Episode 73: Al Mu’tamid and the birth of a new order

The death of Salih ibn Waseef left Musa ibn Bugha in charge of the caliphate’s armies. This newfound unity effectively ended the Anarchy in Samarra which had plagued the Abbasid state for almost a decade. While the dark period of civil war was over, the Abbasid state now had to contend with its consequences and the many dangers it spawned.

Glossary

• Al Mu’tamid: Ahmad ibn Ja’far al Mutawakkil was never meant to take the throne. Since he was several years older than al Mu’tazz, it is clear that his father intentionally overlooked him when he was looking for heirs. He was similarly neglected by the oral narrations, who have nothing to say about the man before he became caliph. We aren’t even sure why he was imprisoned in Samarra by his predecessor, but given al Muhtadi’s suspicious personality, we can assume it was some form of preemptive gambit. As caliph, al Mu’tamid indulged in the pleasures of royal life and left much of the actual government to others. While he didn’t have a taste for administration, it is unlikely that his brother would have allowed him much control if that had been the case. 
• Talha: this son of al Mutawakkil was by far the most powerful Abbasid of the time. His mastery of the caliphate’s armies meant that he could back up his authority with action if push came to shove. The first of his clan to repeatedly lead armies in battle since al Mu’tasim, he could count on the respect and obedience of the troops and their commanders. He used his power conscientiously and worked tirelessly towards restoring the caliphate’s grip over the umma. Talha will be an important part of our narrative until the end of his bother’s long reign.

As part of the glossary this time, I’m going to provide a few short words about the many new fiefdoms you see above. The Abbasids only controlled a small part of their caliphate after the anarchy. This map depicts the situation at the end of al Mu’tamid’s +20-year-long reign; at the start the caliph’s domains were restricted to the surroundings of Samarra.

• Basra: not shown on this map, there was a devastating slave rebellion in the south that actually morphed into a state for a few years, largely centered in nearby Ahwaz.
• Egypt: the governor Ahmad ibn Tulun exercised considerable autonomy at first, then moved on to firmer claims of independence.
• Armenia: a local dynasty was recognized by the Abbasids for the first time in order to keep them from joining the resurgent Byzantines.
• Azerbaijan: one of Talha’s loyalists took control of the province to protect it from the dangers it faced from Hashemites to its East, and Christians to its West. His successors eventually broke off from the caliphate.
• Northern Mesopotamia: Isa al Shaybani was quite autonomous among his tribesmen, but he had to contend with other regional powers like the Kaysites, and the governor of Mosul, ibn Kundaj.
• Tabaristan and the Caspian: these mountainous regions were quick to revert to independence, and from them sprang some of the caliphate’s fiercest adversaries. For now Zaydi Hashemites provided a banner to unite many against the Abbasids, but local pride was due for a comeback.
• Jibal: the Arab tribe ruling central Iran had been originally empowered by Harun al Rashid. They stopped sending revenue to Samarra as soon as the anarchy set in.
• Khurasan: as Tahirid power collapsed, a new dynasty emerged, this time from the southeastern corner of the province. The Saffarids quickly lost interest in submitting to the caliphate and chose to attack Iraq instead.
• Transoxiana: a former client of the Tahirids, the Samanids, held onto this distant part of Khurasan, biding their time.
• Sindh: some of the earliest Arab immigrants to the region managed to defeat their rivals and claim control over the province, pushing it out of the Abbasid orbit for good.