The reign of the founder of Cairo, the fourth Fatimid Imam-caliph al-Mu士izz li-D墨n All膩h (953鈥975 CE) marks a watershed in the transformation of the Fatimid state from a regional North African dynasty to an expansive Mediterranean empire. It was also under al-Mu士izz that articulations of the supreme authority of the Fatimid Ismaili imamate were written and disseminated across various regions of Fatimid influence.
The writings of Idr墨s 士Im膩d al-D墨n (d.1468 CE) provide a distinctive presentation of the Fatimid imamate from the perspective of the Ismaili 诲补士飞补Lit. ‘summons’, ‘mission’ or invitation to Islam. Amongst Shi’i Muslims, it was the invitation to adopt the cause of the Imamat. It also refers more specifically to the hierarchy of… itself. As the chief 诲腻士墨Lit. ‘summoner,’ a term for missionary amongst various Muslim communities, especially used among the Ismailis before and during the Fatimid period as well as in the Alamut period of Ismaili… of the Yemeni Tayyibi IsmailisAdherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Ja士far al-峁⒛乨iq (d. 765), as his successor., Idr墨s composed his monumental 士鲍测奴苍 al-akhb膩r wa fun膩n al-膩th膩r as a record of the Ismaili imamate from its inception to his own time. In doing so, Idris drew upon the rich repertoire of Ismaili and non-Ismaili sources that had been part of the corpus of the Fatimid literary tradition, many of which have subsequently been lost due to the vagaries of time and circumstance. As the only surviving medieval Ismaili work documenting the history of the Fatimid dynasty, the 士鲍测奴苍 al-akhb膩r is among its principal primary sources.
The Founder of Cairo provides the first annotated English translation of the extensive chapter on al-Mu士izz in the 士鲍测奴苍, which remains a vital yet relatively unknown Ismaili source. The introduction to this work not only outlines the salient features of al-Mu士izz鈥檚 reign but also examines Idris鈥 purpose and approach to historical writing.
In providing an insider鈥檚 account of the reign of one of the most influential rulers of the medieval Muslim world, this work will be of particular interest to students of Ismaili history and thought, medieval Mediterranean history and Muslim historiography.
