{"id":50634,"date":"2017-10-01T11:57:18","date_gmt":"2017-10-01T09:57:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/site\/?p=50634"},"modified":"2017-10-16T10:04:01","modified_gmt":"2017-10-16T08:04:01","slug":"%d9%85%d8%b5%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d9%84%d9%88%d8%a9-222-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%86%d8%aa%d8%b5%d8%b1-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%b9%d9%8a%d9%86-1102017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/%d9%85%d8%b5%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d9%84%d9%88%d8%a9-222-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%86%d8%aa%d8%b5%d8%b1-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%b9%d9%8a%d9%86-1102017\/","title":{"rendered":"Beautiful Egypt 222 \u2013 Al-Muntasir and Al-Musta\u2019in \u2013 October 1, 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0In the previous article, we spoke of Pope Shenouda I, the fifty-fifth patriarch and his relationship with Egypt\u2019s tax-collector, Bin al-Mudabber who imposed heavy taxes on Egyptians, especially Copts. He was the first to build fortresses for monks to hide from raids. He continued to shepherd the congregation until his departure in 880 A.D. Pope Shenouda I was contemporary with several Abbasid caliphs, In fact, he became patriarch in 859 A.D., at the end of al-Mutawakkil\u2019s tenure (847-861 A.D.), and departed during the tenure of al-Mu\u2019tamid. We already spoke of al-Mutawakki who was eventually murdered.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Caliph Mohammed al-Muntasir 247-248 Hijri (861-862 A.D.)<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0He took over after his father\u2019s murder. His Turkish sentries played a vital role in having him ascend the throne, which is why he gave them high position. Thus, they became quite influential and interfered in all State\u2019s affairs. Professor Doctor Hassan Khalifah writes, \u201cTurkish commanders started commanding the caliphs who could not breach any order!\u201d No sooner had al-Muntasir become caliph, than he deposed his brothers al-Mu\u2019taz and al-Mu\u2019ayad from the caliphate, as per his commanders mandate.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0So, al-Mu\u2019taz and al-Mu\u2019ayad brought him a memo in which they admitted their inability to manage the State\u2019s affairs and become caliphs. They disavowed people from their allegiance, after which they went to al-Muntasir and told him about it. Historian Bin al-Athir writes that after they had given al-Muntasir this note, he said (in the Turks\u2019 presence), \u201cDo you think I deposed you because I wish to live till my son grows up and I pledge allegiance to him? I swear I never wanted this! Had this been the issue, I would have wanted my cousins to succeed me. But they, (he indicated all his associates), pressed me to depose you. So, I feared lest anybody body kill you. What do you think I should do then? Kill them? I swear their blood wouldn\u2019t be enough to avenge you.\u201d These words show how influential the Turks were in the State\u2019s affairs, supporting whoever they wished, and deposing whoever they rejected.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Yet, al-Muntasir\u2019s tenure lasted for about six months only. He lived in complete distress, for he felt guilty for what his complicity in killing his father. Thus, he became so ill that he died. Historians disagree regarding the reason of his death. Some say he died by angina pectoris: for he could not breathe. Others say he had a tumor in his stomach which affected his heart. A third group says that he was poisoned by his physicians. There are many stories, in fact.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Though al-Muntasir\u2019s tenure was short, he is said to have been brave, just, and generous to his subjects. Also, he alleviated the tribulation the Alawites were through during his father\u2019s tenure, rebuilt al-Hussein\u2019s shrine and allowed visits to it. Yet, when he was appointed by his father proconsul of Egypt, he hated Copts. We already mentioned the mandates he issued against Copts at that time. Historian Alfred Moir writes, \u201cCaliph al-Muntasir was the first to make his tomb visible, for his predecessors wanted to be buried in tombs unknown to people lest they rummage them.\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0After his death, the caliphate was passed on to Abu al-Abbas Ahmed al-Musta\u2019in bellah.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Caliph Abu al-Abbas Ahmed al-Musta\u2019in bellah 248-252 Hijri (862-866 A.D.)<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0It came to pass that after al-Muntasir\u2019s death, the Turkish commanders and statesmen assembled. After several discussions, they agreed to depose al-Mutawakkil\u2019s two sons lest they avenge their father. So, they chose one of al-Mu\u2019tasim\u2019s grandsons, namely, Ahmed bin Mohammed bin al-Mu\u2019tasim, aka., al-Musta\u2019in bellah. He became caliph in 248 Hijri (862 A.D.) It is said that he was a make-believe caliph! He had no say. The true upper hand was his two commanders\u2019 Wassif and Bugha. So much so that one poet described him as follows:<\/span><\/h2>\n

The caliph is in a cage<\/span>
\na prisoner to Bugha and Wassif<\/span>
\nHe repeats what they say to him<\/span>
\njust like a parrot.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0During al-Musta\u2019in\u2019s tenure, his chief minister Atamesh had the upper hand in governance and finance, which infuriated many. So, they assembled under Wassif and Bugha and murdered him and his scribe and took his money and possessions. Then, al-Musta\u2019in appointed Abu Saleh bin Abdullah bin Mohammed who fled from young Bugha who wanted to kill him.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0The caliph was, from thence, never to appoint a chief minister. So, the commanders handled it and competed. In effect, envy and conspiracies spread. Then, a Bagher conspired to kill al-Musta\u2019in with Wassif and Bugha. When the caliph got to know, he had Bagher put to death, which infuriated his associates. So, they aroused riot, and al-Musta\u2019in got scared. So, he fled to Baghdad with Wassif and Bugha.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0These incidents occurred in 251 Hijri (865 A.D.) When the soldiers got to know of this, they marched to Baghdad and asked al-Musta\u2019in to return to Samarra, which he refused. So, they agreed to appoint a new caliph in his stead, and released al-Mu\u2019taz and al-Mu\u2019ayad, pledging allegiance to al-Mu\u2019taz as caliph, and al-Mu\u2019ayad heir apparent. Taghribirdi writes, \u201cAl-Musta\u2019in was in great turmoil because of killing Bagher who had killed al-Mutawakkil\u2019s. Turkish princes got tumultuous too, after which war broke out between al-Musta\u2019in and the Turks who continued pressing al-Musta\u2019in until they deposed him and released al-Mu\u2019taz bin al-Mutawakkil and his brother al-Mu\u2019ayad Ibrahim bin al-Mutawakkil from the dungeon and pledged allegiance to the former as caliph and his brother as heir apparent.\u201d Thus, there became two caliphs, al-Musta\u2019in in Baghdad and al-Mu\u2019taz in Samarra, only to start more conflicts and stories. Stories never end in Beautiful Egypt.<\/span><\/h2>\n

General Bishop<\/span>
\nHead of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center<\/span><\/h2>\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0In the previous article, we spoke of Pope Shenouda I, the fifty-fifth patriarch and his relationship with Egypt\u2019s tax-collector, Bin al-Mudabber who imposed heavy taxes on Egyptians, especially Copts. He was the first to build fortresses for monks to hide from raids. He continued to shepherd the congregation until his departure in 880 A.D. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":19638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[9710,6391,6389,9129,9455,682],"class_list":["post-50634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-al-muntasir-and-al-mustain","tag-almasry-alyoum","tag-beautiful-egypt","tag-9129","tag-9455","tag-682"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50634"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50634"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50634\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51073,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50634\/revisions\/51073"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}