The Foolishness of the Caliph Led to the Fall of Baghdad in 656 A.H.

 

The Foolishness of the Caliph Led to the Fall of Baghdad in 656 A.H.

Caliph Mustasim was the last Abbasid caliph in Baghdad. He was not wise and did not understand the danger around him. Because of his poor decisions, Baghdad fell to the Mongols in 656 A.H. (1258 CE) 

When the Mongol army, led by Hulegu Khan, first attacked, the Baghdad army fought them. The Mongol soldiers were also tired and injured. But instead of preparing for another attack, Caliph Mustasim felt happy and believed the danger was over. Like modern Muslim rulers, he was addicted to pleasures and underestimated his enemy. 

His minister, Ibn Alqami, did not tell him the truth. He secretly sent information to Hulegu Khan. Soon, news came that Hulegu had surrounded Baghdad with a huge army.

The common people of Baghdad tried to defend their city. For 50 days, they stopped the Mongols from entering. But some people inside the city contacted Hulegu and made agreements for their own safety. Ibn Alqami continued to send secret messages to the Mongols.

Finally, Ibn Alqami met Hulegu Khan and secured safety only for himself. He then told the caliph that Hulegu would allow him to rule Iraq if he surrendered peacefully. 

The foolish caliph believed him. He left the city with his sons and went to Hulegu’s camp. Hulegu ordered the caliph to call all government officials and scholars to come out of the city. When they came, they were killed one by one.

Then Hulegu told the caliph to order all citizens to leave the city without weapons. The foolish caliph obeyed. (His own own life was dearer to him than the lives of common Muslims.) When the people came out, the Mongols killed them. Hundreds of thousands of men, soldiers and nobles were killed. The streets and rivers were filled with dead bodies. The River Tigris turned red with blood.

The Mongols entered Baghdad and began a general massacre. Women and children were also killed. Only a few people survived by hiding.

On Friday in Safar 656 A.H., Hulegu entered Baghdad with the caliph. He sat in the caliph’s palace and demanded gifts. The caliph was so frightened that he could not even find the keys to his treasury. The Mongols broke the locks and took gold, money and precious jewels.

Hulegu asked the caliph why he had not used his wealth to protect his people and army. The caliph had no answer.

Later, Hulegu decided to kill Mustasim. Some advisers said his blood should not be spilled. So he was wrapped in a blanket and beaten until he died. His body was badly treated after his death. He met the fate he deserved.

The Mongols then destroyed the great library of Baghdad. Thousands of books were thrown into the River Tigris. The water turned black from the ink of the books. 

''Pasti ka koi had se guzarna dekhe

Islam ka gir kar na ubharna dekhe

Maane na kabhi ke mad hai har jazar ke baad

Darya ka hamare jo utarna dekhe''

(Let someone see how low decline can go.

Let him see Islam fall and not rise again.

He would never believe that after every low tide there comes a high tide,

If he sees our river flowing downward.)

The city was destroyed. Palaces were burned. It was one of the worst disasters in history. Many Muslims were killed. Baghdad stopped being the capital after this event.

Caliph Mustasim Billah was the last Abbasid caliph in Baghdad. After his death, there was no caliph for three and a half years.

The fall of Baghdad happened because of weak leadership, poor decisions and betrayal from within.

The Mongols destroyed Baghdad in 1258 and ruled parts of the Muslim world for many decades. In Iraq and Persia, the Mongol Ilkhanate ruled for about 80 years (1258–1335) and later many Mongol rulers accepted Islam. The exact number of Muslims killed by the Mongols is unknown, but historians estimate that across Central Asia, Persia and Iraq, the deaths may have been in the millions, though exact figures are debated.  

In addition, The Crusades lasted for about two centuries (1095–1291). During the Crusades, hundreds of thousands of Muslims were killed, though exact numbers are uncertain. Like the Mongol invasions, the Crusades caused great destruction and loss of life on all sides. 

The History of Islam, vol. 2, p. 585— –Maulana Akbar Shah Khan Najeebabadi