The Chaliphate - Muir - The Search For Mecca

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A.D. 941-6] THE CALIPH A REFUGEE 573
the Turkish mercenaries again attacked Bagdad, on which A.H. 329-
Ibn Raik persuaded the Caliph to fly with him to Mosul. ^^
AlMuttaki was handsomely welcomed there by the Flies to
Hamdanid princes, who organised a campaign to restore
' ' ^ r s>
him to the Capital. Ikit their ends were purely selfish
^l*^*"'"
330 A.H.
and so, regarding Ibn Raik as in their way, the)' assassinated
him, and having added his Syrian government to their own,
turned their ambition towards l^agdad. .And thus it came
to pass that before the close of the year, the Hamdanid chief,
with the title of Nasir ad-Daula, advanced on Bagdad with
the Caliph in his train, and after driving out Al-Baridi,
entered it in state.
But however powerful the Hamdanid chiefs were at i.iamdrmid
home amongst their Arab brethren, and splendid tlieir i',""'"',
°
^hoit rule
Victories over the Greeks, they found it a different thing at Bagdad,
to rule at Bagdad. Arabs were no longer able to contend
with the wild elements that dominated there. The foreign
mercenaries, rank and file as well as leaders, had for long
years cast off subservience and respect for Arabian chiefs
and even in the field, the Arab soldiery, discountenanced
and cast aside, could nowhere hold their own against the
well-organised Turkish forces. And so in less than a year, Tazfm,
33i a.h.
the Hamdanid chieftains had to return to Mosul; for a
Turkish general called Tuzun,^ having beaten Al-Baridi at
Al-Basra, entered Bagdad in triumph, and was saluted Amir
al-Umara. But fresh proceedings against his enemy obliged
Tuzun to quit the Capital ;
and during his absence a conspiracy
broke out which placed the Caliph in danger, and
obliged him again to appeal to the Hamdanid prince for
help. Troops sent in response enabled him to escape ; he Muitaki
fled to Mosul and thence to Nasibin. Shortly after, peace
r'^^?'""*
'°
being restored between Tuzun and the I.lamdanid chiefs, Al- 332 a.h.
Muttaki took up his residence at Ar-Rakka,—a ^""^ ^'^'
wretched
fugitive in the city which had so
of his illustrious ancestors.
often been the proud Court
There, under the surveillance of a I.Iamdanid prince, Visited i.y
AI-Muttaki, who had now been many months a refugee from
'.'^j
I^hshihis
Capital, bethought him of the Ikhshidid, his former
governor of Egypt, and now its ruler. .Appealed to, the
Ikhshidid hastened to the Caliph, and offering splendid
'
By Weil, Turttu.