al-Nāṣir

al-Nāṣir (born 1158—died 1225) was the 34th ʿAbbāsid caliph (reigned 1180–1225), the last powerful ʿAbbāsid caliph before the destruction of the dynasty by the Mongols.

Al-Nāṣir devoted himself almost exclusively to restoring the former temporal power of the caliphate, turning his attention particularly to the east. In the west, Saladin was engaged in his struggles against the Crusaders, but al-Nāṣir sent him little aid in spite of repeated requests. In the east, however, al-Nāṣir was helped by the ongoing collapse of the Seljuq Turkish empire, giving him opportunities to expand his control. He fought the Turks, the Persians, and later the Mongols, unified and reorganized the futuwwāt (military and economic orders or organizations), and gained control over the system and thus enhanced the caliphate and his own power.