Abu Mansur Mohammad, the 19th caliph of the Abbasid dynasty

Compiled by: Syed Ali Shahbaz
On 28th of the Islamic month of Shawwal in 320 AH, the 34-year old Abu Mansur Mohammad was installed as the 19th caliph of the usurper Abbasid dynasty in Baghdad with the title al-Qaher-Billah by the Turkic slave-guards, who a day earlier had killed his step-brother, Muqtadir-Billah after a depraved 25-year reign spent in wine, women, music, and singing. He turned out to be more inefficient and cruel than his predecessor.
He had his young nephew (a son of Muqtadir) walled up alive, and tortured to death his own step-mother (mother of Muqtadir) in such a cruel manner that she was hanged from her legs with her urine dripping on her face. His tyranny made the Turkic guard resolved to remove him after a reign of a year-and-a-half. At night when the caliph was as usual heavily drunk with wine, they burst into his chamber, and when he refused to abdicate, they blinded his eyes, threw him into prison, and set up his nephew, Raadhi (son of Muqtadir) as the new caliph. Eleven years later and after two more caliphs were deposed, he was freed, and till his death some 8 years later at the age of 54, he was often seen in rags and wooden sandals begging for alms on the streets and at the mosques of Baghdad – a sharp contrast to his bombastic title: "al-Qaher-Billah" (Victorious by the Will of God).