The Implementatıon of Wazır al-Tafwıd in the Islamıc World And its Influence on The Foundatıon of the Ayyubids

Abstract

During the Fatimid period, viziers were gaining power by using military force. For this reason, the viziers had important powers within the framework of the rights granted to them by the Tafviz vizierate, whose rules were laid down by political theologians in the Islamic world, especially by Mawardi. In this process, which started with Badr al-Jamali, who was appointed by the Fatimid Caliph Al-Mustansir Billah, the viziers from time to time gained power with a power above the caliphs. Sometimes this power reached such a level that they were able to play an important role in the appointment of caliphs and heirs. In the middle of the twelfth century, when the danger of the invasion of Egypt by the Crusaders and Byzantine armies emerged, military assistance was requested from Atabeg Nureddin Zengi by the Fatimid caliph Âdıd li-din allah. Nour al-din Zangi did not remain indifferent to this situation and sent his most distinguished troops with an important commander like Shirkouh for support. Shirkûh and his companions organized 3 expeditions to Egypt and settled in Egypt by eliminating the Crusaders in the last time. However, Âdıd li-din allah appointed Shirkouh as the Fatimid vizier. Shirkouh, like other Fatimid viziers, had very important powers and ruled the state for about 2 months. With his sudden death, even though there were discussions among the Zangid umera for the position of vizier, Saladin became a vizier with the support of Diya al-din al-Hakkari. The fact that Saladin became a vizier in 1169 enabled him to become a tafwiz vizier, as in the case of previous Fatimid viziers, and he became sultan by default. As a result of the pressures from the Abbasid caliphate and the Zengids, Saladin ended the Fatimid caliphate. He delivered a sermon on behalf of the Abbasid caliph, suppressed the Fatimid rebellions, and defeated the Crusaders and Byzantine forces, demonstrating how strong he was. Although Saladin did all these thanks to Nour al-din Zangi, he wanted to establish an autonomous state in Egypt with the support of his family. This attempt of Saladin was related to the fact that the viziers in the Fatimid state ruled the state with unlimited powers, and he sought ways to be an allied sultan rather than an officer of Nour al-din Zangi. Although Nour al-din Zangi opposed this situation and saw Saladin as the commander of his own armies and the regent in Egypt, Saladin succeeded in establishing his state without entering into a conflict with him. After Saladin declared his reign first in Egypt and then in Syria and al-Jazeera with the death of Nour al-din Zangi, he got the approval of the Abbasid caliph and succeeded in uniting these two important regions of the Islamic World and expelling the Crusaders from the region.