Al-Muqtadi

Al-Muqtadi (1056 – February 1094) (Arabic: المقتدي 'the follower') was the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad from 1075 to 1094. He succeeded his grandfather caliph al-Qa'im in 1075 as the twenty-seventh Abbasid Caliph.

Al-Muqtadi المقتدي
Khalīfah Amir al-Mu'minin
27th Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad
Reign	2 April 1075 – 3 February 1094
Predecessor	Al-Qa'im
Successor	Al-Mustazhir
Born	1056 Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate now Iraq
Died	3 February 1094 (aged 37–38) Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate now Iraq
Consort	Sara Khatun Mah-i-Mulk Khatun
Issue	Al-Mustazhir
Era name and dates Later Abbasid era: 11th century
Dynasty	Abbasid
Father	Muhammad
Mother	Urjuwuan
Religion	Islam

Biography

He was born to Muhammad Dhakirat, the son of caliph Al-Qa'im, and an Armenian slave girl.[1]

He was honored by the Seljuk sultan Malik-Shah I, during whose reign the Caliphate was recognized throughout the extending range of Seljuk conquest. Arabia, with the Holy Cities, now recovered from the Fatimids, acknowledged again the spiritual jurisdiction of the Abbasids.

Gold Dinar minted with Al-Muqtadi and Malik Shah I name with the Kalima 484 AH/1091/2 AD. (Citing Al-Muqtadi as the overlord over Seljuk Sultanate)

Malik-Shah I arranged a marriage between his daughter and al-Muqtadi, possibly planning on the birth of a son who could serve as both caliph and sultan. Though the couple had a son, the mother left with her infant to the court of Isfahan. Following the failure of the marriage, the Sultan grew critical of the Caliph's interference in affairs of state, and sent an order for him to retire to Basra. The death of Malik-Shah I shortly after, however, made the command inoperative.

References

1. Bennison, Amira K. (2009) The Great Caliphs: The Golden Age of the 'Abbasid Empire. Princeton: Yale University Press, p. 47. ISBN 0300167989

• This text is adapted from William Muir's public domain, The Caliphate: Its Rise, Decline, and Fall.