The Mustansirite Strife: Civil War, Famine, and Cannibalism in Medieval Egypt
Monarchies have a tendency to eventually produce eras of weak, incapable, or spiteful rulers. And, since our history after the death of Ali ibn Abi Talib was mostly a history of monarchies, there are plenty of examples and lessons to be learned from these eras.
Among the most severe of these eras was that of the Fatimid Shiite Sultan Abū Tamīm Maʿad al-Mustanṣir biʾllāh.
A Child on the Throne
Al-Mustansir inherited the Fatimid throne of Egypt at the age of 7, yet his mother Rasad ruled in his stead.
In the early years of the child sultan’s reign, various factions in Egypt vied for power. Two of the most notable camps were the Nubians, spearheaded by al-Muntasir’s mother Rasad, and the Turks, led by the general Nasir al-Dawla Abu Muhammad al-Husayn ibn Hamdan. Eventually, Nasir al-Dawla and his men captured Cairo, becoming the de-facto ruler and vizier of the Fatimids. The infighting and the sieges on Cairo would eventually be one of the catalysts of the Mustansarite Strife.
Corruption and famine
In addition to the civil war, several years passed without the annual flooding of the Nile, and the soil lost much of the enrichment it needed to produce sufficient crops. As a result, agricultural output dropped significantly, and the cost of the civil war and the allocation of resources towards it exacerbated the situation.
Politics would continue to play out, as Nasir al-Dawla and his men would embezzle funds from the treasury and rule with tyranny and corruption until Nasir al-Dawla himself was assassinated within two years of conquering Cairo. His death only led to more chaos, as various armed factions fought once again for control of Egypt.
As a result of the constant internal wars, the corruption, and the years of low levels of the Nile, the price of essential foods skyrocketed to the point that the rich sold their jewels and luxuries for bread, dogs, cats, and horses were slaughtered for meat, and, in several cases, people resorted to actual cannibalism.
The internal wars and the chaos continued until the Governor of Palestine Badr al-Din al-Jamali came to al-Mustansir’s aid, put an end to the anarchy, and became yet another de facto ruler with the Fatimid sultan becoming a mere figurehead.
“And whose affairs are a matter of counsel” (al-Shura:38)
Following the death of the Prophet of Islam Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and until the Umayyads began inheriting the Caliphate, one generation after another, the issue of succession was a matter of counsel among the Companions of the Prophet.
A competent counsel is not only crucial for matters of succession, to try to prevent the ascension of those unfit for the responsibilities of governance, but it’s also crucial in guiding the rulers themselves, who are also required to follow the same Quranic verse and ensure their matters are conducted with counsel.
Whenever rulers ruled without sound counsel, trouble always found a way to the surface, and the people eventually paid the price. Only with competent counsel and rulers can a people thrive.
