al-Musta'li

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al-Musta'li Billah
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Abū al-Qāsim Aḥmad ibn al-Mustanṣir (

Fatimid caliph and the nineteenth imam[a] of Musta'li Ismailism
.

Although not the eldest (and most likely the youngest) of the sons of Caliph

Persia and Iraq, split off from the officially sponsored Isma'ili hierarchy and formed their own Nizari
movement, holding Nizar and his descendants as the rightful imams.

Throughout his reign, al-Musta'li remained subordinate to al-Afdal, who was the de facto ruler of the Fatimid Caliphate. The Caliphate's core territory in Egypt experienced a period of good government and prosperity, but the Fatimids suffered setbacks in

Seljuk Turks. Al-Afdal managed to recover the port city of Tyre, and even recapture Jerusalem in the turmoil caused by the arrival of the First Crusade in northern Syria. Despite Fatimid attempts to make common cause with the Crusaders against the Seljuks, the latter advanced south and captured Jerusalem in July 1099, sealing their success with a major victory over the Fatimid army led by a-Afdal at the Battle of Ascalon shortly after. Al-Musta'li died in 1101 and was succeeded by his five-year-old son, al-Amir
.

Life

Origin and background

Ahmad, the future al-Musta'li, was born in

Fatimid caliph, al-Mustansir Billah (r. 1036–1094), and was most likely the youngest of all of al-Mustansir's sons.[b][7][11] Another son of al-Mustansir had been born in 1060 with the same name—Abu'l-Qasim Ahmad—as the future al-Musta'li, and some later sources have confused this as al-Musta'li's birth date. It is assumed by modern scholars that this older brother had died in the meantime, allowing the name to be reused for al-Musta'li. In one source he is called Abu'l-Qasim Ahmad 'the Younger' (or possibly 'the Youngest', i.e. of all sons).[9][12]

At the time of his birth, the

black African troops led to the breakdown of the central government and widespread famine and anarchy, leaving al-Mustansir as a powerless figurehead, virtually imprisoned in his palace and at the mercy of military warlords.[13] In January 1074, the general Badr al-Jamali assumed the vizierate and proceeded to restore peace and order in the country and repel a Seljuk invasion, saving al-Mustansir's life and his dynasty; but at the cost of al-Mustansir delegating all his powers over the government, army, and the religious and judicial administration to him.[14][15]

Disputed succession

Photo of a ragged white piece of fabric with woven bands of decoration
A turban or shawl end produced during al-Musta'li's reign, with a tiraz proclaiming "proximate victory to the servant of Allah and his close friend Ma'add Abu Tamim, the imam Ahmad al-Qasim al-Musta'li bi-Allah and his sons"

Ahmad's oldest half-brother, Nizar ibn al-Mustansir, was apparently considered at the time as the most likely successor to their father, as had been the custom until then;[7] indeed Nizar is often stated even by modern historians to have been the designated[c] successor of his father.[17][18] No formal designation of Nizar as heir is recorded by the time of al-Mustansir's death;[19][7] both Badr al-Jamali and his son and successor al-Afdal Shahanshah favoured the accession of Ahmad. Shortly before his death, al-Mustansir consented to the wedding of Ahmad with Badr's daughter Sitt al-Mulk.[7]

Al-Mustansir died on 29 December 1094, on the day of

Isma'ili religious establishment), proclaimed Abdallah as caliph with the regnal name al-Muwaffaq ('The Blessed One').[22] Soon, however, al-Afdal regained control: Baraqat was arrested (and later executed), Abdallah and Isma'il were placed under surveillance and eventually acknowledged Ahmad, and a grand assembly of officials was held, which acclaimed Ahmad as imam and caliph.[23]

In 1122, Ahmad's son and successor, al-Amir (r. 1101–1130), issued a public proclamation, the al-Hidaya al-Amiriyya, to defend his father's succession, especially against the claims of Nizar's partisans.[24] In it he put forth several arguments, such as the fact that when al-Mustansir sent his sons to the provinces to protect them from the turmoil at the capital, this was supposedly done in order of rank, those closest to Cairo being the highest in rank: Abu Abdallah was to go to Acre; Abu'l-Qasim Muhammad (father of al-Hafiz, caliph in 1131–1149) to Ascalon; Nizar to the port of Damietta; and Ahmad was not even allowed to leave the palace.[11][25] Modern historians such as Paul E. Walker point out that this was a deliberately misconstrued argument, as the princes were sent away for their protection, not because of their rank.[11] According to Walker, Abu Abdallah's dispatch to Acre, where the strong army of Badr al-Jamali was stationed, is, if anything, an indication of his high importance and of his father's desire to keep him safe.[11] At the same time, since the reliable al-Maqrizi dates the event to 1068, the underage son left in Cairo was clearly not the future al-Musta'li, who had not been born yet, but rather his namesake older brother.[11]

