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Al-Mu'tamid's succession deed for al-Mufawwid and al-Muwaffaq

عهد المعتمد للمفوض والموفق

c. 875 CE · 261 AH

In 261 al-Mu'tamid took bay'a for the succession after him to his son Ja'far 'al-Mufawwid ila'llah', then to his brother al-Muwaffaq Talha — the son assigned Maghreb, Syria, Jazira and Armenia; the brother the East, Iraq, Baghdad, Hijaz, Yemen, Fars, Isfahan, Rayy, Khurasan, Tabaristan, Sijistan and Sind. Each got two banners, white and black; the deed stipulated the brother takes the matter if the son be under age — written and dispatched with qadi Ibn Abi al-Shawarib to hang in the Ka'ba 1.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Early Abbasid Caliphate
Region
Levant & Iraq
Review
Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it

In time

860870880890 c.
The Early Abbasid Caliphate · Abbasid Fragmentation

Overview

In 261 AH the caliph al-Mu'tamid gave allegiance to make his son Ja'far, known as al-Mufawwad ila Allah, his heir, and after him his brother al-Muwaffaq Talha. 2

Division of provinces

He appointed his son over the Maghrib, Syria, the Jazira and Armenia. He appointed his brother over the East, Iraq, Baghdad, the Hijaz, Yemen, Fars, Isfahan, al-Rayy, Khurasan, Tabaristan, Sistan and Sind. He gave each of them two banners, white and black. 2

The condition

He stipulated that if anything befell him, the matter would go to his brother if his son had not come of age. He wrote the deed and sent it with the chief judge Ibn Abi al-Shawarib to be hung in the Ka'ba. 2

Connections

Explore the connections

Had participant
al-Mu'tamid ala Allah· Abu Ahmad al-Muwaffaq

People and things also explored

Ibn Kundaj intercepts al-Mu'tamid and confines him, 269· The division of the realm between al-Mufawwid and al-Muwaffaq· al-Muwaffaqiyya· Abu Ahmad Imprisons His Son Abu al-Abbas al-Mu'tadid· The killing of the Zanj leader· Yusuf ibn Tashfin's killing of al-Mutawakkil, lord of Badajoz· Al-Muwaffaq's campaign against the Zanj and rescue of captives· Siege of Baghdad in the strife of al-Musta'in and al-Mu'tazz

Sources

  1. Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p. 565
  2. Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p.565
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Al-Mu'tamid's succession deed for al-Mufawwid and al-Muwaffaq”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/mutamid-succession-deed-261/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-22.

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Ibn Kundaj intercepts al-Mu'tamid and confines him, 269

In 269, al-Mu'tamid's fear of his brother al-Muwaffaq peaked — he corresponded with his Egypt deputy Ahmad ibn Tulun and slipped out of Samarra for Damascus. Al-Muwaffaq sent Ishaq ibn Kundaj, who caught him between Mosul and Haditha, escorted him back and confined him to Ibn al-Khasib's house under five hundred guards. Ibn Kundaj received khil'as, money and the title Dhu'l-Sayfayn, Sa'id ibn Makhlad Dhu'l-Wizaratayn — and al-Mu'tamid lost all binding and loosing, the first caliph ever cowed, sequestered and warded.