After Bosworth 1980
The Orthodox or Rightly-Guided CaliphsAD 632-661 (AH 11-40)
death of the Prophet Mohamed in Medina AH 11 (AD 632)
succeeded by four of his Companions, related by blood or marriage to the Prophet, each taking the title Caliph, in Arabic Khalifa meaning 'he who follows behind, successor':
Under the second Caliph, the Arab armies were organised to attack the Byzantine and Sassanid Empires; under his rule, the Arab general Amr overwhelmed the Byzantine forces in Egypt.
The Umayyad Caliphs
AD 661-750 (AH 41-132)
centre of rule: Damascus
41/661 Muawiya I bin Abi Sufyan
60/680 Yazid I
64/683 Muawiya II
64/684 Marwan I bin al-Hakam
65/685 Abd al-Malik
86/705 al-Walid I
96/715 Sulaiman
99/717 Umar bin Abd al-Aziz
101/720 Yazid II
105/724 Hisham
125/743 al-Walid II
126/744 Yazid III
126/744 Ibrahim
127-132/744-750 Marwan II al-Himar
The Abbasid Caliphs
centre of rule: Baghdad
The Abbasid Caliphs ruled the Islamic world at first in full force, and then as increasingly nominal religious leaders, until finally the Ottoman Turks assumed leadership of the Islamic world on their conquest of Egypt (AD 1517) and Syria.
From 868 onwards, the power of the caliphs over Egypt was interrupted by the following dynasties:
In 1517 the line of the Mamluks and their Abbasid Caliphs ended with the Ottoman Turkish conquest of Egypt.
List of the Abbasid Caliphs
132/749 as-Saffah
136/754 al-Mansur
158/775 al-Mahdi
170/786 Harun ar-Rashid
193/809 al-Amin
198/813 al-Mamun
201-3/817-9 Ibrahim bin al-Mahdi in Baghdad
218/833 al-Mutasim
227/842 al-Wathiq
232/847 al-Mutawakkil
247/861 al-Muntasir
248/862 al-Mustain
252/866 al-Mutazz
255/869 al-Muhtadi
256/870 al-Mutamid
279/892 al-Mutadid
289/902 al-Muktafi
295/908 al-Muqtadir
320/932 al-Qahir
322/934 ar-Radi
329/940 al-Muttaqi
333/944 al-Mustakfi
334/946 al-Muti
363/974 at-Tai
381/991 al-Qadir
422/1031 al-Qaim
467/1075 al-Muqtadi
487/1094 al-Mustazhir
512/1118 al-Mustarshid
529/1135 ar-Rashid
530/1136 al-Muqtafi
555/1160 al-Mustanjid
566/1170 al-Mustadi
575/1180 an-Nasir
622/1225 az-Zahir
632/1226 al-Mustansir
640-56/1242-1258 al-Mustasim
In 656/1258 the Mongols sacked Baghdad, and Hulegu murdered al-Mustasim. Shortly afterwards, the Mamluk Sultan Baybars in Cairo installed an Abbasid Caliph in Cairo, legitimating the new Mamluk rule over Egypt and Syria. The line of Abbasid Caliphs continued at Cairo under Mamluk rule (659-923/1261-1517).
659/1261 al-Mustansir
660/1261 al-Hakim I
701/1302 al-Mustakfi I
740/1340 al-Wathiq I
741/1341 al-Hakim I
753/1352 al-Mutadid I
763/1362 al-Mutawakkil I first time
779/1377 al-Mutasim first time
779/1377 al-Mutawakkil I second time
785/1383 al-Wathiq II
788/1386 al-Mutasim second time
791/1389 al-Mutawakkil I third time
808/1406 al-Mustain
816/1414 al-Mutadid II
845/1441 al-Mustakfi II
855/1451 al-Qaim
859/1455 al-Mustanjid
884/1479 al-Mutawakkil II
903/1497 al-Mustamsik first time
914/1508 al-Mutawakkil III first time
922/1516 al-Mustamsik second time
923/1517 al-Mutawakkil III second time
The Tulunids
254/868 Ahmad bin Tulun
270/884 Khumarawayh
282/896 Jaysh
283/896 Harun
292/905 Shauban
The Tulunids were the first separate dynasty to rule over Egypt, which they controlled together with Syria. The reign of the first in the dynasty, Ibn Tulun, marks a high point in Egyptian history. Of Turkish origin, he rose to power from his position as deputy governor. The dynasty ruled from Fustat, on the south side of the later city of Cairo.
In 905 Tulunid independence was ended with the conquest by the general Muhammad bin Sulayman fighting for the Abbasid Caliph.
The Ikhshidids
323/935 Muhammad bin Tughj al-Ikhshid
344/946 Unujur
349/961 Ali
355/966 Kafur, originally regent for Ali
357-8/968-9 Ahmad
The first Ikhshidid ruler, Muhammad bin Tughj, was of Turkish military origins, and rose to power from his position as governor of Egypt in 323/935, for which the Abbasid Caliph ar-Radi gave him the title Ikhshid (an Iranian title signifying 'prince' or 'ruler'). After his death the effective ruler of Egypt was the Nubian slave Kafur.
