2019-08-29 Thu

Al Mustarshid Billah was the 29th Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad. He was a son and predecessor of Caliph Al Mustazhir, whom he succeeded in the year 1118 and ruled till his last breathed on 29th August 1135. Al-Mustarshid launched a military campaign against sultan Mas'ud of western Seljuq, who had obtained the title in Baghdad. The rival armies met near Hamadan: the caliph, deserted by his troops, was taken prisoner and pardoned on promising not to quit his palace anymore. Later, he was found murdered in his tent while reading the Quran.

Very few coins are of local sovereigns bearing the name of the 29th Caliph. One of them is gold Dinar issued by Ahmad Sanjar, ruler of the Great Seljuk. This coin was issued from Balkh and features the honeycomb-like structure on its reverse face. It is containing a minuscule inscription that includes the name and title of the calipha al-Mustarshid in 19 hexagons.

Image Source: Heritage Auctions