Muhammad ibn Tahir

"He's feared. Respected. Dedicated to the rule of law, order."

―'Adil ibn Munsif describing Muhammad, 860s.

Abu'l-Abbas Muhammad ibn Abdallah ibn Tahir (Arabic: محمد بن عبدالله بن طاهر; c. 824 – 867) was the Governor of Baghdad, Mecca, and Medina and the chief of the Shurta from 851 until his death. His tenure coincided with a period of extreme instability in the history of the Abbasid Caliphate, known as the Anarchy at Samarra.

Biography

Early activities

Muhammad: "How old are you? Twenty? I was about your age when I came to this city. Righteous beyond reproach."

Basim: "What happened?"

Muhammad: "I grew up."

—Muhammad to Basim Ibn Ishaq, 860s.

Muhammad was born into the Tahirid family, a dynasty of affluential Persian nobles who served as governors of Khorasan from 821 to 873. Following in his relatives' footsteps, he rose to become Governor of Baghdad by 851, and was both feared and respected by the city's populace for his authority and dedication to the law and maintaining order.

In 862, during Muhammad's tenure as governor, al-Musta'in was appointed caliph by the Turkic military leaders. His cousin, the late al-Mutawakkil's son Abu 'Abdallah, challenged the claim and soon gathered civilian support, risking a civil war similar to the Fourth Fitna from a generation earlier.

Alliance with the Order

Basim: "The Order will see Baghdad burn, Governor! History will judge you for this."

Muhammad: "History can hang me for it! I'll leave this world knowing there is courage in compromise."

—Muhammad defending his actions to Basim, 860s.

Wishing to avert an armed conflict that would surely harm Baghdad, Muhammad negotiated a deal with the Order of the Ancients, who would use their influence to force Abu 'Abdallah to renounce his claim to the throne and end the crisis. In exchange, Muhammad surrendered the location of Alamut, the stronghold of the Order's sworn enemies, the Hidden Ones, and forced his cousin Abdallah ibn Tahir to remove the Tahirids' protection of the fortress, leaving the Hidden Ones vulnerable.

Wasif threatening Muhammad

Despite his deal with the Order, Muhammad still faced problems from Wasif al-Turki, the commander of the Caliphate's Turkic Army and, secretly, a member of the Order. Due to Wasif's bloodlust and unpredictable nature, the governor advised him to control himself, only to be threatened by him in response. Fortunately for Muhammad, Wasif was assassinated shortly after inside the Great Garrison, and the governor deduced this to be the work of the Hidden Ones.

Sometime later, as he returned to his office at the Shurta Headquarters, Muhammad was surprised to find the Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq inside. The governor initially assumed Basim had been sent by the Order, but quickly deduced he was actually the Hidden One who had killed Wasif. As Basim confronted Muhammad over his deal with the Order, the governor defended his actions, claiming he had restored peace to Baghdad and that he did not care about the conflict between the Hidden Ones and the Order.

Muhammad ordering Basim to leave

When a furious Basim threatened Muhammad with his Hidden Blade, the governor told him that if he wanted to save Alamut, he should turn the blade on his actual enemies. However, he refused to provide the Hidden One with the names of the Ancients who had approached him, knowing that he would be turning himself into a target of the Order. He then ordered Basim to leave, claiming he had work to do, and called upon the guards, forcing the Hidden One to flee the Shurta Headquarters.

Behind the scenes

Muhammad ibn Tahir is a historical character introduced in the 2023 video game Assassin's Creed: Mirage.

Gallery

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  Muhammad finding Basim inside his office
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  Basim threatening Muhammad

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Mirage (first appearance)
• Echoes of History (mentioned only)