Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates/Al-Mu'tadid/archive1

TFA blurb review
Al-Mu'tadid (854 or 861 – 5 April 902) was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 892 until his death. As a prince, he served under his father al-Muwaffaq during various military campaigns and helped suppress the Zanj Rebellion. As caliph, he restored to the Abbasid state some of the power it had lost during the turmoil of the previous decades. In a series of campaigns he recovered the provinces of Jazira, Thughur and Jibal, and effected a rapprochement with the Saffarids in the east and the Tulunids in the west. His reign reestablished Baghdad as the capital, where he engaged in major building projects. He was a firm supporter of Sunni traditionalist orthodoxy, but also of the learning and science that had flourished under his early 9th-century predecessors al-Ma'mun, al-Mu'tasim, and al-Wathiq. He could speak Greek, and promoted the careers of the philologist Ibn Durayd and Thabit ibn Qurra, a mathematician and translator of Greek texts.

Any thoughts or edits? - Dank (push to talk) 14:00, 12 April 2019 (UTC)


 * Hmmm, his financial acumen and cruelty need to be somehow mentioned IMO, and that his reign represented the last, and temporary, zenith of Abbasid power. Let's see:
 * Al-Mu'tadid (854 or 861 – 5 April 902) was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 892 until his death. As a prince, he served under his father al-Muwaffaq during various military campaigns and helped suppress the Zanj Rebellion. As caliph, aided by capable subordinates, he restored to the Abbasid state some of the power it had lost during the turmoils of the previous decades. In a series of campaigns he recovered the provinces of Jazira, Thughur and Jibal, and effected a rapprochement with the Saffarids in the east and the Tulunids in the west. He brought the capital back to Baghdad, where he engaged in major building projects. He was a firm supporter of Sunni traditionalist orthodoxy, and notorious for his fiscal stringency and cruel punishments, but also displayed an interest in the learning and science that had flourished under his early 9th-century predecessors, promoting the careers of men like Thabit ibn Qurra, a mathematician and translator of Greek texts. His reign represents the last flourishing of the Abbasid empire before its terminal decline during the 10th century.
 * How is this? (PS, thanks for the link to traditionalist theology (Islam), I'll incorporate this into the article right away. Constantine  ✍  14:27, 12 April 2019 (UTC)
 * Sure thing. 1108 characters ... 1025 is the max.


 * Hmmm, I did some removing and copyediting, now at 1017 characters:
 * Al-Mu'tadid (854 or 861 – 5 April 902) was the Abbasid Caliph from 15 October 892 until his death. As a prince, he served under his father al-Muwaffaq during various military campaigns and helped suppress the Zanj Rebellion. As caliph, he restored to the Abbasid state some of the power it had lost during the turmoils of the previous decades. In a series of campaigns he recovered the provinces of Jazira, Thughur and Jibal, and effected a rapprochement with the Saffarids in the east and the Tulunids in the west. He brought the capital back to Baghdad, where he engaged in major building projects. He was a firm supporter of Sunni traditionalist orthodoxy, and notorious for his fiscal stringency and cruel punishments, but also interested in the learning and science that had flourished under his predecessors, promoting men like Thabit ibn Qurra, a mathematician and translator of Greek texts. His reign marks the last revival of the Abbasid empire before its terminal decline during the 10th century.
 * Looks great. - Dank (push to talk) 17:33, 12 April 2019 (UTC)
 * Added "15 October" since it will be scheduled then. - Dank (push to talk) 02:35, 10 September 2019 (UTC)