Al-Mu'eiyyad
Encyclopedia
Al-Mu'eiyyad was the third son of the Abbasid
caliph, Al-Mutawakkil
and the brother of Al-Muntasir
and Al-Mu'tazz
, who both would eventually become Caliphs as well.
In 860, Al-Mutawakkil had named his three son's heirs and seemed to favour al-Muntasir. However, this appeared to change and al-Muntasir feared his father was going to move against him. With the implicit support of the Turkish faction of the army, he ordered the assassination of Al-Mutawakkil which was carried out by a Turkish soldier on December 11, 861.
The Turkish party then prevailed on al-Muntasir to remove his brothers from the succession, fearing revenge for the murder of their father. In their place, he was to appoint his son as heir-apparent. On April 27, 862 both brothers, Al-Mu'eiyyad and Al-Mu'tazz, wrote a statement of abdication.
Al-Muntasir's reign lasted for half a year and ended with his death of unknown causes on 862. After the death of Al-Muntasir, the Turkish chiefs a council to select his successor. They did not want to elect Al-Mu'eiyyad or any of the brothers; so they elected Al-Musta'in
, another grandson of al-Mu'tasim
.
In 866, Al-Musta'in was deposed and Al-Mu'tazz came into power. Immediately upon becoming the new Caliph , al-Mu'tazz had the former Caliph al-Musta'in executed. The Turkish soldiery, after a brawl with the Westerns (Berbers
and Moors
) had now turned their support to Al-Mu'eiyyad. Enraged by this predicament, the jealous Caliph had his brother, Al-Mu'eiyyad, being next heir to the throne,cruelly put to death along with, another brother, Abu Ahmed, who had bravely led the troops in the late struggle on his side, was thrown into prison.
The Turks attempted his release, but al-Mu'tazz, the more alarmed, resolved on his death. He was smothered in a downy robe (or, as others say, frozen in a bed of ice); and the body was then exposed before the Court, as if, being without mark of violence, he had died a natural death, (a transparent subterfuge).
Al-Mu'eiyyad is notable for being the only Arab Muslim prince of the Abbasid royalty to have become a Christian. The Orthodox Christian saint, Theodore of Edessa is said to have converted Al-Mu'eiyyad to Christianity
during his lifetime, baptizing him with the name John together with his three confidants.
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
caliph, Al-Mutawakkil
Al-Mutawakkil
Al-Mutawakkil ʻAlā Allāh Jaʻfar ibn al-Muʻtasim was an Abbasid caliph who reigned in Samarra from 847 until 861...
and the brother of Al-Muntasir
Al-Muntasir
Al-Muntasir was the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad from 861 to 862. His pious title means He that Triumphs in the Lord.Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari records that in A.H. 236 al-Muntasir led the pilgrimage. The previous year al-Mutawakkil had named his three son's heirs and seeming to favour al-Muntasir...
and Al-Mu'tazz
Al-Mu'tazz
Al-Mu'tazz was the title of the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 866 to 869. Placed upon the throne by the Turks, he proved but too apt a pupil of his Turkish masters.He became the caliph at 19 he was the youngest Abbasaid Caliph to assume power. He was surrounded by parties each jealous of the other...
, who both would eventually become Caliphs as well.
In 860, Al-Mutawakkil had named his three son's heirs and seemed to favour al-Muntasir. However, this appeared to change and al-Muntasir feared his father was going to move against him. With the implicit support of the Turkish faction of the army, he ordered the assassination of Al-Mutawakkil which was carried out by a Turkish soldier on December 11, 861.
The Turkish party then prevailed on al-Muntasir to remove his brothers from the succession, fearing revenge for the murder of their father. In their place, he was to appoint his son as heir-apparent. On April 27, 862 both brothers, Al-Mu'eiyyad and Al-Mu'tazz, wrote a statement of abdication.
Al-Muntasir's reign lasted for half a year and ended with his death of unknown causes on 862. After the death of Al-Muntasir, the Turkish chiefs a council to select his successor. They did not want to elect Al-Mu'eiyyad or any of the brothers; so they elected Al-Musta'in
Al-Musta'in
Al-Musta'in was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 862 to 866. After the death of previous Caliph, al-Muntasir, the Turkish chiefs held a council to select his successor; they would have none of al-Mu'tazz, nor his brothers; so they elected him, another grandson of al-Mu'tasim.The Arabs and...
, another grandson of al-Mu'tasim
Al-Mu'tasim
Abu Ishaq 'Abbas al-Mu'tasim ibn Harun was an Abbasid caliph . He succeeded his half-brother al-Ma'mun...
.
In 866, Al-Musta'in was deposed and Al-Mu'tazz came into power. Immediately upon becoming the new Caliph , al-Mu'tazz had the former Caliph al-Musta'in executed. The Turkish soldiery, after a brawl with the Westerns (Berbers
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
and Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
) had now turned their support to Al-Mu'eiyyad. Enraged by this predicament, the jealous Caliph had his brother, Al-Mu'eiyyad, being next heir to the throne,cruelly put to death along with, another brother, Abu Ahmed, who had bravely led the troops in the late struggle on his side, was thrown into prison.
The Turks attempted his release, but al-Mu'tazz, the more alarmed, resolved on his death. He was smothered in a downy robe (or, as others say, frozen in a bed of ice); and the body was then exposed before the Court, as if, being without mark of violence, he had died a natural death, (a transparent subterfuge).
Al-Mu'eiyyad is notable for being the only Arab Muslim prince of the Abbasid royalty to have become a Christian. The Orthodox Christian saint, Theodore of Edessa is said to have converted Al-Mu'eiyyad to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
during his lifetime, baptizing him with the name John together with his three confidants.
Further reading
- This text is adapted from William MuirWilliam MuirSir William Muir, KCSI was a Scottish Orientalist and colonial administrator.-Life:He was born at Glasgow and educated at Kilmarnock Academy, at Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities, and at Haileybury College. In 1837 he entered the Bengal Civil Service...
's public domainPublic domainWorks are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
, The Caliphate: Its Rise, Decline, and Fall.