THE ABDICATION AND ASSASSINATION OF al-MUSTA`IN

Following the murder of Utamish, a Turkish soldier who rose to become the caliph al-Musta`in's vizier and virtual regent of the caliphate, in Muharram 251/February 865, al-Musta`in fled Samarra for Baghdad. Conspiracy within the `Abbasid court was at its height during the middle of the third century. In 247, Utamish had conspired with his fellow Turkish soldiers to kill the Caliph al-Mutawakkil. In 248, it was the same Turkish commanders who pulled al-Musta`in out of a life as a manuscript copyist to become the caliph after the death of al-Muntasir. Utamish's murder had been conspired by the Turkish general Bugha al-Saghir who had just helped Utamish put down a rebellion.

Once al-Musta`in had left Samarra, supporters of al-Mu'tazz, who had been imprisoned by al-Musta`in's supporters at Samarra in 248 after a bloody fight for succession, freed him and declared him caliph. A fight continued for nearly a year, ending in Dhu 'l-Hijja 251 with the abdication of al-Musta`in in favor of al-Mu'tazz. al-Musta`in was ordered into exile in Medina, but was detained in Wasit and killed at Samarra by a conspiracy of Turkish soldiers on 3 Shawwal 252/17 October 866. During his time in exile, al-Musta`in was under the protection of Ahmad ibn Tulun, but Tulun was not a part of the conspiracy which killed the former caliph.