Muzahim ibn Khaqan

Muzahim ibn Khaqan (Arabic: مزاحم بن خاقان‎; died 868) was a Turkish military commander in the service of the Abbasid Caliphate. He was appointed governor of Egypt in 867, and held that position until his death in the following year.

Muzahim was the son of Khaqan 'Urtuj and the brother of al-Fath ibn Khaqan, who were influential figures during the caliphates of al-Mu'tasim (r. 833–842) and al-Mutawakkil (r. 847–861), respectively. He first appears in 862, during the reign of al-Muntasir (r. 861–862), when he was appointed as a commander of Wasif's campaign against the Byzantines. Under al-Muntasir's successor al-Musta'in (r. 862–866), he led a Turkish army to quell a tribal uprising in Jordan after the local authorities proved incapable of defeating it themselves.

Following the outbreak of civil war in 865 between the rival caliphs al-Musta'in (in Baghdad) and al-Mu'tazz (in Samarra), Muzahim initially sided with the former and made his way from Raqqa to Baghdad, where he was received with honor. Over the next several months he participated in the defense of Baghdad and was at one point wounded when he was struck by an arrow.

In the summer of 865, with the civil war still ongoing, al-Musta'in dispatched Muzahim to secure al-Kufah, which had fallen to an 'Alid rebel. Muzahim defeated the rebels and forced the 'Alid to flee; he also ordered his troops to set fire to al-Kufah after encountering resistance within the city. After reporting news of his conquest, Muzahim received a letter from al-Mu'tazz, urging him to defect from al-Musta'in's side. After discussing the proposal, Muzahim and a number of his soldiers agreed to switch allegiances, and made their way to Samarra.

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