Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3372
The Year 248 AH
خَلْعِ الْمُعْتَزِّ وَالْمُؤَيَّدِ وَفِي لَيْلَةِ السَّبْتِ لِسَبْعٍ بَقِينَ مِنْ صَفَرٍ سَنَةُ ثَمَانٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ خُلِعَ الْمُعْتَزُّ وَالْمُؤَيَّدُ ابْنَا الْمُتَوَكِّلِ مِنْ وِلَايَةِ الْعَهْدِ، وَكَانَ سَبَبُ خَلْعِهِمَا أَنَّ الْمُنْتَصِرَ لَمَّا اسْتَقَامَتْ لَهُ الْأُمُورُ، قَالَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْخَطِيبِ لِوَصِيفٍ وَبُغَا: إِنَّا لَا نَأْمَنُ الْحِدْثَانَ، وَأَنْ يَمُوتَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، فَيَلِيَ الْمُعْتَزُّ الْخِلَافَةَ، فَيُبِيدَ خَضْرَاءَنَا، وَلَا يُبْقِي مِنَّا بَاقِيَةً، وَالْآنَ الرَّأْيُ أَنْ نَعْمَلَ فِي خَلْعِ الْمُعْتَزِّ وَالْمُؤَيَّدِ. فَجَدَّ الْأَتْرَاكُ فِي ذَلِكَ، وَأَلَحُّوا عَلَى الْمُنْتَصِرِ، وَقَالُوا: نَخْلَعُهُمَا مِنَ الْخِلَافَةِ، وَنُبَايِعُ لِابْنِكَ عَبْدِ الْوَهَّابِ، فَلَمْ يَزَالُوا بِهِ حَتَّى أَجَابَهُمْ، وَأَحْضَرَ الْمُعْتَزَّ وَالْمُؤَيَّدَ، بَعْدَ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا مِنْ خِلَافَتِهِ، وَجُعِلَا فِي دَارٍ، فَقَالَ الْمُعْتَزُّ لِلْمُؤَيَّدِ: يَا أَخِي، ( قَدْ أُحْضِرْنَا لِلْخَلْعِ )، فَقَالَ: لَا أَظُنُّ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ. فَبَيْنَمَا هَمَا كَذَلِكَ إِذْ جَاءَتِ الرُّسُلُ بِالْخَلْعِ، فَقَالَ الْمُؤَيَّدُ: السَّمْعُ وَالطَّاعَةُ، فَقَالَ الْمُعْتَزُّ: مَا كُنْتُ لِأَفْعَلَ، فَإِنْ أَرَدْتُمُ الْقَتْلَ فَشَأْنُكُمْ، فَأَعْلَمُوا الْمُنْتَصِرَ، ثُمَّ عَادُوا بِغِلْظَةٍ وَشِدَّةٍ، وَأَخَذُوا الْمُعْتَزَّ بِعُنْفٍ، وَأَدْخَلُوهُ بَيْتًا، وَأَغْلَقُوا عَلَيْهِ الْبَابَ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْمُؤَيَّدُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ لَهُمْ بِجُرْأَةٍ وَاستِطَالَةٍ: مَا هَذَا يَا كِلَابُ ؟ قَدْ ضَرَيْتُمْ عَلَى دِمَائِنَا، تَثِبُونَ عَلَى مَوْلَاكُمْ هَذَا الْوُثُوبَ، دَعُونِي وَإِيَّاهُ حَتَّى أُكَلِّمَهُ ! فَسَكَتُوا عَنْهُ، وَأَذِنُوا لَهُ فِي الِاجْتِمَاعِ بِهِ بَعْدَ إِذْنٍ مِنَ الْمُنْتَصِرِ بِذَلِكَ. فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ الْمُؤَيَّدُ، وَقَالَ: يَا جَاهِلُ تَرَاهُمْ نَالُوا مِنْ أَبِيكَ - وَهُوَ هُوَ - مَا نَالُوا، ثُمَّ تَمْتَنِعُ عَلَيْهِمْ ؟ اخْلَعْ وَيْلَكَ، لَا تُرَاجِعْهُمْ ! فَقَالَ: وَكَيْفَ أَخْلَعُ وَقَدْ جَرَى فِي الْآفَاقِ ؟ فَقَالَ: هَذَا الْأَمْرُ قَتَلَ أَبَاكَ، وَهُوَ يَقْتُلُكَ، وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي سَابِقِ عِلْمِ اللَّهِ أَنْ تَلِيَ لَتَلِيَنَّ. فَقَالَ: أَفْعَلُ. فَخَرَجَ الْمُؤَيَّدُ وَقَالَ: قَدْ أَجَابَ إِلَى الْخَلْعِ، فَمَضَوْا، وَأَعْلَمُوا الْمُنْتَصِرَ، وَعَادُوا فَشَكَرُوهُ، وَمَعَهُمْ كَاتِبٌ، فَجَلَسَ، فَقَالَ لِلْمُعْتَزِّ: اكْتُبْ بِخَطِّكَ خَلْعَكَ ! فَامْتَنَعَ، فَقَالَ الْمُؤَيَّدُ لِلْكَاتِبِ: هَاتِ قِرْطَاسَكَ ! أَمْلِلْ عَلَيَّ مَا شِئْتَ، فَأَمْلَى عَلَيْهِ كِتَابًا إِلَى الْمُنْتَصِرِ يُعْلِمُهُ فِيهِ ضَعْفَهُ عَنْ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ، وَأَنْ لَا يَحِلَّ لَهُ أَنْ يَتَقَلَّدَهُ، وَكَرِهَ أَنْ يَأْثَمَ الْمُتَوَكِّلُ بِسَبَبِهِ، إِذْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَوْضِعًا لَهُ، وَيَسْأَلُهُ الْخَلْعَ، وَيُعْلِمُهُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ خَلَعَ نَفْسَهَ، وَأَحَلَّ النَّاسَ مِنْ بَيْعَتِهِ، فَكَتَبَ ذَلِكَ، وَقَالَ لِلْمُعْتَزِّ: اكْتُبْ ! فَأَبَى، فَقَالَ: اكْتُبْ وَيْلَكَ ! [ فَكَتَبَ ] وَخَرَجَ الْكَاتِبُ عَنْهُمَا، ثُمَّ دَعَاهُمَا، فَدَخَلَا عَلَى الْمُنْتَصِرِ، فَأَجْلَسَهُمَا وَقَالَ: هَذَا كِتَابُكُمَا ؟ فَقَالَا: نَعَمْ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. فَقَالَ لَهُمَا، وَالْأَتْرَاكُ وُقُوفٌ: أَتُرَانِي خَلَعْتُكُمَا طَمَعًا فِي أَنْ أَعِيشَ حَتَّى يَكْبُرَ وَلَدِي وَأُبَايِعَ لَهُ ؟ وَاللَّهِ مَا طَمِعْتُ فِي ذَلِكَ ( سَاعَةً ) قَطُّ، وَإِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ [ لِي ] فِي ذَلِكَ طَمَعٌ فَوَاللَّهِ لَأَنْ يَلِيَهَا بَنُو أَبِي أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَلِيَهَا بَنُو عَمِّي، وَلَكِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ، وَأَوْمَأَ إِلَى سَائِرِ الْمَوَالِي مِمَّنْ هُوَ قَائِمٌ عِنْدَهُ وَقَاعِدٌ، أَلَحُّوا عَلَيَّ فِي خَلْعِكُمَا، فَخِفْتُ إِنْ لَمْ أَفْعَلْ أَنْ يَعْتَرِضَكُمَا بَعْضُهُمْ بِحَدِيدَةٍ فَيَأْتِيَ عَلَيْكُمَا، فَمَا تَرَيَانِي صَانِعًا [ إِذَنْ ] ؟ أَقْتُلُهُ ! فَوَاللَّهِ مَا تَفِي دِمَاؤُهُمْ كُلُّهُمْ بِدَمِ بَعْضِكُمْ، فَكَانَتْ إِجَابَتُهُمْ إِلَى مَا سَأَلُوا أَسْهَلَ عَلَيَّ. فَقَبَّلَا يَدَهُ وَضَمَّهُمَا، وَخَطَبَ بِذَلِكَ عَلَى رُءُوسِ الْأَشْهَادِ بِحَضْرَةِ الْقُوَّادِ، وَالْقُضَاةِ، وَأَعْيَانِ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ وَالنَّاسِ عَامَّةً، وَكَتَبَ بِذَلِكَ إِلَى الْآفَاقِ وَالْأَقَالِيمِ ; لِيَعْلَمُوا بِذَلِكَ وَيَخْطُبُوا لَهُ بِذَلِكَ عَلَى الْمَنَابِرِ، وَيَتَوَالَى عَلَى مَحَالِّ الْكِتَابَةِ وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ، فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَسْلُبَهُمَا الْمُلْكَ وَيَجْعَلَهُ فِي عَقِبِهِ، وَالْأَقْدَارُ تُكَذِّبُهُ وَتُخَالِفُهُ ; وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَسْتَكْمِلْ بَعْدَ قَتْلِ أَبِيهِ سِوَى سِتَّةِ أَشْهُرٍ، فَفِي أَوَاخِرِ صَفَرٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ عَرَضَتْ لَهُ عِلَّةٌ، كَانَ فِيهَا حَتْفُهُ.
