Fatimid Dynasty: Descendants of Prophet Muhammad

Summary

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Gone Medieval — "Fatimid Dynasty: Descendants of Prophet Muhammad"

Podcast: Gone Medieval (History Hit)
Host: Matt Lewis
Guest: Dr. Dalia Cratese, Senior Research Fellow at Middlesex University and author of The Portrait of a Dynasty
Release date: May 22, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Gone Medieval explores the dramatic and often underappreciated rise of the Fatimid Dynasty—an Islamic empire (909–1171 CE) that traced its lineage directly to the Prophet Muhammad. Host Matt Lewis and Dr. Dalia Cratese unpack how the Fatimids, as a minority Ismaili Shia group, manipulated religious legitimacy, secretive missionary work, and discontent among North African Berber tribes to carve a rival caliphate to the Abbasids. The discussion shines light on their origins, ideological foundations, surprising mechanisms of survival, and the geopolitical waves they made across the medieval world.

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Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. The Fatimids' Origins & Lineage Claims

• Timeline & Reach:
  • The Fatimid Empire spanned 909–1171 CE, at its height controlling North Africa, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, the Arabian Peninsula, and briefly reaching as far as Baghdad. (06:13)
• Genealogical Legitimacy:
  • The dynasty derived its name from Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, and her husband Ali. Their descendants, in the view of Shi’a Muslims, were considered the rightful spiritual and political leaders, or Imams.
• Sectarian Context and Early Divisions:
  • Dr. Cratese:

    “One side who became known as the Sunnis, maintain that the leader of the community should be by choice, by election, by council ... This vision was contrasted by a party ... that sustained that the rightful successor ... should be someone from his family.” (07:00)

  • The split deepened after the sixth Imam, Ja’far al-Sadiq. Some followed his son Ismail (the Ismailis), setting the Fatimid claim apart. (10:02)

2. Hidden Imams & Messianic Doctrine

• Concealment and Persecution:
  • The Ismaili Imams, as Shi’a claimants, operated under threat from the dominant Abbasid caliphate, often living in secrecy and regarded as “hidden Imams.” (11:02)
• Messianic Belief:
  • The belief developed that the “Imam in hiding” would someday return as a messianic figure—a doctrine crucial to later Ismaili and Fatimid ideology.
  • Dr. Cratese:

    “Not only they ... hide, but they will return at an appointed time. So there is a kind of messianic element ... fundamental in the doctrines of all the Shia groups.” (12:30)

3. Strategic Propaganda, Secrecy, and Merchant Networks

• Dawah (Missionary Activity):
  • Propagandists (Da’is) spread the hidden Imam's message under cover as textile traders and merchants, leveraging busy marketplaces and complex social networks. (13:32)
  • The gradual, secretive initiation process and use of textiles were both practical and symbolic in spreading the movement.

4. The Revelation: From Occultation to Empire

• Turning Point (c. 899):
  • Abdallah, revealed as the hidden Imam, broke cover with a bold announcement tracing clear descent from Ali and Fatima.
  • “I am the imam, descendant from this line ... and through this lineage, I can claim to be direct descendant all the way back to Ali and Fatima.” (18:00)
• Immediate Impact:
  • This triggered a wave of both persecution (from the Abbasids) and enthusiasm among supporters, who were now called Fatimiun—the earliest use of “Fatimids.” (19:10)

5. Building an Empire: From Hiding to Power

• Funding & Local Discontent:
  • The Ismaili network amassed wealth through trade. Women, especially in textile markets, played a crucial and sometimes unwitting role in transmitting the Fatimid message. (20:24)
• Berber Alliance:
  • The crucial breakthrough came when missionary Abu Abdallah al-Shi’i found willing allies among the marginalized Kutama Berber tribe in North Africa. Disaffected with their Arab Sunni Aghlabid rulers, the Berbers rallied to the Ismaili call. (29:48)
  • Dr. Cratese:

    “Suddenly he finds himself with an army … and within a relatively short time, this army starts to conquer territories that were once under Aghlabid rule … we are now in the year 909.” (32:00)

