Abbasid Caliphs

• Muhammad ibn Ali
• Rayta bint Ubaydallah al-Harsia

• Great-great-grandson of al-Abbas, Muhammad's uncle.
• Proclaimed caliph in Kufa after defeat and death of Umayyad caliph Marwan II.
• Battle of Talas (751) secures Muslim predominance in Central Asia.

(21 years)

• Muhammad ibn Ali
• Sallamah, (possibly from Nefzaoua)

• Brother and heir of al-Saffah.
• Conquest of Tabaristan, the last independent Zoroastrian Persian state (761).
• Founded Baghdad as the Abbasid capital (762).
• Independent Emirate of Córdoba founded in al-Andalus by fugitive Umayyad prince Abd al-Rahman I (756).

(10 years)

• Al-Mansur
• Umm Musa Arwa bint Mansur al-Himyari

• Nominated heir by his father al-Mansur.
• Resumption of warfare against Byzantine empire (779).
• Rise of the Barmakids.

(1 year)

• Al-Mahdi
• Al-Khayzuran bint 'Atta

• Nominated first heir by his father al-Mahdi.
• Restarted Alid persecutions, leading to a failed revolt (786).
• Tried to disinherit his brother, al-Rashid, in favor of his own son.
• Possibly poisoned by his mother, who favored his brother, al-Rashid.

(23 years)

• Nominated second heir by his father al-Mahdi.
• Established the House of Wisdom in Baghdad.
• Fall of the Barmakids (803).
• Invasion of Asia Minor. Sack of Herakleia (806).

(4 years)

• Harun al-Rashid
• Umm Ja'far Zubaidah bint Ja'far ibn al-Mansur

• Nominated first heir by his father al-Rashid.
• Tried to remove his half-brother al-Ma'mun from line of succession, beginning the Fourth Fitna.
• Deposed and killed during the Siege of Baghdad.

(20 years)

• Harun al-Rashid
• Umm Abdallah Marajil

• Nominated second heir by his father.
• Defeated and killed his half-brother, al-Amin.
• Launch of the Translation Movement.
• Emirate of Crete established (824/827).
• Aghlabids begin the Muslim conquest of Sicily (827)
• The start of official support for Mu'tazilism. Institution of the miḥnah (833).

(9 years)

• Harun al-Rashid
• Maridah bint Shabib, probably from Sughd Region

• According to al-Tabari, appointed as successor by his brother al-Ma'mun on his deathbed.^[6]
• Establishment of the Turkic ghilman in positions of power.
• Samarra founded as the new capital (836).
• Invasion of Asia Minor. Sack of Amorium (838)

(5 years)

• Al-Mu'tasim
• Qaratis, Greek concubine

• Nominated heir by his father.
• Died from dropsy, while seated in an oven in an attempt to cure it.^[7]

(14 years)

• Al-Mu'tasim
• Umm Ja'far Shuja

• End of official support for Mu'tazilism. Abolition of the miḥnah (851).
• Assassinated by his guards with the support of his son al-Muntasir.

(1 year)

• Al-Mutawakkil
• Hubshiya, Greek concubine

• Nominated first heir by his father, al-Mutawakkil.^[8] Succeeded him after his assassination.
• Died of illness. Possibly poisoned.

(4 years)

• Muhammad ibn al-Mu'tasim, Abbasid prince
• Makhariq, concubine from Sicily

• Cousin of al-Muntasir. Installed by Turkic troops.
• Defeated in the Fifth Fitna, and forced to abdicate.
• Executed soon afterwards on the orders of his successor, al-Mu'tazz.

(3 years)

• Al-Mutawakkil
• Sabiha (Qabiha), Greek concubine

• Nominated second heir by al-Mutawakkil, but bypassed when his cousin al-Musta'in was installed by the Turkic military.^[9]
• Overthrew al-Musta'in with the help of Turkic troops.
• Attempted to curb the power of the Turkic military elite.
• Autonomous Saffarid rule in Sistan (867) and Tulunid rule in Egypt (868).
• Deposed and imprisoned by the Turkic generals; died three days later.

(1 year)

• Al-Wathiq
• Qurb, Greek concubine

• Cousin of al-Mu'tazz. Installed by Turkic military.
• Sought to emulate the pious Umayyad caliph Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz.^[10]
• Killed by Turkic general Musa ibn Bugha after refusing to abdicate.

