Fatimid Imam-Caliphs and the 1094 Succession

Eight Fatimid imam-caliphs, from al-Mahdi through al-Mustansir, form part of the historical shared Ismaili Imamat. After the disputed succession of 1094, the Nizari tradition recognised Nizar; later rulers in Egypt followed a different line. Nizar never ruled as the Fatimid caliph of Egypt.

1. 909–934

   al-Mahdi biʾllah

   Established the Fatimid state in North Africa.

2. 934–946

   al-Qaʾim bi-Amr Allah

   Second imam-caliph; faced a major uprising.

3. 946–953

   al-Mansur biʾllah

   Defeated Abu Yazid's revolt and founded al-Mansuriyya.

4. 953–975

   al-Muʿizz li-Din Allah

   Directed expansion into Egypt and the foundation of Cairo.

5. 975–996

   al-ʿAziz biʾllah

   Consolidated rule in Egypt; construction began on the al-Hakim Mosque.

6. 996–1021

   al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah

   Founded Dar al-Ilm in 1005; al-Hakim Mosque was completed in his reign.

7. 1021–1036

   al-Zahir li-Iʿzaz Din Allah

   Continued Cairo-centred Fatimid rule.

8. 1036–1094

   al-Mustansir biʾllah

   His death was followed by the disputed 1094 succession.

These reign dates refer to the political history of Fatimid Egypt, not to the Nizari Imamat. The transition around 1130–1132 involved contested arrangements and should not be flattened into an uninterrupted succession.

1. 1094–1101

   al-Mustaʿli biʾllah

   Egyptian Fatimid ruler recognised by the Mustaʿli branch.

2. 1101–1130

   al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah

   Al-Aqmar Mosque was commissioned during his reign.

3. 1132–1149

   al-Hafiz li-Din Allah

   Later Egyptian ruler following an unsettled succession.

4. 1149–1154

   al-Zafir bi-Amr Allah

   Later Fatimid caliph amid political upheavals.

5. 1154–1160

   al-Faʾiz bi-Nasr Allah

   A child caliph in Egypt.

6. 1160–1171

   al-ʿAdid li-Din Allah

   Last Fatimid caliph; rule ended in 1171.

The following historical and scholarly sources support this entry. The original publications are linked for independent verification.

1. The Ismaili Imams — IISHistorical Imamat sequence
2. Ittiʿaz al-hunafa, al-Maqrizi — IISCritical edition of Fatimid historical chronicle
3. Shainool Jiwa, The Fatimids 1 — IISEarly rulers and cities
4. Shainool Jiwa, The Fatimids 2 — IISEgyptian era of the Fatimids
5. The Ismaili Imamat: A Brief History — IIS1094 succession and institutions
6. Nizari Ismailis: History, Geography and Beliefs — IISContext of Nizari succession
7. Farhad Daftary, al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah — IISLife and reign of al-Hakim