6. The Fatimid Regime: From Kairouan to Mahdiya

• Enthronement of the Imam:
  • In 909 CE, after overthrowing the Aghlabids, the Fatimids installed Abdallah as Al-Mahdi (“guided one”) in Kairouan—an overtly messianic title.
  • They called themselves Dawlat al-Haqq (“regime of the truth”), not “Fatimids,” which was a label given by both rivals and outside observers. (34:46)
• Managing a Minority Regime:
  • The Fatimids, as a Shi’a Ismaili minority, administered a majority Sunni region, using preexisting Aghlabid officials, issuing safe conduct documents (aman), and primarily “pacifying and reassuring” the population rather than mass coercion. (35:52)
  • Ruling structure was extremely careful with initiation and integration—full Ismaili membership required gradual, vetted indoctrination. (38:48)
• A New Capital:
  • The capital shifted from Kairouan to the purpose-built, coastal city of Mahdiya in 921 CE—signaling maritime ambition and strategic independence.
  • “It was a very significant move and a very significant statement. The fact that his ruler builds it [Mahdiya], doesn’t just use the old capital ... but is confident enough and shows vision ..." (39:32)

7. Announcing Themselves on the International Stage

• Geopolitical Rivalries:
  • Moving to Mahdiya emphasized Fatimid naval and commercial power in the Mediterranean. It placed them in direct competition with the Umayyads of Al-Andalus, the Byzantines, and the Abbasids.
  • Fatimid influence was such that even King Simeon of Bulgaria sought a naval alliance with them against Byzantium. (44:41)

8. Founding a Dynasty

• Dynastic Succession:
  • The first Fatimid ruler publicly appointed his son as successor (styled Al-Qaim), marking the birth of a true dynasty.
  • “According to Ismaili rules, the incumbent imam is the one who appoints publicly his successor.” (43:08)

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Notable Quotes

• On the Sunni-Shia Split:

  “A council should elect this ruler. This vision was contrasted by a party ... that sustained that the rightful successor ... should be someone from his family.”
  — Dr. Cratese (07:00)

• On the Messianic Doctrine:

  “The idea that these Imams don't die, but go into hiding … there is a kind of messianic element ... fundamental in the doctrines of all the Shia groups.”
  — Dr. Cratese (12:30)

• On Fatimid Survival and Espionage:

  “As a subterfuge, they pass themselves as traders, as merchants ... in that context, they can talk to people, gather information, but also test the ground as to whether ... to start spreading their message.”
  — Dr. Cratese (13:32)

• On Relating to Their Subjects:

  “They ... issue an aman document ... say you can continue to practice what you want ... as long as you recognize us as the new leader.”
  — Dr. Cratese (36:48)

• On Building Mahdiya:

  “It was a very significant move ... [they] show confidence and vision in building a new capital along the coast.”
  — Dr. Cratese (39:32)

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Timeline & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment / Content | |--------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:46 | Introduction by Matt Lewis; framing the Fatimid story and guest intro | | 06:13 | Dr. Cratese summarizes the time and territory of the Fatimid dynasty | | 07:00 | Sectarian origins and lineage claim: Fatima and Ali | | 10:02 | Emergence of inner Shi’a divisions; Ismaili lineage | | 11:02 | Hidden Imams and the doctrine of concealment | | 13:32 | Dawah: secret organization and merchant networks | | 18:00 | Abdallah’s revelation; the birth of Fatimid identity | | 19:10 | Reaction among Abbasids and rise of the term “Fatimiun” | | 20:24 | Rise through money, markets, and roles of women in spreading the faith | | 29:48 | Kutama Berber alliance and rapid conquest of Aghlabid territories | | 32:00 | 909 CE: Overthrow of the Aghlabids; formal enthronement of the Imam | | 34:46 | Fatimid rule: actual self-designation and impressions among observers | | 35:52 | Managing a religious minority regime over a majority Sunni population | | 39:32 | Decision to move the capital to Mahdiya (coastal city) | | 43:08 | Announcement of dynastic succession (Al-Qaim) | | 44:41 | International implications and Mediterranean ambitions | | 47:56 | Episode wrap-up; invitation for future deeper exploration |

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Memorable Moments

• The “Perfect Genealogical Couple”

  A: “Oh, so is this like the perfect genealogical couple?”
  D: “Yes. Ali and Fatima had their progeny and the Shia branch of Islam supported the Imams. The leaders should be from that line.” (09:44)

• The Hidden Imam's Propagandists as Merchants
  “On the surface, these are traders of textiles. … In that way ... they can talk to people, gather information, but also test the ground as to whether ... to start spreading their message about the Imam they're campaigning for.” (13:32)
• The Dramatic Conquest of the Aghlabids:
  “Suddenly ... an army starts to conquer territories ... within a relatively short time, this army starts to conquer territories that were once under Aghlabid rule.” (32:00)

