Al-Afdal Shahanshah facts for kids

Al-Afdal Shahanshah (Arabic: الأفضل شاهنشاه, romanized: al-Afḍal Shāhanshāh; 1066 – 11 December 1121) was a very powerful leader in ancient Egypt. He was a "vizier," which was like a prime minister, for the Fatimid rulers called "caliphs." His full name was Abu al-Qasim Shahanshah. He was born in 1066 and died in 1121.

Becoming a Powerful Leader

Al-Afdal was born in Acre, a city in what is now Israel. His father, Badr al-Jamali, was an Armenian "mamluk." A mamluk was a soldier who was originally a slave but later gained freedom and power. Badr became the vizier for the Fatimids in Cairo from 1074 until he died in 1094.

When his father died, al-Afdal took over as vizier. Soon after, the caliph, Al-Mustansir Billah, also died. Al-Afdal chose a young boy named al-Musta'li to be the new caliph. He chose him instead of al-Musta'li's older brother, Nizar ibn al-Mustansir. Nizar tried to fight back in 1095 but was defeated. This caused problems between al-Afdal and Nizar's supporters.

Around this time, the Fatimids had lost much of their power in Palestine. This was because of the arrival of the Seljuk Turks. In 1097, al-Afdal's army captured Tyre from the Seljuks. In 1098, they took Jerusalem, bringing most of Palestine back under Fatimid control for a while.

Under al-Afdal, the caliphs had less power. They stayed mostly in their palace and al-Afdal handled many of their public duties. He even moved important ceremonies to his own large palace, called the Dar al-Mulk. This palace was built outside the city walls of Cairo.

Fighting the Crusaders

Al-Afdal first thought the Crusaders were just soldiers hired by the Byzantine Empire. He believed they might be allies because both were enemies of the Seljuk Turks. However, the Crusaders refused his offers for an alliance. They continued their journey south and captured Jerusalem in 1099.

Al-Afdal marched his army from Cairo to help Jerusalem. But he was too late, and the city fell on July 15, 1099. On August 12, 1099, the Crusaders surprised al-Afdal's army at the Battle of Ascalon. They completely defeated him. Al-Afdal later regained control of Ascalon. He used it as a base for future attacks against the Crusader states.

When Caliph al-Musta'li died in 1101, al-Afdal made the five-year-old al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah the new caliph. To make his family ties stronger, al-Afdal married his own daughter to the young caliph. As the vizier and the young caliph's father-in-law, al-Afdal had great power. He made sure a new law confirmed his full authority.

Al-Afdal's army attacked the new Kingdom of Jerusalem every year. In 1105, he tried to team up with Damascus against them, but his army was defeated. His army only succeeded when European ships were not involved. They slowly lost control of their cities along the coast. In 1109, Tripoli was lost, even with al-Afdal sending ships and supplies.

Al-Afdal also changed the tax system in Egypt. This system stayed in place until Saladin took over Egypt much later. People called al-Afdal "Glory of Islam" and "Protector of the Faith." A historian named Ibn al-Qalanisi described him as a fair and wise leader. He said al-Afdal was good at planning and always tried to be just.

Last Years and Death

Foundational inscription from Sidon, from 1097, in the name of al-Afdal.

In 1115, someone tried to kill al-Afdal, but his bodyguards saved him. After this, his health got worse. He gave his brother, Ja'far, the job of signing official documents. In 1115, he also named his son, Sama' al-Mulk Husayn, as his helper and future successor. After another attack by three people in 1118, al-Afdal suspected his own sons. He took away their jobs and money.

On December 13, 1121, al-Afdal was killed during a public parade. Many people believed the Order of Assassins were responsible. However, some historians say the Caliph al-Amir and al-Afdal's chief of staff, al-Ma'mun al-Bata'ihi, were involved. Al-Bata'ihi quickly took control after al-Afdal's death. He became the new vizier the next day.

Al-Afdal's adult sons were put in prison. But other family members were allowed to attend his funeral. Al-Afdal was given a proper burial for such an important person. The caliph quickly took all of al-Afdal's huge wealth, houses, and lands. It took forty days to move all his treasures to the caliph's palace. Historians said al-Afdal had more wealth than any ruler before him.

Buildings

Not many buildings ordered by al-Afdal still exist today. One mosque he built was the Mosque of the Elephant, around 1105. It was located south of Fustat (Old Cairo). This was where the first attempt to build a new observatory failed in 1119.

Some reports say al-Afdal also rebuilt a mosque in Gizeh that was damaged by floods. However, this cannot be confirmed. He also built new minarets, including some at the Mosque of Amr, but these are also gone. His large vizieral palace, the Dar-al-Mulk, has also disappeared. The only part of his work that still survives is the mihrab of the Mosque of Ibn Tulun. He ordered this during his first months as vizier.

Sources

• Daftary, Farhad (2007). [Al-Afdal Shahanshah at Google Books The Ismāʿı̄lı̄s: Their History and Doctrines] (Second ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-61636-2. Al-Afdal Shahanshah at Google Books.
• Lewis, Bernard (1969). "The Ismāʿīlites and the Assassins". In Setton, Kenneth M.. A History of the Crusades, Volume I: The First Hundred Years (Second ed.). Madison, Milwaukee, and London: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 99–133. ISBN 0-299-04834-9. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/History/History-idx?type=article&did=History.CrusOne.i0019&id=History.CrusOne.
• Steven Runciman, A History of the Crusades, vol. I: The First Crusade and the Foundation of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Cambridge University Press, 1951.
• William of Tyre. A History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea. Edited and translated by E. A. Babcock and A. C. Krey. Columbia University Press, 1943.
• The Damascus Chronicle of the Crusades: Extracted and Translated from the Chronicle of Ibn al-Qalanisi. H.A.R. Gibb, London, 1932.
• Walker, Paul E. (2011). "al-Āmir bi-Aḥkām Allāh". Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE. Brill Online. DOI:10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_COM_23060. 

See Also

In Spanish: Al-Afdal Shahanshah para niños