Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar (847 – 869), known by his regnal name Al-Muʿtazz bi-ʾllāh, was the thirteenth caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate, reigning from 866 to 869. The son of al-Mutawakkil and his concubine Qabiha, al-Mu'tazz's rule was largely marked with a period of internal instability within the empire, known as the Anarchy at Samarra.
Biography[]
Losing his father[]
In December 861, Abu 'Abdallah was present alongside his father at the Winter Palace in Anbar, where the latter was scheduled to meet the Order of the Ancients to present an artifact he had been asked to locate. Distrusting the Order and worried for his father's safety, Abu 'Abdallah plead his father to let him stay, though he was soon escorted out of the meeting place by the palace guards.[2]
Sometime later, hearing a commotion in the hall, Abu 'Abdallah witnessed the thief Basim Ibn Ishaq activating the artifact and the killing of his father,[2] who was stabbed in the neck by Basim while trying to strangle the thief.[3] Identifying Basim as the murderer, Abu 'Abdallah ordered the guards to capture him, but the thief was able to escape from the palace with the artifact.[2]
Struggle for the throne[]
Following al-Mutawakkil's death, he was succeeded as caliph by his eldest son, Abu 'Abdallah's older brother al-Muntasir. When al-Muntasir died without a heir just a few months later, Abu 'Abdallah was expected to succeed him. However, the Turkic military leaders appointed his cousin, al-Musta'in, as caliph instead.[4]
Abu 'Abdallah, who had already chosen his own regnal name in anticipation of being crowned, decried this as usurpation and was placed under house arrest by his cousin, to prevent him from gaining civilian support. However, this had the inverse affect and instigated another civil war, echoing the Fourth Fitna from a generation earlier between caliph al-Amin and prince al-Ma'mun.[5][6]
During this time, Abu 'Abdallah spoke with his mother Qabiha, who was secretly the Ra's Al-Af'a of the Order of the Ancients, about the events leading up to his father's murder. After her son mentioned Basim's activation of the artifact sought by the Order, Qabiha understood what the thief really was. However, when Abu 'Abdallah also told others about the incident, they all deemed him insane, tarnishing his reputation.[7]
As much of the Caliphate's population began to doubt Abu 'Abdallah was fit to become caliph,[8] Qabiha decided to negotiate a deal with Baghdad's governor Muhammad ibn Tahir that would further the Order's goals. In exchange for Muhammad convincing his cousins to remove their protection of Alamut, the stronghold of the Hidden Ones, Qabiha would force her son to sign away his birthright, leaving al-Musta'in as the undisputed caliph and bringing an end to the civil war.[9]
Shortly after his mother's deal with governor Muhammad, Abu 'Abdallah relocated to the Caliphal Palace in Baghdad. It was here that he again encountered Basim, by now a Hidden One, who had infiltrated the palace to assassinate Qabiha upon learning of her Order affiliations. After his mother was killed in the palace's bathrooms, Abu 'Abdallah spotted Basim fleeing the scene and rang the alarm bell to alert the guards, forcing the Hidden One to escape from the palace.[7]
Behind the scenes[]
Abu 'Abdallah is a historical character introduced in Assassin's Creed: Mirage. His regnal name, al-Mu'tazz (المعتز بالله), translates to "He who is strengthened by God".[1]
Although the game does not depict the latter stages of his civil war against his cousin al-Musta'in and implies that Abu 'Abdallah eventually signed away his birthright to the throne, in reality he won the war in 866 after al-Musta'in abdicated in his favor. The newly-crowned al-Mu'tazz then had his cousin executed but his reign was ultimately short-lived, being dethroned in a coup organized by the Caliphate's Turkish troops in mid-July 869 and passing away during his imprisonment.[1]
In the memory "The Serpent's Nest", it is possible for Basim to speak to Abu 'Abdallah if he heads to the palace's bathrooms prior to confronting Qabiha. Basim will hold the prince at knifepoint and demand his mother's whereabouts, which Abu 'Abdallah will give to him. He will then recognize Basim as the thief who murdered his father in Anbar and ask him if he intends to kill Qabiha as well, but Basim will remain silent and leave.
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Mirage (first appearance)
- Echoes of History (mentioned only)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3
al-Mu'tazz on Wikipedia
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – The Master Thief of Anbar
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – In Pursuit of Truth
- ↑ al-Musta'in on Wikipedia
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Notes from Basim's travels: "Trouble at the Court"
- ↑ Echoes of History: Figures of Baghdad – Episode 6: Who was al-Mu'tazz?
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – The Serpent's Nest
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – The Servant and the Impostor
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Judge and Executioner