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In Summary

This episode offers a sweeping yet nuanced introduction to the Fatimid Dynasty. It clarifies the dense religious genealogy underpinning their legitimacy and how adeptly that story was weaponized through espionage, persuasive preaching, and engagement with the grievances of North African tribes. Listeners leave with a sense of the Fatimids’ profound historical significance—how an ideological minority, through a blend of the esoteric and the practical, transformed themselves from persecuted outcasts to rival caliphs and Mediterranean powers. The promise of future episodes leaves the story on the cusp of its next great chapter: Fatimid rule and its long-term legacy.

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Transcript

[A]

From long lost Viking ships and kings buried in unexpected places to tales of murder, power, faith, and the lives of ordinary people across medieval Europe and beyond. Join me, Matt Lewis, Dr. Elena Jarninger, and some of the world's leading historians as we bring history's most fascinating stories to life. Only on History Hit with your subscription, you'll unlock hundreds of hours of exclusive documentaries with with a brand new release every week exploring everything from the ancient world to World War II. Just visit historyhit.com subscribe.

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[A]

Hello, I'm Matt Lewis. Welcome to Gone Medieval From History. Hit, the podcast that delves into the greatest millennium in human history. We've got the most intriguing mysteries, the gobsmacking details, and latest groundbreaking research. From the Vikings to the printing press, from kings to popes to the Crusades, we cross centuries and continents to delve into rebellions, plots and Murders to find the stories, big and small, that tell us how we got here, find out who we really were with. Gone medieval. From the deserts of North Africa to the glittering heat of Cairo, from whispered prophecies to imperial triumph, from sacred lineage to political fracture, the story of the Fatimids is one of the most fascinating and contested in medieval history. They emerged in an age of upheaval, when the Islamic world was already vast, powerful, and deeply divided. While the Abbasids ruled from Baghdad, claiming the mantle of universal leadership, old certainties were beginning to crack. A revolutionary movement began to take shape, one built not only on political ambition, but on faith, secrecy, and the electrifying promise of legitimacy. The Fatimids didn't simply seek power. They claimed destiny. They said they were descended from Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, and from Ali, his cousin and son in law. In that claim lay the seed of both their strength and the storm that would follow them. To their followers, they were the rightful imams, divinely guided leaders, heirs not merely to a throne, but to sacred authority itself. To their enemies, they were dangerous usurpers, rebels cloaked in theology. But whether they were seen as visionaries or impostors, one thing was undeniable. The Fatimids would change the medieval world. Their rise began far from the old centers of Islamic power, in the harsh frontierlands of what's now Tunisia and parts of North Africa. But expanding west and east, they built a state of remarkable ambition and sophistication. Their emergence is the story of hiding, biding time, careful missionary work that was disguised in the complex and bustling world of merchants. They were never safe, but always ready for their moment to arrive. The Fatimid Empire was built on tensions that never fully disappeared. And the very ideological fire that had fueled their rise couldn't always hold together the vast and complicated empire they'd built in just over two centuries. It was all over. To find out more about this remarkable and often underrated dynastic empire's rise, I'm joined by Dr. Dahlia Kratese, Senior research fellow at Middlesex University and author of the recently published the Portrait of a Dynasty. Welcome to Gone Medieval. Dalia, it's fantastic to have you with us.

[D]

Thank you very much for inviting me.

[A]

So we're going to be talking today about the Fatimid Empire. So just to give us a really quick overview, can you tell us about when in time they're ruling and where in the world we're going to be looking at?

[D]

Okay. The Fatimid dynasty came to power from the year 909 till 1171. So we have an empire that from 909 will encompass an area that goes from North Africa, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Arabian Peninsula and for a brief moment as far as Baghdad.

[A]

And what do we know about the origins of the Fatimids? Because I understand it, they trace their lineage back to the Prophet Muhammad as one of the branches of Islam. Is that correct?

