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Al-Mansur

al-Mansur (714-775) was the Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate from 754 to 775, succeeding as-Saffah and preceding al-Mahdi

Biography[]

al-Mansur was the son of Muhammad ibn Ali. al-Mansur was related to Muhammad through his second great-grandfather Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle of Muhammad. al-Mansur became the second caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate after the death of his brother as-Saffah, and he consolidated the strength of the caliphate. In 769 he married Empress Keser of the Abbasid Empire, Empress Jamileh of the Abbasid Empire, and Empress Yasmin of the Abbasid Empire. During his reign, he succeeded in converting several previously-Shi'ite, Mazdaki, and Zoroastrian regions and people to Sunni Islam. On 28 March 769 he announced his decision to go on the Hajj, and his close ally Emir Uways of Midhhalbid Emirate served as regent. Sheikh Jahandar of Qwivir proceeded to rebel against him after he attempted to have him arrested for plotting against him, but al-Mansur continued his pilgrimage. He wore white ihram robes and shouted "Allahu akbar, allahu akbar, allahu akbar, Alhamdulillah" on each of the seven circuits around the Kaaba. On the ninth day in Mecca he performed the wuquf (repenting for sins) on Mount Arafat with the entire afternoon being contemplative vigils, praying, and Qur'an recitations. On 13 June 769 he returned to Baghdad, and he began his campaign against the rebellious Jahandar. He defeated Jahandar by 21 August, and he had Jahandar freed to prove his mercy, while he had his wife Shaykhah Hamdam of Qwivir executed as a punishment.

After crushing this revolt, al-Mansur invested some of his time in the arts, promoting historian Rashid al-Din Hamadani to become Court Poet and "Sheikh Rashid al-Din of Karbala" and receiving his help in composing the "Compendium of Chronicles". 

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