Reforms, Military Campaigns and the Rise of the Qaramata Revolt

Motazid Billah

The real name of Motazid Billah bin Mawaffiq Billah bin Motawakkil Alallah bin Motasim Billah bin Haroon Rasheed was Ahmad. His kunya was Abul Abbas. He was born of a slave girl named Sawab in Rabia Awwal 243 A.H. and after his uncle Motamid Billah he came to the throne in Rajab 279 A.H. He was a handsome and wise man. He did not evade strictness and bloodshed if needed. He was careful and discerning. He was inimical to astrologers and storytellers. Philosophy had been in vogue since Mamoon's times. Motazid banned the publication of books on philosophy and debate in order to avoid religious strife and conflict that the society had become prone to. He reduced the taxes on his subjects. He loved justice and protected the people from being subjected to injustice and tyranny.

The building of Dar An-Nadwah in Makkah had survived until this time. Motazid had it demolished and built a mosque near the Haram. The majority of the people who were originally Zoroastrian introduced celebrating their old holidays and performed certain rites concerning the lighting of their religious fires in Baghdad. Motazid strictly banned it. He set up an office of religious affairs and gave money to the poor religious ascetics. The people prayed for him. He married the daughter of the Governor of Egypt Khumarwaih bin Ahmad Tuloon.

Once Motazid sent word to Qadi Abu Hazim. "You have managed to recover a certain persons money from another party. That same party owes something to me. Please have it returned to me." The Qadi sent the following reply, "If you present a witness you will also have a decree in your favor." Motazid's witnesses refused to stand witness on his behalf finally the Qadi declared his case void and Motazid the Caliph could not get back his money. He had come to the throne at a very critical and bad time in the Abbasid dynasty. He tried his best to improve the degenerating condition of the Abbasids. Some signs of improvement began to be visible but his successors didn't have the ability to maintain the pace of progress.

Shortly after he came to the throne, Nasr bin Ahmad bin Asad Samani died and he was succeeded by his brother Ismail bin Ahmad Samani as the governor of Mawaraunnahr. Two groups of the Khwarij were at war in the region of Mousil. The leader of one group Abu Jauzah was brought to Baghdad in 280 A.H. as a captive. Motazid tortured him to death. The leader of the other group Haroon Shari remained rebellious. In 280 A.H., Motazid invaded Jazirah, punished and disciplined the tribe of Bani Shaiban and returned to Baghdad with a large quantity of spoils of war.

Motazid appointed his slave Badr as Chief of Police and Obaidullah bin Sulaiman bin Wahab his minister in 281 A.H. Motazid caught Hamdan bin Hamdoon who had captured the fort of Mardeen and established a friendship with Haroon Shari. The Caliph then had the fort leveled to the ground.

In 281 A.H., Caliph Motazid deputed his son Ali, known as Muktafi, to rule over Rayy, Qazween, Zanjan, Qom and Jadan. In Rabia Awwal 283 A.H., Caliph Motazid arrived near to Mousil and succeeded in destroying the Khwarij. He arrested and jailed Haroon and returned to Baghdad. He made a public display of Haroon and had him killed. In 285 A.H., he invaded Azerbaijan, conquered the fort of Amad, arrested Ahmad bin Isa bin Sheikh and went back to Baghdad in Rabia'Awwal 286 A.H.

Qaramata's Revolt

In 281 A.H., one of Qaramat's followers, Yahya bin Mahdi, arrived at Qateef near Dammam and Bahrain and lodged at Ali bin Moalla bin Hamdan's house and said, "I have been sent by the Mahdi the leader of our time. He is about to revolt very soon."

Ali was a Shiite. He collected all the Shiites and read to them the Mahdi's letter brought by Yahya. They very sincerely promised to revolt at the appearance of Mahdi. Then Yahya disappeared for a few days and when he returned, he presented another letter written by the Mahdi instructing everyone to pay 36 dinars each to Yahya. The Shiites at once complied. Yahya again came after a few days with a third letter from the Mahdi instructing them to contribute one fifth of their money to Yahya.

In 286 A.H., Abu Sayeed Janani went to Bahrain and openly invited the people to accept Qaramata's religion. Those who had already accepted it secretly began to assemble under its flag openly. Abu Sayeed took all of them to Qateef where he prepared and fully armed them and set out for Basra. When Motazid was informed of all these incidents, he wrote to the governor of Basra, Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Yahya Wasqi, "Have a wall constructed around the city." It was completed at the cost of 14,000 dinars.

When Abu Sayeed reached the vicinity of Basra, Abbas bin Omar Ghanwi arrived from the capital Baghdad with 2,000 men to defend Basra. They fought and Abu Sayeed captured Abbas and the men with him, his men were thrown into a fire and burnt to ashes. This occurred in Shaban 287 A.H.

Abu Sayeed Qaramati left Basra after this victory and went to Hajr. He gave amnesty to the civilians and captured it and then went to Basra. The people of Basra were extremely terrified. The Governor of the city Ahmad bin Muhammad Wasqi consoled and pacified them. Abu Sayeed released Abbas from captivity, left Basra and went to Bahrain. In 288 A.H., a man named Abul Qasim Yahya, known as Zikrwaih bin Mehrwaih, went to Kufa. The tribe of Qalees bin Zamzam bin Adi became inclined to the religion of Qaramata. Slowly the number of its followers began to multiply.

A chief named Shibl attacked them. The fight saw the arrest of a commander of Qaramata, Abul Fawaris. The remainder fled to Damascus. Shibl sent Abul Fawaris to caliph Motazid in Baghdad who had him killed. Qaramata went to Damascus to try to win the people over to him. At the time, the governor of Egypt was Tafaj. He fought with Qaramata several times and each time the Qaramata was victorious. This happened in 289 A.H. The remaining details about Qaramata will follow later in the narrative.

In 286 A.H., Caliph Motazid bestowed on his son Ali, whose future title would be Muktafi, the governorship of Jazirah and Awasim. He recalled Hasan bin Amr Nasrani and made him his minister.

In 288 A.H., Tahir bin Muhammad bin Amr bin Laith Saffar collected an army and wanted to capture Iran but Ismail Samani warned him saying, "If you have a mind to attack this province, I shall come." Tahir stopped. However, Caliph Motazid's slave Badr conquered Iran.

After the minister Obaidullah bin Sulaiman bin Wahab's death, Caliph Motazid made his son Abul Qasim the Prime Minister. During Caliph Motazid regime the Muslims invaded Rome in 285 A.H. and 287 A.H. Sometimes the Romans were victorious and sometimes the Muslims.

