A Short History of the Fatimid KhalifateO'Leary, De Lacy
History
A Short History of the Fatimid Khalifate
O'Leary, De Lacy
Egypt -- History -- 640-1250; Egypt -- Kings and rulers; Fatimites -- History
In 418 when there was every prospect of a return to prosperity as the
result of an abundant Nile, the Khalif was able to make a satisfactory
treaty with the Greek Emperor, Constantine III. It was agreed that the
Fatimid Khalif should be prayed for in the _khutba_ in every mosque in
the Byzantine dominions, and permission was given for the restoration of
the mosque at Constantinople, which had been destroyed in retaliation for
the destruction of the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem; whilst,
on the other side, the Khalif agreed to permit the rebuilding of the
Church at Jerusalem. This freed the Khalifate from one source of anxiety.
At the time of az-Zahir’s accession the authority of the Fatimids was
hardly recognised in Syria, but this was soon altered by the ability
and enterprise of Anushtegin ad-Dizbiri, who was the governor of
Caesarea. His first important action was against Salih b. Mirdas, the
Arab chieftain who had taken Aleppo from Murtada and had now established
himself as an independent prince. In 420 Anushtakin met him at
al-Ochuwana, a village near Tiberias, and defeated and killed him. He had
next to deal with Hasan b. Mufarraj, who was once more in revolt. This
he did so effectually that Hasan was obliged to flee and take refuge
amongst the Greeks. It is worth noting that the old mischief maker,
Husayn al-Maghrabi, who had fled from Egypt in 400, ended a career of
great vicissitudes in 418. After the failure of the revolt under Hakim he
had gone to the court of the Daylamite prince Baha ad-Dawla, and stayed
with his wazir Fakhr al-Mulk. But the Khalif of Baghdad suspected him
of being a Fatimite spy, and ordered Fakhr to get rid of him. Fakhr,
however, pleaded on his behalf, and at length obtained the Khalif’s
favour for the fugitive who was kindly received in Baghdad.
During the latter part of az-Zahir’s reign Fatimid influence had become
supreme in Palestine and Syria, save only in the few northern districts
which remained subject to the Greek Empire. It seemed indeed to be the
triumph of the Fatimids, but the appearance was fallacious. The Fatimid
Empire in Asia was held together only by the genius of Anushtegin, who
was able to avail himself of the favourable conditions which preceded the
great Turkish storm, which was even then gathering in the east.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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