Other pro-Musta'li traditions maintain that Ahmad was designated as heir by al-Mustansir at Ahmad's wedding banquet. On the occasion of the proclamation of the al-Hidaya al-Amiriyya, furthermore, a supposed full sister of Nizar was presented, hidden behind a veil, who affirmed that on his deathbed, al-Mustansir had chosen Ahmad as heir and left this as a bequest with one of Ahmad's sisters.[26][27][28]

Modern historians, such as Farhad Daftary, believe that these stories are most likely attempts to justify and retroactively legitimize Ahmad's accession, which they view as a de facto coup d'état by al-Afdal.[18][29] According to this view, al-Afdal chose his brother-in-law because his own position was still insecure, as he had but recently succeeded his father Badr. Ahmad, who was tied to al-Afdal by virtue of his marriage and completely dependent on him for his accession, would be a compliant figurehead who was unlikely to threaten al-Afdal's as yet fragile hold on power by attempting to appoint another to the vizierate.[18][30][31]

Nizar's revolt and the Nizari schism

After fleeing from Cairo, Nizar went to

immured and left to die.[19][32][33] A letter sent to the queen of Yemen, Arwa al-Sulayhi, announcing al-Musta'li's accession, gives the officially disseminated version of events. According to the letter, like the other sons of al-Mustansir, Nizar had at first accepted al-Musta'li's imamate and paid him homage, before being moved by greed and envy to revolt. The events up to the capitulation of Alexandria are reported in some detail, but nothing is mentioned of Nizar's fate.[34]

These events caused a bitter and permanent schism in the Isma'ili movement, that lasts to the present day.

Musta'li Isma'ilism and Nizari Isma'ilism.[36][37] At least one of Nizar's sons, al-Husayn, fled in 1095 with other members of the dynasty (including three of al-Mustansir's other sons, Muhammad, Isma'il, and Tahir) from Egypt to the Maghreb, where they formed a sort of opposition in exile to the new regime in Cairo.[19][33] As late as 1162, descendants, or purported descendants, of Nizar appeared to challenge the Fatimid caliphs, and were able to attract considerable followings based on lingering loyalist sentiments of the population.[38][39]

Reign

Throughout his reign, al-Musta'li was subordinate to al-Afdal.[7] According to the 13th-century Egyptian historian Ibn Muyassar, "[al-Musta'li] had no noteworthy life, since al-Afdal directed the affairs of state like a sultan or king, not like a vizier".[40] Al-Afdal even supplanted the caliph in public ceremonies, keeping al-Musta'li out of sight, confined to the palace.[41]

Al-Afdal was a capable administrator, and his good governance ensured the continued prosperity of Egypt throughout the reign.

Sunni contemporary historian Ibn al-Qalanisi, though other medieval historians stress his fanatical devotion to Shi'ism; it appears that the Isma'ili da'wa was very active during his reign.[7] The 15th-century Yemeni pro-Musta'li religious leader and historian Idris Imad al-Din preserves much information about his dealings with the Isma'ili da'wa in Yemen, particularly with Queen Arwa and the local da'i, Yahya ibn Lamak ibn Malik al-Hammadi.[7]

In foreign affairs, the Fatimids faced an increasing rivalry with the Sunni Seljuks and the Seljuk-backed

Friday sermon read on behalf of the Fatimid caliph. This provoked such a backlash among the other Seljuk rulers of Syria that Ridwan was forced to backtrack after four weeks, and dropped al-Musta'li's name in favour of al-Mustazhir.[8][43]

Medieval miniature showing the attack on a city, with a crowned figure on a tower in the centre
The capture of Jerusalem by the Crusaders, 14th-century miniature

In the same year, 1097, the

Artuqid Turkish rulers in July/August 1098.[7][44] This exposed the Fatimids to accusations by Sunni sources that they had made common cause with the Crusaders; the 13th-century historian Ibn al-Athir even claims that the Fatimids invited the Crusaders to Syria to combat the Seljuks, who previously stood ready to invade Egypt itself.[8][45] Believing that he had reached an agreement with the Crusaders, al-Afdal did not expect them to march south, and was caught by surprise when they moved against Jerusalem in 1099. The city was captured after a siege on 15 July 1099, and the subsequent defeat of a Fatimid army under al-Afdal's personal command at the Battle of Ascalon on 12 August 1099 confirmed the new status quo.[7][46] As a result of the Crusader advance, many Syrians fled to Egypt, where a famine broke out in 1099 or 1100 as a result.[7]

Al-Musta'li died on 17 Safar 495 AH (11 or 12 December 1102),[7][8] with rumours that he had been poisoned by al-Afdal.[40] He left three infant sons, of whom the eldest, the not quite five years old al-Mansur, was swiftly proclaimed caliph with the regnal name al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah.[40]