(22 years)

• Al-Mutawakkil
• Fityan, Greek concubine from Kufa

• Installed by Turkic military.
• Real power held by his brother al-Muwaffaq and later his nephew al-Mu'tadid, who controlled the military.
• Repulsion of the Saffarid rebellion (876).
• Subjugation of the Zanj Revolt (883).
• Autonomous Samanid rule in Transoxiana (891).
• Put under house arrest after a failed escape to Tulunid Egypt (882).

(20 years)

• Al-Muwaffaq, Abbasid prince and Commander-in-chief
• Dirar (Hariz), Greek concubine

• al-Mu'tamid's nephew. Added his name in line of succession and removed his cousin as heir.
• Recovery of Jazira, Thughur, Jibal.
• Return of the capital to Baghdad (892).
• Start of the Qarmatian missionary activities and raids.

(6 years)

• Al-Mu'tadid
• Jijak, Turkish concubine

• Son and nominated heir of al-Mu'tadid.
• Recovery of Egypt and Syria from the Tulunids (905).

(21 years)

• Al-Mu'tadid
• Shaghab, Greek concubine

• Installed by Abbasid viziers as a puppet on account of his young age.
• Unsuccessful usurpation attempt by Abdallah ibn al-Mu'tazz (908).
• Rival Fatimid caliphate established in Ifriqiya (909).
• Caliphal title claimed by Umayyads of Córdoba (929).
• Deposed by the commander-in-chief Mu'nis al-Muzaffar.

• Al-Mu'tadid
• Fitnah, Berber concubine

• Installed and soon removed by the commander-in-chief Mu'nis al-Muzaffar.

(3 years)

• Al-Mu'tadid
• Shaghab

• Reinstalled by Mu'nis al-Muzaffar.
• Qarmatian sack of Mecca and Medina (930).
• Killed in battle before Baghdad against Mu'nis al-Muzaffar.

(2 years)

• Al-Mu'tadid
• Fitnah, Berber concubine

• Installed by Mu'nis al-Muzaffar
• Deposed, blinded and imprisoned by vizier Ibn Muqla after refusing to abdicate.
• Freed by al-Mustakfi eleven years later. Spent rest of his life as a beggar, dying in 950.^[11]

(6 years)

• Al-Muqtadir
• Thaloum, Berber concubine

• Originally nominated heir by his father al-Muqtadir, but sidelined by Mu'nis in favor of his uncle, al-Qahir, who imprisoned him.
• Made caliph after al-Qahir's deposition.
• Autonomous Ikhshidid rule in Egypt (935).
• Creation of the office of amīr al-umarāʾ as the de facto ruler.

(4 years)

• Al-Muqtadir
• Khalub Zahrah, concubine

• Selected by amir al-umara Bajkam after the death of his brother, al-Radi.
• Deposed and blinded by amir al-umara Tuzun. Died in 968.

(2 years)

• Al-Muktafi
• Ghusn (Amlah al-Nas), concubine

• Installed by the amir al-umara Tuzun after the deposition of his nephew, al-Muttaqi.
• Buyid takeover of Baghdad (945).
• Deposed and blinded. Died under house arrest in 949.

(28 years)

• Al-Muqtadir
• Shaghla, concubine from Sicily

• Went into hiding upon his uncle al-Muktafi's enthronement, who sought to have him captured.
• Installed by the Buyid Amir Mu'izz al-Dawla.
• Egypt, Palestine and Hejaz lost to Fatimids (969).
• Byzantine reconquests under Nikephoros II. Fall of Antioch (969).
• Induced to abdicate with his health as a pretext by Turkic generals.

(17 years)

• Al-Muti
• Utb al-Rumiyah

• Nominated heir of al-Muti.
• Buyid civil wars.
• Byzantine reconquests continue under John I.^[12]
• Deposed by the Buyid Amir Baha' al-Dawla. Died in 1003.

(40 years)

• Ishaq ibn al-Muqtadir, Abbasid prince
• Tumna, concubine

• Installed by the Buyid Amir Baha' al-Dawla after the deposition of his cousin, al-Ta'i.
• Granting of the title of Sultan to rulers as official deputies to the caliph, in particular to Mahmud of Ghazni.
• Publication of the Baghdad Manifesto against Shi'a Fatimids (1011).

(44 years)

• Al-Qadir
• Badr al-Dija (Qatr al-Nida), Armenian concubine

• End of the Caliphate of Córdoba (1031).
• Buyids ousted from Baghdad by Seljuk Sultan Tughril (1055).
• Recognition of Abbasid religious and nominal authority by Almoravids (1062).
• End of Qarmatian state (1067).
• Battle of Manzikert (1071). Beginning of Turkic settlement in Anatolia.

