al-Radi
| al-Radi bi'llah الراضي بالله | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate | |||||
| Reign | 24 April 934 – 12 December 940 | ||||
| Predecessor | al-Qahir | ||||
| Successor | al-Muttaqi | ||||
| Born | Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Muqtadir[1] 1 January 909[1] Baghdad[1] | ||||
| Died | 13 December 940[2] (aged 31) Baghdad[2] | ||||
| Burial | al-Rusafa, Iraq[citation needed] | ||||
| Consort | Farha[3] Rabab[3] | ||||
| Issue | al-Abbas | ||||
| |||||
| Dynasty | Abbasid | ||||
| Father | al-Muqtadir | ||||
| Mother | Zalum | ||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||
Abu'l-Abbas Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Muqtadir (
Early life
The future al-Radi was born on 20 December 909, to the caliph al-Muqtadir (r. 908–932) and a Greek-born slave concubine named Zalum.[5][6] At the age of four, he received the nominal governorship of Egypt and the Maghreb, and was sent with the commander-in-chief Mu'nis al-Muzaffar to Egypt, who became his tutor.[6]
When Mu'nis and al-Muqtadir fell out in 927, Abu'l-Abbas and the vizier Ibn Muqla tried to mediate between his father and the powerful commander-in-chief, but to no avail.[6] In 930, Abu'l-Abbas received the governorship over Syria from his father, although he remained in Baghdad, residing in his palace in the Muharrim quarter of the city.[6] In the next year, rumours circulated that Mu'nis intended to abduct Abu'l-Abbas, take him to Syria, and declare him caliph there. This alarmed al-Muqtadir, who had his son brought to reside with him in the caliphal palace.[6]
When his father was killed in 932, Abu'l-Abbas was proposed as a successor, but eventually his uncle al-Qahir (r. 932–934) was chosen.[5][6] Abu'l-Abbas was imprisoned as a dangerous rival, and his properties confiscated. He remained confined until the deposition of al-Qahir, when he was freed and raised to the throne (24 April 934).[5][6][7]
Caliphate
The contemporary historian al-Masudi describes him as pleasing in appearance, using scents in large amounts, and of a generous nature, being notable for the lavish gifts he gave his courtiers. According to al-Masudi, the caliph "enjoyed talking of the men and things of the past and sought out scholars and men of letters and frequently summoned them to his presence and lavished marks of his liberality upon them".[8] Unlike the forceful al-Qahir, he quickly became a figurehead ruler, while ambitious men seized authority in the state.[5]
After the distinguished former
By this time, the greatest threat faced by the Caliphate was the increasing independence of the regional governors, who had taken advantage of the internal quarrels in the Abbasid court to strengthen their own control over their provinces and withheld the taxes due to Baghdad, leaving the central government crippled.
Ibn Muqla's dismissal marked the end of the independence of the Abbasid caliphs, for, shortly thereafter, al-Radi appointed Ibn Ra'iq to the new post of
Al-Radi is commonly spoken of as the last of the real Caliphs: the last to deliver orations at the Friday service, to hold assemblies with philosophers to discuss the questions of the day, or to take counsel on the affairs of State; the last to distribute largess among the needy, or to interpose to temper the severity of cruel officers.
And yet, with all this he was the mere dependent of another. Beyond the Wasir's shadow, there was little left at home. And abroad, even less: the rich East was gone, Berber Africa and Egypt also, along with the greater part of
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-90-04-20622-9.
- ^ a b Masudi 2010, p. 393.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-932885-13-5.
- ^ Bowen 1928, p. 336.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Zetterstéen 1995, p. 368.
- ^ a b c d e f g Özaydın 2007, p. 489.
- ^ a b c Kennedy 2004, p. 194.
- ^ Masudi 2010, p. 411.
- ^ Kennedy 2004, pp. 194–195.
- ^ Kennedy 2004, pp. 195ff..
Sources
- ISBN 978-0-521-83823-8.
- Bowen, Harold (1928). The Life and Times of ʿAlí Ibn ʿÍsà: The Good Vizier. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. OCLC 386849.
- ISBN 978-0-582-40525-7.
- ISBN 978-0-7103-0246-5.
- Özaydın, Abdülkerim (2007). "Râzî-Billâh". TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, Vol. 34 (Osmanpazari – Resuldar) (in Turkish). Istanbul: ISBN 978-975-389-456-2.
- ISBN 978-90-04-09834-3.
- This text is adapted from William Muir's public domain, The Caliphate: Its Rise, Decline, and Fall.
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