See also

Footnotes

  1. Isma'il that led to the imam–caliphs of the Fatimid dynasty.[6]
  2. ^ During his long reign, al-Mustansir had several offspring, but no complete list exists. Furthermore, many of his sons shared parts of their names, making their identification difficult. Historian Paul E. Walker estimated that al-Mustansir "had at the minimum seventeen sons whose names we can recover".[10]
  3. ^ The concept of designation (nass) is central to the early Shi'a, and particularly the Isma'ili, conception of the imamate, but it also presented complications: as the imam possessed God's infallibility (isma), he could not possibly err, especially in as crucial a matter as the selection of his heir. Appointed heirs predeceasing their fathers was thus a source of considerable embarrassment. The custom therefore emerged that, though an heir might be clearly favoured during his father's reign, the nass was often withheld until shortly before the ruling imam's death, proclaimed in the latter's testament, or left as a bequest with a third party.[16]

References

  1. ^ Madelung 1971, p. 1163.
  2. ^ Daftary 2007, pp. 36–38.
  3. ^ Madelung 1971, pp. 1163–1164.
  4. ^ Daftary 2007, pp. 1, 39ff..
  5. ^ Madelung 1971, pp. 1166–1167.
  6. ^ Daftary 2007, pp. 38, 89–98, 99–100, 507ff..
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Gibb 1993, p. 725.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Özkuyumcu 2006, p. 115.
  9. ^ a b Halm 2014, p. 366.
  10. ^ a b Walker 1995, p. 249.
  11. ^ a b c d e Walker 1995, p. 251.
  12. ^ Walker 1995, pp. 250–251.
  13. ^ Brett 2017, pp. 201–205.
  14. ^ Brett 2017, pp. 205ff..
  15. ^ Halm 2014, pp. 17–21, 24–28, 35–37.
  16. ^ Walker 1995, pp. 240–242.
  17. ^ Brett 2017, p. 228.
  18. ^ a b c Daftary 2007, p. 241.
  19. ^ a b c d Halm 2014, p. 90.
  20. ^ a b Halm 2014, p. 88.
  21. ^ a b Walker 1995, p. 253.
  22. ^ Walker 1995, pp. 253–254.
  23. ^ Walker 1995, p. 254.
  24. ^ Stern 1950, pp. 22–27.
  25. ^ Stern 1950, p. 24.
  26. ^ Stern 1950, pp. 25–29.
  27. ^ Walker 1995, pp. 252, 257.
  28. ^ Halm 2014, pp. 154–155.
  29. ^ Brett 2017, p. 229.
  30. ^ Walker 1995, p. 252.
  31. ^ Brett 2017, pp. 228–229.
  32. ^ a b Daftary 2007, p. 242.
  33. ^ a b c Walker 1995, p. 255.
  34. ^ Halm 2014, p. 91.
  35. ^ Daftary 2007, pp. 242–243.
  36. ^ Daftary 2007, pp. 242–243, 324–325.
  37. ^ Brett 2017, pp. 229–230.
  38. ^ Walker 1995, p. 256.
  39. ^ Halm 2014, pp. 182–183, 186–187, 221–222, 249.
  40. ^ a b c Halm 2014, p. 131.
  41. ^ Halm 2014, p. 164.
  42. ^ Halm 2014, pp. 93–94.
  43. ^ Halm 2014, p. 94.
  44. ^ Halm 2014, pp. 95–96.
  45. ^ Halm 2014, p. 95.
  46. ^ Halm 2014, pp. 97–101.

Sources

  • Brett, Michael (2017). The Fatimid Empire. The Edinburgh History of the Islamic Empires. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
    ISBN 978-0-7486-4076-8
    .
  • ISBN 978-0-521-61636-2
    .
  • ISBN 978-90-04-09419-2
    .
  • ISBN 978-3-406-66163-1
    .
  • OCLC 495469525
    .
  • Özkuyumcu, Nadir (2006). "Müsta'lî-Billâh el-Fâtımî". TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, Vol. 32 (el-Münci̇d – Nasi̇h) (in Turkish). Istanbul:
    ISBN 978-975-389-454-8
    .
  • S2CID 162099722
    .
  • Walker, Paul E. (1995). "Succession to Rule in the Shiite Caliphate". Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt. 32: 239–264.
    JSTOR 40000841
    .
al-Musta'li
Born: 15/16 September 1074 Died: 12 December 1101
Regnal titles
Preceded by Fatimid Caliph
29 December 1094 – 12 December 1101 		Succeeded by
Shia Islam titles
Preceded by
Musta'li Isma'ilism

29 December 1094 – 12 December 1101 		Succeeded by
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