Al-Muqtadi

Who was Al-Muqtadi?

Al-Muqtadi was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 1075 to 1094.

He was honored by the Seljuk Sultan Malik Shah, 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. The Sultan 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 shortly after, however, made the command inoperative.