al-Mutawakkil
Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Harun (Arabic: جعفر بن محمد بن هارون, romanized: Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad ibn Hārūn); March 822 – 11 December 861), commonly known by his regnal name al-Mutawwakil ala Allah (Arabic: المتوكل على الله, romanized: al-Mutawakkil ʿalā Allāh, lit. 'He who relies on God'), was the tenth Abbasid caliph, ruling from 847 until his assassination in 861. He succeeded his brother, al-Wathiq (r. 842–847), and is known for expanding the empire to its maximum extent. He was deeply religious, and is remembered for discarding the Muʿtazila, ending the Mihna (a period of persecution of Islamic scholars), and releasing Ahmad ibn Hanbal. He is also known for his tough rule, especially with respect to non-Muslim subjects.
| al-Mutawakkil المتوكل | |||||
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Bust of al-Mutawakkil on a silver dirham | |||||
| 10th Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate | |||||
| Reign | 10 August 847 – 10 December 861 | ||||
| Predecessor | al-Wathiq | ||||
| Successor | al-Muntasir | ||||
| Born | 31 March 822 Baghdad, Abbasid Empire | ||||
| Died | 11 December 861 (aged 39) Samarra, Abbasid Empire | ||||
| Burial | Samarra | ||||
| Consort | List
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| Dynasty | Abbasid | ||||
| Father | al-Mu'tasim | ||||
| Mother | Shuja | ||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||
He was assassinated on 11 December 861 by the Turkic guard with the support of his son, al-Muntasir, marking the beginning of the period of civil strife known as the "Anarchy at Samarra".