On Thursday, eight days before the end of the month of Muḥarram in this year, the caliph married Khadīja, the daughter of Chaghri, who was the brother of Ṭughril Bey. He gave Khadīja a dowry of 100,000 dinars. The marriage contract was attended by Amīr al-Mulk al-Kundūrī, vizier of Ṭughril Bey, the Alawites, Qāḍī al-Quḍāt al-Dāmighānī, Māwardī, and Raʾīs al-Ruʾasāʾ Ibn Maslama. When the month of Shaʿbān arrived, Raʾīs al-Ruʾasāʾ went to Ṭughril Bey and said: “The Commander of the Faithful says to you: The Exalted Allah has said: ‘Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due.’ (al-Nisāʾ, 58) and the Commander of the Faithful has ordered me to carry the trust to his precious palace.”
Ṭughril Bey replied, “I have heard your command and I obey.” The caliph’s mother also went to Ṭughril Bey’s mansion to bring the bride. She took the bride and brought her to the caliphal palace. Vizier ʿAmīd al-Mulk and the dignitaries of the entourage also served her. When they entered the palace, the vizier requested the caliph to show kindness and graciousness to his paternal aunt Khadīja (the bride). When the bride entered the presence, she kissed the ground before the caliph several times. The caliph drew her near and seated her beside him. He dressed her in precious garments and an adorned crown. The next day, he gifted her 100 silk garments, golden nose rings, and a golden bowl. This bowl was inlaid with jewels, rubies, and turquoise. He also granted her as iqṭāʿ several pieces of land from his own estates, with an annual income of 12,000 dinars, and other properties.
In this year, Sultan Ṭughril Bey repaired many parts of the ʿAḍūdiyya Palace. During the repairs, the people plundered the houses of the Turks and many places on the western side of Baghdad, taking the timber and selling it to bakers, cooks, and others.
In this year, a severe famine occurred in Baghdad. Everyone began to fear. Many places were looted. Following this famine, many deaths occurred. Many people died. They were buried without being washed or shrouded. Syrups and medicines for the sick could not be found, and most people faced death. The climate deteriorated. The air became foul.
Ibn al-Jawzī said: “This famine and plague were seen in Mecca, the Ḥijāz, Diyarbakır, Mosul, the land of Bakr, the lands of the Byzantines, Khurāsān, Jabal, and many places in the world. These words are found in Ibn al-Jawzī’s work al-Muntaẓam.”
According to a letter that arrived in Baghdad from Egypt this year, three thieves broke into some houses by making holes in the walls, but died while inside the house. In the morning, people saw that one of them was dead at the mouth of the hole in the wall, the second at the top of the stairs, and the third dead beside the bundles of clothes and fabrics he was about to take. The thief by the bundles of clothes and fabrics died before he could take the bundle.
In this year, Raʾīs al-Ruʾasāʾ ordered black flags to be raised in the district of Karkh. The people were disturbed by this. Raʾīs al-Ruʾasāʾ was greatly oppressing the Rāfiḍīs. The Rāfiḍīs were being defended by Ṭughril Bey’s vizier ʿAmīd al-Mulk al-Kundūrī.
In this year, one morning in Baghdad, a severe storm broke out. Dust clouds covered the sky. The world darkened, and people were forced to light lamps in the markets and other places at that time. Ibn al-Jawzī said: “On the twentieth day of the second ten days of the month of Jumādā al-Ākhira of this year, at dawn, a comet was seen. By visual estimation, its tail was ten cubits long and its width was about ten cubits. This star was seen in the sky until the middle of the month of Rajab, then it disappeared.
It is reported that such a star was also seen in the direction of Egypt, remained in the sky for quite a while, and the Egyptians delivered sermons and recited supplications to be delivered from it. Similarly, when it appeared in Baghdad, it remained in the sky for some time, and again sermons were delivered and supplications made to be delivered from it.”