In 969 Ikhshidid rule was extinguished after the death of Kafur by the Fatimid conquest in 969.
The power of this dynasty originated in central North Africa, moving to take over Egypt and Syria after 969. The following list gives all rulers of the dynasty.
map showing the size of the Fatimid caliphate. |
woodwork for decoration of the Fatimid palace in Cairo (click on the image for a larger picture) |
297/909 Ubaydallah al-Mahdi
322/934 al-Qaim
334/946 al-Mansur
365/975 al-Muizz
386/996 al-Hakim
411/
427/
487/
495/
524/1130 interregnum - rule by al-Hafiz as regent before he took the title Caliph
525/1131 al-Hafiz
544/1149 az-Zafir
549/1154 al-Faiz
555-567/1160-1171 al-Adid
The Fatimid rulers were adherents of the Shiite branch of Islam, in opposition to the Sunni branch expounded by the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphs of Baghdad, and the Fatimids proclaimed themselves rival Caliphs. They founded the city of Cairo, and ruled from there. During their time, the First Crusade established Western Christian kingdoms in the Levant. Despite this, the age of Fatimid rule was one of great prosperity, and the new city of Cairo came to outshine the older centres of the Islamic world, Damascus and Baghdad.
Fatimid rule was ended by Saladin, who restored Sunni Islam at the highest level.
The Ayyubids
crusader coin (click on the image for a larger picture) |
564/935 al-Malik an-Nasir I Salah ad-Din (Saladin)
589/1193 al-Malik al-Aziz Imad-ad-Din
595/1198 al-Malik al-Mansur Nasir ad-Din
596/1200 al-Malik al-Adil I Sayf-ad-Din
615/1218 al-Malik al-Kamil I Nasir ad-Din
635/1238 al-Malik al-Adil II Sayf-ad-Din
637/1240 al-Malik as-Salih Najm ad-Din Ayyub
647/1249 al-Malik al-Muazzam Tarun-Shah
648-650/1250-1252 al-Malik al-Ashraf II Muzaffar ad-Din
The first Ayyubid ruler was Saladin, of Kurdish origin, famous for reconquering Jerusalem from the Crusaders (victory at Hattin 583/1187), and for his humane treatment of all his subjects.
The Ayyubids eventually lost power to their Mamluk slave troops in Egypt and elsewhere.
The Bahri Mamluks
(click on the image for a larger picture) |
648/1250 Shajar ad-Durr
648/1250 al-Muizz Izz-ad-Din Aybak
655/1257 al-Mansur Nur ad-Din Ali
657/1259 al-Muzaffar Sayf ad-Din Qutuz
658/1260 az-Zahir Rukn-ad-Din Baybars I al-Bunduqdari
676/1277 as-Said Nasir-ad-Din Baraka Khan
678/1280 al-Adil Badr-ad-Din Salamish
678/1280 al-Mansur Sayf-ad-Din Qalaun al-Alfi
689/1290 al-Ashraf Salah-ad-Din Khalil
693/1294 an-Nasir Nasir-ad-Din Muhammad first reign
694/1295 al-Adil Zayn-ad-Din Kitbugha
696/1297 al-Mansur Husam-ad-Din Lahin
698/1299 an-Nasir Nasir-ad-Din Muhammad second reign
708/1309 al-Muzaffar Rukn-ad-Din Baybars II al-Jashankir
709/1309 an-Nasir Nasir-ad-Din Muhammad third reign
741/1340 al-Mansur Sayf-ad-Din Abu-Bakr
742/1341 al-Ashraf Alah-ad-Din Kujuk
743/1342 an-Nasir Shihab-ad-Din Ahmad
743/1342 as-Salih Imad-ad-Din Ismail
746/1345 al-Kamil Sayf ad-Din Shaban I
747/1346 al-Muzaffar Sayf-ad-Din Hajji I
748/1347 an-Nasir Nasir-ad-Din al-Hasan first reign
752/1351 as-Salih Salah-ad-Din Salih
755/1354 an-Nasir Nasir-ad-Din al-Hasan second reign
762/1361 al-Mansur Salah-ad-Din Muhammad
764/1363 al-Ashraf Nasir-ad-Din Shaban II
778/1376 al-Mansur Alah-ad-Din Ali
783/1382 as-Salih Salah-ad-Din Hajji I first reign
784/1382 az-Zahir Sayf ad-Din Barquq (Burgi)
791/1289 Hajji II second reign (with honorific title al-Muzaffar or al-Mansur)
The Burgi Mamluks
784/1382 az-Zahir Sayf ad-Din Barquq first reign
791/1289 Hajji II second reign (Bahri)
792/1390 az-Zahir Sayf ad-Din Barquq second reign
801/1399 an-Nasir Nasir-ad-Din Faraj first reign
808/1405 al-Mansur Izz-ad-Din Abd-al-Aziz
808/1405 an-Nasir Nasir-ad-Din Faraj second reign
815/1412 al-Adil al-Mustain (Abbasid Caliph in Cairo, proclaimed Sultan)
815/1412 al-Muayyad Sayf-ad-Din Tatar
824/1421 al-Muzaffar Ahmad
824/1421 az-Zahir Sayf-ad-Din Tatar
824/1421 as-Salih Nasir-ad-Din Muhammad
825/1422 al-Ashraf Sayf-ad-Din Barsbay
841/1437 al-Aziz Jamal-ad-Din Yusuf
