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Al-Musta'sim

Type Figure Region Iraq Time 1213–1258 Also known as Abbas al-Musta'sim

Al-Musta'sim (1213–1258) was the last Abbasid caliph, acceding in Baghdad in 1242.…

Timeline

  1. 1251–1257Baghdad · MesopotamiaDuring Al-Musta'sim's reign the Abbasid caliphs had been reduced to a local religious symbol, and Hulegu's western campaign drew ever closer in the 1250s. In 1257 Hulegu sent a letter demanding submission and tribute; Al-Musta'sim, under the influence of his advisors, refused to yield, provoking a Mongol siege of the city.
  2. 1258Baghdad · MesopotamiaHulegu besieged the city in January 1258, and Baghdad fell on February 10. After surrendering, Al-Musta'sim was executed; according to sources such as Juvaini, his family and many citizens were also massacred. The thousand-year-old city suffered unprecedented destruction, and the Abbasid dynasty ended in Iraq.

Sources