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 Al-Musta'in 44 Al-Mutaa'zz please your holiness", answered Nasir-uddin. "Art thou of the asses, or of the oxen of Tus ?" said the khali'f (meaning the two principal branches of the Shia faith — • Akhharfs and Usuli's). Mortified as the illustrious refugee was at this inhospitable insult, he still submissively an- swered, " Of the oxen of Tus, please your highness." " Where, then, are thy horns", said the insolent buffoon. " I have them not with me", replied Nasir-uddin, " but, if your holiness permit, I will go and fetch them." " Make haste, hence, then, thou deformed animal", said the khali'f, " and never again appear in my presence in so imperfect a state !" Nasir-uddin kept his promise well, for, at the moment when Baghdad was on the point of being sur- rendered, and the khalif driven to the last extremity, he sent him a message to the effect that the ox of Tus was at the gate with /ii's horns, and inquiring, when it would please his holiness to receive him ? Nasir-uddin had in the city another old offender, whom he was anxious also to chastise. This was ibn Hajib, also one of the khalif's ministers, and a person of great reputation for his learn- ing ; but being an Arabian Sunnf, and a very bigoted one too, he had behaved still more cruelly than his master to the distressed Persian Shia when he sought protection at Baghdad. Ibn Hajib having been seized with depression of spirits, the physicians had recommended him (and the priests had granted him dispensation) to take, occasion- ally, a little wine. This happened when Nasir-uddin was at Baghdad. One day, ibn Hajib feeling himself particularly melancholy, and having, in consequence, taken a larger dose than usual, he became unusually merry, and requested Nasir-uddin to accompany him on the Tigris. Having reached the middle of the stream, he stopped the boat, and produced the several volumes of Nasir-uddin's works, which the learned refugee had presented to the khalif — some of them in the original manuscript, and not yet transcribed, and in the presence of their anxious au- thor, he threw them all, one after another, into the river, with such spiteful force, that the water was splashed about in every direction ; when turning himself, on each occasion, to his mortified guest, he exclaimed with a sarcastic smile of triumph, " How wonderfully it bubbles!" When the turn of Nasir-uddin came, he, too, gave full vent to his revenge. He ordered ibn Hajib to be cased up to his neck, in an ox's hide, just taken off the animal, and, having filled the skin with air, he laid it for a few hours in the sun, till it became quite dry, and sounded like a drum. Then the victor advanced close to his half exhausted enemy, gave him a kick of triumph, and, as he rolled on the ground, exclaimed, " How wonderfully it rattles !" This melancholy event took place on Sunday the 10th of February, 1258 A. D., 4th Safar, 656 A. H., from which time Baghdad was added to the other con- quered provinces of this proud emperor. Al-Mustaa'sim reigned 15 lunar years and 7 months. Al-Musta'in Billah, ^■^■'^^ ^J>*w«jt^ ^he son of Muham- mad, the son of al-Mo'tasim Billah was the twelfth khalif of the race of Abbas. Hp ascended the throne of Bagh- dad in 862 A. D., 248 A. H., after the death of his cousin or brother al-Mustanasar Billah, but was forced to abdi- cate the throne in 866 A. D., 252 A. H., by his brother al-M6'tiz Billah, who afterwards caused him to be private- ly murdered. Al-Mustakfl Billah, ^sSl^J]^ ^as the 22nd khalif of the Abbasido family, and the son of al-Muktafi the son of al-M6'tazid Billah. He succeeded his uncle al-Muttaki in 945 A. D., 333 A. H, reigned in Baghdad one year and four months, and was deposed by his wazir in 946 A. D., 334 A. H. After him al-Mutia' Billah was raised to the throne. Al-Miistansir Billali, Jl^ the son of Tahir, was the fifth khalif of Egypt of the Fiitimite race. He succeeded his father A. 13. 