Episode 88: Amir al umara’

The creation of the role of amir al umara’ transformed the political landscape in Baghdad. It attracted men of influence to court, and they did not come seeking to serve the caliph, but to dominate his metropolis. Ibn Ra’iq was the first such aspirants, but he and others soon learned how difficult it was to rule a city surrounded by enemies on all sides. Their feuding weakened and impoverished all sides in this conflict, sapping Iraq’s ability to defend itself from invading forces.

Glossary

• Al Radi: this son of al Muqtadir ruled for over six years, a true feat in the mercurial age he lived in. He survived several coups against the amirs he appointed, but succumbed to sudden illness in his early thirties.
• Al Muttaqi: another son of al Muqtadir, only a few months younger than his brother Ahmad al Radi. We don’t really need to know very much about him, though he does feature briefly in our next episode.
• Ibn Ra’iq: the umma’s first official amir al umara’ was arguably also its worst. So this guy started out working for Mu’nis but betrayed him as soon as a more expedient route to power presented itself at al Muqtadir’s court. He failed there, fled with his disgraced boss Mohammad ibn Yaqut, and was only saved by al Qaher’s search for alternatives to Mu’nis. He wasted no time in plotting against the caliphate after he was installed around Basra, conspiring with the Baridis to hire mercenaries and expand to Wasit. He used al Qaher’s violent removal as an excuse to seize the city, leaving the powerless al Radi with no option but to accept his fait accompli. Ibn Ra’iq was hungry for even more power and he made a play for Baghdad before anyone else could, and with no intentions of being the capital’s savior. We saw the rest of his path down, and in my opinion, an unceremonious death is too little punishment for such a small, power-hungry soul. 
• Abu Abdallah al Baridi: so I only mentioned two of the four instances in which Abu Abdallah was named wazir. Although his family had a skill for growing its wealth and influence, he was by far the most focused of the bunch of translating all that into real power. I really didn’t cover him well at all if I’m being honest, maybe I’ll try to say a little more about him next time, like how he had his brothers and nephews killed in order to consolidate their riches behind his drive for control of the caliphate. He was as obsessed as ibn Ra’iq, but a lot smarter and better off. 
• Bajkam: our sources remember Bajkam fondly because of a supposed alliance he struck with al Radi to remove ibn Ra’iq. I’m not sure how factual this is, I believe they would have poured their praises over anyone who took out the troublesome amir al umara’. Still though, he held on to the role of supreme commander for 3 consecutive years, giving Baghdad a brief moment of stability in an otherwise chaotic era.
• Tuzun: Bajkam’s deputy eventually came to hold the role of amir al umara’ as well, although only after Iraq had suffered even more depredations of war. He was more dictatorial than Bajkam and none of our sources try to depict him as someone who cared for the sanctity of the caliph. We’ll say more about him next time.
• Hasan ibn Hamdan: I’ve been referring to this leader of the Hamdanids by a pseudonym just to simplify things, his full name is Hasan ibn abi al Haja’ Abdallah ibn Hamdan, and he’s more commonly known by his title, Nasir al Dawla, or champion of the state. He was granted this title when he championed al Muttaqi back to Baghdad, and although he abandoned the role of amir al umara’ only a year later, he kept the name and used it in reference to his own Mesopotamian dynasty. After failing to protect the caliphate, he had to contend with new enemies, the Buwayhids, Byzantines, and Samanids especially, and he did well enough to pass the torch to his son. Their house led one of the last truly Arab dynasties in the region, bringing back a sort of politics that had disappeared shortly before the Umayyads lost power two centuries back. The Hamdanids relied on mountainous Kurds and nomadic Arab tribes who were both fierce in battle. They helped them maintain autonomy in Iraq for a spell, but their main impact was on Syria, where the dynasty persevered a little longer around Aleppo.