Abu Mansoor Nizar al-Aziz Billah
Encyclopedia
Al-Aziz was the fifth Caliph
of the Fatimids (975–996).
(953-975), his brother Abu Mansur Nizar al-Azizbillah acceded to the Caliphate
with the help of Jawhar as-Siqilli
. Under Al-Aziz the Fatimid Empire stretched as far as Palestine
and Syria
(from 977/978). Mecca
and Medina
also acknowledged the suzerainty of the Fatimids.
Tayyi' tribe was defeated in Palestine 982 and finally subjugated at Damascus
983. Towards the end of his reign Al-Aziz sought to extend his power to northern Syria
, focusing his attention on the Hamdanids of Aleppo
. The fact that they were under the suzerainty of the Byzantine Empire
resulted in the outbreak of war with this great power, a conflict which would not be resolved until the reign of al-Hakim
(996-1021).
Another notable development during al-Aziz's reign was the introduction of foreign slave armies. When the Berber
troops from the Maghreb
continued to be successful in the wars against the Carmathians in Syria
, Al-Aziz began setting up units composed of Turkish
slave soldiers, or Mamelukes.
Through the expansion of the bureaucracy (in which many Jews
and Christians acquired important posts) the foundations were laid for the immense power of the succeeding Caliphs. His appointment of a Jewish governor over Syria/Palestine, however, led to grumbling by his Muslim subjects, who claimed they were being pushed out of important posts. As a result, Al-Aziz ordered his Christian and Jewish officials to employ more Muslim
s in their offices.
The Egyptian economy was also nurtured, and tax revenue thereby increased, through the expansion of streets and canals and the establishment of a stable currency. The general economic well-being was also apparent in an elaborate building programme.
The reign of Al-Aziz was also culturally significant. His grand Vizir Yaqub ibn Killis
(979-991) founded the al-Azhar University
in Cairo
(988) which went on to become the most important centre of learning in the Islamic world. Likewise a library with 200,000 volumes was built in Cairo.
Al-Aziz died on 13 October 996. His son Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah
(996-1021) succeeded him as Caliph.
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
of the Fatimids (975–996).
History
Since Abdallah, the heir to the throne, had died before his father Ma'ad al-Muizz Li-DeenillahMa'ad al-Muizz Li-Deenillah
Ma‘ādh Abū Tamīm al-Mu‘izz li Dīn Allāh , also known as al-Moezz, was the fourth Fatimid Caliph and 14th Ismaili imam, and reigned from 953 to 975. It was during his caliphate that the center of power of the Fatimid dynasty was moved from Ifriqiya to the newly conquered Egypt...
(953-975), his brother Abu Mansur Nizar al-Azizbillah acceded to the Caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
with the help of Jawhar as-Siqilli
Jawhar as-Siqilli
Gawhar al-Siqilli also called al-Rumi main transliteration: Gawhar as-Siqilli al-Rumi was the most important military leader in the Fatimid history...
. Under Al-Aziz the Fatimid Empire stretched as far as Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
(from 977/978). Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
and Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
also acknowledged the suzerainty of the Fatimids.
Developments
The reign of Al-Aziz was primarily significant for the strengthening of Fatimid power in Egypt and Syria, which had then only very recently been conquered (969). In 975 al-'Aziz took control of Baniyas in an attempt to subdue the anti-Fatimid agitation of the Sunni Mahammad b. Ahmad al-Nablusi and his followers. The bedouinBedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
Tayyi' tribe was defeated in Palestine 982 and finally subjugated at Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
983. Towards the end of his reign Al-Aziz sought to extend his power to northern Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, focusing his attention on the Hamdanids of Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
. The fact that they were under the suzerainty of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
resulted in the outbreak of war with this great power, a conflict which would not be resolved until the reign of al-Hakim
Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah
Abu ‘Ali Mansur Tāriqu l-Ḥākim, called Al-Hakim bi Amr al-Lāh , was the sixth Fatimid caliph and 16th Ismaili imam .- History :...
(996-1021).
Another notable development during al-Aziz's reign was the introduction of foreign slave armies. When the Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
troops from the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
continued to be successful in the wars against the Carmathians in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Al-Aziz began setting up units composed of Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
slave soldiers, or Mamelukes.
Through the expansion of the bureaucracy (in which many Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and Christians acquired important posts) the foundations were laid for the immense power of the succeeding Caliphs. His appointment of a Jewish governor over Syria/Palestine, however, led to grumbling by his Muslim subjects, who claimed they were being pushed out of important posts. As a result, Al-Aziz ordered his Christian and Jewish officials to employ more Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s in their offices.
The Egyptian economy was also nurtured, and tax revenue thereby increased, through the expansion of streets and canals and the establishment of a stable currency. The general economic well-being was also apparent in an elaborate building programme.
The reign of Al-Aziz was also culturally significant. His grand Vizir Yaqub ibn Killis
Yaqub ibn Killis
Yaqub ibn Killis , was an Egyptian Vizier under the Fatimids .Yaqub ibn Yusuf ibn Killis was born in Baghdad in 930 in a Jewish family. After his family moved to Syria he came to Egypt in 943 and entered the service of the Regent Kafur. Soon he controlled the Egyptian state finances in his...
(979-991) founded the al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
(988) which went on to become the most important centre of learning in the Islamic world. Likewise a library with 200,000 volumes was built in Cairo.
Al-Aziz died on 13 October 996. His son Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah
Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah
Abu ‘Ali Mansur Tāriqu l-Ḥākim, called Al-Hakim bi Amr al-Lāh , was the sixth Fatimid caliph and 16th Ismaili imam .- History :...
(996-1021) succeeded him as Caliph.
See also
- List of horse accidents
- List of rulers of Egypt