(19 years)

• Muhammad ibn al-Qa'im, Abbasid prince
• Urjuwuan, Armenian concubine^[13]

• Grandson and heir of al-Qa'im.
• Temporary recognition of Abbasid authority (proclamation of khutbah in Mecca) in Arabia due to decrease of Fatimid power and Seljuk bribes.^[14]

(24 years)

• Al-Muqtadi
• Taif Al-Afwah, Egyptian concubine

• al-Muqtadi's heir.
• First Crusade. Fall of Jerusalem to Crusaders (1099).

(17 years)

• Al-Mustazhir
• Lubaba, Slavs concubine

• Nominated heir by his father.
• Almohad Caliphate rule in the Maghreb (1121) and al-Andalus (1173).
• Failed military campaign against Seljuks (1135).
• Murdered, possibly by the Assassins.

(1 year)

• Al-Mustarshid
• Khushf, Iraqi concubine

• Nominated heir by his father.
• Deposed by the Seljuk Sultan Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud.
• Killed by the Assassins in 1138.

(24 years)

• Al-Mustazhir
• Ashin, Syrian concubine

• Uncle of al-Rashid. Installed by Sultan Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud
• Failed Seljuk Siege of Baghdad (1157).

(10 years)

• Al-Muqtafi
• Thawus, Turkish or Abyssinian concubine

• Son and heir of al-Muqtafi.
• Formal independence from Seljuks; removal of Sultan's name from Abbasid coinage (1165).

(10 years)

• Al-Mustanjid
• Ghadha, Armenian concubine

• Son and heir of al-Mustanjid.
• End of the Fatimid Caliphate (1171). Restoration of Abbasid nominal authority in Egypt under Saladin.

(45 years)

• Al-Mustadi
• Sayyida Zumurrud

• Recovery of Jerusalem from the Crusaders by Saladin (1187).
• End of Seljuk empire by the Khwarazmians (1194).
• Mongol conquest of Khwarazmian Empire (1221).
• Longest reigning Abbasid caliph.

(1 year)

• Al-Nasir
• Asma

• Heir and son of Al-Nasir.

(16 years)

• Az-Zahir
• Zahra, Turkish concubine

• Heir and son of Al-Zahir.
• Almohad withdrawal from al-Andalus (1228).

(16 years)

• Al-Mustansir
• Hajer, Abyssinian concubine

• Heir and son of Al-Mustansir.
• Mamluk overthrow of Ayyubids in Egypt (1250).
• Last Abbasid caliph.
• Executed after the Mongol sack of Baghdad.
• End of Abbasid Caliphate as a political and religious entity.

(<1 year)

• Az-Zahir
• Umm Ahmad, concubine

• Uncle of Al-Musta'sim, the last Abbasid caliph in Baghdad.
• Installed in Cairo by Mamluk sultan Baybars.^[15]
• Killed by a Mongol ambush while on his way to recover Baghdad.

(40 years)

• Claimed great-great-great grandson of the Abbasid caliph Al-Mustarshid (r. 1118-1135).
• Installed by the ruler of Aleppo, Aqqush.
• Proclaimed as caliph in Cairo by Baybars after al-Mustansir II died.^[15]

(38 years)

(1 year)

(11 years)

(10 years)

(15 years)

• First reign. Deposed.

(<1 year)

• First reign.

(6 years)

• Second reign.

(3 years)

(3 years)

• Second reign.

(17 years)

• Third reign.

(8 years)

• Al-Mutawakkil I
• Bay Khatun, Turkish concubine

• Became Sultan of Egypt from 7 May – 6 November 1412, as a titular figurehead for Shaykh al-Mahmudi.

(27 years)

• Al-Mutawakkil I
• Kazal, Turkish concubine

(10 years)

• Al-Mutawakkil I
• Bay Khatun

(4 years)

• Ottoman conquest of Constantinople (1453).

(24 years)

(18 years)

• Ya'qub ibn al-Mutawakkil I
• Haj al-Malik

(11 years)

• First reign. Abdicated.^[17]

(8 years)

• First reign.

(1 year)

• Second reign. Abdicated.

(<1 year)

• Second reign.
• Last Abbasid to hold the title of caliph.^[18]
• Ottoman conquest of Mamluk Sultanate (1517).
• Taken to Constantinople^[15] where he is said to have formally surrendered the caliphal title to Selim I.