Abdallah ibn al-Mu'tazz facts for kids

Abdallah ibn al-Mu'tazz (Arabic: عبد الله بن المعتز, romanized: ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Muʿtazz; 861 – 29 December 908) was a prince from the Abbasid dynasty. He was the son of Caliph al-Mu'tazz. While he had a short time as a political leader, he is mostly remembered as a brilliant poet. He also wrote an important book called Kitab al-Badi. This book helped people understand Arabic poetry better.

He briefly became the caliph, the leader of the Abbasid Empire. But his rule lasted only one day and one night! He was then forced to hide and was later killed. This happened during a time of political trouble in the palace. A young boy named al-Muqtadir then became the caliph.

A Prince's Life

Abdallah ibn al-Mu'tazz was born in Samarra around 861. He was a prince, a great-great-grandson of the famous Caliph Harun al-Rashid. His childhood was difficult due to many power struggles in the Abbasid palace.

When Abdallah was just six weeks old, his grandfather, Caliph al-Mutawakkil, was killed. This event started a nine-year period of chaos called the Anarchy at Samarra. His father, al-Mu'tazz, became the 13th Caliph in 866. However, his father was also killed in 869. Young Abdallah escaped this danger by fleeing to Mecca with his grandmother, Qabiha.

After some time, he returned to Baghdad. He decided to stay away from politics. Instead, he enjoyed life as a young prince. During this time, he wrote many poems. His poems often talked about the pleasures he experienced.

A Very Short Reign

In 908, Caliph Al-Muktafi, Abdallah's cousin, passed away. The vizier (a high-ranking official) named al-Abbas ibn al-Hasan al-Jarjara'i wanted Al-Muktafi's 13-year-old brother, Al-Muqtadir, to become the new caliph. The vizier planned to be the real power behind the young caliph.

Even though Abdallah ibn al-Mu'tazz didn't want to be caliph, others convinced him. They hoped he would end the constant power struggles. He was crowned on December 17, 908. But he was overthrown on the very same day!

He fled the palace in Baghdad and hid with a friend. Sadly, he was found on December 29 and was killed.

Abdallah ibn al-Mu'tazz once wrote a poem that said:

After Abdallah's death, the young Al-Muqtadir became the 18th Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate.

His Writings

Abdallah ibn al-Mu'tazz is best known for his book, Kitab al-Badi. He wrote it in 888 when he was 27 years old. This book was very important for studying Arabic poetry.

The title Kitab al-Badi means 'the book of the new style'. It showed that the "new" styles of poetry weren't actually so new. He argued that many of these poetic features could be found in older works. These included the Quran, the sayings of Muhammad, and ancient poems.

See also

• Al-Mufawwid