The Story Of The Death Of Mosta'sim Billah, The Last Of The Abbaside
Khalifs, Is Told In Much The Same Way By Hayton, Ricold, Pachymeres, And
Joinville.
The memory of the last glorious old man must have failed him,
when he says the facts were related by some merchants who came to King
Lewis, when before Saiette (or Sidon), viz.
In 1253, for the capture of
Baghdad occurred five years later. Mar. Sanuto says melted gold was poured
down the Khalif's throat - a transfer, no doubt, from the old story of
Crassus and the Parthians. Contemporary Armenian historians assert that
Hulaku slew him with his own hand.
All that Rashiduddin says is: "The evening of Wednesday, the 14th of
Safar, 656 (20th February, 1258), the Khalif was put to death in the
village of Wakf, with his eldest son and five eunuchs who had never
quitted him." Later writers say that he was wrapt in a carpet and trodden
to death by horses.
[Cf. The Story of the Death of the last Abbaside Caliph, from the Vatican
MS. of Ibn-al-Furat, by G. le Strange (Jour. R. As. Soc., April, 1900,
pp. 293-300). This is the story of the death of the Khalif told by
Ibn-al-Furat (born in Cairo, 1335 A.D.):
"Then Hulagu gave command, and the Caliph was left a-hungering, until his
case was that of very great hunger, so that he called asking that somewhat
might be given him to eat. And the accursed Hulagu sent for a dish with
gold therein, and a dish with silver therein, and a dish with gems, and
ordered these all to be set before the Caliph al Musta'sim, saying to him,
'Eat these.' But the Caliph made answer, 'These be not fit for eating.'
Then said Hulagu: 'Since thou didst so well know that these be not fit for
eating, why didst thou make a store thereof? With part thereof thou
mightest have sent gifts to propitiate us, and with part thou shouldst
have raised an army to serve thee and defend thyself against us! And
Hulagu commanded them to take forth the Caliph and his son to a place
without the camp, and they were here bound and put into two great sacks,
being afterwards trampled under foot till they both died - the mercy of
Allah be upon them." - H. C.]
The foundation of the story, so widely received among the Christians, is
to be found also in the narrative of Nikbi (and Mirkhond), which is cited
by D'Obsson. When the Khalif surrendered, Hulaku put before him a plateful
of gold, and told him to eat it. "But one does not eat gold," said the
prisoner. "Why, then," replied the Tartar, "did you hoard it, instead of
expending it in keeping up an army? Why did you not meet me at the Oxus?"
The Khalif could only say, "Such was God's will!" "And that which has
befallen you was also God's will," said Hulaku.
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