Roman Wars, Abbasid Decline and the Rise of Independent Dynasties

The Roman War

The Romans have not been mentioned during the discussion of this turbid period of Motamid's Caliphate. In 257 A.H. Saqalabi, a relative of the king of Constantinople, Michael bin Rafael, killed him and usurped the throne. In 259 A.H., the Romans invaded Maltiya but were defeated. In 263 A.H., they captured the fort of Karkarah, adjacent to Tartoos, from the Muslims. In 264 A.H., Abdullah Rasheed bin Kroos invaded Roman territory with 40,000 Syrian border troops. In the initial stage he was successful but later was captured and sent to Constantinople.

In 265 A.H., the Romans led an attack on Ain Ofa, 400 Muslim were martyred and 400 were captured. The same year the Roman emperor freed Abdullah bin Rasheed and sent him with a few volumes of the Qur'an to Ahmad bin Tuloon as gifts. In 266 A.H., the war ships of the Muslims and the Romans clashed with each other at a place adjacent to the Island of Saqliya. The Muslims lost and the Romans captured several of their boats. The remaining ships took shelter on the coast of Saqiliya.

Ahmad bin Tuloon's Syrian deputy launched a successful attack on Rome and captured a large amount of spoils of war. In 270 A.H., the Romans numbering 100,000 attacked Qalmiya, situated at a distance of 6 miles from Tartoos. The Governor of Tartoos, Mazyar, launched a night attack on the Romans and 70,000 of them were killed. The Chief Prelate was captured and their Great Cross also came into the Muslim's possession. In 273 A.H., the governor of Tartoos, Mazyar, attacked the Romans and returned victorious. In 278 A.H., Mazyar and Ahmad Jofi jointly invaded the Roman Empire. During the battle, Mazyar was hit on the head by a stone from a catapult. He stopped the fight and started to return to the capital but died on way. The Muslims buried him at Tartoos. Although there was a great upheaval in the Islamic world and civil wars had broken out all over, the Romans failed to score any major success against the Muslims.

Motamid's Death

Caliph Motamid Alallah bin Motawakkil Alallah died on 20 Rajab 270 A.H. and was buried at Samarra, the capital of the Abbasid Caliph since Motasim Billah bin Haroon Rasheed shifted there. Motamid left Samarra and chose to live in Baghdad, which then became the capital. It was due to this change of capital that the Turk chiefs who dominated over the Caliph and his court lost their power suddenly. This shifting of the capital was the idea of Motamid's wise brother Mowaffaq.

During Motamid's regime, the powers of the government and its wealth had declined. The members of the government as described, dissented, hated and opposed one another openly. All the occupied territories were in a shambles and there were riots and anarchy everywhere. The people had lost the fear of the Caliph's authority. Whoever found an opportunity usurped the territory he could. The governors of the provinces stopped sending taxes. There was total lawlessness all over. Whoever captured a territory would introduce his own law.

Atrocities began to be perpetrated upon the people and the governors subjected them to all sorts of harassments with impunity.

Banu Saman established their government in Mawaraunnahr, Banu Saffar in Sajistan, Kerman, Khorasan and Persia. Hasan bin Zaid in Tabristan and Jurjan, the rebel slaves in Basra, uballa and Wasit, the Khwarij in Mousil and Jazirah, Ahmad bin Tuloon in Egypt and Syria and Ibn Aghlab in North Africa. Besides these, there were other minor chiefs who were busy fighting trying to capture smaller territories and states. The only symbol of the Caliph that remained was that they mentioned his name in the Friday sermon but none of his orders were complied with. Mowaffaq spent all his energy and life in fighting riots and disturbances but except for the extermination of the rebel slaves, he failed to achieve any other significant success.

It was at that time that the criminals like Qaramata made their advances. Similarly during the same period Obaidullah bin Obaid who descended from the Egyptian kings and the Shiites of Yemen, claimed to be the Mahdi (a future Muslim leader that was spoken of by the Prophet ﷺ). He took the majority of the members of the Banu Kenana tribe and went to the western territories where in stages, he found an independent government in Egypt and the rest of North Africa. During the same period, the well-known Islamic scholars and Muhaddith like Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Abu Daud, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah died. In short, 23 years of Motamid's caliphate passed in this state of disintegration, distress and disappointment.

Comment

Nearly 150 years have passed since the Caliphate of Banu Abbas ended. The Abbasid caliphate began with 100 years of grandeur and progress. The signs of decline started appearing with the death of Motasim Billah in 272 A.H. Inauspicious days befell the caliphate and for 20 years, the negative impact continued until Motawakkil Alallah's murder. During this period it was expected that the Abbasid caliphate would bring back its 100 years of lost glory and power but with Motawakkil Alallah's murder in 247 A.H. their abilities suddenly became paralyzed leaving no chance for restoration. We have studied the 22-year period of aging. The caliphate survived for several hundred years more in this debilitated form. Many different centers of Islamic rule were established. The caliphate of Baghdad or the Abbasid Caliphate retained its glory but little and it was not to be a serious power again.

With the given circumstances if the remainder of the Abbasid Caliphate is dealt with in the same detail as we have dealt with it up to this point in history, the readers' interest in history will evaporate and they will feel unnecessarily and mentally burdened. Brevity has been maintained and in the rest of the narrative, our concentration will be on the important events. At this point in the narrative many new lineages and new dynasties of rulers are emerging and to record them parallel to each other is difficult. However, their beginnings and how they came to assume power in relation to their connection to the Abbasids is important and will be referred to in their proper places.

The greatest mistake of Banu Umayyah was that it provided the way to ruin by introducing hereditary succession and got the Muslims habituated to this evil practice. Similarly, the fault of Banu Abbas is no less than that of Banu Umayyah. They effaced every object of Banu Umayyah and demolished and leveled to the ground all their memorials. However, they fully protected the evil practice of hereditary succession and hastened the Muslim's ruin.

The second major error they committed was that right from their very beginning they opposed the Arabs and sympathized with the new Muslims from Iran who were still subject to the prejudices of their culture. From the first Caliph Saffah to Mamoon Rasheed each caliph except Mahdi reduced the power of the Arabs and goaded and pushed ahead those still enamored with the Zoroastrian religion with the result that the Abbasids were unable to expand beyond the circle of victories set by Banu Umayyah and gradually that area of their authority continued to shrink.

Only a few of the former Zoroastrians grasped the real glory and morality of Islam. The other descendants of the Zoroastrians created many problems and hardships for the Abbasid caliphs but the wise and farsighted of them succeed in overcoming these problems.