Translation
✧ The Deposition of al-Muʿtazz and al-Muʾayyad On Saturday night, seven nights remaining of Ṣafar in the year two hundred and forty-eight, al-Muʿtazz and al-Muʾayyad, the two sons of al-Mutawakkil, were deposed from the succession. The reason for their deposition was that when affairs became settled for al-Muntaṣir, Aḥmad b. al-Khaṭīb said to Waṣīf and Bughā: "We do not feel safe from misfortunes, and from the death of the Commander of the Faithful, so that al-Muʿtazz would assume the caliphate and destroy our prosperity, leaving none of us remaining. Now the right opinion is that we should work to depose al-Muʿtazz and al-Muʾayyad." The Turks strove earnestly in that matter and pressed al-Muntaṣir, saying: "We shall depose them from the caliphate and give allegiance to your son ʿAbd al-Wahhāb." They persisted with him until he agreed. He summoned al-Muʿtazz and al-Muʾayyad after forty days of his caliphate, and they were placed in a house. Al-Muʿtazz said to al-Muʾayyad: "O my brother, we have been summoned for deposition." He said: "I do not think he will do that." While they were thus, messengers came with the deposition. Al-Muʾayyad said: "Hearing and obedience." Al-Muʿtazz said: "I will not do it. If you want killing, then that is your affair." They informed al-Muntaṣir, then returned with harshness and severity, seized al-Muʿtazz roughly, and brought him into a room, locking the door upon him. When al-Muʾayyad saw that, he said to them with boldness and vehemence: "What is this, you dogs? You have become ravenous for our blood. You leap upon your master in this fashion. Leave me with him until I speak to him!" They fell silent before him and permitted him to meet with him, after permission from al-Muntaṣir for that. Al-Muʾayyad entered upon him and said: "O ignorant one, you see that they inflicted upon your father—and he was who he was—what they inflicted, then you resist them? Depose, woe to you, do not argue with them!" He said: "How can I depose when it has already been proclaimed in the horizons?" He said: "This affair killed your father, and it will kill you. If it is in the prior knowledge of God that you should rule, you shall surely rule." He said: "I will do it." Al-Muʾayyad came out and said: "He has agreed to the deposition." They went and informed al-Muntaṣir, then returned and thanked him, and with them was a scribe. He sat down and said to al-Muʿtazz: "Write your deposition in your own hand!" He refused. Al-Muʾayyad said to the scribe: "Bring your paper! Dictate to me whatever you wish." He dictated to him a letter to al-Muntaṣir informing him of his weakness for this affair, and that it was not lawful for him to undertake it, and that he disliked that al-Mutawakkil should bear sin because of him, since he was not fit for it. He asked him for the deposition, and informed him that he had deposed himself and released the people from their allegiance to him. He wrote that, and said to al-Muʿtazz: "Write!" He refused. He said: "Write, woe to you!" [So he wrote] and the scribe left them. Then he summoned them, and they entered upon al-Muntaṣir. He seated them and said: "Is this your letter?" They said: "Yes, O Commander of the Faithful." He said to them, while the Turks were standing: "Do you think I deposed you out of desire that I might live until my son grows up and I give allegiance to him? By God, I never desired that for a single hour. And if I have no desire in that, then by God, that the sons of my father should hold it is dearer to me than that the sons of my uncle should hold it. But these—" and he gestured to the rest of the clients, those standing and sitting near him, "pressed me to depose you, and I feared that if I did not do so, one of them might assail you with a blade and bring about your end. What then do you think I would do? I would kill him! By God, all their blood would not equal the blood of some of you. Thus answering them to what they asked was easier for me." They kissed his hand and he embraced them. He gave a sermon about that before witnesses, in the presence of the commanders, the judges, the notables of Banū Hāshim, and the people generally. He wrote about that to the horizons and the provinces, so that they might know of it and preach for him on the pulpits, and so that it would be conveyed at the places of correspondence. God is predominant over His affair. Thus he wanted to strip them of kingship and place it in his own progeny, but the decrees belied him and opposed him. That is because he did not complete, after the killing of his father, more than six months. In the last days of Ṣafar of this year, an illness befell him in which was his death.
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