Al-Mustakfi

Who is Al-Mustakfi?

Abdallah ibn al-Muktafi, better known by his regnal name al-Mustakfi bi-llah was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 944 to 946. He was installed by Tuzun, a Turkish general who deposed and blinded the previous Caliph al-Muttaqi.

The Buwayhid dynasty began threatening the Capital. Tuzun, with the Caliph, marched to Wasit and defeated them. The tribute due from Mosul being withheld, Tuzun also marched against the Hamdanid ruler Nasir al-Dawla; but, after friendly relations were re-established, he returned.

Soon after, Tuzun died, and was succeeded by Abu Ja'far, one of his generals. Baghdad now fell into a fearful state of distress. Supplies, stayed by the enemies all round, no longer reached the markets, and people were reduced to eat dogs, cats and garbage. The mob were driven by starvation to plunder the shops of their remaining stores. Multitudes fled the city for Basra or elsewhere, dying in great numbers from weakness. Abu Ja'far at last, finding himself unable to control affairs, requested the aid of the Hamdanid commander Nasir al-Dawla, from Mosul; even offering, if he would come, to vacate in his favor the supreme command. But the Hamdanids were at the moment engaged on one hand with the Rus' in Azerbaijan, and on the other with the Ikhshidids in Syria.