[D]

Yes. The name Fatimid is derived from Fatima. Fatima was the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and his first wife Khadija. Her date of birth is not absolutely clear, but let's say she was born at the very beginning of the seventh century. So to understand how this connection between the name of a dynasty and the name of this daughter of the Prophet, how did it come about? I think I need to give you a bit of background of the tensions that prevailed soon after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in relation to who should be considered worthy of ruling spiritually and politically, the Muslim community. So one side who became known as the Sunnis, maintain that the leader of the community should be by choice, by election, by council. A council should elect this ruler. This vision was contrasted by a party, a party, a Shia in Arabic, a party that sustained that the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad in terms of guiding spiritually and politically the Muslim community should be someone from his family. So there should be a genealogical descent from the Prophet. And the person that was considered to be the best person qualified in that respect was Ali, his cousin. This was not just any cousin. This was the first cousin born of Abu Talib, the fundamental figure in the life of the Prophet Muhammad, in that Abu Talib took care of the Prophet when he remained orphaned at a very early age. And therefore these were close cousins. So this Shia of Ali, this party of Ali supported, supported the idea that he should be the one to succeed him. In time, the other group prevailed. They became known as the Sunnis. To this day they are the majority group within Islam. But the Shia persisted in this campaign to have the Prophet's genealogical lineage be placed in a position of leadership of the community. They called these leaders Imams, Imams not as prayer leaders but as divinely appointed leaders of the community deemed to be infallible on genealogical ground due to the closeness of the Prophet Muhammad. Now within this Shia group, of course in time there were divisions and claims and counterclaims who should be even genealogically the most close to the Prophet Muhammad. And it was the one group decided that the best genealogy was the one that derived from Ali, but also from Fatima, because this Ali married the daughter of the Prophet.

[A]

Oh, so is this like the perfect genealogical couple?

[D]

Yes. Ali and Fatima had their progeny and the Shia branch of Islam supported the Imams. The leaders should be from that line.

[A]

Right. So I suppose inevitably there's going to be some more division going on despite all of this.

[D]

Yes, because the progeny of this couple, at some point there was a division in following, which descendants should be followed and considered to be these leaders. There is a crucial point when one of these imams, Ja' Far Al Sadiq, he has a number of sons and one group follows the descent and the lineage of Ismail, whereas others follow another son of this Imam, Jafar, and they become Imamish's, let's say.

[A]

So the Muslims who follow Ishmael become the Ishmaelis.

[D]

Yes. And this is really the point where we take the lineage that eventually will lead to the identification of some individuals with the lineage in that line and then the foundation of the Fatimid dynasty.

[A]

And as I understand it as well, the early Imams are often referred to as hidden Imams. Does that mean that they were literally having to keep their identities secret? Was it a dangerous position to hold?

[D]

Yes. As you can imagine, we are now at a stage where we have a dominant group, the Sunnis. Meanwhile, the Sunnis recognized as their leaders, and this was almost generally accepted among the Sunni community, which the first leaders were by election. And then we have dynasties. We have the Umayyads in Syria, in Damascus, and then the Abbasid caliphate. So these caliphs become widely recognized as the formal leaders of the Muslim community worldwide. But this Shia branch of Islam, though a minority, was persistent and gathering momentum in certain areas. And they attracted persecution on the part of the Abbasids, who saw their power possibly threatened or eroded in particular parts of the world.

[A]

And alongside all of that, we've got that parallel strand descending from Ishmael. So what direction are the Ishmaelis taking?

[D]

So we are around the year 765 and Ismail dies and his successor is his son Muhammad. And this is a moment of rapture, because this son, Muhammad, to some he died as well, but to others he didn't die, but went into concealment, went into occultation. So this is a very interesting doctrinal innovation that is introduced here, the idea that these Imams don't die, but go into hiding for protection, for safety, for concealing their identity. Not only they, but they hide, but they will return at an appointed time. So there is a kind of messianic element that really becomes fundamental in the doctrines of all the Shia groups. The Idea of imam in hiding and waiting for his return becomes a very core belief within all the Shia groups and in the specific case, the Ismailis as well.

[A]

Nice. We've got an imam in hiding. So what happens? How is it possible for them to keep his presence kind of alive and active? And how does that lead us on to a Fatimid dynasty?

