Abbasid Caliphs as negotiators in a time of decline

This paper looks at communication between the caliphal court and various power player in the mid-4th/10th century, which is generally considered to mark the end of the Abbasid political power. At this time, military commanders and bureaucrats are appointed and dismissed quickly, and move up and down the Tigris, trying to gain control of key towns and districts. The caliphs are forced to en-gage in this fight, backing this or that commander and even leaving Baghdad, be it in flight or in pur-suit. The paper examines how the narrative sources portray different types of interaction as a means to illustrate how the reach and power of attraction of the caliphate decrease over this period.