Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

The Con4uest of E8>Pt
Sifice its occupation by Amr ibn al-A’s in the time of Hazrat Umar, this ancient Pharaonic land, which had seen glorious periods in her histtf 17 under the Greeks and then the Romans, was ruled from the flourishing town of Fustat, Egypt was the main source of revenue, first for the Umayyad dynasty of Damascus and later for the Abbasids of Baghdad. But it had become independent in the middle Abbasid period, first under the Tulunids and then under the Ikhshidids- In the time of Muizz Egypt was ruled by a Negro slave of
The Fatimids
761
the Ikhshidids, the very able administrators, Kafur. After the peaceful rule of Kafur, Egypt faced considerable misrule, resulting in famine and plague. The entire administration had been corrupted. The three Fatimid invasions before had also created much confusion in Egypt. The Fatimid mission was very active and was able to win over secretary the support of the Chief Wazir and the Chief Qazi as well as that of the Treasurer of the kingdom. The stay was set for the ultimate conquest of the country.
Egypt was the target of the Fatimids during the time of the first three Caliphs. Three unsuccessful attempts had already been made. Now the conditions were favourable. Caliph Muizz had under his contract all of North Africa, Sicily and Crete. He had built roads upto the borders of Egypt with various halting places where his troops could find provisions and water. Above all he had discovered in the North Africa campaign a general who was most suited for the final attack on Egypt. He was Jawhar, now entrusted with the new task. In 358 A.H. Muizz demanded the homage of all his troops, of all his governors and of his entire family, for the Qaid Jawhar who was given a most impressive farewell for his journey to Wazir of Egypt. Soon he reached Alexandria and the town of Fustat led by the Wazir the Qazi and the Treasurer, came over to welcome Jawhar and thus Egypt was finally annexed. Al-Mu’izz was an excellent planner, an efficient organizer and a statesman amply talented in diplomacy. It was due to these skills of the young Caliph and the outstanding military competence of his general Jawhar, that he soon succeeded in subduing the entire Maghrib as a prelude to implementing his own eastern policy.
Immediately Jawhar introduced financial reforms in Egypt thus bringing peace and prosperity to the country. He also ordered the building of a new capital city outside Fustat which was known as al-Qahira al-Mahrusa (the Guarded City of Mars), what we now know as Cairo. He further ordered to construct a great mosque famous by the name of Azhar, where also a University was instituted, the oldest surviving University in the world today. Jawhar also arranged for the occupation of Syria. All this was achieved between 358 A.H. and 363 A.H., the year in which Muizz started from Mahdiya towards his new capital city, Cairo. The Journey of Muizz to Egypt
While Qaid Jawhar was consolidating his success in Egypt, the Caliph Muizz was preparing his departure to that country. First

762 Political and Cultural History off Islam

he had the problem of crushing the rebellion of Muhammad bin Khizr, the Kharijite Chief of the Berber tribee of Banu Zanata. This he did successfully by employing the able services of his general Bulkin, the son of the Sanhaja Chief, Ziri bin Manad. Bulkin was appointed the Governor of North Africa, when Muizz started his journey. First he visited the islands of Sardinia and Sicily in the Mediterranean, which were under Fatimidxl rule, then returned to Tripoli in Libya, and from there proceeded 8 to Alexandria in Egypt. With him were travelling the Qazi Nuamaitm, the poet Ibn Hani and Firnas, the brilliant poet whose verses in t honour of Muizz have survived to the present day. Jawhar in the rrmew capital of Cairo had constructed large palaces for the Caliph and I his retinue, where Muizz was welcomed and from here his new administration was instituted. THE ADMINISTRATION OF MUIZZ2