The Fatimids were a Muslim Dynasty that ruled north Africa and portions of Egypt. Said ibn Husayn of northwestern Syria founded the Fatimid Dynasty. They were part of the Shiites, claiming descent from Fatima, Muhammad’s daughter and her husband Ali, the fourth caliph. The Fatimid caliphate constituted a serious threat to the Abbasids in Baghdad. A follower of Said ibn Husayn went to northwest Africa and, with the support of the Amazigh, conquered Tunisia, Sicily, northern Algeria, and north Libya for the Fatimids around 893 AD. After that event took place, Said Husayn was then hailed as the Mahdi.
In the reign of the fourth caliph, Moizz, the Fatimids conquered Egypt, Palestine, parts of Syria, and western Arabia. The capital was then moved to the new city of Cairo. The Fatimids claimed the allegiance of other Shiites, inside and out of their domain. Shiism provided the community with unity, organization, and leadership by combining free opinion with the opinions of the learned. The Orthodox pole also included populism, two clergies, and the return of the concept of the Messiah that may have been appealing to these former Christians. The Fatimids were so dedicated to their beliefs that they sent missionaries from their capital in Cairo to the rest of the Muslim world.
The reign of the Fatimids didn’t last forever, however. The decline of the Fatimids began when they started becoming dependent on mercenaries, suffered from religious intolerance, and lost to the Normans and Crusaders in the 11th century. The rival Abbasids finally succeeded them in Egypt in 1171. The Fatimid Dynasty is one that made remarkable impact on the African way of life as it is known today. The roots of Shiism still hang on in Africa to this day. Besides that, the power and strength that the Fatimids showed in their reign has set examples for past Dynasties and for those to come.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on the Fatimids.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the URL.
If you are a descendant of the Fatimids, your feedback is much appreciated.
Resources
“Oscillating Traditions: Contending Orthodox and Deviant Principles Through Algerian History”. Melbourne Historical Journal.. http://www.netspace.net.au/~rod/alg/osctrad.htm. May 1, 2001.
“Fatimid”. http://www.damascus-online.com/se/hist/fatimid.htm >May 1, 2001.
By Brigitte Rowe-Hansen Bednar