Fatimid Caliphate

Lore & Background

The Fatimid dynasty came to power as the leaders of Isma'ilism, a revolutionary Shi'a movement 'which was at the same time political and religious, philosophical and social,' and which originally proclaimed nothing less than the arrival of an Islamic messiah. The origins of that movement, and of the dynasty itself, are obscure prior to the late ninth century. The Fatimid rulers were Arab in origin, starting with its founder, the Isma'ili Shi'a caliph Abdallah al-Mahdi Billah. The caliphate's establishment was accomplished by Kutama Berbers from Little Kabylia, who converted to the Fatimid cause early and made up its original military forces. Between 902 and 909, the foundation of the Fatimid state was realised under the leadership of da'i (missionary) Abu Abdallah, who led Kutama tribal forces in establishing an Isma'ili state and then conquering Aghlabid Ifriqiya, thus paving the way for the establishment of the Caliphate. After the conquest, Abdallah al-Mahdi Billah was retrieved from his temporary residence in Sijilmasa, a remote Moroccan city at the edge of the Sahara, and then accepted as the Imam of the movement, becoming the first Caliph and the founder of the dynasty in 909.

Reader's Guide

The Fatimid Caliphate is significant as a major Shi'a Islamic empire that challenged the Abbasid Caliphate's authority and established a rival caliphate centered in Egypt. Its rulers claimed descent from Muhammad through Fatima and Ali, legitimizing their rule among Isma'ili communities. In 921, the city of al-Mahdiyya was established on the coast of modern-day Tunisia as the capital. In 948, the capital was shifted to al-Mansuriyya, near Kairouan, also in modern-day Tunisia. In 969, during the reign of al-Mu'izz, the Fatimids conquered Egypt, and in 973, the center of the caliphate was moved to the newly founded Fatimid capital of Cairo. Egypt became the political, cultural, and religious centre of the empire and it developed a new and 'indigenous Arabic culture'. After its initial conquests, the caliphate often allowed a degree of religious tolerance towards non-Shi'a sects of Islam, as well as to Jews and Christians. However, its leaders made little headway in persuading the Egyptian population to adopt its religious beliefs. 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. Political and ethnic factionalism within the army led to a civil war in the 1060s, which threatened the empire's survival. After a period of revival during the tenure of the vizier Badr al-Jamali, the Fatimid caliphate declined rapidly during the late eleventh and twelfth centuries. 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. In 1171, Saladin abolished the dynasty's rule and founded the Ayyubid dynasty, which incorporated the Levant and Egypt back into the nominal sphere of authority of the Abbasid Caliphate.

Did You Know?

• The Fatimid dynasty claimed descent from Muhammad's daughter Fatima and her husband Ali, the first Shi'a imam, hence the name 'Fatimid'.
• The first Fatimid caliph, Abdallah al-Mahdi Billah, was retrieved from Sijilmasa, a remote Moroccan city at the edge of the Sahara, after the conquest of Aghlabid Ifriqiya.
• The Fatimid capital was moved three times: al-Mahdiyya in 921, al-Mansuriyya in 948, and finally Cairo in 973.
• The Fatimid caliphate allowed a degree of religious tolerance towards non-Shi'a sects of Islam, as well as to Jews and Christians.
• In 1171, Saladin abolished the Fatimid dynasty's rule and founded the Ayyubid dynasty, bringing Egypt and the Levant back under the nominal authority of the Abbasid Caliphate.