[D]

So the Imam is in hiding, but there is an organization, there is a network of propagandists that keep his guidance effective. This propaganda network is called the Dawah. They act in the name of the Hidden Imam, and they act secretly because let's not forget that the Abbasids are watching what happens in their territories, and therefore they are not comfortable at all that there is such a subversive propaganda that ultimately is aimed at the appointed time. Install the imams as the true leader of the Muslim community and therefore uproot them. These propagandists, as a subterfuge, they pass themselves as traders, as merchants, and they operate in markets and caravan routes and markets are very important because in that way, in that context, they can talk to people, gather information, but also test the ground as to whether they are confident and comfortable to start spreading their message about the imam they're campaigning for. They have secret teachings from early on. The Ismaili teachings are very much imbued with esoteric knowledge, which needs to be shared gradually with very trusted initiates that are introduced into the doctrine on a very careful and staggered way. We have this organization, these networks, that on the surface, these are traders of textiles. Textiles from early on have a very important role to play for the Fatimids even before the actual foundation of the dynasty. And then by the 9th century, we have a figure that, to all intents and purposes, is one of these traders. In fact, he's a missionary. He's one of these covert propagandists for the cause of. Of the Hidden Imam.

[A]

And the Hidden Imam at this point is still Muhammad, the son of Ishmael, as far as the Ismailis are concerned.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

But now there's a trader that's coming

[D]

forward, and his name is known as Abdallah the Elder. And he was born in Iran, but then his cover was blown, so he escaped to Iraq in Baghdad, and then his cover was blown again. And then he eventually turned up in Syria in a small town in the city. It was now a city, but then a small town of Salamiya, a trading post. There he bought properties, he established his trading activities, and with this front, was able to operate as a propagandist for the cause of the hidden Imam, his son continued in that way. His as grandson continued in that way. A group of people were of course, around him and following him and knew his true identity, or what they thought was his true identity. So in this way, Syria, that region, becomes very much a base of propaganda activity with major consequences. And then something happens. In the year 899, a figure appears on the scene called Abdallah, and he makes a very bold, grand, astonishing revelation.

[A]

Okay, so is Abdullah then claiming to be the hidden Imam?

[D]

Yes, he says that he is the imam. Not only that, he reveals that Abdallah the elder, who everybody thought was first of all a merchant, his close allies and supporters thought that he was a missionary. Actually, he was a son of Dek Muhammad, son of Ismail. So he was an imam hiding in plain sight. Not only that, his son was also an imam and saw his grandson. So therefore, this Abdallah in 899 says, I am the imam, descendant from this line of imams that were supposedly in hiding, but in fact they were not. And not only that, through this lineage, I can claim to be direct descendant all the way back to Ali and Fatima. So I'm direct genealogical descendant of Muhammad, the true Ali and Fatima, all the way to Ismail and his son Muhammad. And the lineage has continued via Abdallah the elder, and then his descendants up to him. This Abdallah even says, you have always known me with another name. His name by which he was known was a Saeed, but in fact my real name is Abdullah and I'm the Imam.

[A]

And that revelation, it must have come as a shock for those who thought Abdullah was just one of these propagandists who was going about spreading the word. So how did the Abbasids, who were ruling in Baghdad at the time, react to his claim?

[D]

Yes, the Abbasids found out about this revelation somehow and therefore started persecuting him. Others were enthusiastic about this revelation and even demonstrated their enthusiasm very publicly. So much so that it is at this point that in the sources describing these events, we find for the first time this group of people who were so enthusiastic about Abdallah making himself known as to be from the line of Fatima and Ali, that these detractors started to call the people who supported him Fatima Yun. It is the first time that we find this Fatimid expression found in sources. They call it Fatimiun, which means those who follow the people who believe to be descendant of Fatima.

[A]

It's fascinating that they manage to live for so long hidden. But I guess that begs the question, how do we move from a position where they are a minority forced to live in hiding, to the point where they begin an empire? How do they rise to power from the position that they're in?

[D]

Yes, this is really phenomenal sort of progression. And first of all, they were acting in hiding and moving in hiding in secret. But let's not forget that these trading activities that they conducted brought them money. So they were real merchants in that sense. And therefore we hear about them buying houses and establishments, etc. And being wealthy. So there is money circulating there. This is a time also where there were various dissents across various regions for various political motivations. So the propaganda tapped people who were maybe dissatisfied with regional or overall government of ruling of the Muslim community. There was the messianic appeal of waiting for a leader who one day will bring justice and peace. Interestingly, they operate in markets and there are many references to how women were instrumental in facilitating the spreading of the Ismaili propaganda, because the frequenters of markets were women, especially with textiles. And therefore they really worked as, maybe unwittingly, as filters of the religious political propaganda that these Ismaili activists were negotiating.

[A]

How do we move on from this in a formal way to create the foundations of an empire?

