al-Musta'in facts for kids

al-Musta'in bi-llah المستعين بالله
Caliph Commander of the Faithful
Gold dinar of al-Musta'in
12th Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate
Reign	8 June 862 — 17 October 866
Predecessor	al-Muntasir
Successor	al-Mu'tazz
Born	c. 836 Samarra, Abbasid Caliphate
Died	17 October 866 (aged 29–30) Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate
Issue	al-Abbas
Full name Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Musta'in bi-llah
Dynasty	Abbasid
Father	Muhammad ibn al-Mu'tasim
Mother	Makhariq
Religion	Sunni Islam

Abū al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad (Arabic: أبو العباس أحمد بن محمد بن محمد; born around 836 – died October 17, 866), known by his royal title al-Mustaʿīn, was an Abbasid caliph. He ruled from 862 to 866 during a time of great trouble called the "Anarchy at Samarra".

After the previous Caliph, al-Muntasir, died without naming who would rule next, powerful Turkic military leaders met. They did not want al-Mu'tazz or his brothers to become caliph. Instead, they chose Ahmad ibn Muhammad, a nephew of an earlier caliph named al-Mutawakkil. Ahmad took the name al-Mustaʿīn bi-ʾllāh, which means "he who looks for help to God".

Some Arab troops in Baghdad were unhappy with this choice. They attacked the meeting, broke into the prison, and took weapons. But the Turkic and Berber soldiers fought back. Many people died, and the Baghdad troops lost. This showed that the Caliphate was no longer controlled by Arab leaders, but by others.

Early Life and Family

Ahmad ibn Muhammad, who would become al-Musta'in, was the son of Prince Muhammad ibn al-Mu'tasim. His mother was a woman from Sicily named Makhariq. He was the grandson of Caliph al-Mu'tasim (who ruled from 833–842). He was also the nephew of two other caliphs, al-Wathiq (842–847) and al-Mutawakkil (847–861).

His uncle, Caliph al-Mutawakkil, had planned for his own sons to become caliph after him. First, his oldest son, al-Muntasir, would rule. Then, al-Mu'tazz, and finally al-Mu'ayyad. But in December 861, al-Mutawakkil was killed by some Turkic military officers. It is thought that al-Muntasir might have supported this.

During al-Muntasir's short rule (861–862), the Turks forced him to remove al-Mu'tazz and al-Mu'ayyad from the list of future rulers. When al-Muntasir died, the Turkic officers chose al-Musta'in to be the new caliph.

Al-Musta'in's Rule

Family tree of the Abbasid caliphs of the ninth century

Soon after becoming caliph, al-Musta'in faced a big riot in Samarra. People were supporting al-Mu'tazz, who had been removed from the succession. The military stopped the rioters, but many people on both sides were hurt or killed. Al-Musta'in worried that al-Mu'tazz or al-Mu'ayyad might try to claim the caliphate. He first tried to pay them off, and then he put them in prison.

The governor of Baghdad convinced the city to accept the new caliph. So, al-Musta'in's rule was recognized across the land. Al-Mu'tazz and his brother gave up their claims to the throne. They were then kept under guard for their own safety.

The Empire was largely controlled by the Turks, both at home and in other lands.

In 863, the Muslim army faced problems fighting against Christians. About 8,000 soldiers and their leaders were killed in Armenia and Asia Minor during the Battle of Lalakaon. This news made people in Baghdad very angry, and riots broke out. People shouted for a Holy War. They blamed the Turks for the disasters and for killing caliphs and choosing new ones as they pleased.

The city was in chaos. Prisons were broken open, and bridges were burned. But Baghdad could no longer tell its rulers what to do; it could only riot. Still, many men from nearby areas came to fight against the enemies. But the Turks and the Caliph did not seem to care about these things.

In 864, al-Musta'in's forces stopped a rebellion led by Yahya ibn Umar. They also put down a revolt in Hims.

End of His Rule

In 865, al-Musta'in's time as caliph was coming to an end. There were disagreements among the Turkic leaders, which put al-Musta'in in danger. He left Samarra by boat for East Baghdad with two Turkic leaders, Bugha al-Sharabi and Wasif al-Turki. The Turks sent their captains after him, asking him to return to Samarra. But the Caliph refused, and a heated argument followed. One of the Turkic speakers was hit.