Acknowledgements
Introduction
The Fatimid framework
The reign of al-Mu士izz li-D墨n All膩h
Representations of al-Mu士izz: al-Maqr墨z墨 and Idr墨s
Al-Mu士izz through the lens of the 士鲍测奴苍
Comparative approaches to Fatimid historiography
Note on the translation
Translation from Idr墨s 鈥業m膩d al-D墨n鈥檚 士鲍测奴苍 al-akhb膩r
1. Preamble
2. Al-Mu士izz and the cycles of the imamate
3. The virtues of al-Mu士izz according to his predecessors
4. The merits of al-Mu士izz li-D墨n All膩h for the imamate
5. Reports concerning al-Mu士izz鈥檚 inherited knowledge
6. The inherited knowledge of the Ahl al-Bayt
7. Additional reports on al-Mu士izz鈥檚 inherited knowledge
8. The transmission of the imamate
9. Al-Mu士izz鈥檚 sermon announcing al-Man峁Ｅ玶鈥檚 demise
10. Al-Mu士izz鈥檚 campaign in the Awr膩s mountains
11. Al-Q膩岣嵞 al-Nu士m膩n鈥檚 bond with the imams
12. Sessions of wisdom at the caliphal palace
13. The virtues of al-Q膩岣嵞 al-Nu士m膩n
14. Al-Nu士m膩n鈥檚 works on jurisprudence
15. The composition of the Da士膩示im al-Isl膩m
16. Motivation for al-Nu士m膩n鈥檚 other compositions
17. Additional works on jurisprudence
18. Historical works of al-Nu士m膩n and their purpose
19. Other works of al-Nu士m膩n
20. The virtues of Ja士far b. Man峁Ｅ玶 al-Yaman
21. Reports on the clemency and patience of al-Mu士izz
22. Reports on al-Mu士izz鈥檚 quest for knowledge
23. Reasons for enmity towards the imams
24. Naval encounters with the UmayyadsFirst major ruling Muslim dynasty that was based in Damascus (661-750).
25. Naval encounters with the Byzantines
26. Umayyad attempts to seek truce with al-Mu士izz
27. Al-Mu士izz dispatches Jawhar westwards
28. The revolts of Ibn W膩s奴l and A岣ad b. Bakr
29. The enlisting of the Kut膩ma
30. Victory over the Maghrib墨 contenders Ibn W膩s奴l and Ibn Bakr
31. Al-Mu士izz鈥檚 favourable treatment of the 岣sanids and praise for the Kut膩ma
32. Ibn H膩ni示鈥檚 praise of Jawhar鈥檚 capture of Ibn W膩s奴l and Ibn Bakr
33. Circumcision of the Fatimid princes
34. Account of the 诲补士飞补 in Sind
35. The Abbasid malaise
36. ByzantineThe late medieval Roman Empire which ruled large parts of Southern Europe and the Middle East from its capital Constantinople (present-day Istanbul), conquered by the Turks in 1453 CE. incursions into Crete
37. Al-Mu士izz鈥檚 invitation to the ruler of Egypt for the defence of Crete
38. Byzantine subjugation of Sayf al-Dawla
39. Al-Mu士izz鈥檚 letter to the 诲腻士墨 of Sind
40. The death of K膩f奴r al-Ikhsh墨d墨
41. Preparations for Jawhar鈥檚 march to Egypt
42. Jawdhar鈥檚 monetary contribution for the Egyptian expedition
43. Jawhar鈥檚 departure for Egypt
44. Ibn H膩ni示鈥檚 poem on Jawhar鈥檚 departure for Egypt
45. Jawhar鈥檚 march westwards
46. Jawhar鈥檚 issuance of the guarantee of safety
47. Skirmishes with the Ikhsh墨dids and K膩f奴rids
48. The re-issuance of the guarantee
49. Jawhar鈥檚 rule in Egypt and the founding of Cairo
50. The first Fatimid sermon in Egypt
51. Ibn H膩ni示鈥檚 poem about the conquest of Egypt
52. Celebration of 士峥檇 al-Fi峁璻 and 士峥檇 al-Na岣
53. Introduction of Ismaili law and rituals in Fatimid Egypt
54. Fatimid armies battle the Qar膩mi峁璦 in Egypt
55. Jawhar鈥檚 gift to al-Mu士izz li-D墨n All膩h
56. Revolt of Zunbur al-Ikhsh墨d墨
57. Ja士far b. Fal膩岣モ檚 expeditions in Syria
58. Appointment of 士Abd All膩h as the heir apparent
59. Al-Mu士izz sets out westwards at the head of an army
60. Al-Mu士izz鈥檚 defeat of Ibn Khazar鈥檚 rebellion
61. Ibn H膩ni示鈥檚 poem on the defeat of Ibn Khazar
62. Incursions of the Qar膩mi峁璦 into Syria and Egypt and the death of Ja士far b. Fal膩岣
63. Fatimid and Qarma峁 armies battle outside Cairo
64. Al-Mu士izz li-D墨n All膩h鈥檚 migration to Egypt
65. The demise of al-Ust膩dh Jawdhar
66. Al-Mu士izz鈥檚 arrival in Egypt
67. Al-Mu士izz establishes his authority in Egypt
68. Bulugg墨n b. Z墨r墨鈥檚 defeat of Mu岣mmad b. al-Khayr
69. Resumption of the Fatimid鈥換arma峁 conflict
70. Demise of Prince 士Abd All膩h
71. Appointment of al-士Az墨z bi鈥檒l膩h as the next imamIn general usage, a leader of prayers or religious leader. The Shi’i restrict the term to their spiritual leaders descended from 士Al墨 b. Ab墨 峁乴ib and the Prophet’s daughter, Fatima.
72. The demise of al-Mu士izz li-D墨n All膩h
Bibliography
Index
Shainool Jiwa is a specialist in Fatimid history and Head of Constituency Studies at The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London. She holds graduate degrees from McGill University and the University of Edinburgh, and has lectured at a number of academic institutions for over 25 years. Dr Jiwa has published several studies in the field of medieval Islamic history. Her previous publications include Towards a Shi士i Mediterranean Empire: Fatimid Egypt and the Founding of Cairo. The reign of the Imam-caliph al-Mu士izz from al-Maqr墨z墨鈥檚 Itti士膩岷 al-岣naf膩示 (London, 2009).