Al-Mutawakkil

Ja'far ibn Muḥammad ibn Hārūn al-Mutawakkil ʿalā Allāh (Arabic: جعفر بن محمد بن هارون, romanized: Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad ibn Hārūn); March 822 – 11 December 861, commonly known by his regnal nameal-Mutawwakil ala Allah (Arabic: المتوكل على الله, romanized: al-Mutawakkil ʿalā Allāh, lit.'He who relies on God'), was the tenth Abbasid caliph from 847 until his assassination in 861. He succeeded his brother, al-Wathiq (r. 842–847). He was deeply religious, and is remembered for discarding the Muʿtazila, ending the Mihna (a period of persecution of Islamic scholars), and releasing Ahmad ibn Hanbal. He is also known for his tough rule, especially with respect to non-Muslim subjects. The Caliphate reached its maximum extent during his reign.

Al-Mutawakkil relied on Turkic statesmen and slave soldiers to put down rebellions and lead battles against foreign empires, notably the Byzantines. His reliance on Turkic soldiers would come back to haunt him. Al-Mutawakkil would have his Turkic commander-in-chief killed. This, coupled with his extreme attitudes towards ShiaMuslims, made his popularity decline rapidly. He was assassinated on 11 December 861 by the Turkic guard with the support of his own son al-Muntasir, marking the beginning of the period of civil strife known as the Anarchy at Samarra.