Motasim Billah organized the Turks of Mawaraunnahr as a new group in the balance of power. Their national and racial heritage was different than the Khorasanis. His plan would have proved effective if he had not made the Turks more powerful than the Khorasanis and had made the Arabs equal to them in power. However, the Arab's relation with the Abbasids continued to be diminished. Motasim Billah's shifting of the capital to the Turkish village Samarra proved a great boon to the progress of the Turks. He preferred them probably because they were free from the influence of the Alawiites. The Abbasids, who were Arabs, hated the Arabs simply because the Alawiites were Arabs. These Alawiites influence on the Zoroastrian Iranians whom the Banu Abbas used and counted on was great. This continuously led to conflicts and deception. Distancing himself from these two groups, Motasim selected a third group historically free these machinations. However, the Turks unlike the Iranians were not cultured or well versed in statecraft. They needed a strong and alert hand to control them and use them to their best advantage.

Had there been even a few leaders with the heart and faith of Haroon and Mamoon, the glory of the caliphate of the Abbasids would have gone higher. Motasim was wise enough to make Samarra the capital but coupled with the weakness of his successors and the diminished Arabic element, created many problems, which his successors could not remedy. The Turks were nomadic fighters without vision. They could neither establish their own government nor did they turn to the Alawiites to establish a dynasty. The Alawiites had removed themselves from open contention for the Caliphate after becoming tired and frustrated with their failures. There was no clear apprehension of any real danger to the caliphate of the Abbasids from them.

After Motasim when commotion and turmoil erupted in the land, the Alawiites had a far-reaching impact on all the provinces and all the governors and administrators throughout the Islamic territories and they became busy establishing their own separate and independent governments.

The examples of Andalusia, Morocco and North Africa were clearly known by all. With the failure of the heart, the circulation of blood to all the organs of the body stopped. Observing the independence and lawlessness of the Governors and administrators the Alawiites, Khwarij, rebel slaves, Qaramatis and others geared up to take a chance to establish their own governments. The conditions deteriorated to such an extent that even a Mansoor or Haroon could probably not have succeeded. Motawakkil's murder was the blackest and the most inauspicious incident of the Abbasid caliphate. Had Mowaffaq succeeded Motawakkil, he might have possibly controlled the situation but he did not get a chance to work as the caliph and his son, Motazid who was ambitious and brave like his father, received the caliphate when the disease of anarchy had become quite incurable.

Caliph Motazid's Rise: Saffarid Decline, Mowaffaq's Death and Emergence of Qaramata

Amr bin Laith Saffar

Amr bin Laith Saffar had been given the Governorship of Khorasan, Sajistan and other territories by the Caliph's court as has been recorded above and Iran was also under his control. In 271 A.H., a letter of his dismissal was issued from the Caliph's court and the administrator of Isfahan, Ahmad bin Abdul Aziz bin Abl Walf, was instructed to fight Amr bin Laith and liberate the Province of Iran. They clashed and Amr bin Laith was defeated but he retained his hold on the Province Iran.

Ultimately in 274 A.H., Mowaffaq himself invaded Iran, he took the Province of Iran from Amr bin Laith and returned to Baghdad. Amr bin Laith went to Kerman and Sajistan and began to rule over Sajistan and Khorasan successfully. Then he sent gifts to the Caliph's court and enhanced his influence and in 278 A.H., he received the governorship of the territory of Mawaraunnahr, Bukhara, Samarkand etc., from the Caliph's court. Ismail bin Ahmad Samani had been ruling over Mawaraunnahr successfully. With the receipt of the governorship of Mawaraunnahr Amr bin Laith became busy collecting soldiers, arms and equipment. When Ismail bin Ahmed Samani found out, he wrote to Amr bin Laith: "I have been lying here out of the way in this border area. You have a larger country. Let me lie here and don't try to remove me." Amr bin Laith did not pay any heed to the letter and attacked him. Ismail Samani fought Amr bin Laith who was captured and sent to jail in Samarkand. In 288 A.H., Ahmed sent him to the Caliph in Baghdad. He remained there until Caliph Motazid's death. When Muktafi Billah came to power, he had him killed.

Conditions in Makkah and Madinah

In Madinah, Muhammad bin Hasan bin Jafar bin Musa Kazim and his brother Ali bin Hasan began to fight against each other. Fear of the government was non-existent. Civil wars were raging everywhere. These two brothers also created an upheaval in Madinah. Many men on both sides were killed. In 277 A.H., for one month Friday congregational prayers could not be held in Madinah. The same conditions existed in Makkah also. Yusuf bin Abu Saj was the Governor of Makkah. Ahmad bin Muhammad Tai was awarded the letter of governorship from the Caliph's court in his place.

Ahmad Tai sent his slave Badr as the leader of the pilgrimage on his behalf. Yusuf fought against him. The confrontation took place in front of the Holy Mosque around the Ka'bah. Yusuf arrested Badr. Badr's soldiers and the pilgrims launched a joint attack, arrested Yusuf, sent him to Baghdad and freed Badr. The situation everywhere was deteriorating.

Mowaffaq's Death

Caliph Motamid Billah was a nominal Caliph. His brother Mowaffaq, by virtue of his valor and wisdom, dominated over all state affairs. He was the virtual Caliph though he was not the legal Caliph. As mentioned above, Mowaffaq was also the heir apparent. Prior to his rule, the Turk chiefs had been ruling and dominating the Caliph's court. Mowaffaq had maneuvered and succeeded in breaking their power. Since he had defeated the rebel slaves, his and his son's popularity increased considerably among the Muslims. The Turk chiefs had been unable to defeat the slaves and they didn't dare to oppose him.

However, since the entire administration had totally collapsed anarchy continued to spread. The power that had held the dynasty together was now dissipated and the territories were asserting their independence and autonomy, which could not be suppressed. Yet, Mowaffaq's presence in the capital was a great source of strength and no one had the heart to challenge his leadership or expunge his name from the Friday sermon.

When Mowaffaq returned from Isfahan, he came down with the gout. He was treated by physicians but in vain. He died on 22 Saffar 278 A.H. and was buried at RaSaffah. Though Caliph Motamid was living, he was only a figurehead. Following Mowaffaq's death, the members of the government and generals of the army unanimously selected Mowaffaq's son Abul Abbas Motazid as the heir apparent and Caliph Motamid made an announcement of his succession and placed him in his father's position. Since Motazid was a very experienced and brave man, he came to dominate over all the state administration like his father and Caliph Motamid remained ineffectual.

