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Al-Afdal Shahanshah

Type Figure Region Egypt Time 1066–1121 Also known as Al-Afdal, Fatimid vizier

Al-Afdal Shahanshah (1066–1121) was the de facto Fatimid vizier who directed Egypt's and Syria's policy and confronted the First Crusade.

Timeline

  1. 1094–1098Cairo · Fatimid CaliphateAl-Afdal succeeded his father Badr al-Jamali as vizier, effectively controlling Fatimid government and army, and began systematic intervention in Syrian and Palestinian affairs.
  2. 1098–1100Jerusalem · PalestineAround the Crusader capture of Jerusalem, al-Afdal led an army north but failed to relieve the city in time; thereafter he contended repeatedly with the Crusader states and Syrian Muslim powers, seeking to restore Fatimid influence in the Levant.
  3. 1100–1121Cairo · Fatimid CaliphateIn his later years al-Afdal continued to control Egyptian government and supported the Syrian front against the Crusaders, but Fatimid military power declined; in 1121 he was assassinated in a palace coup, marking a turning point in the era of the Armenian officer faction.

Sources