page_title: Al-Rashid Billah
section_title: Biography
hierarchical_section_title: Al-Rashid Billah / Biography
context_page_description: Abu Ja'far al-Mansur al-Rashid bi'llah ibn al-Mustarshid bi'llah was the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad from 1135 to 1136. He succeeded his father al-Mustarshid in the year 1135 as the thirtieth Abbasid caliph.
context_section_description: Like his father, al-Mustarshid, ar-Rashid made another failed attempt at independence from Seljuk Turks. To avenge his father's death, he insulted the envoy of sultan Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud who came to demand a heavy largess, incited the mob to plunder his palace, and then, supported by Zengi, who was equally hostile to the sultan because of the murder of Dubais ibn Sadaqah, set up a rival sultan. Mas'ud hastened to the rebellious capital and laid siege to it. Baghdad, well defended by the river and its canals, resisted the attack; but in the end the caliph and Zengi, hopeless of success, escaped to Mosul. The sultan's power restored, a council was held, the caliph deposed, and his uncle al-Muqtafi was appointed as the new caliph.
  Ar-Rashid fled to Isfahan where he was assassinated by a team of four Nizari Ismailis (Assassins) in June 1138. This was celebrated in Alamut for a week.
caption: Death of Ar-Rashid's father Al-Mustarshid bi-llah who was Assassinated in the year 1135 CE
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