Al-Mustamsik

Abū al-Ṣabr Yaʿqūb ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Mustamsik bi-'llāh (, 1441 – 29 March 1521), better known by his regnal name al-Mustamsik billah was the sixteenth and penultimate Abbasid caliph of Cairo under the tutelage of the Mamluk Sultanate. He reigned as caliph from 1497 to 1508, before abdicating the position to his son, al-Mutawakkil III. He was later brought back briefly in 1516 when his son was captured during the Second Ottoman-Mamluk war, essentially to enthrone the last Mamluk sultan, Tuman Bey II.

Early life Al-Mustamsik was born Sharaf al-Din Ya'qub in 1441 to the future caliph al-Mutawakkil II and his first-cousin, Amina, daughter of caliph al-Mustakfi II. This makes al-Mustamsik one of the only two Abbasid caliphs (and three overall) to have been descended from their dynasty both patrilineally and matrilineally (others being Umayyad caliph Yazid II and Abbasid caliph al-Amin). He had at least one older half-brother, al-Rukni Umar (d. 1508), born to an Abyssinian concubine. His succession was contested from the start as his cousin Khalil, son of Nasir al-Din Muhammad, disputed al-Mustamsik's ascent on account of his poor eyesight. However, both the Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qaitbay and other emirs defended al-Mustamsik on the grounds that his father held the caliphate and had named him successor. Enthroned as al-Adil Tumanbay, he received a public endorsement, like all Mamluk sultans, from the caliph.

Political situation soon changed when Tumanbay himself was overthrown by his mamluks, who put forward the reluctant veteran Qansuh al-Ghawri as the next sultan. In a formal ceremony in May 1501, al-Mustamsik and the four qadis presided over the official investiture of al-Ashraf Qansuh II.

Abdication For most of his reign, al-Mustamsik served as a pious participant at Qansuh's ceremonies and stayed clear of politics. His failing eyesight and possible illiteracy had set him apart from his father's scholarly reputation. His cousin Khalil, who had challenged his accession a decade ago, saw this as grounds for claiming the caliphal title for himself. In November 1508, he began an aggressive campaign and confronted al-Mustamsik during his monthly audience with Sultan Qansuh, declaring that his blindness invalidated his caliphate. Al-Mustamsik's son, Nasir al-Din Muhammad, came to his father's defense by turning the attack back on Khalil, arguing that Khalil had a speech impediment that would invalidate his recitation of Quran's al-Fatiha and thus, his prayers. When ordered to demonstrate his recitation on the spot by Sultan Qansuh, Khalil visibly struggled.

When proceedings resumed several days later, Khalil brought forth his claim to the caliphate based on the will of caliph al-Mutawakkil II, who had named his son al-Mustamsik and his brother Nasir al-Din Muhammad as heirs. Khalil emphasized that with Nasir al-Din Muhammad dead, he being his son was next in line. al-Mustamsik counter-argued that this Nasir al-Din Muhammad referred to his own son, who shared the same name. The qadis ultimately ruled in al-Mustamsik's favor, who then formally abdicated in favor of his son Muhammad, now called al-Mutawakkil (III) alallah. Khalil, failed in his campaign, left Cairo and exiled himself to the holy cities in Hejaz.

Retirement Al-Mustamsik was allowed to stay in Cairo after paying a ransom of 12,000 dinars to Qansuh, who saw a chance to financially extort the former caliph by otherwise threatening an exile. The sultan confiscated a significant portion of his estate by framing it as a repayment of a supposed debt the former caliph owed him. As he began marching to Syria to face the Ottoman army, Qansuh also ordered the caliph al-Mutawakkil III to accompany him.

Second Reign Qansuh's stagnating Mamluk sultanate could not bear the brunt of the Ottoman invasion, and in November 1516, he died fighting the Ottoman army at the battle of Marj Dabiq. Al-Mutawakkil III and other elites were captured by sultan Selim I. With Ottoman forces approaching Cairo, the Mamluk emirs persuaded the Qansuh's nephew and Egypt's caretaker, Tumanbay, to take the sultanate and continue the resistance against the Ottomans. Tradition required an Abbasid caliph to preside over a sultan's investiture, but with al-Mutawakkil III in Ottoman custody, the Mamluk emirs decided to bring al-Mustamsik out of retirement for the formal installation.

The surviving emirs and ulama of Cairo ratified al-Mustamsik's delegation of sultanic authority to al-Ashraf Tumanbay II as a deputy acting on the behalf of still-captive caliph al-Mutawakkil III. This investiture was the only major act the caliph did during his brief return, and after negotiations between Tumanbay II and Selim I broke down, the Ottoman sultan invaded and defeated Tumanbay's forces. The victorious sultan entered Cairo accompanied by the returning caliph al-Mutawakkil III on 26 January 1517. Tumanbay II himself was caught and executed a few months later on 13 April 1517, and Egypt was formally annexed by Selim I as an Ottoman province.

Final years and death Selim I's return to Constantinople was accompanied by the exile of several important figures, including al-Mutawakkil III. Ottomans also seized the family heirlooms in al-Mustamsik's custody, including the alleged sword of al-Musta'sim, the last Abbasid caliph of Baghdad. While several members of Abbasid family were taken to Constantinople, including the sons of Khalil, al-Mustamsik was left in peace due to his old age.

Al-Mustamsik spent the rest of his years in Cairo, losing his eyesight completely by the end, like his mother Amina. He died on 29 March 1521, and was buried near his parents close to the shrine of Sayyida Nafisa. where he lived till his own death in 1543.