Wasif al-Turki

""Whoever bears arms against us is not one of us." You chose the wrong side, my friend."

―Wasif prior to executing Beshi, 860s.^[src]^-[m]

Wasif al-Turki (died 860s), also known as Al-Mardikhwar (English: The Manticore; lit: Man-eater), was a Turkic warlord of the Abbasid Caliphate's military and a member of the Order of the Ancients operating in Baghdad during the 9th century. He was the most direct threat to Ali ibn Muhammad's rebellion, hunting down rebels and keeping Baghdad's citizens in line through fear.

Biography[]

Early life[]

"I was a boy when they took me, and sent me to the blacksmith, That bastard beat me, but I made myself strong just like you taught me. As soon as I was big enough, I broke his neck with my hands. I squeezed until I felt it snap. There was no anger in his eyes then. The only thing I saw before they filled up with blood was fear. You would have been proud of me, Mama."

―Wasif in his memoir, 860s.^[src]^-[m]

Originally raised by his single mother, whom he loved deeply, Wasif was taken into an enslaved servitude to a blacksmith at a young age. After enduring years of abuse at his hands, Wasif grew stronger and eventually killed the blacksmith with his bare hands.^[1] Shortly after, he joined the Turkic Army and became known as a relentless kingmaker. Accompanied by his fervently trustworthy soldiers, he was meticulous in eliminating his enemies with ease.^[2]

By the 860s, Wasif had joined the Order of the Ancients and became one of its five leading members in Baghdad, answering directly to the Ra's Al-Af'a, Qabiha, and overseeing the Order's operations in the Sharqiyah sub-district of Karkh. His position as a general and warlord granted the Order control over the Turkic Army, although his bloodlust and unpredictable nature led some of his compatriots to consider him a liability.^[1]

Meeting the Caliph[]

Wasif: "You saw nothing of this. You say nothing. Do you understand?"

Al-Mutawakkil: "Y-yes, of course. Perish the idea."

—Wasif threatening the caliph during the meeting, 861.^[src]^-[m]

ACMirage The Master Thief of Anbar 34 — Wasif and his Order brethren meeting Al-Mutawakkil

On 11 December 861, Wasif and the other Order leaders in Baghdad – Qabiha, Mas'ood Al-Ya'qoob, Fazil Fahim al-Kemsa and Ning – convened at the Winter Palace in Anbar, where the caliph Al-Mutawakkil awaited them with a chest containing a Memory Seal. After Wasif verified the artifact's authenticity, the caliph asked to take a look at the chest's contents, prompting Wasif to approach Al-Mutawakkil threateningly while reminding him that he was to say nothing of the artifact. He then instructed the caliph to safeguard the chest until the Order's work was done and left alongside his fellow masked Ancients.^[3]

However, this ultimately proved futile, as shortly after the meeting, Al-Mutawakkil was killed by a young thief, Basim Ibn Ishaq, who had broken into the Winter Palace to retrieve the Memory Seal on the Hidden Ones' behalf. The caliph's death robbed the Order of a powerful puppet, but Wasif and the others remained undeterred in their work and moved forward with their respective plans.^[3]

Fighting the Zanj Rebellion[]

Wasif: "And who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?"

Muhammad: "There is more at stake here than your pride, Wasif. We walk a narrow path."

Wasif: "Enough! Take care what you say when we next meet, Governor. I will not suffer such insult twice."

—Wasif threatening Muhammad ibn Tahir, 860s.^[src]^-[m]

After Al-Mutawakkil's death, Wasif continued his military duties and fought against the Zanj Rebellion led by Ali ibn Muhammad, which was secretly aided by the Hidden Ones.^[4] At some point, he learned of Fazil's device, the Alruh, which the Ancient boasted about, claiming it would allow the Order to learn the secrets of "Those Who Came Before". However, Wasif was unimpressed by Fazil's lack of results and urged him to live up to his promises.^[5]

When Wasif later left Baghdad to deal with a battle incursion, he ordered his subordinates Jasoor ibn Basil to deal with the Zanj rebels on his behalf,^[6] and Nadir ibn Havid to smuggle cargo for the Order and create warships for the Caliphate.^[7] However, he soon learned the disturbing truths that Jasoor was lying about his military accomplishments^[6] and Nadir was stealing wares for his personal gain.^[7] Wasif set up meetings with both of his subordinates to discuss their shortcomings, though before they could respond, Jasoor and Nadir were assassinated by the Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq.^[6]^[7]

ACMir Den of the Beast 3 — Wasif threatening Governor Muhammad

Following his return to Baghdad, Wasif resumed his fight with Ali and his rebels and managed to gain the upper hand by capturing Ali's right-hand man, Beshi.^[4] As he prepared to enter his base at The Great Garrison to interrogate Beshi, Wasif was approached by Baghdad's governor Muhammad ibn Tahir, who advised him to control himself. Feeling insulted, Wasif merely threatened the governor in response before heading into the garrison.^[1]

Death[]

Wasif: "A feather... isn't that ironic? Was it taken from an eagle who fell out of the sky?"

Basim: "A symbol of freedom. A word you did not use often. And never will again."

Wasif: "Oh... so this is freedom? Yet, I do not see any way out..."

—Wasif and Basim in the former's final moments, 860s.^[src]^-[m]

Prior to interrogating Beshi, Wasif received a letter from Qabiha, who subtly threatened him to lessen his bloodshed against the slaves since his recent actions had attracted too much attention to the Order and herself. Following this, the warlord headed into the Great Garrison's inner courtyard, where his men had brought a bound Beshi. Grabbing a sword, Wasif chastised Beshi for being on "the wrong side" but the rebel responded that Allah would judge him, not his torturer. Infuriated, Wasif slowly murdered Beshi with the sword before closing himself off inside his office.^[1]

ACMir Den of the Beast 30 — Basim assassinating Wasif

Before long, Wasif learned that Ali and his rebels had infiltrated the garrison and sent his men to engage them in the same courtyard where he had executed Beshi. Inside his office, the warlord ordered two of his guards to call for reinforcements, but after the soldiers left, Wasif was left defenseless, allowing Basim, who had accompanied Ali and his rebels, to assassinate him.^[1]

Shortly after, Ali entered the room and found Basim standing over Wasif's body, which he stabbed in front of his men to make it look like he had killed the warlord and keep the Hidden Ones' involvement secret. Basim, Ali and the rebels then proceeded to fight their way out of the garrison, eliminating the last of Wasif's guards.^[1]

Behind the scenes[]

Wasif al-Turki is a historical figure featured as an antagonist and assassination target in the 2023 video game Assassin's Creed: Mirage.

Historically, Wasif was involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Al-Mutawakkil in 861 and played a central role in the subsequent Anarchy at Samarra, supporting the Caliph al-Musta'in throughout his civil war against his cousin Abu 'Abdallah. He died in October 867, after a riot broke out within his army.^[8]

Etymology[]

Wasif is a Muslim name meaning "man of qualities", while al-Turki literally translates to "the Turk". His cryptonym, Al-Mardikhwar (المرديخور), is a reference to the manticore (Persian: مردخوار mard-khar), a creature in Persian mythology with the head of a human, the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion.^[9]