Al-Nasir

Abu l - Abbas Ahmad ibn al -Nasir li - Mustadi - llah Dini (Arabic ابو العباس أحمد بن المستضيء الناصر لدين الله, DMG ʿ Abbās Aḥmad Abu l - b al - Mustaḍī ʾ al-Nasir li - dini ' llāh; *. 1158, † October 2, 1225 ) was from 1180 to 1225 the thirty-fourth Caliph of the Abbasid dynasty.

He succeeded his father al - Mustadi on ( 1170-1180 ). It belongs next to the Fatimid al - Mustansir (1036-1094) and the Seljuks Sanjar (1118-1157) to the reigning longest rulers of Islamic history.

First, an-Nasir intervened with the Seljuks and stoked the local power struggles. Despite some setbacks, he could initiate destruction of Seldschukenreichs ( 1194) by good relations with the Khorezm Shah. Soon, however, it also came with the Anuschteginiden to disputes over the control of western Persia, where the troops were on - Nasir sold first.

As he allied himself with the Ghurids in today's Afghanistan against the Khorezm Shah Muhammad II, this 1217 moved up to Baghdad, but had to because of a severe winter retreat. It is controversial whether an-Nasir in view of the threatening power of his arch-enemy resumed contacts with the Mongols under Genghis Khan and the Mongol conquest as conjured up the Islamic East. At least, that is accused of an-Nasir of some Muslim chroniclers.

In addition to its foreign policy work -Nasir could strengthen the authority of the caliphs in the interior of his dominions Iraqi continue through the reorganization of Futuwwa frets. The Futuwwa movement arose in the 13th and 14th centuries in Anatolia from the Sufism. It was Männerbünde the urban population, which joined al-Nasir and its members had to swear personal loyalty to the caliph. Even rulers of other kingdoms were included in this covenant and thus subordinate to the caliph.

With the instrument of Futuwwa federal -Nasir had created an instrument to secure the power of the Caliphate, which was independent of the Feudalgewalten. This development, however, was interrupted by the Mongol conquest of Iraq in 1258 and later also not resumed.

An-Nasir also promoted science. Thus, several schools and libraries were built or expanded. However, the teaching of Mutazila and the spread of Hellenistic philosophy was fought. It therefore came several times to book burnings and punishment uncomfortable free thinkers and philosophers, who went about such ideas.

According to Nasir - death on October 2, 1225 his son az- Zahir followed ( 1225-1226 ) to the throne.