Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 7.djvu/775

FATIMEE CALIPHS.] EGYPT 751 But, while the conditions were being ratified, the Ikhsheedees pre vailed on the people to revoke their offer, and the ambassadors on their return were themselves compelled to seek safety in flight. Gohar lost no time in pushing forward. Before El-Geezeh a partial combat took place ; several days were passed in skirmishes, and at length he forced the passage of the Nile a few miles south of that town, at the head of his troops. Here the Ikhsheedees offered a bruve resistance ; the greater part were left dead on the field, and the remainder, taking what valuables they could carry off, fled from Kl-Fustat. The former mediators were now brought to in tercede for the inhabitants and the women of the fallen dynasty, and to the honour of the African general it is related that they were pardoned and the city was peaceably occupied. The submission of the rest of Egypt was secured by this victory ; and all the Higaz, including the holy cities, and the Yemen, speedily acknowledged the authority of the Fatimee El-Mo izz. In the year 359 Syria was also added to his dominions, but shortly after was overrun by the Kannatees (Carmathians), the troops of El-Mo izz met with several reverses, Damascus was taken, and those lawless free booters, joined by the Ikhsheedees, advanced to Eyn-Shems. In the meanwhile, Gohar had fortified El-Kahireh, 1 or Cairo (the new capital which he had founded immediately north of El-Fustat), and taken every precaution to repel the invaders ; a bloody battle was fought on Friday, the 1st of Rabeea el-Owwal, in the year 361, before the city walls, without any decisive result. On the follow ing Sunday, however, Gohar obtained a great victory over the enemy, who experienced a reverse more complete than any before suffered, and the camp and baggage til into the hands of the conqueror. At the earnest solicitations of his lieutenant, who had ruled Egypt both ably and justly, with almost absolute authority, El- Mo izz at length determined to remove his court to his new kingdom. In Ramadan 362, he entered El-Kahireh, bringing with him the bodies of his three predecessors and vast treasure. El- Mo izz reigned about two years in Egypt, dying in the year 365. He is described as a warlike and ambitious prince, but, notwith standing, he was especially distinguished for justice and was fond of learning. He showed great favour to the Christians, especially to Severus, bishop of El-Ashmooneyn, and the patriarch Ephrem ; and under his orders, and with his assistance, the church of the Mu allakah, in Old Misr, was rebuilt. He executed many useful works, (among others rendering navigable the Tanitic branch of the Nile, which is still called the canal of El-Mo izz), and occupied himself in embellishing El-Kahireh. Gohar, when he founded that city built the great .mosque named El-Azhar, the university of Egypt, which to this day is crowded with students from all parts of the Muslim world. The principal event of his reign in Egypt was the second irruption of Hasan the Karmatee. The enemy, as on the former occasion, reached Eyn-Shems ; but now he gained more advantage over the African troops. Although he was twice defeated in different parts of Egypt, and constantly harassed in his advance, the capital was closely besieged by him, and its defenders were driven across the fosse. Thus straitened, El-Mo izz had re course to stratagem, and succeeded in bribing Hasan Ibn-El-Garrah (who, with a body of the tribe of Tei, fought with the Kannatees) to desert them in the heat of the next battle. The result of this plan was successful, and again Hasan was defeated and compelled to flee. This event, which occurred in the year 363, relieved Egypt of another invader, an ally of Hasan, byname Abd- Allah Ibn- Obeyd- Allah (formerly governor of Syria under Kafoor), and obtained for the arms of El-AIo izz various successes in Syria. El- Azeez Aboo-Mansoor Nizar, on coming to the throne of his father, immediately despatched an expedition against the Turkish chief El-Eftekeen, who had taken Damascus a short time pre viously. Gohar again commanded the army, and pressed the siege of that city so vigorously that the enemy called to their aid the Karmatees. Before this united army he retired by little and little to Ascalon, where he prepared to stand a siege ; but being reduced to great straits, he purchased his liberty with a large sum of money. On his return from this disastrous campaign, El- Azeez took the command in person, and meeting the enemy at Eamleh, was victorious after a bloody battle ; while El-Eftekeen, being betrayed into his hands, was with Arab magnanimity received with honour and confidence, and ended his days in Egypt in afflu ence. El- Azeez followed his father s example of liberality. It is even said that he appointed a Jew his vizir in Syria, and a Christian to the same post in Egypt. These acts, however, nearly cost him his life, and a popular tumult obliged him to disgrace both these officers. After a reign of twenty-one years of great internal prosperity he died (A.U. 386) in a bath at Bilbeys, while prepar ing an expedition against the Greeks who were ravaging his pos sessions in Syria. 