This insult angered the Turkic officers. When they returned to Samarra, the Turkic troops gathered. They brought al-Mu'tazz out of his prison and declared him the new Caliph. Within a few weeks, al-Mu'tazz's brother, Abu Ahmad al-Muwaffaq, with 50,000 Turks and 2,000 Berbers, surrounded Baghdad. This siege lasted throughout 865.

Giving Up the Throne

As the siege of Baghdad continued, it started to work. Food and money became hard to find, and people in the city grew unhappy. Muhammad ibn 'Abdallah, a leader in Baghdad, slowly realized that winning by fighting was not possible. He began talking with al-Mu'tazz about al-Musta'in giving up his power, even without al-Musta'in knowing.

As the siege went on, the people of Baghdad became more upset. Riots broke out, and people complained about high food prices. Muhammad tried to calm them down. He also continued to talk with Abu Ahmad about ending the conflict. They agreed that al-Musta'in should step down. Abu Ahmad even sent ships with food to help the city.

When the people of Baghdad learned that Muhammad had agreed to remove al-Musta'in, they were very angry. They were loyal to al-Musta'in and feared the Samarran army would rob the city. They attacked Muhammad's palace. To calm them, al-Musta'in appeared with Muhammad and promised he was still caliph. He said he would lead the Friday prayers the next day. But he did not appear. This caused more riots.

Muhammad worked to convince people he was doing what was best for al-Musta'in. He kept negotiating with Abu Ahmad. On January 7, 866, Muhammad and Abu Ahmad met. They agreed that the government's money would be split, with two-thirds going to the Turks and one-third to Muhammad and the Baghdad army. Al-Musta'in would also be responsible for some of the soldiers' pay. The next day, Muhammad went to al-Musta'in and tried to convince him to give up his rule. At first, al-Musta'in strongly refused. But when the Turkic officers Wasif and Bugha said they supported Muhammad, he agreed to step down.

As part of the agreement, al-Musta'in was to be given land in the Hijaz region. He would also be allowed to travel between the cities of Mecca and Medina. On January 12, Muhammad brought judges to witness that al-Musta'in had given his power to him. Messengers took the abdication terms to Samarra, where al-Mu'tazz signed the document and agreed. The messengers returned to Baghdad on January 24 with the signed document. On Friday, January 25, al-Mu'tazz was recognized as caliph in all the mosques in Baghdad.

Death of Al-Musta'in

By early 866, with many plots happening, al-Musta'in was convinced to give up his throne to al-Mu'tazz. He was told he would live in Medina with enough money. After the terms were signed, the Governor of Baghdad sent al-Musta'in's officials to Samarra to accept the new Caliph. Al-Mu'tazz approved the terms and took control of Baghdad in 866 CE. He also sent al-Musta'in's mother and family from Samarra, but they were stripped of all their belongings.

Instead of going to Medina, al-Musta'in was kept in Baghdad. He was put to death on October 17, 866, by order of al-Mu'tazz. When al-Musta'in's head was brought to the Caliph, the executioner said, "Behold your cousin's head!" Al-Mu'tazz, who was playing chess, replied, "Lay it aside till I have finished the game." After he confirmed it was truly al-Musta'in's head, he gave 500 gold pieces to the assassin as a reward.

See Also

In Spanish: Al-Musta'ín para niños

• Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Ammar al-Burjumi, an Abbasid chief judge of al-Musta'in.
• Fifth Fitna

Source

• This text is adapted from William Muir's public domain, The Caliphate: Its Rise, Decline, and Fall.
• Bosworth, C.E. (1993). "al-Muntasir". The Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition, Volume VII: Mif–Naz. Leiden: E. J. Brill. 
• Bosworth, C.E. (1993). "al-Mu'tazz Bi 'llah". The Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition, Volume VII: Mif–Naz. Leiden: E. J. Brill. 
• Saliba, George, ed. (1985). [Al-Musta'in at Google Books The History of al-Ṭabarī, Volume XXXV: The Crisis of the ʿAbbāsid Caliphate: The Caliphates of al-Mustaʿīn and al-Muʿtazz, A.D. 862–869/A.H. 248–255]. SUNY Series in Near Eastern Studies.. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-87395-883-7. Al-Musta'in at Google Books.