The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire · Character
Mostasem, Caliph of Baghdad
Also known as Mostasem, Al-Musta'sim
- Supporting
- First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 281
The last temporal successor of the Prophet appears lost in the silken shadows of his harem, where seven hundred concubines create a world of whispered luxury. His embassies carry the weight of ancient authority, yet his arms seem strangely feeble against the coming storm.
- Gender
- male
- Age
- Adult at time of death
- First appears
- Book 1 · Ch. 281
- Books
- 1
Mostasem, the final Abbasid caliph of Baghdad, ruled from within a harem of seven hundred concubines, embodying the temporal successors of Mahomet. When the Mongol invasion came, he met it with feeble arms and haughty embassies, ultimately pronounced dead by Holagou, marking the end of the Abbasid caliphate.
Description
A middle-aged man of Middle Eastern descent with olive skin and dark hair, Mostasem wears the ornate robes of an Abbasid caliph in gold and green silk. His jeweled turban and scepter mark his authority, though his presence suggests someone more accustomed to the harem than the battlefield.
Story so far
BOOK 1The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire / Table of Contents with links in the HTML file to the two Project Gutenberg editions (12 volumes)
Appearances
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