attacked Aleppo directly during the reign of Hammurabi III. The attack ended in a defeat, the wounding of the Hittite king and his later death c. 1620 BC.
Yet later Aleppo was conquered by Hattusili's son Mursili I, who captured Hammurabi III.
The native dynasty regained Halab after the assassination of Mursili but the "Yamhad" name fell out of use.
According to Jesse Casana (2009):Jesse Casana, Alalakh and the Archaeological Landscape of Mukish: The Political Geography and Population of a Late Bronze Age Kingdom, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, no. 353, pp. 7-37, (February 2009) Under Hattusili’s successor, Mursili I, the Hittites conquered much of Syria, including Halab, and invaded Mesopotamia where they sacked Babylon. These incursions probably weakened the kingdom of Yamhad considerably but did not lead to full Hittite control of the region. Instead, Hittite advances into northern Syria were countered by the Hurrian kingdom of Mittani to the east, as well as by the Egyptians to the south. During the period between the writing of the Alalakh Level VII [1780-1680 BC] and Level IV texts, Halab seems to have become subservient to Mittani while still exerting control over the Amuq region.
Portrait Name King From King Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) TitleSarra-ElEarly 16th century BCMiddle 16th century BCProbably Son of Yarim-Lim IIIKing of HalabAbba-El IIMiddle 16th century BCSon of Sarra-ElIlim-Ilimma Ic. 1525 BCSon of Abba-El II
Mitanni and Hittite conquests Parshatatar (Baratarna) of Mitanni (1510-1490 BC) conquered Aleppo and surrounding areas, and the city became part of that kingdom.
Information about this period is found in the biography of Idrimi of Alalakh, who also became the ruler of Aleppo. Idrimi became a vassal of Barattarna. At that time, this was known as the kingdom of Mukish.
The city was conquered by Suppiluliuma I of the Hittites in the 14th century BC. Suppiluliuma installed his son Telipinus as king of Aleppo. Not all the kings of this dynasty are known. The Hittite dynasty remained in power until the Late Bronze Age collapse.
Portrait Name King From King Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) TitleTelepinusLater Half of the 14th century BCSon of the Hittite king Suppiluliuma IKing of HalabTalmi-Sarrumac. 1300 BCSon of TelepinusHalpazitisc. 1220 BC
After the end of the Hittites, Arameans tribes began to settle in the region, Aleppo became part of the Syro-Hittite state of Palistin, then its successor Bit Agusi centered at Arpad, Afterwards, it was sequentially part of Assyria, Chaldea, Achaemenid Persia, Macedonia, Seleúkeia, Armenia, Roman, Byzantine, and Sasanid Persian, empires, the Rashidun, Umayyad, and the Abbasid Caliphate.
Hamdanid emirs
The Hamdanids were an Arab dynasty, established in 945 by Sayf al-Dawla, third of the dynasty. They ruled most of Syria under the titular authority of the Abbasid Caliph with Aleppo as their capital, displacing the Ikhshids.
Portrait Epithet Name Emir From Emir Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) TitleSayf al-DawlaAli ibn Abu'l-Hayja 'Abdallah (Ali I)945967Dynasty establishedEmir of Halab Aleppo CitadelSa'd al-DawlaSharif ibn Ali (Sharif I)967969Son of Sayf al-Dawla
Non-dynastic Qarghuyah, the chamberlain of Sayf al-Dawla, ousted Sa'd al-Dawla and assumed control over the city. Sa'd al-Dawla was able to regain Aleppo in 977.
Portrait Epithet Name Emir From Emir Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) TitleQarghuyah969975 chamberlain of Sayf al-DawlaEmir of HalabBakjur975977 Deputy of Qarghuyah
Restoration of Ḥamdāni Emirs Portrait Epithet Name Emir From Emir Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) TitleSa'd al-DawlaSharif ibn Ali (Sharif I)977991Son of Sayf al-DawlaEmir of HalabSa'id al-DawlaSa'id ibn Sharif (Sa'id)9911002Son of Sa'd al-DawlaAbu'l-Hasan Ali (Ali II)10021004Sons of Sa'id al-DawlaAbu'l-Ma'ali Sharif (Sharif II)10041004
Lu'lu' emirs Lu'lu' al-Kabir was a slave and then chamberlain of Sa'd al-Dawla. He married his daughter to Sa'id al-Dawla, and after the latter's death, he assumed direct power over Aleppo. At first, he served as guardians to Sa'id al-Dawla's sons Abu'l-Hasan Ali and Abu'l-Ma'ali Sharif. In 1004, he had them exiled to Egypt and assumed full control of the city.
Portrait Epithet Name Emir From Emir Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) TitleLu'lu' al-KabirAbu Muhammad Lu'lu' al-Sayfi (Lu'lu')10041009Father in law of Sa'id al-Dawla
Guardian of Abu'l-Ma'ali SharifEmir of HalabMurtada al-DawlaAbu Nasr Mansur (Mansur)10091016Son of Lu'lu' al-kabir
Non-dynastic In 1016, a rebellion broke out in the city and Fath al-Qal'i, custodian of the Citadel of Aleppo, opened the doors for the rebels causing Mansur to flee. Fath al-Qal'i accepted the authority of the Fatimid Caliph and, after a brief rule, ceded Aleppo to the caliph in return for the treasury and the rule of Tyre.
