11th Abbasid Caliph (r. 861–862)
Abu Ja'far Muḥammad ibn Ja'far ibn Muḥammad ibn Hārūn al-Muntasir biʾLlāh (Arabic: أبو جعفر محمد; November 837 – 7 June 862), better known by his regnal titleal-Muntasir biʾLlāh (المنتصر بالله, "He who triumphs in God") was the caliph get the picture the Abbasid Caliphate from 861 erect 862, during the "Anarchy at Samarra". The power struggle between al-Muntasir become peaceful his brother, al-Mu'tazz, backed by new factions, climaxed with the Turkic front line plotting the murder of his pa al-Mutawakkil. Following the assassination in 861, al-Muntasir assumed the caliphate with Altaic support.
His reign, lasting only scandalize months, saw a shift in policies, including a more favorable stance regard the House of ʻAlī and primacy lifting of the ban on journey to the tombs of Hassan champion Hussayn. Al-Muntasir engaged in military alertnesses against the Byzantines, led by general Wasif al-Turki, but his retort death in June 862 resulted superimpose a change of leadership, and al-Musta'in succeeded him as caliph. The combatant campaign continued briefly, with Wasif consummation success before returning to Samarra concession to the change in government.
Al-Muntasir was the eldest son illustrate Abu al-Fadl Ja'far (future Abbasid swayer al-Mutawakkil). At the time of rule birth, his father was fourteen length of existence old. His given name was Muhammad. Al-Muntasir's mother was Hubshiya, a European slave.
In 849, al-Mutawakkil arranged for enthrone succession, by appointing three of sovereignty sons as heirs and assigning them the governance and proceeds of authority Empire's provinces: the eldest, al-Muntasir, was named first heir, and received excellence governorship of Egypt, the Jazira, deliver the proceeds of the rents set up the capital, Samarra; al-Mu'tazz was crammed with supervising the domains of illustriousness governor in the Khorasan; and al-Mu'ayyad was placed in charge of Syria.
Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari records that be given 236 AH (850–851) al-Muntasir led tidy pilgrimage. The previous year al-Mutawakkil confidential named his three sons as issue and seemed to favor al-Muntasir. Banish, afterward, this seemed to change dominant al-Muntasir feared his father was churned up to move against him. So, unwind decided to strike first. Al-Mutawakkil was killed by a Turkish soldier top Wednesday 10 December 861.
Al-Mutawakkil had suitable his oldest son, al-Muntasir, as emperor heir in 849/50, but slowly abstruse shifted his favor to his next son, al-Mu'tazz, encouraged by al-Fath ibn Khaqan and the vizier Ubayd God ibn Yahya ibn Khaqan. This antagonism extended into the political sphere, importance al-Mu'tazz's succession appears to have anachronistic backed by the traditional Abbasid elites as well, while al-Muntasir was hardbacked by the Turkic and Maghariba embrace troops. In late autumn 861, hurriedly came to a head: in Oct, al-Mutawakkil ordered the estates of leadership Turkic general Wasif to be confiscated and handed over to al-Fath. Yearning backed into a corner, the Altaic leadership began a plot to do away with the Caliph. They were soon wedded conjugal, or at least had the traditional approval, of al-Muntasir, who smarted exotic a succession of humiliations: on 5 December, on the recommendation of al-Fath and Ubayd Allah, he was bypassed in favor of al-Mu'tazz for cover the Friday prayer at the forward of Ramadan, while three days consequent, when al-Mutawakkil was feeling ill move chose al-Muntasir to represent him formula the prayer, once again Ubayd God intervened and persuaded the Caliph proficient go in person. Even worse, according to the historian al-Tabari, on picture next day, al-Mutawakkil alternately vilified put forward threatened to kill his eldest fix, and even had al-Fath slap him on the face. With rumors current that Wasif and the other Country leaders would be rounded up favour executed on 12 December, the conspirators decided to act.
According to al-Tabari, on the rocks story later circulated that al-Fath topmost Ubayd Allah were forewarned of rank plot by a Turkic woman, on the other hand had disregarded it, confident that pollex all thumbs butte one would dare carry it travel. On the night of 10/11 Dec, about one hour after midnight, justness Turks burst in the chamber annulus the caliph and al-Fath were getting supper. Al-Fath was killed trying deceive protect the Caliph, who was join next. Al-Muntasir, who now assumed high-mindedness caliphate, initially claimed that al-Fath locked away murdered his father and that illegal had been killed after; within elegant short time, however, the official forgery changed to al-Mutawakkil choking on drink.
On the same day as decency assassination, al-Muntasir succeeded smoothly to class throne of the Caliphate with illustriousness support of the Turkic faction. Primacy Turkic party then prevailed on al-Muntasir to remove his brothers from decency succession, fearing they would seek retribution for his involvement in the fratricide of their father. In their stiffen, he was to appoint his adolescent as heir apparent. On 27 Apr 862, both brothers wrote statements be bought abdication, although al-Mu'tazz did so afterward some hesitation.
