Al-Mustansir Billah

Long ago, a leader ruled Egypt.

His name was al-Mustansir. He was a king for 60 years. This was a very long time.

At first, his land was rich. Later, hard times came. There was not enough food.

People were very hungry.

Fighting also broke out. Soldiers fought in the streets. This made things worse for the people.

He also built beautiful things. He made a special spot in a mosque. It had his name on it.

He had many sons. Because he had so many, his family had big fights later. It was a very busy time in history.

Al-Mustansir was a leader in Egypt.

He ruled for 60 years. This was a very long time. He became king when he was only seven years old. At first, his land was rich and successful. Good leaders helped run the state.

Later, hard times began. Fighting broke out between different groups of soldiers. These soldiers fought in the streets. They also took money from the state treasury. This made the country very poor. At the same time, a famine happened. There was not enough food for the people.

Many people became very hungry. The land became very weak.

Al-Mustansir also built important things. He made a special spot in a mosque. It had his name carved on it. He had many sons. Some experts say he had at least seventeen sons. After he died, his family had a big fight. They could not agree on who should be the next leader. This split his followers into two groups.

An image of calligraphy from his time.

Al-Mustansir Billah was a very important leader in Egypt.

He was the eighth Fatimid Caliph. This means he was a top ruler of the Fatimid state. He ruled for 60 years. This was the longest rule of any leader in his time. He was born in Cairo on July 2, 1029. His father was Ali az-Zahir. His mother was a woman named Rasad. He became the heir to the throne when he was only eight months old.

His rule began when he was just seven years old. At first, the state was doing very well. Good administrators helped run the country. These leaders kept the state prosperous for twenty years. Al-Mustansir also built things like a special mihrab. A mihrab is a space in a mosque used for prayer. He placed it in the Mosque of Ibn Tulun. His name was even carved into the stone there.

Later, the country faced many hard jobs. Fighting broke out between groups of soldiers. Some were Turkish and others were Berber or Sudanese. This fighting happened in the streets and the countryside. Around 1062 and 1067, the soldiers fought open wars. This conflict made the state treasury very empty. The Turkish soldiers even sold palace treasures to get paid. They sold emeralds that were worth 300,000 dinars for only 500 dinars.

At the same time, a famine hit Egypt. This was a time when there was not enough food. Between 1065 and 1072, things became very bad. The Nile canals were destroyed by tribes. This made the hunger even worse. People even suffered from a plague after the famine. The country became very weak during these years. Eventually, a general named Badr al-Jamali took power in 1073. He became the person who really ran the country.

Al-Mustansir had a very large family. Some experts say he had at least seventeen sons. This large family caused a big problem later. After he died in 1094, his sons fought over who should lead. One son was named Nizar. Another son was named al-Musta'li. This fight split the Ismaili movement into two groups. The followers of Nizar became the Nizari branch. The followers of al-Musta'li became the Musta'li branch.

Al-Mustansir Billah was a significant ruler of the Fatimid Caliphate.

He served as the eighth Fatimid Caliph from 1036 until 1094. This long reign lasted for 60 years. This was the longest rule of any caliph in Egypt or other Islamic states. His life covered a period of both great prosperity and extreme crisis. The Fatimid state faced a slow decline during his time in power. This era is often described as the twilight of the Fatimid state.

Al-Mustansir was born in Cairo on July 2, 1029. His father was Ali az-Zahir and his mother was Rasad. He was declared the heir to the throne when he was only eight months old. He ascended to the throne in June 1036 at age seven.

During his early years, his mother managed state affairs. The first two decades of his rule were stable. Competent administrators like Anushtakin and al-Jarjara'i oversaw the state. These officials helped maintain the prosperity of the Fatimid empire.

However, the stability of the empire began to break down. Internal fighting broke out between different military factions. These groups included Turkish soldiers and Berber or Sudanese factions. This infighting happened at the court and in the streets.

The struggle between Turkish and Sudanese soldiers led to open warfare in 1062 and 1067. These conflicts drained the state treasury. The Turkish mercenaries even sold palace valuables to meet their pay demands. For example, one general bought emeralds worth 300,000 dinars for only 500 dinars.

Natural disasters also weakened the country during his reign. A severe famine lasted from 1065 to 1072.

During this time, Berber nomadic tribes destroyed Nile canals and embankments. This made the food shortage even worse for the people. The famine was eventually followed by a deadly plague. Many districts lost almost all of their people. The state's wealth was so low that the royal stables declined from 10,000 animals to just three thin horses.

Political control shifted as the central government weakened. The Fatimids began losing control of lands outside of Egypt. The Seljuks took territory in the Levant, while Normans took Sicily and Malta. In 1073, an Armenian general named Badr al-Jamali became the vizier. A vizier is a high-ranking government official. Badr al-Jamali became the de facto dictator of the country. He held the real power while al-Mustansir remained the nominal ruler.

Al-Mustansir also left a religious legacy through the Ismaili da'wa. The da'wa refers to the Ismaili religious ministry. During his reign, Abd al-Malik ibn Attash led the movement in the east. One of his famous students was Hasan-i Sabbah. Sabbah eventually became the hujah, or "proof," for al-Mustansir. This was a high rank in the religious hierarchy. Sabbah later went on to found the Nizari sect.

After his death in 1094, a major crisis occurred regarding his successors. Historian Paul E. Walker estimates al-Mustansir had at least seventeen sons. This large number of children led to a struggle for the throne. The conflict was between his older son, Nizar, and his younger son, al-Musta'li. Badr's son, al-Afdal Shahanshah, helped raise al-Musta'li to the throne. This struggle caused a permanent split in the Ismaili movement. The followers of Nizar became the Nizari branch. The followers of al-Musta'li became the Musta'li branch.