Abu IshaQ Muhammad

He is Abu IshaQ Muhammad, the eighth Abbaside caliphate, who was born in 179 A.H and died in in Sammara on Rabbi Awal .

During the caliphate of his brother Al-Ma'mun, he was the ruler of the Levant and Egypt , Al-Mu'man loved him due to his courage. Thus, he appounted him as his successor.

Upon thedeath of Al-Mun, Abu Ishaq Muhammad was appointed an caliph and was called Al0Mutasem Billah.

Historians stated that he had storng physique and distinctive carouge. Also he favoured the Turkish soldiers due to his confidence in their military ability.

During his reign, the scientific boom which was started by Caliph Al-Mamun flourished, and he cose Samarra to be his capital and the headquarters of the Turkish armies. The historians render Al_Mu'taem's tendency towards the Turks to his mother's Turkish origin.

Al-Mu'tasem followed the footsteps of his brother in getting rid of internal revolutions, which broke out during his reign. He managed to eliminate the revolution of the Indians, which threatened the sttability of the state in the south of Iraq and succedded in eliminating it.

Then, another revolution brok  out, led by Amuhammad ibn Al-Qasim who was residing in Kufs. Then, he left it heading to Taleghan and Abdullah ibn Tahir, the ruler of Khorsan, confronted him and sent to him a great army. Battles broke out in Taleghan, which ended with the defeat ofMuhammad ibn Al-Qasim and his retreat to Core Khorasan in Lancia. However, the ruler captured him and sent him to Al-Mu'tasem who imprisoned him.

The Byzantine Emperor theophile explited the opportunity of Al-Mu'tasem's preoccupation with chasing those who revolted against him, and invaded the islamic borders and attacked Zaboutrh, which is the closeset Islamic fortified borderline state to the Byzantine State. He burnt and destroyed, killed its men, captured its women and children. Al- Mu'tasem got angry for this event as he liked the city as it was his mother's hometown.

Ibn Al-Athir mentioned that a Hashemite lady shouted saying

" O' Al-Mu'tasem" when she was captured by the Romans. When Al-Mu'tasem was informed with this, he swore to take revenge from the Romans and to detroy Amuriah, the birthplace of the father of the Byzantine emperor and the most important city in Minor Asia. Al-Mu'tasem gathered a huge army, as we  mentioned before, and led itself and he was helped by the senior leaders of his army like Haidar and others.

It is  mentioned that the name" Amuriah" was inscribed on the arms of every sodier in the army. Al-Mu'tasem went ahead with his army until he met the army of Theophile in