1 The modern Cairo was originally called El-Mansooreeyeh ; El-llo izz, how ever, changed its name to that of El-Ktfhireh, by reason of an omen at its foundation. For details respecting this and the other capitals of Egypt under the Muslims, see the sketch in the Englishwoman in Kijupt. vol. i. 124, seqq. in which the author has availed herself of the valuable MS. notes of Mr Lane. El- Azeez was distinguished for moderation and mildness, but his son and successor rendered himself notorious for very oppo site qualities. El-Hakim bi-amri-llah Aboo- Alee Mansoor began his reign, according to Muslim historians, with much wisdom, but afterwards acquired a character for impiety, cruelty, and unreasoning extravagance, by which he has been rendered odious to posterity. He is described as possessing at once "courage and boldness and cowardice and timorousness, a love for learning and vindictiveness towards the learned, an inclination to righteousness and a disposition to slay the righteous ; " and this character is fully borne out by his many extravagances. Of his cruelty numerous anecdotes are told us, especially in the discharge of his functions as Mohtesib, or " regulator of the markets and of the weights and measures," an office which he assumed, and in wlrich he became the terror of the inhabitants. But his cruelty was surpassed by his impiety. He arrogated to himself divinity, and commanded his subjects to rise at the mention of his name in the congregational prayers, an edict which was obeyed even in the holy cities, Mecca and Medinah. He is most famous in connection with the Druses, a sect which he founded and which still holds him in veneration and believes in his future return to the earth. He had made himself obnoxious to all classes of his subjects, when, in the year 397, he nearly lost his throne by foreign invasion. Hisham, surnamed Aboo-Rekweh, a descendant of the house of Umeiyeh in Spain, took the province of Barkah with a considerable force and subdued Upper Egypt. The caliph, aware of his danger, immediately collected his troops from every quarter of the king dom, and marched against the invader, whom, after severe fight ing, he defeated and put to flight. Hisham himself was taken prisoner, paraded in Cairo with every aggravation of cruelty, and put to death. El-Hakim having thus by vigorous measures averted this danger, Egypt continued to groan under his tyranny until the year 411, when he fell by domestic treachery. His sister Seyyidet-el-Mulook had, in common with the rest of his subjects, incurred his displeasure ; and being fearful for her life, she secretly and by night concerted measures with the emeer Seyf-ed-Dowleh, chief of the guard, who very readily agreed to her plans. Ten slaves, bribed by 500 deenars each, having received their instruc tions, went forth on the appointed day to the desert tract south ward of Cairo, where El-Hakim, unattended, was in the habit of riding, and waylaid him near the village of Hulwan, where they put him to death. He was succeeded by his son, Edh-Dhahir (commonly pro nounced Ez-Zahir) bi-llah Abu-1-Hasan Alee, who ruled with justice and moderation for nearly sixteen years. In 414 Aleppo was taken by Salih Ibn-Mardas ; and although he was defeated and slain by an Egyptian force sent against him, a son, Shibl-ed- Dowleh, yet retained possession of that city. At this time also Hasan, of the tribe of Tei, before mentioned, had made himself master of Eatuleh ; and indeed from this caliph s reign we may date the decline of the Fatimee power, especially in Syria. In the year 427, El-Mustansir bi-llah Aboo-Temeem Ma add came to the throne at the age of seven years. His reign occupied a long period, rendered remarkable by the unparalleled troubles which befell Egypt. It commenced prosperously with the defeat and death of Shibl-ed-Dowleh. Aleppo was taken, and the submission of the rest of Syria followed ; and the general who had conducted the expedition against that province assumed its government. On his death, Mo izz-ed-Dowleh, a brother of Shibl-ed-Dowleh, retook Aleppo in 433 ; but the various fortunes of this prince and his nephew Mahmood, from this time and during the calamities of Egypt, are too complicated and subordinate to claim a place here. In the western provinces, the rebel El-Mo izz (the third successor of Yoosuf Ibn-Zeyree, who was appointed governor on the conquest of Egypt), was punished by an irruption of wild Arab tribes in the pay of El-Mustansir. In the year 450 (A.D. 1058), the Fatimee caliph was publicly prayed for in Baghdad, a remarkable event, of which the im mediate cause was briefly as follows. El-Besaseeree, a powerful Turkish chief exercising unbounded authority in that city, had fallen into disgrace, and received supplies of men and money from the caliph of Egypt ; and while the Seljookee sultan Tughril-Beg espoused the cause of the Abbasee caliph, his brother Ibraheem Eynal revolted, joined El-Besaseeree, and defeated Tughril-Beg. El-Besaseeree entered Baghdad, in which the combat continued to rage ; and the unfortunate city was devastated by massacre and pillage. El-Mustansir was solemnly declared Prince of the Faith ful, and the insignia of the legitimate caliph was sent to El-Kahireh. The success of lil-Besaseeree, however, was but transient ; Tughril- Beg had, in the meantime, defeated and killed his brother Ibra heem ; he then entered Baghdad in Dhu-1-Kaadah 451, and despatched a force against El-Besaseeree, who fell in a battle near El-Koofeh. A persecution of the Christians of Alexandria occurred about this time ; and in 454 commenced a desolating struggle between the blacks and the Turks, both of whom had become numerous in

Egypt. The former were succoured by the mother of El-Mnstansir,