Qaramata

In 278 A.H., a man in Kufa named Hamdan, popularly known as Qaramata, introduced a new religion. He was an extremist Shiite. He believed that the Imams were only seven in number: 1. Imam Husain (RA) 2. Ali Zianul Abedeen (RA), 3. Baqar bin Ali (RA) 4. Jafar Sadiq (RA) 5. Ismail bin Jafar 6. Muhammad bin Ismail 7. Obaidullah bin Muhammad. He called himself the deputy of Obaidullah bin Muhammad although Muhammad bin Ismail did not have a son named Obaidullah. He regarded Muhammad bin Al-Hanafia bin Ali bin Abi Talib as a prophet and added the following words to the call to prayer: "I bear witness that Muhammad bin Hanafia is a Messenger." He declared the Holy Mosque in Jerusalem as the direction for Prayer, which was made only two times a day, before sunrise and after sunset. He maintained that some verses, were revealed to Muhammad bin Al-Hanafia. Monday instead of Friday was considered the holy day of the week and he did not do any work on that day. He believed that only a few days of fasting a year was compulsory. He declared date juice unlawful while wine was made lawful. He said bathing after coition was unnecessary, (this of course is in direct contravention of Islamic law.) He made certain animals legal to be eaten while others were forbidden and declared unlawful. Whoever opposed him was declared worthy of death. He chose for his title Qaim Bil-Haq.

He talked to the chiefs of the slaves Khabbees and Bahbood about his new religion and wanted to convert them to his views but they did not attach any importance to him. Eight years after their defeat he began to propagate his beliefs in Kufa and many people began to accept them. Becoming aware of his activities the Governor of Kufa had him arrested and put in jail.

The guards of the jail were derelict in their duties and he escaped. His followers publicized the event as if he had special powers. Gradually people from a far began to talk about this religion and join it.

There are a group of people who trade guidance for falsehood and are infatuated with the blind despite their ability to see and worship that which is senseless despite their having intelligence. These people are found throughout history until our present time and they were the type of people who rushed to embrace Qaramata's new religion.

Succession of Motazid

As mentioned above after Mowaffaq's death, Motazid was made the heir apparent and he was to be the Caliph after Jafar bin Motamid. Jafar bin Motamid was first in succession to the throne and Motazid was second after him. His father Mowaffaq was also the second in succession behind Jafar but in 279 A.H. Motamid, being impressed by Motazid's power and ability gave priority to him as heir apparent over his own son Jafar and had the certificates authorizing his succession issued to the Governors in the provinces.

Defeat of the Zanj Rebellion, Saffarid Decline and Rise of the Samanids

Yaqub bin Laith Saffar's Death

Yaqub bin Laith Saffar had gained much power. Ahmad bin Abdullah Khajistani, Sayeed bin Tahir, Ali bin Yahya Kharji, Hasan bin Zaid Alawi, Rafe bin Harisimah had all made their claims to being the ruler of Khorasan, Tabristan and Iran. They had been at war with one another with no clear victor. Outwardly it seemed Yaqub bin Laith Saffar was more able, braver and more powerful and he possessed a larger territory. When Motamid realized that Syria had gone out of his control, a greater part of Iraq was under the slaves occupation and the eastern province of Khorasan and Iran had been lost, he thought it wise that the letter of Governorship of provinces like Khorasan should be given to Yaqub bin Laith from the Caliph's court. By making him legitimate, the Caliph felt that he could win his allegiance and these territories would have a proper administration. The negotiations to arrange this had already started when Yaqub bin Laith Saffar died of colic. The Caliph had sent the documents of Governorship of Iran to Yaqub Saffar but it reached him when he was dying. After his death, his brother Amr bin Laith Saffar succeeded to the throne. He sent a declaration of his obedience and allegiance to the Caliph. The Caliph was overjoyed and bestowed on him the Governorship of Khorasan, Isfahan, Sindh and Sajistan in addition to making him the Chief of Police of Baghdad and Samarra. He also sent him a royal robe. This appointment letter and the royal robe led to the recognition of his government willingly by the masses and added to his power.

Extermination of the Rebel Slaves by Mowaffaq and Motazid

The rebellion of the slaves and the repeated failure of the Caliph's armies against the slaves was not something ordinary. The slaves had been defeating the Caliph's armies and famous generals for 10 years and had destroyed the peace in the Iraqi cities. Each slave had forcibly kept 10 to 15 Alawi and Hashmi women. Their leaders named Bahbood and Khabbees used to verbally abuse the righteous Caliphs, the family of the Prophet ﷺ and his wives from their pulpits. Bahbood claimed to be omniscient and a Prophet. These slaves had killed thousands of Muslims. Their continuous victories had left the people's hearts filled with terror and they put an end to the Turk's pride of valor.

The Turk's trembled at their names. Ultimately, Caliph Motamid's brother Mowaffaq assigned his son Abul Abbas who later became Caliph with the title Motazid Billah, the expedition to fight the slaves in Rabia Thani 266 A.H. After a very fierce battle near Wasit, he defeated them. This was the first significant setback they received from the Caliph's army. After this Mowaffaq joined his son and both of them began to defeat them regularly over the next four years. The slaves' leader Khabbees was killed on 1 Saffar 270 A.H. and their reign of terror was ended. When news reached Baghdad that the slave leader was killed and the evil ended, there was a great celebration in the city. While father and son, Mowaffaq and Motazid were at war with the slaves the Khwarij had revolted in Mousil.

Masawar Khwarji, as has already been stated, had been killed in 263 A.H. His followers and disciples formed different groups and began to fight with each other until 276 A.H. No effort was made by the Caliph's court to restore peace in the region, which lets us know the condition of things in the occupied territories.

Anarchy in Khorasan

When Yaqub Saffar died, Caliph Motamid appointed his brother Amr bin Laith as Governor. However, the supporters of the Tahir dynasty were still present in Khorasan. Two of them, Abu Talha and Rafe bin Harisimah, formed groups in the name of Husain bin Tahir and established their own government. They expelled Amr bin Laith's administrators from the cities of the territory then they quarreled with each other. In the ensuing battles they used to seek help from the ruler of Bukhara, Ismail bin Ahmad bin Asad bin Samani.

