Episode 55: Al Amin

Haroon al Rashid worked towards fool-proofing his succession arrangement more than any other caliph by far: the ceremony he held at Mecca with his heirs swearing to abide by his wishes is more elaborate than anything we have or will come across. He would not have gone to such lengths if he didn’t think it necessary, and it wasn’t long before his sons proved him right. Eager for more power, Al Amin’s advisors urged him to move against his brothers, leading the entire caliphate down a dangerous path.

Glossary

• Mohammad al Amin: our latest caliph inherited the throne despite his apparent inadequacy for the position. Commentators are divided over whether his election meant that al Rashid was so powerful that nobody could oppose his will, or that he was so weak that the caliph could not even stand against the wishes of al Amin’s clan and mother. Either way our sources are unkind to al Amin, and while they may run away with it a little, there’s definitely some fire behind all that smoke. 
• Abdullah al Ma’mun:al Rashid’s eldest son was initially looked over for the role of caliph. His slightly younger brother was made caliph when they were both 5, but it wasn’t until the age of 12 that we first hear of al Rashid nominating al Ma’mun as second in line. Even this election may have been only in private, but at the age of 16 the caliph held a public ceremony that left no room for doubt. Al Ma’mun was made not only second in line, but also the lifelong governor of Khurasan, the caliphate’s most rebellious province.
• Qasim al Mu’tamin: it’s unclear whether al Rashid designated this son as third-in-line, an unusual designation for the Abbasids, but there are plenty of sources that claim as much. It’s more credible that he was made the lifelong governor of al Awasim, the province on the caliphate’s Byzantine border as he accompanied his father on raids against the empire twice. Al Mu’tamin also lived in Syria, and was mentored by a senior Abbasid that had long held responsibility for the region.
• Zubayda: al Amin’s mother seems to have had considerable influence during al Rashid’s time, and she is the one most histories credit with ensuring al Amin’s selection as caliph. Given his disastrous performance it is more of an insult than a compliment, but even taking that cynical view, there is still plenty about her that was praiseworthy. She devoted great amounts of time and treasure to charitable causes, leaving behind an enduring legacy in some of the major infrastructure projects she created.
• Fadl ibn Rabi’: following al Rashid’s death, this hajib graduated to serving the third caliph of his career. Al Amin seems to have been just as easily manipulated as his uncle al Hadi was, and his was like putty in the experienced hands of al Fadl ibn Rabi’. The hajib is universally condemned as the instigator of the coming fitna, and we’re told he’s the one who finally convinced al Amin to remove his half brothers from the official succession. His most effective line of argumentation was the one where he reminded al Amin that he was heir first, and that with their nomination, the other two sons of al Rashid were trespassing on what was rightfully his.
• Fadl ibn Sahl: al Ma’mun’s advisor comes out of nowhere, but will be important to our narrative in the next few episodes. He and his brother Hasan were from the rich farm lands of Iraq, where they were probably some of the local tax administrators hired by the Baramika. They seem to have impressed the family of ministers as the relationship between the two deepened over time. At some point the brothers became part of al Ma’mun’s staff, probably shortly after his official designation as lifelong governor of Khurasan. They urged him to hasten to the province and stablish himself as soon as possible, advice that would prove invaluable. Thanks to his wise advice and convincing ways, Fadl ibn Sahl became al Ma’mun’s righthand man. 
• Abdulmalik bin Salih: a senior Abbasid who had a long career of governing provinces for the caliphate, mainly in greater Syria. He was al Mu’tamin’s mentor and a major figure in the caliphate’ northwestern frontier until al Rashid had him thrown in prison after hearing rumors that he was planning to usurp him. Al Amin released Abdulmalik and restored him to his previous rank, something which overshadowed and disempowered his half-brother al Mu’tamin.
• Ali ibn Isa ibn Mahan: this leader of the abna’ was al Rashid’s final governor of Khurasan. His heavy-handed rule instigated so much resistance that he was constantly asking the capital for reinforcements to quell his province. After 11 years the caliph finally lost patience with the vicious governor’s greed and had him recalled and imprisoned. Al Amin released and restored him, probably at the insistence of his conniving hajib al Fadl ibn Rabi’. It seems obvious that the plan was to use ibn Mahan to weaken al Ma’mun pretty much like Abdulmalik was used to sideline al Mu’tamin. 
• Rafi’ ibn Laith ibn Nasr ibn Sayyar: given his grandfather’s memory as the first Arab governor to truly look out for the people of the East, Rafi’ was a magnet for anti-Abbasid sentiment in the region, and his rebellion proved too much for Ali ibn Isa ibn Mahan to handle. The governor lost his son after he sent him to deal with the upstart, and as the movement grew he eventually lost his job, and freedom. After al Ma’mun’s adoption of a more sympathetic approach towards the locals Rafi’ ended his hostility towards Merv.