[D]

So we have now this Abdallah who has announced himself to be the Imam in Syria, in Salamiya. His enemies are after him, his cover is blown, he has to escape, he has to run away, he has to leave Syria. So that's what he does with a small group of very trusted followers and members of his family. He leaves some others to look after his affairs in Syria, but very much in secret. So where is he going next? Is someone unclear at the start? The first idea is for him to go to and this group to go to Yemen. The Ismaili propaganda had been effective in Yemen for some time. Again in the name or guided by this Abdullah the Esdra, who was a propagandist, but was actually the Imam, as we find out from what Abdullah reveals. So we have this propaganda in Yemen, which had been effectively working and had recruited quite a following while still secretly conducted. But then there are hints of other people wanting to claim to be their imams themselves. So he changes his mind and therefore takes the direction west, first escaping towards Egypt, then Libya, always chased and somehow in hiding until eventually he reaches what is today Morocco and settles in Sigilmasa. Sigil Massa is an ideal place because it's one of the most important trading centers for trans Saharan trade. So if you want to pass yourself as a rich merchant Sigil Massa is a good place to go and pretend to be or act as a merchant while still conducting your propaganda and waiting for the right moment to take leadership.

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[A]

Why is this happening in Sijil, Massa? Why North Africa?

[D]

The news that came from that region was that there was a propagandist, a missionary, a Dai called Abu Abdal al Shih, who had been very successful operating there. He had been an Ismaili activist with his brother, Abu al Abbas from the early days, and he had been sent to propagate his mission in the name of the Imam. Initially, his intention was to go and carry his propaganda in Egypt because his brother was there. His brother, this Abu l Abbas, knew the true identity of Abdullah Nudaiman because he was with him in Salamiya when this was revealed. And he was part of the small group of people who Abdullah took with him on his escape from Salamiya, all the way by Egypt, Libya, and then Tunisia, Morocco, and finally Salamiya. His brother, this Abu L Abbas, was active now in Egypt on behalf of the Imam. And Abu Abd al Shi wanted to join him, except that when he was performing his pilgrimage in Mecca, while there he met a group of Berbers. And these Berbers liked him very much and they invited him to go back with them to Morocco, to the Atlas Mountains. So that's what he does. He changes his course, his direction, and goes to join the Berber tribes in Morocco and these in the Atlas Mountains. And these Berbers, particularly the Kutama tribe of this community, really adhere very much to his preaching.

[A]

Was there something about that region then that meant the people were particularly open to the messages that were being spread?

[D]

That part of North Africa, or Ifritia as it was called then, was under the rule of the Aghlabid dynasty. This Aghlabid dynasty was a Sunni dynasty. And they ruled over that region on behalf of the Abbasids of Baghdad. These Aghlabids were Arabs. And somehow these Berbers felt somehow sidelined or neglected, felt marginalized by these Arabs. So when missionary like Abu Abdallah Al Shih comes forward with the message of the Imam revealing himself, and then he will bring peace and joy and order and will bring about the true way in which Islam should be practiced and so on. These Berber tribes, they really adhere to this message. So they are disenchanted by the Aghlabids. They have their proposal, alternative what the appeal here is that Abu Abdel Al Shih brings not only a religious message, but a militant message as well that empowers this Kutama. What he gets is more than probably he bargained for, because suddenly it he finds himself with an army. They rally around him, they form an army. And within a relatively short time, this army starts to conquer territories that were once under Aglabid rule. And until the Aglabids give up, the Aghlabid regime falls apart and the Aghlabid Emir leaves. So this is a very quick, fast conquest with. With limited opposition. We are now in the year 909. This is a moment where we have the Imam in Sijid Masa. We have the territories, we have an army, we have the Aghlabids who have left their capital, taking all the gold and stuff with them as they escape. So this is the right moment to to announce the formal enthronement of the Imam who is in Sij Al Masa and bring him to what was the former capital of the Aghlabids that this militia of kutamas, etc. Conquered for the cities Kairoan, one of the most beautiful cities and ancient cities in Tunisia. Today, from the base in Kairouan, this allegation headed by Abu Abdallah, she goes to free Abdallah in Sigilmasa. I say free because by now also the COVID of Abdallah in Sijilmasa becomes untenable. People are working out that this is not the person they thought he was originally. So things are happening. Abu Abdallal, she has to act fast. He needs to go and fetch Abdallah the Imam to bring him to Kairavan in order for him to be formally presented as the Imam, enthroned him as ruler. Abu Abdallah has one problem. He doesn't know what this Abdallah look like. He knows that he's in Sijilmasa, but he doesn't know what he looks like. So when he arrives in Sigilmasa, he has to ask a child who happened to know through his father the identity of Abdullah to show him who is this Abdallah. He didn't want to get it wrong or he didn't want to liberate the wrong person. So this is how this meeting between he who had campaigned for years in the name of this imam, finally physically meets the Imam Abdullah.

