Siege of Baghdad (1157)
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Baghdad was the last Seljuq
attempt to capture Baghdad
from the Abbasids. Caliph al-Muqtafi successfully defended his capital against the collation armies of Seljuk Sultan Muhammad of Hamadan, and Qutb ad-Din of Mosul.
/Ikhshidids, Hamdanids, and others) acknowledged the Caliph as the head of the state and the successor of the prophet. In 1055, Togrül
captured Baghdad from the Buyids under a commission from the Abbasid Caliph al-Qa'im. Although the Seljuks respected the Caliphs they did not let them rule.
with an army of 30,000 men, while his ally Qutb ad-Din marched from Mosul to capture the Caliphate's provinces in Central Iraq. On the 12th of January Muhammad reached the walls of western Baghdad. In response the Caliph gathered all his troops from Hillah and Wasit
to defend the capital. In February, unable to defend western Baghdad, the caliph abandoned the western side and ordered all the bridges over the Tigris
river, which separates the western side of Baghdad from its eastern side, to be destroyed. Muhammad crossed to the western side and easily captured it, and established his camp while at the same time the caliph fortified the walls of eastern Baghdad. Several catapults and ballistas were installed on the city's walls. The caliph also armed the natives of Baghdad by giving them armour and weapons, and incited them to fight the enemy of the caliphate, whom he called infidels since they waged war against the caliph, the successor of the prophet and the leader of the ummah
. He also ordered his vizier Awn ad-Din ibn Hubayra
to give 5 golden dinars to every wounded soldier.
On the 4th of march Sultan Muhammad and his ally Zayn ad-Din, Qutb ad-Din's vizier, attacked eastern Baghdad and bombarded the city. The army of Baghdad repulsed the attack thanks to the courage of the natives of Baghdad and the naffatuns.
but it was destroyed by the catapults on the walls. The result of the battle remained indecisive for both sides. On June 29, Sultan Muhammad ordered his men to climb the walls. He had already made 400 ladders to climb the walls of Baghdad, but the assault was repulsed due to the heavy fire and casualties. In the meantime Nur ad-Din Zangi blamed his brother for attacking the caliph's realm, which destroyed the Zengid-Seljuq alliance. Zayn ad-Din lifted the siege and returned to Mosul.
Muhammad also was forced to lift the siege after his men informed him that his brother Malik Shah has captured Hamadan. He eventually realized that the siege was useless, so he preferred to fight for his throne. Thus the Siege of Baghdad came to end on the 13th of July 1157. Days later Muhammad was captured and killed.
Great Seljuq Empire
The Great Seljuq Empire was a medieval Persianate, Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim empire, originating from the Qynyq branch of Oghuz Turks. The Seljuq Empire controlled a vast area stretching from the Hindu Kush to eastern Anatolia and from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf...
attempt to capture Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
from the Abbasids. Caliph al-Muqtafi successfully defended his capital against the collation armies of Seljuk Sultan Muhammad of Hamadan, and Qutb ad-Din of Mosul.
Background
In the tenth century the Abbasid Caliphate lost control of most of its former provinces. Most of the governors were able to establish their own dynasties, and in the meantime the central government was unable to stop independence movements within the empire, though they retained their spiritual leadership upon the Muslims since the new states (the TulunidsTulunids
The Tulunids were the first independent dynasty in Islamic Egypt , when they broke away from the central authority of the Abbasid dynasty that ruled the Islamic Caliphate during that time...
/Ikhshidids, Hamdanids, and others) acknowledged the Caliph as the head of the state and the successor of the prophet. In 1055, Togrül
Togrül
Tughril, Toghril or Tugrul was the second ruler of the Seljuq dynasty...
captured Baghdad from the Buyids under a commission from the Abbasid Caliph al-Qa'im. Although the Seljuks respected the Caliphs they did not let them rule.
The siege
Muhammad marched to BaghdadBaghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
with an army of 30,000 men, while his ally Qutb ad-Din marched from Mosul to capture the Caliphate's provinces in Central Iraq. On the 12th of January Muhammad reached the walls of western Baghdad. In response the Caliph gathered all his troops from Hillah and Wasit
Wasit
Wasit is a place in Wasit Governorate, south east of Kut in eastern Iraq.-History:During Ottoman times, it was the head city of the sanjak of Wasit.To quote UNESCO:...
to defend the capital. In February, unable to defend western Baghdad, the caliph abandoned the western side and ordered all the bridges over the Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
river, which separates the western side of Baghdad from its eastern side, to be destroyed. Muhammad crossed to the western side and easily captured it, and established his camp while at the same time the caliph fortified the walls of eastern Baghdad. Several catapults and ballistas were installed on the city's walls. The caliph also armed the natives of Baghdad by giving them armour and weapons, and incited them to fight the enemy of the caliphate, whom he called infidels since they waged war against the caliph, the successor of the prophet and the leader of the ummah
Ummah
Ummah is an Arabic word meaning "community" or "nation." It is commonly used to mean either the collective nation of states, or the whole Arab world...
. He also ordered his vizier Awn ad-Din ibn Hubayra
Awn ad-Din ibn Hubayra
Abu al-Muzzafar Awn ad-Din Yahya ibn Hubayra al-Shaybani was a 12th century Arab politician and jurist, who served as vizier under al-Muqtafi and his successor al-Mustanjid....
to give 5 golden dinars to every wounded soldier.
On the 4th of march Sultan Muhammad and his ally Zayn ad-Din, Qutb ad-Din's vizier, attacked eastern Baghdad and bombarded the city. The army of Baghdad repulsed the attack thanks to the courage of the natives of Baghdad and the naffatuns.
The end of the siege
On the 29th of March the Seljuks repaired one of the bridges and crossed to the eastern side of the city, where they skirmished with both the Caliph's army and the native militias of Baghdad The naffatuns destroyed several catapults. The Seljuks tried to breach the gate by a battering ramBattering ram
A battering ram is a siege engine originating in ancient times and designed to break open the masonry walls of fortifications or splinter their wooden gates...
but it was destroyed by the catapults on the walls. The result of the battle remained indecisive for both sides. On June 29, Sultan Muhammad ordered his men to climb the walls. He had already made 400 ladders to climb the walls of Baghdad, but the assault was repulsed due to the heavy fire and casualties. In the meantime Nur ad-Din Zangi blamed his brother for attacking the caliph's realm, which destroyed the Zengid-Seljuq alliance. Zayn ad-Din lifted the siege and returned to Mosul.
Muhammad also was forced to lift the siege after his men informed him that his brother Malik Shah has captured Hamadan. He eventually realized that the siege was useless, so he preferred to fight for his throne. Thus the Siege of Baghdad came to end on the 13th of July 1157. Days later Muhammad was captured and killed.