In this year, the Rāfiḍīs were forbidden from saying “Ḥayya ʿalā khayr al-ʿamal” while calling the adhān. Their muʾadhdhins were ordered to say twice “al-ṣalātu khayrun min al-nawm” after “Ḥayya ʿalā al-falāḥ” in the morning adhān. It was ordered that the inscription “Muḥammad and ʿAlī are the best of mankind” written above the doors of their mosques be erased, and it was erased. From Bāb al-Baṣra to Bāb al-Karkh, the Rāfiḍīs’ reciters came and recited qaṣīdas praising the Companions (ṣaḥāba), because the Rāfiḍīs were no longer able to insult the Companions. Previously, the Būyids supported and reinforced them, but now the rule of the Būyids had ended and their state had collapsed. After them, the Seljuk Turks loved the People of the Sunnah (Ahl al-Sunna), supported the Sunnis, and exalted their honor. Allah is the Praised and the Thanked. This shall remain so forever.
Raʾīs al-Ruʾasāʾ ordered the killing of the Shaykh of the Rāfiḍīs, Abū ʿAbdullah b. Jalāb, because this shaykh was excessively defending Rāfiḍism. He was killed at the door of his shop. Abū Jaʿfar al-Ṭūsī also fled. His house was plundered.
In this year, may Allah curse him, al-Basāsīrī, together with Nūr al-Dawla Dubays, led a great army and came to Mosul. He fought with the ruler of Mosul, Quraysh. Kutalmish, cousin of Ṭughril Bey and ancestor of the rulers of Anatolia, assisted the ruler of Mosul. However, al-Basāsīrī defeated them both and seized the city by force. There, he had the khuṭba delivered in the name of the rulers of Egypt. He also released his secretary from prison. The secretary, thinking he would ingratiate himself, declared himself a Muslim. However, this did not benefit him, and he was killed. Similarly, in Kūfa, Wāsiṭ, and other cities, the khuṭba was delivered in the name of the rulers of Egypt. Ṭughril Bey decided to launch an expedition to Mosul to put an end to al-Basāsīrī’s actions. However, due to financial difficulties and severe inflation, the caliph tried to dissuade him from this, but he did not accept and set out for Mosul with a large army. His army included elephants and mangonels. Because his soldiers were numerous, they began to plunder villages and towns.
Sometimes, in the places they passed through, they violated the honor of people. The caliph wrote a letter to Ṭughril Bey, ordering him to desist from this action. In his reply, Ṭughril Bey stated that due to the large number of his soldiers, full authority could not be maintained, and he presented his excuse. In his dream, he saw the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), greeted him, but when the Messenger turned away from him, he asked, “O Messenger of God, why do you turn away from me?” The Messenger replied:
“Allah gives you dominion over lands, but you do not show mercy to His creatures, nor do you fear the majesty of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.”
Ṭughril Bey awoke in panic and ordered his vizier to call upon the soldiers to act justly so that they would not oppress anyone.
When he approached Mosul, he conquered several towns nearby, then went and conquered Mosul and handed it over to his brother Dāwūd. From there, he marched towards the lands of Bakr and conquered many places there.
In this year, in the Maghrib region, the state of the Murassimid was established. They said they would exalt Islam and raise the word of truth. They invaded Sijilmāsa, Sūs, and the places connected to them. They killed most of the people there. The first ruler of the Murassimid was Abū Bakr b. ʿUmar. He remained in Sijilmāsa until his death in the year 462 of the Hijra. After his death, his son Abū Naṣr Yūsuf b. Tafshīn succeeded him and took the title Amīr al-Muʾminīn. His authority grew strong and his fame was exalted in the Maghrib region.
In this year, the dhimmīs in Baghdad were ordered by the sultan to wear different clothes.
In this year, after the death of Ẓāhirat al-Dīn, a male child named Abū’l-Qāsim ʿAbdullah al-Muqtadī bi-Amrillah was born from one of his slave girls.
Again in this year, in Baghdad and other cities, the famine and the related reports of death that had continued from previous years increased and persisted. “Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.”
In this year, none of the Iraqis went on ḥajj.