Ismail Samani sometimes would help one and sometimes the other and sometimes he would help their common enemy Amr bin Laith Saffar. In brief, there was great tension in these territories. During this time, Mowaffaq deputed Muhammad bin Tahir as Governor of Khorasan. In 271 A.H. Caliph Motamid, who had given Amr bin Laith Saffar the Governorship of Khorasan, deposed Amr Saffar. Muhammad bin Tahir stayed in Baghdad. He deputed Rafe bin Harisimah as the governor of Khorasan and his deputy. This did not make any difference or put an end to the unrest and anarchy in Khorasan and its adjoining provinces.

Ahmad bin Tuloon's Death

Ahmad bin Tuloon, who has already been dealt with in detail, had Egypt and Syria under his occupation. Caliph Motamid was a Caliph in name only and his brother Mowaffaq by virtue of his wisdom and valor dominated all affairs of the Caliphate. Motamid entered into correspondence with Ahmad bin Tuloon and wanted him to go to Egypt on his behalf. This happened in 269 A.H. while Mowaffaq was engaged in war with the rebel slaves. Mowaffaq tried to make Motamid understand with the help of other leaders that supporting Ahmad bin Tuloon was not to their benefit and asked him to desist, because of this Mowaffaq became angry with Ahmad Tuloon.

Ahmad Tuloon became sick in Antakia and died and his son Khumarwaih succeeded him as the Governor of Syria and Egypt. When Mowaffaq became free from the slave rebellion in 270 A.H., he sent Ishaq bin Kandaj and Muhammad bin Abu Saj to capture Syria. These two commanders began to conquer city after city. Khumarwaih sent an army to face them. These two commanders hesitated in starting the battle and were on the defensive. In view of this, Mowaffaq sent his son Abul Abbas Motazid to Syria. Motazid pushed the Egyptian army back, conquered Damascus and continued to move ahead. Khumarwaih came to fight and Abul Abbas Motazid suffered a defeat and returned to Damascus. The inhabitants of Damascus did not open the gate of city for him. Helplessly, he went to Tartoos. Khumarwaih came to Damascus and the circulation of his coins and the Friday sermon in his name began. The inhabitants of Tartoos revolted and expelled Abul Abbas Motazid and began to read Khumarwaih's name in the Friday sermon. Abul Abbas distressed and a failure went back to Baghdad.

Situation in Tabristan: Alawi, Rafe and Saffar

It has been stated above that Hasan bin Zaid Alawi had established his government with the assistance of the inhabitants of Delam. Hasan bin Zaid died in Rajab 270 A.H. Then his brother Mohammad bin Zaid assumed power in Tabristan. In 272 A.H., a Turk administrator of Qazween invaded Tabristan with an army of 4,000 men. Muhammad bin Zaid faced him with 8,000 soldiers but was defeated and took refuge in Jurjan. However, immediately after the departure of the victorious army he re-captured Tabristan. In 275 A.H. Rafe bin Harisimah attacked Jurjan. Muhammad bin Zaid fought and after a prolonged battle lost control over Tabristan. Finally, in 283 A.H., Rafe bin Harisimah was killed while fighting with Amr bin Laith, Muhammad bin Zaid reoccupied Jurjan but Amr bin Laith Saffar dethroned him.

In 288 A.H., Ismail Samani caught Amr bin Laith Saffar and sent him to Baghdad, Muhammad bin Zaid revolted in Delam again and captured Tabristan. Then Ismail Samani sent Muhammad bin Haroon to Tabristan. Muhammad bin Zaid was killed in the encounter and his son Zaid bin Muhammad was caught and sent to jail in Bukhara.

Rise of the Samanid Dynasty: Yaqub Saffar's Defeat and Ahmad bin Tuloon's Conquests

The Birth of the Government of the Samaniites

The details about the Samani dynasty will follow later on. However, in order to remind the readers and to maintain the sequence of events it is pertinent to say something about its origin here.

Asad bin Saman was a member of a reputed and respectable family in Khorasan. He had four sons: Noah, Ahmad, Yahya and Ilyas. During the period when Mamoon Rasheed was staying in Merv, these four brothers called on him. On the suggestion of his Prime Minister Fadal bin Sahal, he appointed them to important posts. When Mamoon Rasheed proceeded to Baghdad after making Ghassan bin Abbad his deputy and the governor of Khorasan, the latter deputed Noah, Ahmad, Yahya, and Ilyas as the rulers of Samarkand, Farghana, Shash and Ashrosna, and Herat respectively.

When Mamoon Rasheed sent his famous general Tahir ibn Husain as the governor of Khorasan, he also maintained the status quo by retaining them in their posts. However, when Noah bin Asad died Tahir annexed the regions of Samarkand to Yahya and Ahmad's territories. After a short time, Ilyas died, this was during Tahir's governorship, Tahir made Ilyas's son, Abu Ishaq Muhammad, the ruler of Herat. Ahmad bin Asad had seven sons: Nasr, Yaqub, Yahya, Ismail, Abul Ashas, Ahmad Khanam, Hameed and Asad. When Ahmad bin Asad passed away, his elder son Nasr succeeded him as the Governor of Samarkand.

Nasr continued to be given the governorship of this province until the Tahir family was dethroned from Khorasan and Yaqub bin Laith Saffar captured it. In 261 A.H., Caliph Motamid Alallah sent the letter of governorship of Samarkand to Nasr directly. The Governor of this province used to receive the letter of Governorship from the Governor of Khorasan. In view of losing control over Khorasan and Yaqub Saffar gaining control over it, the Caliph thought it best that he should keep his leadership in Mawaraunnahr. Therefore, the letter was sent from the Caliph's court with the instruction that he should protect Samarkand from Yaqub Saffar. Nasr bestowed the state of Bukhara on his brother Ismail and he himself continued to rule over Samarkand. In 275 A.H., they developed resentment against each other, which escalated into a military confrontation. Ismail won and Nasr came to Ismail in chains. Ismail ran to him and kissed his feet, made him sit on the throne and promised to obey him. They reconciled and both the brothers began to govern under the name of Ismail. This same Ismail founded the government of the Samanids, which will be dealt with later on in the narrative.

The Oath for the Heir Apparent

In Shawwal 261 A.H., Caliph Motamid held open court and made the proclamation before all the courtiers that his son Jafar would be the heir apparent and after him his brother Ahmad Mowaffaq. However, in case Jafar did not reach the age of discretion, then Mowaffaq would be the Caliph first to be followed by Jafar.

