Ar-Rashid (1109–1138)
Ar-Rashid (1109 – 6 June 1138) (Arabic: الراشد) was the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad from 1135 to 1136. He succeeded his father al-Mustarshid in the year 1135 as the thirtieth Abbasid caliph.
| Ar-Rashid الراشد | |
|---|---|
| 30th Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad | |
| Reign | 29 August 1135 – 17 August 1136 |
| Predecessor | Al-Mustarshid |
| Successor | Al-Muqtafi |
| Born | 1109 Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate now Iraq |
| Died | 6 June 1138 (aged 29) Isfahan, Abbasid Caliphate, now Iran |
| Dynasty | Abbasid |
| Father | Al-Mustarshid |
| Mother | Umm al-Sada |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Biography
Like his father, al-Mustarshid, ar-Rashid made another failed attempt at independence from Seljuk Turks. To avenge his father's death, he insulted the envoy of sultan Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud who came to demand a heavy largess, incited the mob to plunder his palace, and then, supported by Zengi, who was equally hostile to the sultan because of the murder of Dubais ibn Sadaqah, set up a rival sultan. Mas'ud hastened to the rebellious capital and laid siege to it. Baghdad, well defended by the river and its canals, resisted the attack; but in the end the caliph and Zengi, hopeless of success, escaped to Mosul. The sultan's power restored, a council was held, the caliph deposed, and his uncle al-Muqtafi was appointed as the new caliph.
Ar-Rashid fled to Isfahan where he was assassinated by a team of four Nizari Ismailis (Assassins) in June 1138. This was celebrated in Alamut for a week.[1]
See also
- Ahmad ibn Nizam al-Mulk a Persian vizier of his father Al-Mustarshid.
References
- Daftary, Farhad (1992). The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines. Cambridge University Press. p. 384. ISBN 978-0-521-42974-0.
- This text is adapted from William Muir's 1924 book The Caliphate: Its Rise, Decline, and Fall, which is in the public domain.
ar-Rashid Abbasid dynasty Cadet branch of the Banu Hashim Born: 1109 Died: 6 June 1138 | ||
| Sunni Islam titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Al-Mustarshid |
Caliph of Islam Abbasid Caliph 29 August 1135 – 1136 |
Succeeded by Al-Muqtafi |