[A]

So if I've got this right, he doesn't actually announce himself as the hidden Imam, but he's given this title of Al Mahdi. Why is that?

[D]

So Al Mahdi is a very important choice of title because Mahdi is a title used in messianic context, specifically in Shia Islam. And it means that the rightly guided by God with a kind of messianic meaning within this connotation and with this title on the ground of him being recognized as a direct descendant from Fatima and Ali, we had the actual beginning of what becomes known as the Fatimid rule. So Fatimid is designated in the sources as the beginning of the Fatimid rule.

[A]

Are they openly calling themselves the Fatimids at this point? Is that a name that they give

[D]

themselves the Fatimids, not just at the beginning, but also afterwards, never actually called themselves Fatimids. They called themselves the Dawlat al Haq, the Daulah, the regime of the truth or the truthful regime. Fatimid was mainly used by people outside observers, sympathizers or detractors of these rulers who called them Fatimid because of this claim of descent from Fatima. But the moniker stuck and then it became used, whether by detractors or supporters of the dynasty, as a way to call and denominate this dynasty these rulers, but themselves, they call themselves Daulat Al Haq.

[A]

Yeah, interesting. How do the Fatimids go about then cementing their authority given that they're a minority? So they're effectively going to have to be a minority ruling the majority Sunni population. How difficult do they find that? And how do they balance relations with other Muslim powers?

[D]

Yes, throughout all the rule, the Fatimids will remain a minority regime ruling over Shia Ismaili regime, ruling over a majority Sunni population with other Shia groups as well and also non Muslim minorities. Okay, first of all, in a very practical sense, the moment the Fatimid rule is inaugurated in North Africa, they have no experience of administration or management, not to that scale. These new rulers inherit a vast territory that comprises parts of Algeria, parts of Libya, parts, parts of Tunisia. Very vast territories. Sicily comes under Fatimid rule. The Aghlabids had conquered Sicily in 827, and it had remained under Muslim rule all the time. And then when the Fatimids arrived, they find themselves having control of Sicily as well. And you go from what you said before being a covert operation into one that has to take care of what is becoming and building into an empire, vast territories. First of all, the first thing they do is to issue an aman document. The aman is a safe conduct. So to pacify and reach out to the local population, basically say you can continue to practice what you want and do what you like in terms of your faith, et cetera, as long as you recognize us as the new leader. And they also use the administrative structure that the Aghlabids has left behind. Aghlabid administrators and high officials, they didn't have much of a choice. Either you serve the new masters or disappear, physically or otherwise. Therefore, they were encouraged to go and work for the new regime. There isn't very much a sense of that major repression was going on, that there was obviously some, but not to the extent of heavy involvement in suppressing local population. It was obviously that even if they wanted to, they could not afford, because we have a majority population that is not Shia, let alone Ismaili. And they would not be able to join the Ismaili cause even if they wanted to, because to be initiated into the Ismaili brand of Islam. It's a very carefully vetted process. And therefore the secrecy of the esoteric doctrines made it sure that only those who were particularly suitable and really committed could advance in acquiring this knowledge.

[A]

How do they do it then?

[D]

The fact that there was from the start, successful economy impacting positively in the area, that certainly was an inviting, reassuring element. The army, the Berbers, were stationed in position of control. Some dissent, of course, happened and it was suppressed. But I think it was also a time when the rulers were very keen on demonstrating their righteousness. They were very careful in imposing the right taxes. They were very careful in ensuring that the army was paid. There are episodes where the Kutama went on rampant. Pensions started looting places, and the regime punished them and made them return what they had taken. So this idea that this imam would bring order and justice was witnessed most of the time by the population and therefore was kind of reassuring. It didn't attract, like, enthusiasm was at least reassuring in that sense. And then local governors were placed in strategic parts of these territories to look after the affair of the regime. Regime. But anyway, the presence in Kairavan was temporary because then in the year 921, Al Mahdi moved to new capital that he had funded in Tunisia along the coast, the city of Al Mahdiya, and this opens new ventures for the dynasty. It was a very significant move and a very significant statement. The fact that his ruler builds it doesn't just use the old capital of the old regime, but is confident enough and shows vision in building a new capital along the coast. So Mahdiya is completed in 921 and this is where we find now this regime.

