Ma'mun II

Who was Ma'mun II?

Abu'l-Abbas Ma'mun ibn Ma'mun was the Ma'munid ruler of Khwarazm from 1008 or 1009 until his death, having succeeded his brother Abu al-Hasan Ali in that post. He was the son of Ma'mun I ibn Muhammad.

The greatest threat to Ma'mun's rule came in the form of the Ghaznavid sultan, Mahmud of Ghazni. Mahmud viewed Khwarazm as a strategically important province, as it would allow him to widen the front against his biggest enemy, the Karakhanids of Transoxiana. When the caliph al-Qadir sent Ma'mun several awards, including an investiture patent for Khwarazm in 1014, Ma'mun refused to accept the awards in his capital, fearing that personally accepting the symbols of independence would anger Mahmud. He instead sent out a delegation to accept the awards on the steppe. Ma'mun also married Mahmud's sister Hurra-yi Kalji, who had previously been married to his brother, in 1015 or 1016.

Despite these efforts to placate Mahmud, the Ghaznavid demanded that Ma'mun place his name in the khutba, in effect acknowledging his suzerainty. Although the nobility and the army were opposed to such measure, Ma'mun had no choice but to give in.