Everyone took an oath on this proclamation. Jafar was given the title Mufawwad illallah, and made the Governor of Africa, Egypt, Syria, Mousil, Jazirah and Armenia. Musa bin Bagha was made his deputy. Abul Wajid was entitled as Nasir li deenillah Al-Mowaffaq and made the Governor of the Eastern countries, Baghdad, Kufa, the route to Makkah, Yemen, Kaskar, Ahwaz, Iran, Isfahan, Rayy, Zanjan and Sindh. Two different flags were made for them. After this oath, Caliph Motamid assigned the task of punishing the rebel slaves to his brother Mowaffaq.

The Battle of Saffar

Mowaffaq had hardly set out towards the rebellious slaves when the Caliph received news that Yaqub Saffar after capturing and consolidating Khorasan was marching towards the capital with his army. The Caliph's brother Mowaffaq postponed his expedition against the rebels and returned to the capital. The Caliph himself left the capital and stayed at Zafranya and sent his brother Mowaffaq to fight with Saffar. The right flank was controlled by Musa bin Bagha while the left one was commanded by Masroor Balkhi. Mowaffaq was in the middle. They fought a very fierce battle from dawn to dusk. Sometimes Saffar's army retreated and sometimes Mowaffaq's army fell back. The battle remained indecisive. Meanwhile the Caliph sent another army to aid Mowaffaq. The arrival of this fresh army spelled defeat for Yaqub bin Laith's army. Yaqub and his soldiers fled. Mowaffaq and his army looted their camp. After being defeated Saffar moved towards Khazistan and stayed at Jandisabor. Mowaffaq could not follow Saffar and went to Wasit. He fell ill and returned to Baghdad.

While Mowaffaq and Saffar were at war, Muhammad bin Wasil who had fled after loosing Iran to Saffar found an opportunity and rebelled, the field of opposition was empty and he recaptured Iran.

When Saffar went to Jundisabor after his defeat, the slaves sent a letter to Saffar, goading him to fight against the Caliph and assuring him of their help. In reply to the letter Saffar quoted following Verses of Qur'ān:

"Say O Unbelievers ........to you your religion and to me my religion." (109:1-6)

And sent an army under the command of Omar bin Sirsi to fight against Muhammad bin Wasil. Omar bin Sirsi expelled Wasil from Iran and captured it. After fighting with Yaqub Saffar, Motamid sent Musa bin Bagha to crush the rebellious slaves. Saffar sent a commander to Ahwaz. It was at Ahwaz that the three armies, the Caliph's, Saffar's and the slaves' clashed with one another. No one supported the other. Yaqub Saffar left Jundisabor and went to Sajistan after deputing Aziz bin Sirri in Nishapur and his brother Omar bin Laith in Herat. These events took place in 261 A.H.

The Conquest of Wasit

After capturing Jundisabor and deputing his administrator, Yaqub Saffar had gone to Sajistan. A commander had been sent to Ahwaz. Finally, the slaves recognized Saffar's conquest of Ahwaz, made peace with Saffar and turned to Wasit. In Wasit, a Turk commander was in charge by the order of the Caliph. The Caliph's soldiers could not stand against the slaves and they defeated him and conquered Wasit. This occurred in 263 A.H.

Ahmad bin Tuloon's occupation of Syria

In 264 A.H., a Turk named Majoor ruled over Syria. His son succeeded him after his death. Upon receipt of this news Ahmad bin Tuloon left his son Abbas as his deputy in Egypt and he went to Damascus. Majoor's son laid down his arms and Tuloon's men captured Damascus and all their territories in 264 A.H. He stayed in Syria for two years and after making satisfactory arrangements, he went back to Egypt in 266 A.H. From this point, Ahmad bin Tuloon's territory included Egypt and Syria.

Caliph Motamid Alallah: Alawi Revolts, Zanj Rebellion and Rise of Yaqub Saffar

Motamid Alallah

Motamid Alallah bin Motawakkil Alallah bin Motasim Billah bin Haroon Rasheed was born of a Roman slave girl named Fatyan. Caliph Motamid made Obaidullah bin Yahya bin Khaqan his minister. Obaidullah fell off his horse and died in 263 A.H. Then Mohammad bin Mukhallad was made the minister.

The Revolt of the Alawiites

In 256 A.H. Ibrahim bin Mohammad bin Yahya bin Abdullah bin Mohammad bin Hanafia bin Ali bin Abi Talib alias Ibn Sufi and Ali bin Zaid Alawi revolted against the Abbasid Caliphate in Egypt and Kufa respectively. Ibn Sufi suffered defeat in several battles and fled from Egypt and went to Makkah where the governor of Makkah arrested him and sent him to Ahmad bin Tuloon in Egypt. He imprisoned him and later released him. After his release, he went to Madinah where he died. Ali bin Zaid revolted in Kufa and expelled the governor and took it over. Caliph Motamid sent a commander named Shah bin Michael to Kufa but he was defeated by Ali bin Zaid. Then the Caliph sent another commander named Kajoor who defeated Ali bin Zaid. In 256 A.H. he re-attacked Ali bin Zaid which resulted in his defeat and arrest. Kajoor went to the Caliph with him. Husain bin Zaid Alawi captured Rayy and Musa bin Bagha set out to fight against him.

A man named Ali posing as an Alawiite previously drew the people's attention to himself in Bahrain and then went to Ahsa. There he posed as an Alawiite but with a different lineage. As the Alawiites were revolting in different places, he had a strong craving for power and kept drawing people's attention to himself by posing as an Alawiite but his lineage continued to be questioned everywhere proving that he was not an Alawiite. At last, in coalition with a few slaves in Baghdad he went to Basra and announced to the slaves that whoever came over to him would be freed. It attracted many of them and they rallied around him. When the masters of the slaves came to him and wanted to talk about them, he had them arrested and later Ali released them.

The number of slaves continued multiplying under Ali's flag and with fiery speeches coaxed and induced them to conquer territory with the power of their swords. He looted Qadsiya and its adjoining areas and returned to Basra. The people of Basra fought but were defeated. Following that, they fought with him several times but were defeated each time.

The slave army captured Basra. The Caliph deputed the Turk Abu Bilal with a 4,000 man army under his command to confront them. The confrontation took place near the river Riyan. The slaves defeated and chased them away. They captured not only Basra but also, Ahwaz and other places. The Turk leaders brought armies from the Caliph's court repeatedly but always returned defeated. Finally, it was Sayeed bin Saleh who crushed them and expelled them from Basra. However, on 15 Shawwal 257 A.H. they recaptured Basra and burnt it to the ground. The beautiful buildings of Basra were reduced to ashes and rubble.

