The Fatimids: 1 - The Rise of a Muslim Empire (World of Islam)

Emerging from a period of long seclusion, in the year 909 the leader of the burgeoning community of Ismaili Shii Muslims was declared the first Fatimid Imam-caliph. Abd Allah al-Mahdi founded the only sustained Shii dynasty (9091171) to rule over substantial parts of the medieval Muslim world, rivalling both the Umayyads of Spain and the Abbasids. At its peak, the Fatimid Empire extended from the Atlantic shores of North Africa, across the southern Mediterranean and down both sides of the Red Sea, covering also Mecca and Medina. This accessible history, the first of two volumes, tells the story of the birth and expansion of the Fatimid Empire in the 10th century. Drawing upon recently available eyewitness accounts, Shainool Jiwa introduces the first four generations of Fatimid Imam-caliphs al-Mahdi, al-Qa'im, al-Mansur and al-Muizz as well as the people who served them and those they struggled against. Readers are taken on a journey through the Fatimid capitals of Qayrawan, Mahdiyya and Mansuriyya and on to the founding of Cairo. In this lively and comprehensive introduction, we discover various milestones in Fatimid history and the political and cultural achievements that continue to resonate today. I.B.Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies Emerging from a period of long seclusion, the leader of the burgeoning community of Ismaili Shi'i Muslims was declared the first Fatimid Imam-caliph in the year 909. Abd Allah al-Mahdi founded the only sustained Shi'i dynasty (909-1171) to rule over substantial parts of the medieval Muslim world, rivalling both the Umayyads of Spain and the Abbasids. At its peak, the Fatimid Empire extended from the Atlantic shores of North Africa, across the southern Mediterranean and down both sides of the Red Sea, covering also Mecca and Medina. This accessible history, the first of two volumes, tells the story of the birth and expansion of the Fatimid Empire in the 10th century. Drawing upon eyewitness accounts, Shainool Jiwa introduces the first four generations of Fatimid Imam-caliphs -- al-Mahdi, al-Qa'im, al-Mansur, and al-Mu'izz -- as well as the people who served them and those they struggled against. Readers are taken on a journey through the Fatimid capitals of Qayrawan, Mahdiyya, and Mansuriyya and on to the founding of Cairo. In this lively and comprehensive introduction, readers will discover various milestones in Fatimid history and the political and cultural achievements that continue to resonate today. Contents 5 Introduction 7 Chapter 1 The Origins 12 Chapter 2 Towards a Mediterranean Empire 38 Chapter 3 The Fatimid State in Transition 60 Chapter 4 The Making of an Empire 84 Chapter 5 The Fatimid Venture in Egypt 130 Glossary 142 Notes 147 Further Reading 150 Illustrations 152 Acknowledgements 154 Note on the Text 154 Index 155 Volume 1. The Rise Of A Muslim Empire Shainool Jiwa. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.