al-Mu'izz Li-Dinillah المعز لدين الله |
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Gold coin of Caliph al-Mu'izz, Cairo, 969.
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Caliph of the Fatimid Caliphate | |||||
Reign | 19 March 953– 21 December 975 | ||||
Predecessor | al-Mansur Billah | ||||
Successor | al-Aziz Billah | ||||
Born | 26 September 931 | ||||
Died | 21 December 975 (aged 44) | ||||
Issue | al-Aziz Billah | ||||
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Father | al-Mansur Billah | ||||
Mother | ? | ||||
Religion | Shia Islam |
Full name | |
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Kunya: Abu Tamim Given name: Ma'ad Laqab: al-Mu'izz Li-Dinillah |
Abu Tamim Maad al-Muizz li-Dinillah (26 September 932 – 19 December 975) (Arabic: معد المعز لدين الله "Fortifier of the religion of God"), also spelled 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 (northern Africa) to the newly conquered Egypt. Fatimids founded the city of al-Qāhiratu "the Victorious" (Cairo) in 969 as the new capital of the Fāṭimid caliphate in Egypt.
After the Fāṭimids, under the third caliph, al-Mansur Billah (946-953), had defeated the Khārijite rebellion of Abu Yazid, they began, under his son al-Mu‘izz, to turn their attentions back to their ambition of establishing their caliphate throughout the Islamic world and overthrowing the Abbasids. Although the Fāṭimids were primarily concerned with Egypt and the Near East, there were nevertheless campaigns fought by General Jawhar as-Siqilli against the Berbers of Morocco and the Umayyads of Spain. At the same time, Fatimid raids on Italy enabled naval superiority in the Western Mediterranean to be affirmed, at the expense of Byzantium, even capturing Sicily for a period of time.
The way to Egypt was then clear for the Fāṭimids, the more so given the state of crisis that the incumbent Ikhshidid dynasty found itself in and the inability of the Abbasids to counterattack. The country fell to Jawhar in 969 without any great resistance. After he had secured his position, al-Muʻizz transferred the royal residence from Al-Mansuriya to the newly founded city of Qāhirat al-Muʻi "al-Muʻizz's Victory", i.e. Cairo, thereby shifting the centre of gravity of the Fatimid realm eastwards. In Africa, the Zirids were installed as regents. In Egypt, several attacks by the Carmathians had to be fought off (972-974) before the restructuring of state finances under Yaqub ibn Killis could be embarked upon. Al-Muʻizz was succeeded by his son Al-Aziz (975-996).