Al-Rashid Billah

Abu Ja'far al-Mansur ibn al-Faḍl al-Mustarshid bi'llah (Arabic: أبو جعفر المنصور بن الفضل المسترشد بالله; 1109 – 6 June 1138) usually known by his regnal name Al-Rashid bi'llah (Arabic: الراشد بالله) was the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad from 1135 to 1136. He succeeded his father al-Mustarshid in the year 1135. He ruled for just one year from 1135 up to his deposition on 17 August 1136 when the populace of Baghdad rose in revolt against him.

Biography

Al-Rashid bi'llah was the son of caliph Al-Mustarshid and his mother was one of Al-Mustarshid's concubines was called Khushf. She was from Iraq, and was the mother of his son Mansur, the future Caliph Al-Rashid Billah.¹ His full name was Mansur ibn al-Faḍl al-Mustarshid and his Kunya was Abu Jaʿfar. He was nominated as heir by his father al-Mustarshid. As a prince, he spend his life in magnificent city of Baghdad. His name was minted on coins of Baghdad also on Seljuq coins along with the Caliph. When his father was mysterious killed in 1135, he smoothly ascended to the throne.

After the defeat of his father, caliph al-Mustarshid against the Seljuks in the battle of Hamadan in June 1135, he was forced to pay an undisclosed sum of war reparations, disband his forces and promise to never campaign again.² His father, Al-Mustarshid was, however, murdered (Actually, Nizari Ismailis during Kiya Buzurg's time³ had created a list of the number of assassinations; the list include the caliph Al-Mustarshid, a prefect of Isfahan, a governor of Maragha, a prefect of Tabriz, and a Qadi of Qazvin.)³ shortly after and al-Rashid billah rejected to pay the reparations in October 1135, likely because they were excessive. When the envoys of the Seljuk ruler of , , insisted, al-Rashid had them ejected and was soon joined by commanders opposed to Mas'ud such as while the Seljuk palace in Bagdhad was plundered. On 22 November the khutba was changed from invoking the name of Great Sultan and Sultan Mas'ud’s to the name of . Though Zengi was able to defeat the advance guard of Mas'ud, he retreated to Mosul upon realising that the caliph's commanders were in negotiations with the sultan.