Both dynasties exchanged gifts and the succession of new Zirid rulers to the throne was officially sanctioned by the caliph in Cairo. [198] After the death of Caliph al-Mustansir, a succession crisis resulted in the breakaway of the Nizaris, who supported the claim of his oldest son Nizar, as opposed to the Musta'lis who supported the successful enthronement of al-Musta'li. [16] The reign of the second Fatimid imam-caliph, al-Qa'im, was dominated by the Kharijite rebellion of Abu Yazid. [100] Following another failed attempt by a Kutama general, Salman, to take Damascus, the Turkish ghulm Bultakn finally succeeded in occupying the city for the Fatimids in 983, demonstrating the value of this new force. Spanning a large area of North Africa, it ranged from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east. [17] In 1087, the old Fatimid capital of Mahdiya (in modern Tunisia) was sacked. [65] Construction of the new fortified palace city, al-Mahdiyya, began in 916. [185][186][183]:195 Unlike western European governments of the era, advancement in Fatimid state offices was more meritocratic than hereditary. This established a dynasty of viceroys, with the title of "amir", who ruled the region on behalf of the Fatimids. The population of Kairouan looted the abandoned palaces of Raqqada and resisted Ibn Abi al-Aghlab's calls to organise a last-ditch resistance. [210][211] Cairo can thus be considered the capital of Fatimid cultural production. [22][44][45], Prior to the Fatimid rise to power, a large part of the Maghreb including Ifriqiya was under the control of the Aghlabids, an Arab dynasty who ruled nominally on behalf the Abbasids but were de facto independent. [17] In addition to internal difficulties, the caliphate was weakened by the encroachment of the Seljuk Turks into Syria in the 1070s and the arrival of the Crusaders in the Levant in 1097. [204], Within the Christian communities, and especially among Copts, there emerged a relatively affluent class of notables who served as scribes or administrators in the Fatimid regime. [20] The caliphate's establishment was accomplished with Kutama Berbers from Little Kabylia, who converted to the Fatimid cause early and made up its original military forces. [215][213] Al-Azhar Mosque, which was also a center of learning and teaching known today as al-Azhar University, was named in honour of Fatimah (the daughter of Muhammad from whom the Fatimids claimed descent), who was called Az-Zahra (the brilliant). The Fatimids were a Shi'i Caliphate. The Imam-Caliph, as successor to the Prophet Muhammad, was both the political and religious leader. [48][49] Shortly after, the hostile Kutama tribes and the Arab lords of the nearby cities (Mila, Setif, and Bilizma) allied together to march against him, but he was able to move quickly and muster enough support from friendly Kutama to defeat them one by one before they were able to unite. Caliph al-Aziz accepted this situation for pragmatic reasons to maintain his own formal status as universal ruler. The large-scale Abbasid reaction it precipitated and the attention it brought on him, forced Abdallah to abandon Salamiya for Palestine, Egypt, and finally for the Maghreb, where the d' Abu Abdallah al-Shi'i had made great headway in converting the Kutama Berbers to the Isma'ili cause. The capture of Tubna was significant as it was the first major commercial center to come under Abu Abdallah's control. [201] It was also in this era that the followers of the Hanafi, Shafi'i, Hanbali, and Maliki schools were beginning to think of themselves collectively, to one extent or another, as Sunni, which undermined the universalism that the Shi'a Isma'ilis promoted. [155] Al-Afdal took then advantage of the crusader victory at Antioch to reconquer Jerusalem in August 1098, possibly to be in a better position in the negotiations with the crusaders. A vast collection of different luxury objects once existed within the caliph's palaces, but few examples of them have survived to the present day.[214]. The Fatimid Caliphate was ruled by the al-Ftimiyyn ( Arabic: ) dynasty from 5 January 909 to 1171. By the end of the Fatimid period (12th century), many Coptic Christians could no longer understand the Coptic language, and eventually its usage was reduced to a liturgical language. Historical sources of this period report extreme hunger and hardship in the city, even to the point of cannibalism. [16][197] Some of the da'is (missionaries) abroad sometimes came to Cairo and became important figures in the state, as with the example of al-Kirmani during al-Hakim's reign. The supporters of At-Tayyib became the Tayyibi Isma'ilis. [41] Various genealogies were later put forth by the Fatimids to justify this claim by proving their descent from Isma'il ibn Ja'far, but even in pro-Isma'ili sources, the succession and names of imams differ, while Sunni and Twelver sources of course reject any Fatimid descent from the Alids altogether and consider them impostors. [25] Among Shi'a, however, this belief became a core tenet of their faith, and was applied to several Shi'a leaders who were killed or died; their followers believed that they had gone into "occultation" (ghayba) and would return (or be resurrected) at the appointed time. In 1060 he began a campaign to conquer all of Yemen, capturing Aden and Zabid. He adopted the role of a traditional Islamic ruler at the head of this organization while remaining in frequent contact with Abdallah. [161] In 1124 he lost Tyre to the Crusaders. In 1062, the tentative balance between the different ethnic groups within the Fatimid army collapsed and they quarreled constantly or fought each other in the streets. [18][19], The Fatimid dynasty claimed descent from Fatimah, the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. [56] In early 907 another Aghlabid army marched eastwards again against Abu Abdallah, accompanied by Berber reinforcements from the Aurs Mountains. The third caliph, al-kim (996-1020), however, persecuted non-Muslims during the latter part of his reign. [148] The mosque, identified as a mashhad, was also a victory monument commemorating vizier Badr's restoration of order for al-Mustansir. 850862. From there, he began to build support for a new movement. [183]:198 The state also had influence on the church, as demonstrated by the transfer of the Coptic Patriarchate from Alexandria to Fustat (specifically what is now Old Cairo) during the patriarchate of Cyril II (10781092), due to the demands of Badr al-Jamali, who wished for the Coptic pope to stay close to the capital. Archaeological evidence suggests that there were more than 300 hammams built during this period in the city as well as numerous palaces. [16] Despite his policies against Christians and his demolition of the church in Jerusalem, al-Hakim maintained a ten-year truce with the Byzantines that began in 1001. Egyptian city of Cairo was made the capital. [206][205], Religious diversity notwithstanding, the spread of Arabic as the main language of the population had already progressed rapidly before the Fatimid period. [206][205] By 1100, however, a new position was established by Egyptian Jews in Fustat, known as the "Head of the Jews" or as the nagid. [146][183]:202 The Church of the Virgin, now known as the Hanging Church, became the new seat of the Patriarchate, along with an alternative church compound built on the upper floor of the St. Mercurius Church. The two forces finally clashed in the Battle of Ascalon in which al-Afdal was defeated. [183]:202[202], Jewish communities existed across the territories under Fatimid control and also enjoyed a degree of self-governance. Asian and African Studies, Volume 22. Jawhar took Sijilmasa in September or October 958 and then, with the help of Ziri, his forces took Fez in November 959. These two expeditions were led by Masala ibn Habus, who had been made governor of Tahert. Wealthy, cosmopolitan, and deeply influenced by Persian culture, the Abbasid caliphs invested heavily in reviving science and literature. [135] Declining resources accelerated the problems among the different ethnic factions, and outright civil war began, primarily between the Turks under Nasir al-Dawla ibn Hamdan, a scion of the Hamdanids of Aleppo, and Black African troops, while the Berbers shifted alliance between the two sides. Those who recognized al-Hafiz in Cairo were known as the al-Hafizi branch, but those who opposed this unusual succession and supported the succession of al-Tayyib were known as the al-Tayyibi branch. [107], Before leaving for Egypt, al-Mu'izz had installed Buluggin ibn Ziri, the son of Ziri bn Manad (who died in 971), as his viceroy in the Maghreb. [168][16] During this time, the fervor of the Isma'ili religious cause in Egypt had significantly faded, and political challenges to the caliph became more common. [48] This left much of the countryside under his control, while the major cities remained under Aghlabid control. [131][109] Fatimid suzerainty over Sicily also faded as the Muslim polity there fragmented and external attacks increased. ha-Mizrait ha-Yireelit, evrah (1988). Black Africans from the Sudan (upper Nile valley) were also recruited afterward. [73][108] In 978 the caliph also gave Tripolitania to Buluggin to govern, though Zirid authority there was later replaced by a local dynasty in 1001. Cognizant of this, the Fatimid authorities introduced Shi'a changes to religious rituals only gradually after Jawhar's conquest. This first victory brought Abu Abdallah and his Kutama troops valuable loot and attracted more support to the d''s cause. [184] As in other Islamic societies of the time, non-Muslims were classified as dhimmis, a term which implied both certain restrictions and certain liberties, though the practical circumstances of this status varied from context to context. Upon arriving in Mecca, he installed Abu Hashim Muhammad ibn Ja'far as the new sharif and custodian of the holy sites under the suzerainty of the Fatimids. [14], After the reigns of al-'Aziz and al-Hakim, the long reign of al-Mustansir entrenched a regime in which the caliph remained aloof from state affairs and viziers took on greater importance. Though the original Fatimid palace complex, including administrative buildings and royal residents, no longer exists, modern scholars can glean a good idea of the original structure based on the Mamluk-era account of al-Maqrz. [16], Badr made major reforms to the state, updating and simplifying the administration of Egypt. [75] He was accompanied by Ziri ibn Manad, the leader of the Zirids. [78] It was named al-Mansuriyya (also known as Sabra al-Mansuriyya) and became the new seat of the caliphate. In 1057, under pressure from the Banu Hilal invasions, the Zirids abandoned al-Manriyya for Mahdiyya and the city was devastated. Atsiz ibn Uwaq, a Turkmen of the Nawaki tribe,[143] conquered Jerusalem in 1073 and Damscus in 1076 before attempting to invade even Egypt itself. The internal disorder of the Caliphate attracted the attention and meddling of the Sunni Zengid ruler Nr ad-Dn, who was now in control of Damascus and a large part of Syria, and of the King of Jerusalem, Amalric I. Jerusalem Academic Press. The Crusaders had already forced Tala'i ibn Ruzzik to pay them a tribute in 1161 and had made an attempt to invade Egypt in 1162. [58] He spent the winter of 907908 with his army in al-Aribus (Roman-era Laribus, between present-day El Kef and Maktar), expecting an attack from the north. The site was pillaged over time. Fez and Sijilmasa were also captured in 921. It is during the Fatimid period, however, that Coptic religious culture began to be translated into Arabic. [55], Meanwhile, Ziyadat Allah III moved his court from Tunis to Raqqada, the palace-city near Kairouan, in response to the growing threat. In 1084, Al-Mustansir had Arwa designated a hujjah (a holy, pious lady), the highest rank in the Yemeni Da'wah. An indecisive battle subsequently occurred between the Aghalabid and Kutama armies near Dar Madyan (probably a site between Sbeitla and Kasserine), with neither side gaining the upper hand. The new capital was established in commemoration of the victory of al-Manr over the Khrijite rebel Ab Yazd at abra. [23] The origins of that movement, and of the dynasty itself, are obscure prior to the late ninth century. Cortese, Delia, "Fatimids", in Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God (2 vols. They were Shia Muslims, which make them unique among caliphs. [165] The coup did not last long, as Kutayft was assassinated in 1131 by al-Amir's followers in the Fatimid establishment. [100] The Fatimids began to recruit ghilmn much as the Abbasids had done before them. It was an Arab Shi'a dynasty It ruled the fourth and final Arab caliphate. This official in the Egyptian capital became recognized afterward as the head and representative of the Jewish community in its dealings with the Fatimid state. [citation needed], The Fatimids focused their military on the defence of the empire as threats presented, which they were able to repel. [16] In 912 al-Mahdi began looking for the site of a new capital along the Mediterranean shore. Ja'far chose to confront them in the desert in August 971, but his army was surrounded and defeated and Ja'far himself was killed. [22][65], The Fatimids also inherited the Aghlabid province of Sicily, which the Aghlabids had gradually conquered from the Byzantine Empire starting in 827. The Fatimids were adherents of Ismailism, a branch of Shia Islam, and the Seljuks were Sunni Muslims. Three of its monumental gates still survive today: Bab Zuweila, Bab al-Futuh, and Bab al-Nasr. The doctrine was kept secret from those who were not initiated. Al-Sadiq had appointed his son Isma'il ibn Ja'far as his successor, but Isma'il died before his father, and when al-Sadiq himself died in 765, the succession was left open. The Fatimids, Fatimid Caliphate or al-Ftimiyyn is the Shia dynasty that ruled much of North Africa from January 5, 910 to 1171 C.E. He accepted a pardon from the caliph and remained at the palace. The use of cash crops and the propagation of the flax trade allowed Fatimids to import other items from various parts of the world. 'the Mosque of the Armies'), was commissioned by Badr and completed in 1085 under the patronage of the caliph. The name of the Abbasid Caliph was inserted in the khutba. In the mid-10th century, the Byzantine Empire was ruled by Nikephoros II Phokas, who had destroyed the Muslim Emirate of Crete in 961 and conquered Tartus, Al-Masaisah, 'Ain Zarbah, among other areas, gaining complete control of Iraq and the Syrian borders, and earning the sobriquet "The Pale Death of the Saracens". View history. With the Fatimids, however, he proved less successful. [86] Ja'far's next step was to attack the Byzantines, who had captured Antioch and subjugated Aleppo in 969 (around the same time as Jawhar was arriving in Egypt), but he was forced to call off the advance in order to face a new threat from the east. AD 998 - The Fatimid Caliphate and the Byzantine Empire and Northern Europe Colin McEvedy's The Penguin Atlas of Medieval History, pg. A Kalbid relief force arriving by sea secured the expulsion of the Qarmatis from Egypt. The Fatimid dynasty witnessed the emergence of a number of women who spearheaded political action and exercised power. [80][81] Al-Mu'izz had given Jawhar specific instructions to carry out after the conquest, and one of his first actions was to found a new capital named al-Qhira (Cairo) in 969. [156] The next time both parties met was at Arqah in April 1099 where an impasse was reached in regard to the question of ownership over Jerusalem. [126] In 1015 he also suddenly halted the Isma'ili doctrinal lectures of the majlis al-ikma ("sessions of wisdom") which had taken place regularly inside the palace. In 967, he made peace with the Fatimids and turned to defend himself against their common enemy, OttoI, who had proclaimed himself Roman Emperor and had attacked Byzantine possessions in Italy. Nur al-Din sent his general, Asad al-Din Shirkuh, to seize Egypt and reinstall Shawar as vizier. [citation needed], Badr al-Jamali died in 1094 (along with Caliph al-Mustansir that same year) and his son Al-Afdal Shahanshah succeeded him in power as vizier. He then led his army west to Sijilmasa, whence he led Abdallah in triumph to Raqqada, which he entered on 15 January 910. [84] Christians in general and Copts in particular were persecuted by Al-Hakim;[187][188][189] the persecution of the Christians included closing and demolishing churches and forced conversion to Islam. [106] In 996 many of the ships were destroyed by a fire at al-Maqs, the port on the Nile near Fustat, further delaying the expedition. [147], The Juyushi Mosque (Arabic: , lit. [26], These traditions manifested themselves in the succession of the sixth imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq. Sunni Muslims were also increasingly appointed to high posts. They believed they were the descendants of Muhammad's daughter Fatima. [16] This was a serious departure from a central purpose of the Fatimid Imam-Caliphs, which was to combine these two functions in one person. [22][16], The new regime regarded its presence in Ifriqiya as only temporary: the real target was Baghdad, the capital of the Fatimids' Abbasid rivals. The Fatimids formally charged the ga'on of Jerusalem with responsibilities as representative of the community. [184] Traditionally, up until the late 11th century, the most powerful head of the Jewish community was the ga'on or leader of the yeshiva of Jerusalem, who appointed judges and other Jewish community officials across the region. [15] Political and ethnic factionalism within the army led to a civil war in the 1060s which threatened the empire's survival. [209], Cairo was established by the fourth Fatimid caliph, al-Mu'izz, in 359 AH/970 CE and remained the capital of the Fatimid caliphate for the duration of the dynasty. The Fatimids, a dynasty of Arab origin, [4] trace their ancestry to Muhammad's daughter Fatima and her husband 'Ali b. Abu Abdallah's forces were unable to resist this counterattack and after two defeats they evacuated Tazrut (which was largely unfortified) and fled to Ikjan, leaving Mila to be retaken. [100], Bajkr, based in Raqqa, made another unsuccessful attempt against Aleppo in 991 which resulted in his capture and execution. [87] A month later the Qarmati imam Hasan al-A'am led the army, with new reinforcements from Transjordan, into Egypt, seemingly without opposition. [96][97], In 975 the Byzantine emperor John Tzimisces retook most of Palestine and Syria, leaving only Tripoli in Fatimid control. Originally from Kairouan, they conquered Egypt by 974 (encountering more resistance from raiding Karmatians of eastern Arabia than the local Abbasid puppet dynasty) and founded the city of Cairo (969). [151][16] After al-Mustansir, the Caliphate passed on to al-Musta'li, and after his death in 1101 it passed to the 5-year-old al-Amir.