Assessing the situation Caliph Motamid sent Mohammad Maroof alias Molid with a large army. The slaves came out of Basra and fought with him at the Maqul River. They put Molid's army to rout, looted their goods and killed the fleeing soldiers. Then they returned to the Maqul River. Then the Caliph deputed Mansoor bin Jafar Khayyat to tackle the problem. They came to fight under the command of their chief Ali bin Aban. There was a fierce battle. Swords dazzled until noon finally, Mansoor bin Jafar was defeated and killed.

Hearing the news, Caliph Motamid Billah recalled his brother Abu Ahmad Muwaffaq, whom he had deputed as the governor of Makkah, gave him the governorship of Egypt, Qansareen and Awasim and ordered him to fight against the slaves. Then he gave another army to Mufleh and sent him to fight them also. These two armies marched to face the slave army.

In the battle that followed, Mufleh was killed and his men began to flee. This caused anxiety and disintegration among Muwaffaq's men. At last, Muwaffaq dodged the enemy and saved his army, reorganized them, came to the Abu Khaseeb River and fought with the slaves, defeated them and captured many of them he also freed many of his men from their captivity and returned to Samarra. That defeat did not crush them completely. They rallied again and started looting, killing and plundering. They continued on their looting and killing spree in Basra and Iraq until 270 A.H.

Yaqub bin Laith's Governorship

In 256 A.H., the very first year of Motamid's accession Mohammad bin Wasil bin Ibrahim Tamimi, an Iraqi Arab living in Iran for many years, conspired with some Kurds and killed the governor of Iran, Harith bin Seema and captured it. When Yaqub bin Laith Saffar found out, he invaded Iran. Muwaffaq thought it wise to save Iran from going under Yaqub Saffar's control so he had the letters of governorship for Takharistan and Balkh in Yaqub's name written by Motamid and sent to Yaqub bin Laith with the message: "Give up the thought of Iran and establish your government in Balkh and Takharistan." Yaqub bin Laith liked the idea and he made proper arrangements for Balkh and Takharistan, reached Kabul and arrested Ratbeel. Then he dispatched gifts to the Caliph.

He visited Sajistan and began to take control of the cities of Herat and Khorasan. In 259 A.H., he captured Khorasan and expelled all the members of the Tahir family. Caliph Motamid wrote him a threatening letter saying, "Be content with the cities and the governorship of that which has been given to you. Don't capture Khorasan." But Yaqub did not pay any heed to this warning. In 260 A.H., Hasan bin Zaid Alawi took an army from Delam and invaded Yaqub. In a fierce battle Hasan bin Zaid suffered defeat and returned to Delam and Yaqub conquered Sarya and Amul then he turned to Sajistan.

The Rebellion in Mousil

Motamid deputed the Turk commander Satgeen as the governor of Mousil. The Turks started perpetrating atrocities on the inhabitants of Mousil. As a consequence of this abuse, they made Yahya bin Sulaiman their leader, beat the Turks and expelled them.

The Caliph was informed of the rebellion. Turk armies were sent. Bloody battles were waged but the result was disastrous. The Caliph's army of Turks lost and Sulaiman bin Yahya's government was established in Mousil. This happened in 260-61 A.H.

Ibn Mufleh, Ibn Wasil, Ibn Laith Saffar

When Yaqub bin Laith invaded Iran to snatch it from Mohammad bin Wasil in 256 A.H. the Caliph bestowed on him the governorship of Balkh and Takharistan and sent him back. Then he sent Abdur Rahman bin Mufleh with an army to win the province of Iran from Mohammad bin Wasil. Abdur Rahman and Mohammad began to fight.

The Caliph deputed the Turk commander Tashtamar to reinforce Abdur Rahman bin Mufleh. Tashtamar was killed and in 262 A.H. Mohammad bin Wasil captured Abdur Rahman bin Mufleh. Caliph Motamid began to correspond with Mohammad bin Wasil and initiated a move to liberate Abdur Rahman bin Mufleh. Mohammad bin Wasil did not reply to his letters but killed Abdur Rahman bin Mufleh and began to prepare to invade the city of Wasit where Musa bin Bagha was stationed with his army. When Mohammad bin Wasil proceeded towards Wasit, Ibrahim bin Seema blocked his way.

From the opposite side Abu Saj who was made governor of Iran by the Caliph sent his son-in-law Abdur Rahman to fight against

Muhammad bin Wasil and conquer Iran. Abu Saj was engaged in dealing with the slaves who had made more trouble in Basra and the surrounding area. When Abu Saj's son-in-law Abdur Rahman set out with the army, he came across the slaves' leader Ali bin Aban on the way. Ali bin Aban defeated and killed Abdur Rahman. Mohammad bin Wasil and his army were ready to confront Ibrahim bin Seema at Ahwaz. In the meantime, news arrived that Yaqub bin Laith Saffar invaded Faras, so Muhammad Wasil Tamimi, ended the confrontation with Ibrahim bin Seema and returned to Iran. Finally, Saffar and Mohammad bin Wasil fought. Ibn Wasil lost and escaped and Yaqub Saffar captured Iran. Khorasan had already come under his rule and in 261 A.H., he brought all of Iran under his control.

Struggle Against Turkish Domination, Reforms, Deposition and Martyrdom

Motaz Billah: Deposition and Death

Caliph Motaz was completely under the control of the Turk generals and whatever they wanted he would do for them. The treasury had been drained because the generals had usurped it. The soldiers demanded the Caliph to pay their salaries. The Caliph was helpless. Finally, the Turks demanded payment or else they would kill Saleh bin Waseef who they considered responsible for manipulating the Caliph.

Saleh bin Waseef was a Turk general and the Caliph was afraid of him. Seeing the problem Motaz went to his Roman mother Fatahyah for some money to solve the problem. She had large sums of money but she refused to part with any on the pretext of impending poverty. The Turks, in coalition with Saleh bin Waseef, Mohammad bin Bagha Sagheer and Babakyal, armed themselves fully and went to the door of the Caliph's palace and called Motaz. Caliph Motaz sent word, "I have taken medicine. I am too ill and weak to come out." Hearing this the Turks made a forced entry into the palace and brought out the Caliph dragging him by the legs. They beat him up, abused him and made him stand bareheaded in the sun in the courtyard. Then everybody who passed by slapped him in the face. When his humiliation went beyond limits, he was asked to abdicate. He refused. Then the chief judge Husain bin Abi Shorab and members of the government were called to witness the dismissal of the Caliph. All of them put their signatures on it and Motaz was thrown into a dungeon without food and water leading ultimately to his death. This occurred in Rajab 255 A.H. He died on 8 Shaban 255 A.H.

