The Struggle for the Office of Amir al-Umara and Its Impact during the Second Abbasid Period (232–334 AH / 847–945 AD)

Suleiman, Awatif Ajaj

doi:10.32894/1992-1179.2026.169896.1366

	The Struggle for the Office of Amir al-Umara and Its Impact during the Second Abbasid Period (232–334 AH / 847–945 AD)
Kirkuk University Journal: Humanity Studies
Volume 21, Issue 2, June 2026, Pages 620-644 PDF (1.14 M)
Document Type: Research Paper
DOI: 10.32894/1992-1179.2026.169896.1366
Author
Awatif Ajaj Suleiman^*
Ministry of Education / Directorate of Education of Kirkuk Governorate / Institute of Fine Arts
Abstract
This study examines the phenomenon of competition for the position of Amir al-Umara during the Second Abbasid Era (232–334 AH / 847–945 AD), considering it one of the most significant indicators of the transformation in the structure of political authority and its direct repercussions on the fate of viziers and the stability of the state’s administrative system. The growing influence of military leaders, particularly the Turks, contributed to weakening the authority of the caliphate and turning the office of Amir al-Umara into the actual center of decision-making. Consequently, viziers were drawn into a continuous struggle between loyalty to the caliph and submission to the will of powerful military leaders. The study highlights how this competition resulted in repeated misfortunes for viziers, including dismissal, imprisonment, confiscation of property, and even execution, due to shifting balances of power and frequent coups within the Abbasid court. It further argues that these misfortunes were not isolated incidents but a political phenomenon rooted in the structure of governance itself, contributing to increasing instability and accelerating the decline of central authority.
Keywords
Political Conflict; De Facto Ruler; The Second Abbasid Period; Hegemony

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