Portrait Epithet Name Emir From Emir Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) TitleMubarak al-DawlaAbu Nasr Fath al-Qal'i (Fateh)10161016Emir of Halab
Fatimid emirs Al-Hakim appointed Aziz al-Dawla as the first Fatimid governor of Aleppo, but in 1020, Aziz declared his independence, and ruled for two years before being assassinated by a Fatimid agent.
Portrait Epithet Name Emir From Emir Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) TitleAziz al-DawlaAbu Shuja' FatikOctober 10166 July 1022 No relationship with previous rulerEmir of HalabWafiyy al-DawlaAbu'l Najm BadrJuly 1022October 1022Ghulam (slave soldier) of Aziz al-DawlaSafiyy al-DawlaMuhammad ibn Ali ibn Ja'far ibn Fallah10 October 102210 April 1023Sanad al-DawlaAl-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Thu'ban10 April 10232 July 1024Sadid al-MulkThu'ban ibn Muhammad ibn Thu'ban27 July 102418 January 1025Brother of Sanad al-Dawla
Mirdasid emirs
The Mirdasids conquered Aleppo in 1024 and kept their autonomy through political maneuvers, allying themselves with the Byzantines at times and the Fatimid at others.
Portrait Epithet Name Emir From Emir Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) Notes TitleAsad al-DawlaSalih ibn Mirdas (Salih)10251029No relationship with previous rulerEmir of HalabMu'izz al-DawlaThimal10291030Son of Asad al-Dawla SalihFirst ReignShibl al-DawlaNasr (Nasr I)10291038Eldest son of Asad al-Dawla SalihSecond ReignMu'izz al-DawlaThimal10381038Son of Asad al-Dawla SalihSecond Reign
After the death of Salih, his sons Nasr and Thimal ruled together. In 1030, Nasr deposed Thimal and ruled solely until killed by Anushtakin al-Dizbari, the Fatimid governor of Damascus. Thimal regained Aleppo briefly in 1038 when the Fatimid army retook the city, returning it to Fatimid rule.
Non-dynastic In December 1041 Anushtakin al-Dizbari fell out of favor with Cairo and declared his independence in Aleppo. He died of illness in 1042 and Thimal returned to power.
Portrait Epithet Name Emir From Emir Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) Notes TitleSharaf al-Ma'aliAnushtakin al-Dizbari10381042Emir of Halab
Mirdasid Dynasty Thimal regained Aleppo and accepted the authority of the Fatimid Caliph.
Portrait Epithet Name Emir From Emir Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) Notes TitleMu'izz al-DawlaThimal10421057Son of Asad al-Dawla SalihThird ReignEmir of Halab
Non-dynastic In 1057, fearing family intrigues, Thimal handed over Aleppo to the Fatimids in return for Acre, Byblos and Beirut, thus returning Aleppo to direct Fatimid control.
Portrait Epithet Name Emir From Emir Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) Notes TitleMakin al-DawlaAl-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī ibn Mulhim al-Uqayli10571060Emir of Halab
Mirdasid dynasty In 1060, Thimal's nephew, Rashid al-Dawla Mahmud, the son of Shibl al-Dawla Nasr, briefly regained Aleppo, losing after a few months to the Fatimids.
Portrait Epithet Name Emir From Emir Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) Notes TitleRashid al-DawlaMahmud (Mahmud I)10601060Son of Shibl al-Dawla NasrFirst ReignEmir of Halab
About three weeks later on 30 August 1060 Asad al-Dawla 'Atiyya son of Salih the founder of the dynasty occupied Aleppo for a day and a half then fled as Mu'izz al-Dawla Mahmud advanced on the city after defeating the Fatimid army.
Portrait Epithet Name Emir From Emir Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) Notes TitleAsad al-Dawla'Atiyya10601060Son of Asad al-Dawla SalihFirst ReignEmir of HalabRashid al-DawlaMahmud (Mahmud I)10601061Son of Shibl al-Dawla NasrSecond ReignMu'izz al-DawlaThimal10611062Sons of Asad al-Dawla SalihFourth ReignAsad al-Dawla'Atiyya10621065Second ReignMu'izz al-DawlaMahmud (Mahmud I)10651075Son of Shibl al-Dawla NasrThird ReignJalal al-DawlaNasr (Nasr II)10751076Sons of Rashid al-Dawla MahmudSabiq ibn Mahmud (Sabiq)10761080
Uqaylid emirs
The pressure of Tutush I led the people of Aleppo along with the Mirdasid Emir to offer the city keys to Sharaf al-Dawla Muslim the ruler of Mosul, the Mirdasid family members were compensated by various towns in Syria.
Portrait Epithet Name Emir From Emir Until Relationship with Predecessor(s) TitleSharaf al-DawlaMuslim ibn Quraysh (Muslim)10801085Emir of HalabHassan ibn Hibat Allah Al-Hutayti10851086Brother of Sharaf al-Dawla
Sharaf al-Dawla was killed in June 1085 and was succeeded by his brother Ibrahim ibn Quraysh in Mosul, while Aleppo was managed by the Sharif Hassan ibn Hibat Allah Al-Hutayti.
Seljuk sultans