Prelude to the Generals: A Study of Some Aspects of the Reign of the Eighth ʻAbbāsid Caliph, Al-Muʻtaṣim, 218-227AH/833-842AD

The son of Al-Rashid of The Arabian Nights and a great grandson of Al-Mansur, founder of Baghdad and the architect of the Abbasid state, Al-Mu'tasim was destined to succeed to the caliphate. Inheriting a troubled and fragmented empire, Al-Mu'tasim was to be the last caliph not only of the illustrious Abbasid dynasty, which could be traced to Abbas, the Prophet Muhammed's uncle, but also the last to exercise such absolute - and inherited - power. Following his reignthe power of the caliph dwindled as various military generals gained the ascendancy. After civil war between Al-Mu'tasim's brothers Al-Amin and Al-Ma'mun divided the caliphate in two, Al-Ma'mun's policy of doctrinal intolerance shook the foundations of the Abbasid Caliphate and further weakened the state. Thus coming to power during a critical period, Al-Mu'tasim also had to contend with serious rebellion at home and a growing threat from Byzantium. His reign was, perhaps inevitably, a military one, and his widely-acknowledged valour and genius as a commander stood him in good stead. His garrison capital, Samarra, on the banks of the Tigris in present-day Iraq, is now a pilgrimage destination for many.