Al-Ta'i'

Abu Bakr ʿAbd al-Karīm ibn al-Faḍl, known by his regnal name al-Ṭāʾiʿ liʾllāh, was born in the year nine hundred thirty-two and ascended to the position of Abbasid caliph of Baghdad in nine hundred seventy-four. His reign, however, was overshadowed by the dominance of the Shi'a Buyid dynasty, which rendered him largely a figurehead, manipulated by the powerful Buyid emirs.

Al-Ta'i's rise to power was facilitated by a rebel Turkic general named Sabuktakin, who had deposed his father, al-Muti'. Throughout his tenure, which lasted until his deposition in nine hundred ninety-one, al-Ta'i' navigated a tumultuous political landscape marked by rivalries among Buyid rulers and the frequent shifting of control over Baghdad.

Despite moments of political independence, al-Ta'i' often found himself sidelined by stronger rulers. His status particularly deteriorated under Adud al-Dawla, who sought legitimacy through pre-Islamic Persian models, effectively reducing Iraq to a mere province governed from Fars. In a bid to secure alliances, al-Ta'i' was compelled to marry the daughters of influential emirs, further complicating his position.

Ultimately, al-Ta'i' was deposed on the twenty-second of November in nine hundred ninety-one by Baha al-Dawla, who replaced him with his cousin, al-Qadir. Following his deposition, al-Ta'i' spent the remainder of his life confined to the caliphal palace, passing away on the third of August in the year one thousand three.