Al-Mansur Billah


Abu Tahir Isma'il, better known by his regnal name al-Mansur Billah, was the third Caliph of the Fatimid Caliphate in Ifriqiya, ruling from 946 until his death. He presided over a period of crisis, having to confront the large-scale Kharijite rebellion of Abu Yazid. He succeeded in suppressing the revolt and restoring the stability of the Fatimid regime.

Early life

Isma'il was born in early January 914 in Raqqada near Kairouan, the son of the second Fatimid caliph, Muhammad al-Qaim Bi-Amrillah, and a local slave concubine, Karima, who had once belonged to the last Aghlabid emir of Ifriqiya, Ziyadat Allah III. When his grandfather, the founder of the Fatimid Caliphate, Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah died, he was designated as the secret heir of his father; he was not publicly proclaimed as heir-apparent until 12 April 946, only five weeks before his father's death.

Reign

The Fatimid realm found itself deep in crisis due to the revolt of Abu Yazid. However, after the unity of the rebels began to crack, Isma'il managed to put down the revolt with the help of the Berber Zirids. Following this victory he took the epithet al-Mansur, and built a new residence at al-Manṣūriyyah near Kairouan.
Al-Manṣur concerned himself with the reorganisation of the Fatimid state until the end of his reign. He resumed the struggle with the Umayyads of Córdoba in Morocco, and reoccupied Sicily, from whence raids into Italy were recommenced. Rule in Sicily was reinforced through the installation of the Kalbids as Emirs.
Al-Mansur died after a severe illness on 18 March 953, and left his realm to his son al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah.