THE FATIMITE DYNASTY OF EGYPT (908-1171 A.D.)

F1atimites claim descent from Mohammed through his daughter Fatima wife of Ali, although their title to this claim is disputed. First to claim power is

2908 =Obaid Allah=, a pontiff of the Ismailian sect, who is proclaimed Al-Mahdi. Displaces Aglabites in Kairwan. Makes his capital at Mahdiya, on the coast, to be safe from Berbers and to establish strong sea power. Fatimites oppose Aglabite emirs in Sicily.

3916 Fatimite and Aglabite contentions in Sicily enable Latins and Italians, in alliance with Byzantines, to drive Saracens out of Italy.

4917 Akhmed, Aglabite emir of Sicily, defeated at sea. Fatimites control Sicily. They attack Liguria, and take Genoa; attack Omayyads by sea--also come in contact with Omayyads on land.

5924 Fatimites conquer Fez, capital of Edrisites. Northern Africa, with exception of Egypt, under Fatimite rule; Omayyads kept out during life-time of Obaid Allah. When Fatimite capital is removed to Cairo, Jusuf b. Zairi is left as governor in this region. His descendants become independent, and rule until displaced by Almoravids.

6936 Death of Obaid Allah, succeeded by his son =Abul-Kasim=, who had conquered Alexandria in 919, but was soon driven out again.

7945 =Al-Mansur= succeeds his father Abul-Kasim; makes friends with Arabian Shiites in Hedjaz and Yemen.

8953 =Muiz ad-Din= succeeds Al-Mansur.

9969 Sends army under Jauhar against Egypt; enters Fostat. Becomes first Fatimite caliph in Egypt. Hedjaz and Yemen acknowledge his supremacy. Syria also added to his dominions.

10972 Fatimites found New Cairo. Great mosque Al-Azhar built, university of Egypt, still filled with students from all parts of the Mohammedan world. Soon after, Fatimite fleet meets Byzantine off Damascus, but no battle is fought.

11973 Caliph sends embassy to Otto the Great. Egypt invaded by Hassan, who is defeated.

12975 Death of Muiz, succeeded by his son =Al-Aziz=. Jaufar sent against Iftikir, Turkish chief in Damascus; is defeated, but Iftikir afterwards conquered by Aziz at Ramla.

13981 Fatimites take Damascus.

14982 Battle between Fatimites and Otto II in Calabria. Emperor defeated.

15996 Death of Aziz, succeeded by his son =Al-Hakim=.

161006 Hisham, an Omayyad prince of Spain, invades Egypt; at first successful, afterwards captured and put to death by caliph.

171010 Hakim destroys Christian churches in Syria. Founds sect of Druses. Is murdered by his sister, who becomes regent, in

181021 for his son =Dhahir=. Dhahir makes treaty with Byzantine Romanus Argyrus, permitting him to rebuild church in Jerusalem. From Dhahir’s reign dates decline of Fatimite power in Syria.

191023 Aleppo taken by Salih ben Mardas, and Ramla by Hassan of the tribe of Tai.

201036 =Mustansir Abu Temim= succeeds to caliphate. Aleppo retaken and Syria conquered.

211058 Fatimite caliph publicly recognised caliph in Baghdad by Buyids. About this time occurs persecution of Christians in Alexandria.

221060 Beginning of Norman conquest in Sicily.

231061 Commencement of struggle between blacks and Turks in Egypt.

241069 Great famine in Egypt, followed by pestilence. Nasir ad-Daulah (Turk) conquers caliph, who is only nominal ruler thereafter till death of Nasir (1072).

251071 Aleppo recognises Alp Arslan. All Syria taken by Turkomans.

261072 Assassination of Nasir. Gemali, general and governor of Damascus, recalled.

271076 Egypt invaded by Turkomans, Kurds, and Arabs, under Aksis; routed in second battle by Gemali.

281086 Mahdiya captured and burned by Pisans and Genoese.

291090 Last Sicilian town surrenders to Normans.

301094 Death of Mustansir, succeeded by his son =Mustali Abul-Kasim=. Government in hands of Afdal, son of Gemali. In his reign occurs First Crusade.

311098 Jerusalem, taken by Afdal from Turks, a few months later yields to crusaders.

321099 Fatimite army under Afdal defeated at Askalon.

331101 Death of Mustali, succeeded by his son =Emir=, aged five years. Country governed by Afdal until Emir reaches majority, when he puts Afdal to death. Baldwin takes Ptolemais.

341104 Baldwin takes Tripolis.

351129 Emir put to death by partisans of Afdal, whose son Abu Ali Akhmed usurps government, making =Hafidh=, grandson of Mustansir, nominal caliph.

361149 =Dhafir=, son of Hafidh, succeeds to caliphate. After short reign, on account of his licentiousness is in

371154 assassinated by his vizir. Succeeded by =Al-Faïz=, only five years old. Reign filled with contentions of rival vizirs.

381160 Death of Faïz, succeeded by =Adid=, grandson of Hafidh, and last of Fatimite caliphs. Contentions of vizirs continue.

391162 Adil, son of Adid, dispossesses Shawir of his government in Upper Egypt. Shawir marches against Adil, kills him, and makes himself vizir in his place. Is put to flight by Al-Dirgham, and takes refuge with Nur ad-Din.

401163 Nur ad-Din sends army under Shirkuh to reinstate Shawir. Dirgham defeated, and Shawir restored. He soon throws off allegiance to Nur ad-Din, and allies himself with crusaders. Shirkuh withdraws.

411165 Nur ad-Din again sends Shirkuh to Egypt with a great army, accompanied by Saladin. Battle at Al-Babain, victory of invaders. Alexandria falls into their hands. Crusaders oppose them; Adid beseeches aid from Nur ad-Din. Shirkuh sent again. Shirkuh and Saladin enter Cairo. Shirkuh appointed vizir by Adid; on his death, succeeded

421169 by Saladin as vizir.

431171 Adid’s name suppressed in prayers, by order of Nur ad-Din. Adid dies without knowing of his degradation.