The Chaliphate - Muir - The Search For Mecca

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AL-MUSTAKFI [chap, lxxiv,
A.H. 329- presents with humble homage, bcsouoht him to return with
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him to Egypt, warning him at the same time to beware of
Tuzun. But neither he nor the I.Iamdanid princes had
other object in offering the CaHph an asylum, than by
possession of his person to gain a title to the contested
Deposed and province of Syria. And so Al-Muttaki, distrusting both,
blinded,
threw himself, the warning notwithstanding, into the hands
a!d.' of Tuzun, who swore with the most sacred oaths that he
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would render true and faithful service. Spite of it all, he
soon after deposed him from the Caliphate, and had his sight
destroyed.
Mustakfi. The same day, Tuzun installed the blinded Caliph's
brother as his successor, with the title of Al-Mustakfi, For
zvJiom the Lord siifficeth. The Buweihid columns beginning
now to hover about the Capital as vultures over their prey,
333 A.H. Tuzun, with the Caliph in his train, marched out to Wasit
945 A.D. ^,-j(^ discomfited them. The tribute due from Mosul being
withheld, and the treasury in straits, Tuzun, again carrying
the Caliph with him, marched against the Hamdanids
334 A.H. but, friendly relations re-established, he returned. Soon
after, Tuzun died, and was succeeded by Abu Ja'far, one
of his generals. Bagdad 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 and cats and even offal. Pillage and rapine rife,
the mob were driven by starvation to plunder the shops
of their remaining stores. Multitudes fled the city for
Al-Basra or elsewhere, dying in great numbers from want
and weakness by the way. Abu Ja'far at last, finding
himself unable to control affairs, besought the aid of Nasir
ad-Daula from Mosul ; even offering, if he would come,
to vacate in his favour the supreme command. But the
Hamdanid arms were at the moment engaged on one hand
with the Russians in Azerbljan, and on the other with
the Ikhshldids in Syria. Just then the governor of Wasit
surrendered that citadel to the chief of the Buweihids,
and joining him marched on Bagdad. Terror reigned
in the city. Abu Ja'far and the Caliph fled into hiding; but
relieved of the Turkish garrison, which to escape the
approaching conqueror evacuated the city and marched
off to Mosul, both reappeared. The Caliph then received,