Episode 60: Greatness in retrospect

It’s hard to identify a single aspect of the umma left unchanged by al Ma’mun’s long reign: he had a major impact politically, socially, intellectually, religiously, and beyond. Despite its many impressive achievements however, its flaws receive an inordinate amount of attention in our sources. Even when describing al Ma’mun’s successes, narrations employ more of a wistful tone than a triumphant one. Attitude notwithstanding, al Ma’mun is still a strong candidate for best caliph, and even his detractors don’t venture to challenge his significance.

Glossary

• Al Abbas ibn Abdallah al Ma’mun: the caliph’s son from a concubine named Sundus was in his late teens when his father made him responsible for keeping the peace in the north. He dealt with small-scale kharijite uprisings and tried to deal with Babak in Azerbaijan on at least one occasion. His retinue included some of the caliphate’s most experienced commanders, men like Ujaif ibn Anbasa, who was responsible for many of the prince’s successes.
• Mohammad ibn Harun al Rashid: the caliph’s half-brother made his way to the top in unique fashion. His personal army made him indispensable to a state that was always short on soldiers. Al Ma’mun relied on Mohammad out of necessity and it really doesn’t seem like the two had much in common, which is probably why we don’t find any narrations that portray them in a fraternal manner. The title Mohammad chose for himself after ascending to the throne was al Mu’tasim billah, which translates as “he whose shelter is God”
• Al Afshin: the prince of Ushrusana became fast friends with Mohammad around the time al Ma’mun returned to Baghdad. Many narrations vilify al Afshin, saying he was a hypocrite and a brute, that he only embraced Islam as a way of getting closer to power. We’ll have more to say about him next time, but considering he meets an ignoble fate, I’m not surprised that the oral material we find on him is so hostile.