[B]

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[A]

So how does one Fatimid ruler secure or begin to establish a kind of Fatimid dynasty?

[D]

What he does he announces his son Abul Qasim as his successor. According to Ismaili rules, the incumbent imam is the one who appoints publicly his successor. He announces that his son Abul Qasim will be his successor. It will happen at some point, this Abul Qasim will take the ruling name, title of Al Qaim, again, another title which has very eschatological, messianic flavor. And therefore, in a sense, we can technically say that the moment Almerdi announces that his son will succeed him as Al Qaim, he technically begins the the Fatimid, not just as a rule, but as a dynasty. So there is a dynastic project that begins here.

[A]

I did want to just talk about the establishment of that capital, Mahdiya. Moving it to the coast seems like a really loud signal to other powers that the Fatimids are planning to be a major force in the area. They're not going to sit in land at an old capital that the Aghlabids had had. They're moving to the coast, which positions them on the Mediterranean, able to move about the sea and also threaten other powers. They must have looked like something that the Abbasids and the Byzantines and everybody else might need to keep a really close eye on, might need to be a bit worried about. Was that part of the idea of moving there to kind of announce themselves on the international stage?

[D]

Yes, absolutely. The Fatimids become a naval force, both in military terms and in commercial terms. So it's a statement to say we are here to partake into the commercial and military opportunities that the Mediterranean Sea has to offer. And they also have the equipment and the resources to build a navy. Sicily here becomes a very important part of the growing Fatimid empire because it is from Sicily that the Fatimids acquired the wood to build the boats and the best place where they had the arsenal, et cetera. The site of Media was from ancient time. It has a very prominent place as a point of reference in maritime trade. The Fatimids built a bespoke capital rich with symbolism, also in terms of the shape of the fortress and the famous mosque of Madiya. The his position in relation to it at this point. The Fatimids announced themselves with this move as competitors with the Umayyads of Al Andalus in the Iberian Peninsula. We have the other Sunni dynasty that had taken control of Al Andalus and were very prominent players in the Mediterranean trade. They announced themselves as contenders against the Abbasids who occupied the eastern Mediterranean and the Byzantine Empire as well. Let's not forget the Byzantine force, in fact, the navy. The move to Mahdiya sends such powerful message that the King Simeon of Bulgaria, who had aimed at challenging the Byzantine advance, Soviet Christian King Simeon of Bulgaria, who has issues against the Byzantine. And at some point he sends a voice to Al Fahdi in Mahdiya to seek an alliance, wanting the maritime force of the Fatimids to join the Bulgarian king in order to fight against the Byzantine. The agreement was reached and then it fell apart. But it gives a sense of how this signal that the Fatimids sent was really noted and received by all the major players, geopolitical players at the time. But Magdiya and the base on the Mediterranean in that sense sent also another message. And the message was that in the vision of Al Mahdi, the conquest of North Africa, etc. Was only a stepping stone towards major conquest, major achievements. The ultimate goal of this dynasty was to uproot the Abbasids in Baghdad. So having a naval base in Mahdiya served as a way to expand eastwards the territories, eventually conquering Syria and Palestine, and after that eventually reach Baghdad.

[A]

Well, unfortunately we've run out of time because this has been fascinating, but having got the Fatimids established there, we need another episode, I think, on their actual rule and what happened in the empire. But this has been an absolutely fascinating exploration of how this minority religion managed to establish itself, itself as an empire. And we definitely have to come back and revisit the Fatimids, I think, to see what they get up to now that they're established and now that they're in power. But thank you so much for joining us for this daily. It's been fascinating.

[D]

Thank you very much for inviting me.

[A]

I hope you've enjoyed this overview of the rise of the Fatimid empire. You can find episodes about Saladin, the Assassins and the Crusades in our back catalog. If you'd like to follow their story on a little bit further, there are new installments of Gone Medieval every Tuesday and Friday. So please come back to join Elena and I for more from the greatest millennium in human history. And don't forget to subscribe or follow us on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. And tell all of your friends and family that you've Gone Medieval. You can sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries with a new release every single week at historyhit.com forward/subscribe. Anyway, I better let you go. I've been Matt Lewis and we've just Gone medieval with History Hit.

[B]

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