Tag Archives: Ismailis

Egypt: Another Ismaili Split, 1132-40

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

The Fatimid dynasty always tried to combine pragmatic secular rule with idealistic religion. The Caliph/Imam was not only the war leader and ruler, he was also the holiest descendant of Ismail. We’ve already seen one major split among Ismailis, when … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam History D: Crusades | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Egypt: Another Ismaili Split, 1132-40

Nizaris: Assassins in the 1090s

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Ruth

Muslim regions were no longer unified in any real way, by the time the real Crusaders arrived. I’ve previously explained the three most significant blows to Muslim unity: Fatimid evangelism, North African puritanism, and the rapid conquest of Turks from the east. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam History D: Crusades | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Nizaris: Assassins in the 1090s

Abbasid Caliphs and the Qarmatians, 892-932

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Ruth

Increasingly, the Caliph at Baghdad was not the main story in the Muslim world. At his own court, he could be sidelined by his brother, as al-Mutamid was. He could be outshone by a Vizier, as al-Muktafi was. A few, … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam History C: the Abbasids | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Abbasid Caliphs and the Qarmatians, 892-932

Caliph al-Mansur and the Shi’ites, 762-5

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Ruth

The descendants of Ali had been living quietly in Medina all this time, building up a legacy of scholarship that by the 700s amounted to a private university. Law and theology were the main subjects, but they included the observational … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam History C: the Abbasids | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Caliph al-Mansur and the Shi’ites, 762-5