Siege of Baghdad (1157)

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For other battles in Baghdad, see Battle of Baghdad.
Siege of Baghdad
Part of the
Seljuq Wars
DateJanuary 12–July 3, 1157
Location
Baghdad, Abbasid caliphate (modern day Iraq
)
Result Abbasid victory
Belligerents
Zengids of Mosul
 Caliphate of Baghdad
Commanders and leaders
Qutb ad-Din Mawdud
of Mosul		 Al-Muqtāfī
Strength
30000 Turkmen Soldier 28000 Arab Soldier

The siege of Baghdad in 1157 was the last

Muhammad of Hamadan and Qutb ad-Din of Mosul
.

Background

In the tenth century the Abbasid Caliphate lost control of most of its former provinces. Most of the governors were able to establish their own dynasties, and in the meantime the central government was unable to stop independence movements within the empire, though they retained their spiritual leadership over the Muslims since the new states (the

Buyids under a commission from the Abbasid Caliph al-Qa'im
.

Al-Mustarshid (r. 1118–1135) ruled for sixteen years as Caliph but the last three years of his reign were occupied with war against Seljuq sultan Mas'ud (his deputy). Not long after the siege of

Ibn al-Jawzi did not speculate on this matter. Physically, al-Mustarshid was a red-haired man with blue eyes and freckles.[1]

Qutb al-Din Mawdud (r. 1149-1170), ruler of Mosul, led the Zengid troops in the Siege of Baghdad. Coinage dated AH 556 (1160-1161 CE).[2]

To avenge his father's death, the new Caliph Al-Rashid Billah insulted the envoy of sultan Mas'ud. The

Iraq, Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud, attacked the caliph al-Rashid Billah. During the siege, the populace of Baghdad rose in revolt against the caliph, plundering the Tāhirid palace. In the end, al-Rashid fled to the city for Mosul, where he abdicated the caliphate. His uncle, al-Muqtafi, was raised to the throne instead, Al-Rashid Billah then retired to the east.[3]

The siege

In 1157,

Awn ad-Din ibn Hubayra to give five golden dinars
to every wounded soldier.

On March 4, Sultan Muhammad and his ally Zayn ad-Din, Qutb ad-Din's vizier, attacked eastern Baghdad and bombarded the city. The army of Baghdad repulsed the attack thanks to the courage of the natives of Baghdad and the naffatuns.

The end of the siege

Death of the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustarshid, Assassinated in the year 1135

On March 29, the Seljuqs repaired one of the bridges and crossed to the eastern side of the city, where they skirmished with both the Caliph's army and the native militias of Baghdad. The naffatuns destroyed several catapults. The Seljuqs tried to breach the gate by a

Nur ad-Din Zangi
blamed his brother for attacking the caliph's realm, which destroyed the Zengid-Seljuq alliance. Zayn ad-Din lifted the siege and returned to Mosul.

Muhammad also was forced to lift the siege after his men informed him that his brother Malik Shah has captured Hamadan. He eventually realized that the siege was useless, so he preferred to fight for his throne. Thus the Siege of Baghdad came to end on 13 July 1157.

See also

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-86356-848-0
    .
  2. ^ "Copper alloy dirham of Qutb al-Din Mawdud ibn Zengi, al-Mawsil, 556 H. 1917.215.1000". numismatics.org. American Numismatic Society.
  3. ^ Le Strange 1922, pp. 327–328.

Source

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