842/1438 az-Zahir Sayf-ad-Din Jaqmaq
857/1453 al-Mansur Fakhr-ad-Din Uthman
857/1453 al-Ashraf Sayf-ad-Din Inal
865/1461 al-Muayyad Shihab-ad-Din Ahmad
865/1461 az-Zahir Sayf-ad-Din Khushqadam
872/1467 az-Zahir Sayf-ad-Din Bilbay
872/1467 az-Zahir Timurbugha
872/1468 al-Ashraf Sayf-ad-Din Qait Bay
901/1496 an-Nasir Muhammad
903/1498 az-Zahir Qansuh
905/1500 al-Ashraf Janbalat
906/1501 al-Adil Sayf-ad-Din Tuman Bay
906/1501 al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
922/1516 al-Ashraf Tuman Bay
The Mamluks were originally troops of slave status enlisted to sustain Ayyubid power. After they took control of Egypt, they achieved the reconquest of the last of the Crusader kingdoms in the Levant, and defeated the Mongols at the critical battle of Ayn Jalut (658/1260). The Mamluks are divided into an earlier group called the Bahri Mamluks, and a later group, the Burgi Mamluks; the Bahri Mamluks were originally soldiers based on Roda Island by Cairo, on the Nile (Bahr), while the Burgi Mamluks were associated with the Citadel (al-Burj). The Bahri Mamluks derived largely from Qipchaq tribesmen in what is now southern Russia, with Mongols and Kurds; the Burgi Mamluks were mainly Circassians, from the Caucasus mountains. There was a tendency for sons of the family, after two or three generations, to move into professions other than the military; the military stock was continually replaced with new troops of slave status from those areas.
Mamluk rule ended with the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517.
astrolabe (click on the image for a larger picture and more information) |
In 1517 Selim I conquered Egypt. Until the relative autonomy of the Muhammad Ali dynasty in the nineteenth century, Egypt remained a part of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. Until the proclamation of the kingdom in 1914, Egypt was still nominally under Ottoman rule. The following list gives the Ottoman rulers on the throne between 1517 and 1914. The capital of the Ottoman Empire was Istanbul, the new name for Byzantium/Constantinople, conquered by the Ottomans in 1453.
918/1512 Selim I Yuvaz ('the Grim')
926/1520 Sulayman II Qanuni ('the Law-Giver', in European history known as 'the Magnificent')
974/1566 Selim II
982/1574 Murad III
1003/1595 Muhammad III
1012/1603 Ahmad I
1026/1617 Mustafa I first reign
1027/1618 Uthman II
1031/1622 Mustafa I second reign
1032/1623 Murad IV
1049/1640 Ibrahim
1058/1648 Muhammad IV
1099/1687 Sulayman III
1102/1691 Ahmad II
1106/1695 Mustafa II
1115/1703 Ahmad III
1143/1730 Mahmud I
1168/1754 Uthman III
1171/1757 Mustafa III
1187/1774 Abd al-Hamid I
1203/1789 Selim III
1222/1807 Mustafa IV
1223/1808 Mahmud II
1255/1839 Abd-al-Majid I
1277/1861 Abd-al-Aziz
1293/1876 Murad V
1293/1876 Abd-al-Hamid II
1327/1909 Mohammad V Rashad
The line of Muhammad Ali
(Khedival Period)
1220/1805 Muhammad Ali Pasha
1264/1848 Ibrahim Pasha
1264/1848 Abbas I Pasha
1270/1854 Said Pasha
1280/1863 Ismail (Khedive from 1284/1867)
1296/1879 Tawfiq
1309/1892 Abbas II Hilmi
1333/1914 Husayn Kamil (Sultan)
1335/1917 Ahmad Fuad I (king from 1340/1922)
1355/1936 Faruq
1371-1372/1952-1953 Fuad II
Muhamad Ali was of Turkish Albanian origin, and came to Egypt as part of the Ottoman forces sent to expel the French Revolutionary expedition of 1798-1801. He rose to power, removing the Mamluk ruling class, and obtained the title Pasha as governor of Egypt. He led the modernisation of Egyptian agriculture, medicine and technology. His son Ismail was given the title Khedive (of Iranian origin). As a kingdom, Egypt became independent of the Ottoman Empire. However, from 1882 there was an occupying British military force in the country, and British Protectorate status only ended in 1922. Full independence was secured by the revolution of 1952, forcing the abdication of king Faruq, with the abolition of the monarchy a year later.
Since 1953 Egypt has been an independent republic.
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