1036, and with the assistance of a Turk named Basasiri, conquered Baghdad and im- prisoned al-Kaem Billah about the year 1054 A. D., and for a year and half was acknowledged the only legitimate chief of all the Musalmans. Basasiri was defeated and killed by Tughral Beg A. D. 1059, 487 A. H. Vide Basasiri. Al-Mustanasar died in 1094, having reigned 60 years ; and was succeeded by his son al-Mustaa'li Billah Abiil Kasim. Al-Mustansir Billah I, *iJ'j^"-~Jt, the eleventh khalif of the race of Abbas, ascended the throne of Bagh- dad after the murder of his father al-Mutwakkil in De- cember 861 A. D., Shawwal, 247 A. H., and had reigned only six months, when he was cut off by the hand of death in 862 A. D., 248 A. H. He was succeeded by his cousin al-Musta'in Billah. AI-Mustansir Billah II, sumamed Abu Ja'far al-Mansur, ascended the throne of Baghdad after the death of his father al-Tahir, in 1226 A. D., 623 A. H. He was the 36th khalif of the house of Abb&s, reigned about 17 years, and died in 1242 A. D., 640 A. H., leaving his kingdom to his son al-Mustaa'sim Billah the last of the khalifs. AI-Mustanjid Billah, ^^i^^h, the thirty-second khalif of the race of Abbas, succeeded to the throne of Baghdad after the death of his father al-Muktafi, in 1160 A. D., 555 A. H., reigned 11 lunar j^ears and died in 1171 A. D., 566 A. H., when his son al-Mustazi succeeded him. Al-Mustarshid Billah, the twenty- ninth khalif of the Abbaside family, succeeded his father al-Mustazahr to the throne of Baghdad in 1118 A. D., 512 A. H. It is related by ibn Khallikan that when Sul- tan Masaud the son of Muhammad the son of Malikshah Saljuki was encamped outside of the town of Maragha in Azurbejan, al-Mustarashid was then with him, and on Thursday the 28th or according to ibn Mustaufi, the 14th or 28th Zil'kada 529 A. H. (corresponding with the 24th August or 7th September, 1135 A. D.) a band of assassins broke into the khalif's tent and murdered him. Al-Mus- tarashid reigned 17 lunar years and some months, and was succeeded by his son al-Eashid Billah. Al-Mustazhir Billah, j^'i^J]^ the son of al- Muktadi, was the twenty- eighth khalif of the dynasty of Abbas. He was placed on the throne of Baghdad after the death of his father in 1094 A. D., 487 A. H., by Bar- kyarak Saljuki, the Sultan of Persia. He reigned 25 lunar years and some months, and at his death which happened in the year 1118 A. D., 512 A, H., he waa succeeded by his son al-Mustarashid. Al-Mustazi Bi-amr-illah, '^y>k ^^-^a-^-Ji, the thirty- third khalif of the Abbaside family, succeeded his father al-Mustanjad to the throne of Baghdad in 1171 A. D., 666 A. H. He reig-ned about seven years and died in 1179 A. D., 575 A. H., when his son al-Nasir BiUah succeeded him. Al-Mutaa'zz Billah, the son of al-Mutwak- kil, was the thirteenth khalif of the race of Abbas. He deposed his brother al-Mustain in 866 A. D., 252 A. H., and having caused him to bo murdered privately, ascended the throne of Baghdad. He did not, however, long enjoy the dignity of which he had so iniquitously possessed himself, being deposed by the Turkish Militia (who now began to set up and depose khalifs as they pleased) in the year 869 A. D., 255 A. H. After his deposition, he was sent under an escort from Sarr Manrae to Baghdad, where he died of thirst and hunger, after a reign of three years and al)Out seven months. The fate of this khalif was pecuHiU'ly hard : the Turkish towns had mutinied for their pay ; and al-]Mutaazz not having money to satisfy their demands, applied to his mother named Kabiha for 50,000 dinars. This she refused, telling him that she had