Abū al-Faḍl Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad al-Muʿtaṣim bi-ʾllāh (822 – 861), better known by his regnal name al-Mutawakkil ʿalā Allāh, was the tenth caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate who reigned from 847 until his death in 861.
Biography[]
Aiding the Order[]
A puppet of the Order of the Ancients, al-Mutawakkil was tasked to help them obtain a treasure chest containing a precious artifact, though he was forbidden from ever seeing the chest's contents. After collecting the cargo and storing it at the Winter Palace in Anbar, al-Mutawakkil scheduled a meeting with the Order to present the artifact. On the night of the meeting, his son Abu 'Abdallah urged him to let him stay, fearing for his safety, but the caliph refused and ordered the guards to take him away.[1]
Al-Mutawakkil meeting with the Order
Once the Order members arrived, al-Mutawakkil opened the chest and one of them took a closer look to confirm the item. The caliph assured the Order that he would keep the artifact safe in the palace, with the spokesperson vaguely stating they would return once they were done carrying out their work. When al-Mutawakkil asked to look at the artifact once, the spokesperson threatened him in response, reminding him that he was to say nothing of the artifact before leaving with the rest of the masked members.[1]
Death[]
Shortly after, the thief Basim Ibn Ishaq, who had broken into the palace and observed the meeting, opened the chest, intending to steal its contents for the Hidden Ones. When Basim grabbed a Memory Seal from the chest, it activated in his hand and displayed a holographic message. Having heard the commotion, al-Mutawakkil arrived to catch Basim in the middle of his theft and, realizing that the Order would punish him for seeing the contents of the chest, attempted to kill the thief.[1]
Al-Mutawakkil murdered by "Nehal"
In the ensuing struggle, al-Mutawakkil managed to grab Basim by the throat and pin him against a pillar, where he tried to choke him to death.[1] However, Basim acted quickly by taking the caliph's knife and stabbing him in the neck, killing him.[2] The incident was witnessed by Abu 'Abdallah, who ordered the guards to capture Basim, though the thief managed to flee the palace with the Memory Seal.[1]
Legacy[]
Basim's murder of al-Mutawakkil earned him the wrath of the Abbasid guards, who started a manhunt for all thieves in Anbar in response. The following morning, Basim found that the guards had brutally executed his network of thieves, hanging their bodies on wooden poles for display.[1] Basim blamed his friend Nehal for this, as she was the one who had killed al-Mutawakkil in his mind, unaware at the time that Nehal did not exist and that he had committed the murder himself.[2]
Following al-Mutawakkil's death, he was succeeded by a series of caliphs, beginning with his eldest son al-Muntasir.[3] However, each of these caliphs rarely lasted more than a few years and were powerless to prevent various factions of the military from taking control of the Caliphate.[4] The Order, under the leadership of al-Mutawakkil's former concubine Qabiha, also took advantage of the situation to try and increase their own power in Baghdad, but were opposed by the Hidden Ones of Alamut.[5] This period of extreme instability for the Caliphate lasted approximately a decade and is generally referred to as the Anarchy at Samarra.[4]
Behind the scenes[]
Al-Mutawakkil is a historical character in Assassin's Creed: Mirage. His regnal name (المتوكل على الله) in Arabic translates to "He who relies on God".
Historically, al-Mutawakkil died on 11 December 861 after being assassinated by the Turkic guard with the support of his son al-Muntasir. All of his sons, including Abu 'Abdallah, went on to reign as caliphs.
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Mirage (first appearance)
- Echoes of History (mentioned only)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – The Master Thief of Anbar
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – In Pursuit of Truth
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Notes from Basim's travels: "Trouble at the Court"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1
Anarchy at Samarra on Wikipedia
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – The Serpent's Nest
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