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Dirgham
Dirgham was a Fatimid vizier of Armenian origin who rose from slavery to high office at the Cairo court.…
Timeline
- 1141–1150Cairo · EgyptIn the 1140s Dirgham held military posts such as chief of police at the Fatimid court in Cairo, gradually accumulating power through the military and guard systems. During the factional struggles of Caliph al-Hafiz's late reign, the group of Armenian officials gained influence, laying the foundation for Dirgham's later appointment as vizier.
- 1154–1158Cairo · EgyptIn 1154 Dirgham became vizier, controlling the treasury and the army and excluding Arab bureaucrats. His autocratic rule provoked a court backlash and he was briefly deposed, but was quickly restored to power, and his struggle with Shawar entered an intense phase.
Sources
- Dirgham — M. Canard https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/dirgham-SIM_1869
- The Cambridge History of Egypt, Volume 1: Islamic Egypt, 640–1517 — Carl F. Petry (1998)