al-Afdal ibn Badr al-Jamali

Al-Afdal ibn Badr al-Jamali was a Fatimid vizier who succeeded his father Badr in office and governed Egypt for about twenty-seven years. He was killed by assassins in 515/1121, and his rule was marked by the Crusader conquest of Palestine.

The Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd ed.), unsigned, gives his name as Abu 'l-Qasim Shahanshah, known in history by his vizierial title al-Afdal. He was born about 458 (1066), and an inscription of 482 (1089) shows he was already associated with his father in the vizierate. On Badr's death the army forced the aged caliph al-Mustansir to accept al-Afdal as chief minister. When al-Mustansir died a few months later, al-Afdal raised a younger son, Ahmad, to the throne as al-Musta'li, passing over the heir Nizar, who was imprisoned; Hasan b. al-Sabbah then recognised Nizar as imam and founded the Assassins. Al-Afdal then confined al-Musta'li, who reigned until 495/1101, and placed on the throne a five-year-old son, al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah. As the caliph grew up he hired assassins, who killed al-Afdal in 515/1121, after he had held office for twenty-seven years. ¹

Jerusalem fell to the Crusaders in 492/1099, after the Egyptians had taken it from the Artukid officers in 491/1098. Al-Afdal led an army north of Ascalon, but the army was defeated, and he fled to Ascalon and returned to Cairo. The Franks occupied Palestine in 494/1101, and the population sought refuge in Egypt. His later expeditions went little beyond Ascalon, and in 512/1118 the Franks burnt Farama. The article criticises the luxury of the court and the caliph al-Amir's neglect of the war, and credits al-Afdal with financial reforms that increased the revenues. ²