Al-Wathiq
Encyclopedia
Al-Wathiq ibn Mutasim (died 847) was an Abbasid
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
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word   which means "successor" or "representative"...

 who reigned from 842 until 847 AD (227–232 AH in the Islamic calendar).

Biography

He succeeded his father, al-Mutasim, being hailed caliph on the day his father died, December 26, 841. Al-Wathiq was the son of the Byzantine concubine Qaratis. She accompanied al-Wathiq's brother Jafar ibn al-Mu'tasim (the future caliph al-Mutawakkil) on the pilgrimage in A.H. 227. However, she died on the way on August 16, 842. She was buried in Kufa.

In A.H. 229 (843–844) al-Wathiq, remembering Harun al-Rashid
Harun al-Rashid
Hārūn al-Rashīd was the fifth Arab Abbasid Caliph in Iraq. He was born in Rey, Iran, close to modern Tehran. His birth date remains a point of discussion, though, as various sources give the dates from 763 to 766)....

's handling of the powerful Barmakids
Barmakids
The Barmakids were a noble Persian family from Balkh that came to great political power under the Abbasid caliphs. Khalid, the son of Barmak became the Prime Minister or Wazir of Al Saffah, the first Caliph of the Abbasid dynasty. His son Yahya aided Harun Al-Rashid in capturing the throne and...

, arrested some of his prominent officials. These were tortured to encourage them to surrender funds they allegedly misappropriated.

In A.H. 230 (844–845) al-Wathiq sent one of his Turkish generals, Bugha al-Kabir
Bugha al-Kabir
Bugha al-Kabir al-Sharabi or Bugha the Elder, also known as Bugha al-Turki , was a 9th-century Turkic general who served the Abbasids....

 (the Elder), to handle lawlessness in Arabia. A rampant tribe had defeated and killed the forces of Hammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari. Bugha al-Kabir promptly brought order there arresting a good number of miscreants. The next year, when Bugha was quelling disturbances elsewhere in Arabia, these prisoners attempted to escape. They were prevented and killed.

In A.H. 231 al-Wathiq secured an exchange of captives with the Byzantines. Al-Tabari records that 4,362 Muslims were reported freed in this exchange. This was the first time there was such a prisoner exchange since A.H. 194 (809–810) or 195 (810–811) in al-Amin's reign.

That same year there was a planned rebellion in Baghdad centred on Ahmad ibn Nasr ibn Malik. The uprising was scheduled for the night of April 4, 846. However, those who were supposed to sound the signal to rise did so a day early. There was no response. Authorities intervened. Ahmad ibn Nasr was arrested and brought before al-Wathiq. The caliph interrogated him, though more on approved religious belief than on scheming rebellion). Al-Wathiq, using a famous sword, personally joined in the execution.

The same year there was a break in at the palace treasury in Samarra. Thieves made off with 42,000 dirhams and a small amount of dinars. Security chief Yazid al-Huwani was tireless in his pursuit of them. They were caught.

In A.H. 232 (846–847) al-Wathiq sent Bugha al-Kabir to stop the depradations of the Banu Numayr. In al-Yamamah on February 4, 847 he fought a major engagement against them. At first he was hard pressed. Then some troops he had out raiding returned, fell upon the forces attacking Bugha and completely routed them.

Al-Wathiq showed an interest in learning similar to that of his father; thus he was a great patron of scholars, as well as artists. He was renowned for his own musical talents, and is reputed to have composed over one-hundred songs.

During his reign, a number of revolts broke out, the largest ones in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

 and Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....

. These revolts were the result of an increasingly large gap between Arab populations and the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

 armies that had been formed by Wathiq's father, al-Mutasim. The revolts were put down, but antagonism between the two groups continued to widen, with the Turkish forces gaining power.

Al-Wathiq died on August 10, 847 of high fever. He was succeeded by his brother, al-Mutawakkil
Al-Mutawakkil
Al-Mutawakkil ʻAlā Allāh Jaʻfar ibn al-Muʻtasim was an Abbasid caliph who reigned in Samarra from 847 until 861...

.

Assessment

Al-Tabari records that al-Wathiq was of medium height, handsome and well-built. He was fair with a ruddy complexion. His left eye was paralyzed.

A heavily fictionalized version of Al-Wathiq appears in William Thomas Beckford
William Thomas Beckford
William Thomas Beckford , usually known as William Beckford, was an English novelist, a profligate and consummately knowledgeable art collector and patron of works of decorative art, a critic, travel writer and sometime politician, reputed to be the richest commoner in England...

's classic 18th-century gothic fantasy novel Vathek
Vathek
Vathek is a Gothic novel written by William Beckford...

.

Sources

  • Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari
    Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari
    Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari was a prominent and influential Sunni scholar and exegete of the Qur'an from Persia...

     History v. 34 "Incipient Decline," transl. Joel L. Kramer, SUNY, Albany, 1989
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