Al-Mutawakkil

Al - Mutawakkil ' alā ' llāh, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, Arabic المتوكل على الله, جعفر بن محمد, DMG al - Mutawakkil ʿ ʾ alā llāh, Ǧa ʿ far b. Muḥammad (* 822 † December 8 861 ), was the tenth Abbasid Caliph ( 847-861 ).

Life

Al- Mutawakkil was the son of al - Mu'tasims ( 833-842 ) and a Persian harem girl. After bi- ' llāh ( 842-847 ) he was followed on the throne to his brother Al- Wathiq, he tried to limit the strong Turkish influence in the army and administration. In order to secure the support of the population and especially the clergy, he lifted 849, introduced by al - Ma'mun state doctrine of the Mu'tazilites on again. The Shiites were increasingly suppressed. In this context, al - Mutawakkil had, for example, the grave of Husayn ibn ʿ Alī Mosque in Karbala destroy.

The repulsion of the Turks failed but because he was dependent on the Turkish troops to pacify the kingdom because of unrest in Syria and Egypt. The relocation of the residence of Samarra to Damascus was prevented by the Turks. Under his rule, the vizierate finally got the function of the central management of government business. This was still under Turkish influence. Their power radiated increasingly also from the court of the caliph to the provinces, where Turkish governor were used in Syria and Egypt.

After 855 messages had arrived from Arabia, that the Kaaba had become dilapidated, sent al - Mutawakkil Ishaaq ibn Salama the goldsmith to Mecca to repair the building and beautify. He was able to complete this work by December 856.

When al - Mutawakkil wanted to oust his designated heir al - Muntasir in favor of al - Mutazz and simultaneously cut the income of some Turkish military leader, he was a conspiracy by al - Muntasirs ( 861-862 ) and Turkish officers overthrown and murdered ( 8 December 861 ). Well broke out fierce power struggles between the Turkish stakeholders in Samarra. Up to 870 four caliphs ruled the kingdom and came to the edge of doom. Only under al - Mutamid ( 870-892 ) of the disintegration of the caliphate was stopped again.