Politics and Power in Late Fatimid Egypt: The Reign of Caliph al-Mustansir

(Hardback)

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The Caliph Al-Muntasir was the eighth Shi'ite Isma'ili Fatimid Caliph, making him both the Isma'ili Imam and secular ruler of a vast empire when he came to power in 1036 at the age of 7. Although he ruled for an nearly 60 years, until 1094, his political career was one of disaster and decline as the great empire, secular power and wealth he inherited was in ruin by the end of his reign. In Politics and Power in Late Fatimid Egypt, Kirsten Thomson offers an examination of this leader as well as highlighting the context within which he lived: the relations between different empires, ethnic and religious relations, sectarianism and the overlap of secular and religious power. Examining a crucial and turbulent chapter in Islamic history that tipped the once glorious Fatimids into decline, this book is vital for all those interested in medieval Islamic history.

Reviews

'This book sheds fascinating light on a very little-known period of Fatimid history, the long reign of the eighth Fatimid caliph, al-Mustansir, which spanned an incredible fifty-eight years (1036-1094). Written in a lively style, Kirsten Thomson' s book is a most welcome and valuable contribution to eleventh-century Muslim history. She illuminates an era that foreshadowed the development of serious divisions in the Fatimid caliphate, which in turn coincided with the coming of the Crusaders to the Middle East. So the horizons of this study are indeed wide.' - Carole Hillenbrand, Professor of Islamic History at the Universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews

Author Bio

Kirsten Thomson is Associate Lecturer at the Open University. She holds a PhD in Middle Eastern History from Edinburgh University.