They brought Motaz's cousin Mohammad bin Wathiq from Baghdad and put him on the throne and bestowed on him the title of Mohtadi Billah. When Motaz's mother saw her son's arrest and humiliation, she escaped through a tunnel and went into hiding somewhere in Samarra. When Mohtadi become Caliph, she received amnesty from Saleh bin Waseef, the Caliph's deputy, and appeared in Ramadan 255 A.H. When Saleh initiated inquiries about her wealth it came to light that she was in possession of 10,300,000 dinars and gold and jewels worth more than that although Motaz had asked for only 50,000 dinars, a sum which would have been sufficient to put an end to the unrest in the army. Saleh seized all her wealth and goods and said, "This unlucky woman had her son killed for 50,000 dinars although she had millions of dinars in her possession." Then he sent her to Makkah. She lived there until Motamid succeeded to the throne. Then she went to Samarra where she died in 264 A.H.

Mohtadi Billah

Mohtadi Billah bin Wathiq Billah bin Motasim Billah bin Haroon Rasheed's real name was Mohammad and his kunya was Abu Ishaq. He was born during his grandfather Motasim Billah's period of Caliphate in 218 A.H. He became Caliph on 29 Rajab 255 A.H. at the age of 37. He was light brown in complexion, lean and thin, handsome, pious and devout, just and brave. He struggled considerably to uphold the divine commandments. Right from his accession to his death, he continuously observed the fast but he did not have any supporters. He came at such a bad time that it was difficult to restore the old Islamic honor and glory. Hashim bin Qasim says: During the month of Ramadan I was sitting near Mohtadi. It was evening. When I stood up to leave, he asked me to sit down. Then we broke the fast together and performed our prayer. When Mohtadi ordered supper, it was brought in a small willow basket. It contained thin loaves of bread, a pinch of salt in a cup, vinegar in another and olive oil in a third cup. He invited me to eat. I began to eat and thought that more food would follow so I ate slowly. Mohtadi looked at me and said, "Don't you observe the fast?" I said, "Yes" Then he said, "Will you not observe it tomorrow?" I said, "It is the month of Ramadan. Why shouldn't I observe it?" He said, "Then eat well and don't expect that more food will be coming for there is nothing here except this." I was taken by surprise and said, Amir al Mu'minin! "What is this? Allāh has given you all the delicacies, conveniences and comforts of life." He said, "Yes, that is true. However, when I reflected, I found that Omar bin Abdul Aziz among Banu Umayyah was reduced to a skeleton due to his under- eating and preoccupation with providing all facilities to his subjects. Then I turned my attention to my family and I was highly ashamed to find that we, the Banu Hashim, are quite unlike them. That is why I have adopted the way you see." He had put a strict ban on sports and entertainment, declared singing and playing musical instruments unlawful and prohibited the royal staff from being tyrannical to the people. In matters of administrative work, he was strict. He attended the court daily and handled the cases in open court. He used to do the accounting by having the accountants sit in front of him.

As has been recorded earlier, the Turks also made Mohtadi Billah Caliph. After enthroning him Saleh bin Wasif, the most influential among the Turks who dominated him most arrested and killed Ahmad bin Israil, Zaid bin Motaz Billah and Abu Nuh and confiscated their money and property. Then he arrested Hasan bin Mukhallad and seized his goods. When Caliph Mohtadi Billah came to know about these incidents, he was extremely shocked and said, "Was their arrest for an ordinary crime that they were also killed?" Following that the Caliph turned all the slave-girls and singers out of Samarra. He ordered all pets to be killed and the dogs to be set free. He made Sulaiman ibn Wahab his minister. But Saleh ibn Waseef, by virtue of his intelligence and careful planning, brought him under his control and began to rule himself. Musa bin Bagha was not present at the time of Motaz's deposition and Mohtadi's accession. He had been in Rayy. When he heard that Saleh had deposed Motaz and enthroned Mohtadi, he announced his intention of avenging Motaz's blood and marched to the capital. After he arrived, he sent a request to the Caliph for permission to come to him. Saleh went into hiding when he heard of Musa's arrival.

The Caliph permitted Musa to call on him. Soon after his arrival, he captured the Caliph. He then had him mounted on a mule and wanted to take him to the prison. Mohtadi said, "Musa! Fear Allāh, what is it that you want?" Musa said, "My intention is good. Please swear that you will not side with Saleh." The Caliph swore. Musa took the oath at his hands immediately. Then Musa began to search for Saleh. The Caliph tried to reconcile between Musa and Saleh. Consequently, Musa and his men suspected that the Caliph knew where Saleh was and that it was he who was concealing him. The Turks met at Musa bin Bagha's house for council, and thought of killing or deposing Caliph Mohtadi. The Caliph came to know about this meeting and sent for all of them to appear in his court. He himself came to the court armed and with a face that reflected great anger. He said to the Turks, "I have come to know about your council. Do not take me like other Caliphs. As long as I hold the sword in my hand, I will kill most of you. I have left my will and I am ready to kill and be killed. Remember that enmity with me will prove fatal to you. I declare on oath that I do not know where Saleh is." They were silent when they heard this and their conspiracy subsided. Then Musa proclaimed a 10,000 dinars reward for the capture of Saleh.

By chance, Saleh was located and Musa had him killed, then had his head put on a spear and taken throughout the city. Mohtadi disapproved of it but he could not do anything against the Turk's power. He was quite helpless. Finally, he wrote a letter to the Turk chief named Babakyal asking him to kill Musa. Babakyal showed the letter to Musa. Musa rushed with his army to the Caliph's palace. The people of the western territories and Farghana defended the Caliph and a number of encounters took place.

Meanwhile Babakyal was put in Mohtadi's prison as a captive. Caliph Mohtadi had him killed and his head thrown over to the Turks side. This excited them even more and the Turks who were in the Caliph's army became angry over Babakyal's murder and went over to Musa's army. During this period the Turks had besieged the Caliph, the subjects of Baghdad, Samarra and other places that had been praying for Caliph Mohtadi as they were very pleased with his justice and generosity and thought of him as a righteous Caliph. However, the consequences were quite adverse. The Caliph was defeated. The Turks arrested him and had his testicles crushed until he died.

This tragedy occurred on 14 Rajab 256 A.H. Caliph Mohtadi ran his Caliphate for 15 days short of a year. He was 38 when he lost his life. After that, the Turks took Abul Abbas Ahmad bin Motawakkil out of captivity (he was in captivity at Josaq) and put him on the throne. They took the oath for him and chose Motamid Alallah as his title.