al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah
| al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah المعز لدين الله | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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al-Mansur bi-Nasr Allah | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Successor | al-Aziz Billah | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 26 September 931 Mahdia Tunisia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 21 December 975 (aged 44) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Durzan | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Abu Tamim Ma'ad al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah ( 14th Ismaili imam, reigning from 953 to 975. It was during his caliphate that the center of power of the Fatimid dynasty was moved from Ifriqiya (modern Tunisia) to Egypt. The Fatimids founded the city of Cairo (al-Qāhirah, "the Victorious") in 969 as the new capital of the Fatimid Caliphate in Egypt.[1]
Political careerAfter the Fatimids, under the third caliph, Umayyads of Spain. At the same time, Fatimid raids on Italy enabled naval superiority in the Western Mediterranean to be affirmed, at the expense of Byzantium , even capturing Sicily for a period of time.
The way to Egypt was then clear for the Fatimids, the more so given the state of crisis that the incumbent Al-Aziz (975–996).
Cultural achievementsAl-Mu'izz was renowned for his tolerance of other religions, and was popular among his Jewish and Christian subjects. He is also credited for having commissioned the invention of the first al-Nu'man al-Tamimi (d. 974) in his Kitāb al-Majālis wa 'l-musayarāt, al-Mu'izz commissioned the construction of the pen instructing:[2]
Fatimid literature rose to a degree of prominence in the period of al-Mu'izz with the emergence of skilled poets like Ibn Hani, who was often compared to al-Mutanabbi, and hailed as the Mutanabbi of the West. Da'a'im al-Islam, the canon law of the Fatimid Caliphate, was completed under al-Mu'izz.[3]
Relationship with Coptic ChristiansCoptic Christians were allowed a large degree of freedom under al-Mu'izz.[4] Copts were among those appointed to the highest offices of the empire and were allowed to freely practice their religion.[5] Under Al-Mu'izz, the viceroy of Syria was Quzman Ibn Nima, a Copt who remained a Christian.[6] The Nayrouz festival, the celebration of the Coptic New Year, was permitted, though prohibitions on some of the activities, such as fire illumination and water splashing, were instituted.[7]
The relationship between al-Mu'izz and the Copts of Egypt has been the subject of a number of legends written later by Coptic Christians. One such legend involves al-Mu'izz challenging Severus Ibn al-Muqaffa.[6]
Later Coptic sources would further claim that this miracle led al-Mu'izz to convert to Christianity, and that he was baptized at the church of Saint Mercurius in Cairo in a baptismal font that continues to exist to this day, known today as the "Sultan's Baptistry".[6][8][9][10][11] According to this legend al-Mu'izz abdicated the throne in favor of his son, and spent the rest of his life in a monastery. This story is rejected by Muslim historians such as Ahmad Zaki Pasha and Muhammad Abdullah Enan.[6] FamilySources differ on al-Mu'izz's consorts. According to one version, he married a cousin of his, who gave him two sons, including his successor al-Aziz.[12] Other sources report that his main consort (al-Sayyida al-Mu'iziyya), and mother of al-Aziz, was a slave-girl (jarya) from Mahdia named Durzan, who due to her beautiful singing voice (although this may simply reflect a common stereotype about jaryas) was nicknamed taghrīd ("twittering").[13] Al-Mu'izz had several other sons, but two are known by name: Tamim and Abdallah, who was the designated heir-apparent but died before his father.[14] He also had seven daughters, of whom three are known with some detail: Sitt al-Malik, Rashida, and Abda. The last two died in their nineties in 1050, leaving behind enormous fortunes.[15] See also
Notes
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