Al-Mutawakkil succeeded his brother, al-Wathiq, and is known for expanding the empire to its maximum extent.
30 Facts About Al-Mutawakkil
2.
Al-Mutawakkil is known for his tough rule, especially with respect to non-Muslim subjects.
3.
Al-Mutawakkil's father became the eighth Abbasid caliph of the Caliphate in 833.
4.
Al-Mutawakkil's father ruled the caliphate for eight years and he was succeeded by his elder son al-Wathiq.
5.
Al-Mutawakkil's other sons Ahmad and Talha were born in 842 and 843, respectively.
6.
Al-Mutawakkil came in a brand-new court dress, hoping to mollify the Caliph, but instead al-Wathiq ordered that his hair be shorn off, and al-Mutawakkil be struck in the face with it.
7.
Al-Mutawakkil's possessions were confiscated, and he was tortured to death.
8.
Al-Mutawakkil released from prison the famous jurist Ahmad ibn Hanbal ibn Hilal ibn Asad al-Shaybani, who opposed the Mutazilites in their opinion that the Quran was created.
9.
Al-Mutawakkil retook the mines, pressed on to the Beja royal stronghold and defeated the king in battle.
10.
Al-Mutawakkil's reign is remembered for its many reforms and viewed as a golden age of the Abbasids.
11.
Al-Mutawakkil would be the last great Abbasid caliph; after his death the dynasty would fall into a decline.
12.
Al-Mutawakkil decided to diverge away from the religious policies of the previous caliphs, opting instead to put a stop to the controversy over whether the Qur'an was created or uncreated, ultimately putting an end to the doctrinal regime that had been in place since 833.
13.
Al-Mutawakkil spent the next several years taking hostile steps against the Mu'tazilites, dismissing a number of Ibn Abi Du'ad's qadis from office and ordering an end to debate over the nature of the Qur'an.
14.
Al-Mutawakkil appointed famous Arab Islamic scholar Yahya ibn Aktham as Chief judge in 851, he remained in office until al-Mutawakkil deposed him in 854.
15.
Al-Mutawakkil was killed before the cypress wood arrived for his new palace.
16.
Al-Mutawakkil was unlike his brother and father in that he was not known for having a thirst for knowledge, but he had an eye for magnificence and a hunger to build.
17.
Al-Mutawakkil ordered a canal to be built to divert water from the Tigris, entrusting the project to two courtiers, who ignored the talents of a local engineer of repute and entrusted the work to al-Farghani, the great astronomer and writer.
18.
Al-Mutawakkil was keen to involve himself in many religious debates, something that would show in his actions against different minorities.
19.
Al-Mutawakkil belonged to the household of his brother Caliph al-Wathiq, who kept her as a concubine and favorite although she belonged to the singer Amr ibn Banah.
20.
Al-Mutawakkil married her, and she became one of his favorites.
21.
Al-Mutawakkil was a Greek, and was the mother of his eldest son, the future Caliph al-Muntasir.
22.
Al-Mutawakkil was an Andulasian, and was one of his favorites.
23.
Al-Mutawakkil was the mother of his sons Ibrahim al-Mu'ayyad and Abu Ahmad.
24.
Al-Mutawakkil was from Kufa, and was mother of the future Caliph al-Mu'tamid.
25.
Al-Mutawakkil was a Greek, and was the mother of the future caliph al-Mu'tazz and Isma'il.
26.
Al-Mutawakkil was purchased by Muhammad ibn al-Faraj al-Rukhkhaji, who gave her to al-Mutawakkil.
27.
Al-Mutawakkil had been given to al-Mutawakkil by Ubaydullah ibn Tahir, when he became caliph, as one of a group of four hundred slaves.
28.
Al-Mutawakkil continued to rely on Turkic statesmen and slave soldiers to put down rebellions and lead battles against foreign empires, notably the Byzantines.
29.
Al-Mutawakkil's secretary, al-Fath ibn Khaqan, who was Turkic, was a famous figure of al-Mutawakkil's era.
30.
Al-Mutawakkil would be the last great Abbasid caliph; after his death the dynasty would fall into a decline.