Episode 61: Al Mu’tasim

For the third time in a row, a son of Harun al Rashid took control of the umma. Al Mu’tasim is remembered for his close association with the Turkic peoples of the East, an interest supposedly nurtured by his Sogdian mother. Of these men he amassed a personal army during the reigns of his brothers and used it to become an important part of al Ma’mun’s military. The new caliph spent great sums to support and grow his armed forces, leading to a far more martial Abbasid caliphate.

Glossary

• Al Afshin: the prince of Ushrusana was al Mu’tasim’s go-to general, and he features heavily in our next episode about the caliphate’s many victories.
• Ashinas: al Mu’tasim’s favorite freedman, he’d been in the caliph’s service for a long time and had consistently shown initiative and loyalty. He was rewarded by being made governor of Egypt, which he governed remotely by appointing its administrators and so on.
• Itakh: a Khazar freedman of al Mu’tasim’s, he became a leader of the new recruits and eventually made captain of the caliph’s personal guards.
• Waseef: another Turkic freedman of al Mu’tasim’s. He played a role in training the new recruits and served as a hajib of sorts.
• Bugha: confusingly, Bugha is referred to as both a Khazar and a Turk, so I’m not sure what his ancestry was. He was an able general, better than the rest. Along with Ashinas, he reinforced al Afshin in his long and costly battle against Babak.
• Al Maghariba: also known as the Shakiriya, these forces were mainly made up of African, Egyptian, and Bedouin men, many with some history of bondage. They stayed in Samarra after its founding and served as foot soldiers in the caliphate’s armies.
• Ahmad bin abi Du’ad: this Mu’tazalite had impressed al Ma’mun once upon a time and been a fixture of the royal court ever since. Al Mu’tasim made him qadi al qudat or chief judge, and deferred to his wisdom in all matters. Ibn abi Du’ad’s commitment to his doctrine led to an intensification of the inquisition started by the previous caliph, with no new results.
• Ahmad ibn Hanbal: the unbowed preacher who opposed the Mu’tazalites in all things. He continued to rail against the state of providing official support to what he considered heretical teachings. He was arrested and tortured during al Mu’tasim’s reign, but he quickly returned to his usual speech agitation after being released.
• Mohammad ibn il Zayyat: the caliph’s treasurer was a clever, ambitious, and ruthless man. He rose to power when al Mu’tasim chose him to replace his existing secretary, and ibn il Zayyat proved to be an excellent choice. He knew his way around money, structured complicated payment schemes, and was ready to get dirty and straight-up expropriate private property to finance the state’s activities.
• ‘Ujayf ibn ‘Anbasa: a Turkic general who had served al Ma’mun, he led al Mu’tasim’s armies against the Zutt. During the caliph’s campaign against the Byzantines ‘Ujayf tried to organize a conspiracy to usurp him, but it was discovered and everyone involved was put to death.
• Al Abbas ibn il Ma’mun: the son of the previous caliph, he was the only man who could possibly replace his uncle, which made him an integral part of ‘Ujayf’s plan to take down al Mu’tasim. His uncle removed him from power as soon as he ascended, but brought him back for the massive campaign against the Byzantines. After he confessed to having taken part in the coup against the caliph he was handed over to al Afshin, who parched the poor Abbasid to death by serving him salty food and denying him water for days.