Bajkam

Abū al-Husayn Bajkam al-Mākānī, referred to as Bajkam, Badjkam or Bachkam (from Bäčkäm, a Persian and Turkish word meaning a horse- or yak-tail, is a Turkish military commander and official of the Abbasid Caliphate.

A former ghulam of the Ziyarid dynasty, Bajkam enters Abbasid service following the assassination of the Ziyarid ruler Mardavij in 935.

During his five-year tenure at the Caliphate's court at Baghdad, he is granted the title of amir al-umara, increasing his influence over the Caliphs al-Radi and al-Muttaqi and giving him absolute power over their domains.

Bajkam is challenged throughout his rule by various opponents, including his predecessor as amir al-umara, Ibn Ra'iq, the Basra-based Baridis, and the Buyids of Iran; he succeeds in retaining control.

He is murdered by a party of Kurds during a hunting excursion in 941, shortly after the accession of al-Muttaqi as Caliph.

Bajkam is known both for his firm rule and for his patronage of Baghdad intellectuals, who respect and in some cases befriend him.

His death leads to a void in central power, resulting in a brief period of instability and fighting in Baghdad.

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