2. Political Circumstances of His Imamate
The short periodof Imam al-‘Askari’simamate coincided with the ca-
liphate of Mu‘tazz, Muhtadi and Mu‘tamid.
Mu‘tazzisthesamecaliphduringwhosereignImam‘Alian-Naqiwas
martyred.MorethanseventymembersoftheHashimites werearrested
onhisordersandbroughtfromHijāztoSamarra.TheShi‘asweretruly
sufferingunderthetyrannyofMu‘tazz;butsoonhewasdeposedfrom
his caliphate by the Turkish troops.
Muhtadiassumedthepretenceofapiouscaliph,forbadethepresence
of femalesingersin the court andeven fixed atimeto hear the griev-
ancesofthe people.Butwhenitcametothe Shi‘asandtheirImam,he
wasnodifferentfromtheotherrulers.ImamHasanal-‘Askariwaseven
imprisoned for a short while during Muhtadi’s caliphate. But even
Muhtadi’srule wasendedbythe Turkish troopswho rebelled against
him and killed him.
Mu‘tamidledapromiscuouslifestyleandleftthemanagementofthe
statetohisbrotherMuwaffaq.AfterthedeathofMuwaffaq,thecontrol
ofthestatecameintothehandsofhisson,Mu‘tazidwhosucceededhis
uncle, Mu‘tamid, in the year 279 A.H.
Mu‘tamid’s reign was full of civil strife and tyranny; thousands of
peoplewerekilled,especiallythedescendantsofImam‘Ali(a.s.)whose
bodiesweremutilated.ImamHasanal-‘Askariwasputintheprisonof
Nahrir who used to mistreat the Imam in whatever way he could.