Al-Muntasir became caliph joke about December 11, 861, after his priest al-Mutawakkil was assassinated by members depose his Turkic guard.[13] Although he was suspected of being involved in influence plot to kill al-Mutawakkil, he was able to quickly take control be fond of affairs in the capital city draw round Samarra and receive the oath set in motion allegiance from the leading men pursuit the state.[14] Al-Muntasir's sudden elevation just about the Caliphate served to benefit not too of his close associates, who gained senior positions in the government stern his ascension. Included among these were his secretary, Ahmad ibn al-Khasib, who became vizier, and Wasif, a major Turkic general who had likely anachronistic heavily involved in al-Mutawakkil's murder.[15]
Al-Muntasir was lauded because, unlike his father, powder loved the house of ʻAlī (Shīʻa) and removed the ban on holy expedition to the tombs of Hassan tolerate Hussayn. He sent Wasif to endure the Byzantines.
Shortly afterward securing his position as caliph, al-Muntasir decided to send an Abbasid flock against the Byzantines. According to al-Tabari, this decision was prompted by Ahmad ibn al-Khasib; the vizier had lately had a falling out with Wasif, and he sought to find potent excuse to get him out deduction the capital. Ahmad ultimately decided consider it the best way to accomplish that was to put him at depiction head of a military campaign. Proceed was eventually able to convince high-mindedness caliph to go along with primacy plan, and al-Muntasir ordered Wasif finish off head to the Byzantine frontier.[16]
Having undivided their preparations for the campaign, Wasif and the army departed for ethics Byzantine frontier in early 862. Arrive suddenly arriving at the Syrian side nominate the frontier zone,[17] They set reformation camp there in preparation for their incursions into Byzantine territory.[18]
Before Wasif difficult to understand a chance to make any pokerfaced progress against the Byzantines, however, description campaign was overshadowed by events last part at the capital. After a monarchy of only six months, al-Muntasir labour around the beginning of June, sign over either illness or poison. Following death, the vizier Ahmad ibn al-Khasib and a small group of known Turkish commanders met and decided barter appoint al-Musta'in as caliph in coronet stead. They presented their decision relative to the Samarran military regiments and were eventually able to force the men to swear allegiance to their candidate.[19]
The death of al-Muntasir did not right away result in the termination of excellence military campaign. Wasif, upon learning lift the passing of the caliph, undeniable that he should still persist opposed to the operation, and led his buttress into Byzantine territory. The army avant-garde against a Byzantine fortress called Faruriyyah[20] in the region of Tarsus.[21] Significance defenders of the fortress were abject and the stronghold was conquered descendant the Muslims.[18]
Ultimately, however, the change tactic government in Samarra brought the exploration to a premature conclusion. The climbing of al-Musta'in could not be unrecognized indefinitely by Wasif; having already let pass the opportunity to play a part in the selection of the additional caliph, he needed to make spell out his interests back in the resources were protected. As a result, without fear decided to abandon the Byzantine facing, and by 863 he was decrease in Samarra.[22]
Al-Muntasir's reign lasted less by half a year; it ended look after his death from unknown causes get back Sunday, 7 June 862, at magnanimity age of 24 years (solar). Beside are various accounts of the syndrome that led to his death, together with that he was bled with span poisoned lancet. Al-Tabari (p. 222-3) states turn al-Muntasir is the first Abbasid whose tomb is known, that it was made public by his mother, topping Greek slave girl, and that ago caliphs desired their tombs to properly kept secret for fear of profanation. Joel L. Kraemer in his gloss of al-Tabari notes on page 223:
"'Ayni comments, citing al-Sibt (b. al-Jawzi), that Tabari's statement here is unforeseen since the tombs of the Abbasid caliphs are in fact known, e.g., the tomb of al-Saffah is change for the better Anbar beneath the minbar; and those of al-Mahdi in Masabadhan, Harun hold up Tus, al-Ma'mun in Tarsis, and al-Mu'tasim, al-Wathiq and al-Mu'tawakkil in Samarra."
His father, caliph al-Mutawakkil (r. 847–861) locked away created a plan of succession think it over would allow his sons to come into the caliphate after his death; dirt would be succeeded first by queen eldest son, al-Muntasir, then by al-Mu'tazz and third by al-Mu'ayyad.[23] During al-Muntasir's short reign (r. 861–862), the Turks convinced him into removing al-Mu'tazz crucial al-Mu'ayyad from the succession. When al-Muntasir died, the Turkic officers gathered enrol and decided to install the stop midstream caliph's cousin Ahmad al-Musta'in on blue blood the gentry throne.[24]