List of Fatimid caliphs

Fatimid Caliph
	Gold dinar of al-Mustansir, with the inscriptions in the concentric circles typical of Fatimid coinage
Residence	Raqqada; Mahdia; al-Mansuriya; Fatimid Great Palaces, Cairo (973–1171);
Formation	November 909
First holder	Abdallah al-Mahdi Billah
Abolished	September 1171

This is a list of caliphs of the Fatimid dynasty (909–1171). The caliphs were at the same time imams of the Isma'ili branch of Shi'a Islam.

List of caliphs

#	Kunya	Given name	Regnal name	Reign	Birth	Death	Remarks	refs
1	Abu Muhammad أبو محمد	Ubayd Allah عبيد الله	al-Mahdi bi'llah المهدي	27 August 909 – 4 March 934	873 Salamiyah, Syria	4 March 934	His claim to be the Mahdi caused the Qarmatian schism in 899. Fled Salamiya in 903, and settled at Sijilmasa in 905 while Abu Abdallah al-Shi'i overthrew the Aghlabids and established the Fatimid Caliphate in his name in 909. Fatimid rule over Ifriqiya was consolidated and extended to Sicily, but three attempts to invade Egypt and thence attack the Abbasids failed.
2	Abu'l-Qasim ابو القاسم	Muhammad محمد	al-Qa'im bi-Amr Allah القائم بأمر الله	4 March 934 – 17 May 946	893 Salamiyah, Syria	17 May 946	Only son of al-Mahdi bi'llah, his reign was dominated by the Kharijite revolt of Abu Yazid, who reduced the Fatimids to their palace city, al-Mahdiya.
3	Abu Tahir أبو طاهر	Isma'il اسماعیل	al-Mansur bi-Nasr Allah المنصور بنصر الله	17 May 946 – 18 March 953	913 Raqqada	18 March 953	Defeated the rebellion of Abu Yazid, and resumed the war against the Byzantines in southern Italy.
4	Abu Tamim أبو تميم	Ma'ad معد	al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah المعز لدين الله	19 March 953 – 18 December 975	26 September 931	18 December 975	His general Jawhar occupied most of the Maghreb for him, and proceeded to conquer Egypt in 969. In 973, al-Mu'izz moved the Fatimid court and capital to newly-founded Cairo. The Zirids were left in Ifriqiya as Fatimid viceroys.
5	Abu Mansur أبو منصور	Nizar نزار	al-Aziz bi'llah العزيز بالله	18 December 975 – 13 October 996	10 May 955	14 October 996	Succeeded in expanding Fatimid control over most of Syria, where he entered into conflict with the Byzantines over Aleppo.	[1]
6	Abu Ali أبو علي	Mansur منصور	al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah الحاكم بأمر الله	14 October 996 – 13 February 1021	13 August 985	13 February 1021 (disappeared)	Concluded a lasting peace with the Byzantines in 1000. His erratic religious policies, which included the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and claiming divine attributes for himself, caused much upheaval and gave birth to the Druze faith. He disappeared, and was likely murdered, during a night excursion.
7	Abu'l-Hasan ابو الحسن	Ali علي	al-Zahir li-i'zaz Din Allah الظاهر لإعزاز دين الله	13 February 1021 – 13 June 1036	20 June 1005	13 June 1036	His reign represents a return to normality after al-Hakim's turbulent final years.
8	Abu Tamim أبو تميم	Ma'ad معد	al-Mustansir bi'llah المستنصر بالله	13 June 1036 – 29 December 1094	2 July 1029 Cairo	29 December 1094 Cairo	The longest-reigning Fatimid caliph, his reign saw inclreasing political instability and the near collapse of the dynasty at the hands of the Sunni warlord Nasir al-Dawla ibn Hamdan. The Armenian general Badr al-Jamali restored order and saved the dynasty, but installed himself as a virtual military dictator ("vizier of the sword") independent of the caliph.
9	Abu'l-Qasim ابو القاسم	Ahmad أحمد	al-Musta'li bi'llah المستعلي بالله	29 December 1094 Cairo	16 September 1074 Cairo	12 December 1101	Probably the youngest son of al-Mustansir, he was raised to the throne by Badr's son and successor, al-Afdal Shahanshah. This caused the rebellion and death of his older brother Nizar, and split the Isma'ili movement into rival Musta'li and Nizari branches. A puppet of al-Afdal, his reign saw the arrival of the First Crusade.
10	Abu Ali أبو علي	Mansur منصور	al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah الآمر بأحكام الله	1101 – 8 October 1130	31 December 1096	8 October 1130	Raised to the throne as a child by al-Afdal, who was his uncle and became his father-in-law. Until al-Afdal's murder in 1021, al-Amir was a puppet ruler. His reign saw the progressive loss of the coastal cities of the Levant to the Crusaders.
Interregnum due to al-Amir dying without a stable succession other than the infant al-Tayyib, who died or was killed soon after. Regency of Abd al-Majid (the future al-Hafiz) and usurpation of Kutayfat.
11	Abu'l-Maymun أبو الميمون	Abd al-Majid عبد المجيد	al-Hafiz li-Din Allah الحافظ لدين الله	23 January 1132 – 8 October 1149	1074/5	8 October 1149	The oldest surviving grandson of al-Musta'li, he became regent following al-Amir's death, and claimed the caliphate following the murder of Kutayfat. His irregular succession caused the split of Musta'li Isma'ilism into Hafizi and Tayyibi branches. His reign was relatively peaceful abroad, but turbulent domestically, as he had to confront over-mighty viziers and even the ambitions of his own sons. He was the last Fatimid caliph to exercise true authority over the government.
12	Abu Mansur أبو منصور	Isma'il اسماعیل	Al-Zafir bi-Amr Allah الظافر بأمر الله	1149–1154	February 1133	March 1154
13	Abu'l-Qasim ابو القاسم	Isa عيسى	al-Fa'iz bi-Nasr Allah الفائز بيناصر الله	1154–1160	1149	23 July 1160
14	Abu Muhammad أبو محمد	Abdallah عبدالله	al-Adid li-Din Allah العاضد لدين الله	1160–1171	16 May 1151	13 September 1171

Family tree of Fatimid caliphs

Al-Mustansir

Nizār al-Muṣṭafá (Nizārīyyah)

Muhammad

Al-Mustā‘lī (Mustā‘līyyah)

Al-Ḥāfīz (Ḥāfīzīyyah)

Al-Āmīr

Al-Zāfīr

Yūssuf

Aṭ-Ṭāyyīb (Ṭāyyībīyyah)

Al-Fā'īz

Al-'Āḍīd

References

Canard, Marius (1960). "al-ʿAzīz Biʾllāh". In Gibb, H. A. R.; Kramers, J. H.; Lévi-Provençal, E.; Schacht, J.; Lewis, B. & Pellat, Ch. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition, Volume I: A–B. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 823–825. OCLC 495469456.

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[1] Canard, Marius (1960). "al-ʿAzīz Biʾllāh". In Gibb, H. A. R.; Kramers, J. H.; Lévi-Provençal, E.; Schacht, J.; Lewis, B. & Pellat, Ch. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition, Volume I: A–B. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 823–825. OCLC 495469456.

List of Fatimid caliphs

List of caliphs

Family tree of Fatimid caliphs

See also

References