E G Y 
deprived of his riches, and died in poverty. After this, 
Aziz fuddenly died in the forty-third year of his age, 
having reigned twenty-one years and five months. He 
was fuceedcd in the caliphate by his fon Hakim, or Alu- 
kem, A. D.996, whom during his minority, he being then 
only eleven years of age, the dying father had committed 
to the care and fuperintendence of a minifter of great ex- 
perience and approved integrity. The fir (1 remarkable 
event of" his reign was a dangerous infurretlion which 
broke out in his dominions., under the conduct of an ob- 
fcure water-carrier, though defcended, or at lead: pre¬ 
tending to be defcended, from He (ham, of the houfe of 
Ommiyah. This perfoti.began his enterprize by crying 
aloud among the zealous Muflulmans for a reformation of 
life and manners ; and, by a more than ordinary oftenta- 
ticm of fimdtity, lie induced fuel) numbers of them to 
follow him, that he loon found himfelf at the head of a 
powerful army. He had made himfelf mailer ol Upper 
Egypt, before Alakem had time to collect his troops. 
The conteft was long obdinate and doubtful; but tl\e in- 
furgents were defeated, and their leader taken prifoner 
and put to death ; upon which the revolt ceafed, and 
tranquillity was redored. Alakem, at length, became 
jnfane, and was murdered at the indication of his own 
fider, who, in order to avoid fufpicion, dabbed the alfaf- 
fins with her own hand. Daher, or Taher, his (bn, was 
only feven years of age when proclaimed calipit of Egypt 
and Syria, A. D. 1021 ; and his aunt, during his minority, 
took upon herfelf the regency of the two kingdQtns. The 
obfcurity of his reign has furniflied hidory with nothing 
more refpedling him, than that he was a wife and prudent 
prince, and a lover of poetry. Taher was fucceeded in 
the caliphate by his fon Mondanzer, called by fome wri¬ 
ters Abu Tamim Modaniir, a prince of extraordinary fa- 
gacity and prudence, of great moderation, and who, by 
his mild and humane government, acquired the edeem 
and affection of his fubjedls. The African monarchy 
having revolted from the fovereignty of Mondanzer, the 
Egyptians entered 1 the province of Muggrib, by the town 
of Zena’ta, feized Tripoli, and inveded the capital Cai- 
roan ; where they dopped the fprings, turned the courfe 
of the river, and dedroyedbthe magnificent palaces and 
delicious gardens of that city. During this reign, A. D. 
1066, happened a mod grievous famine throughout Egypt 
and Syria; infontuch that cats, dogs, and hofifes, were 
fold for food at enormous prices ; and thoufands of the 
inhabitants of Cairo perhhed. Amidd the extreme mi- 
fery of the people, the calipit exhibited the mod exem¬ 
plary indances of generolity towards his fubjeds. To 
fitpply their necedities, he not only dilpofed of all the 
money, jewels, and other things of value, with which his 
predeceftors had enriched the royal treafury, but like- 
wife fold the codly furniture of hjs palaces and feraglios. 
A dedrudtive pedilence, which immediately followed the’ 
famine, tended to complete the tnifery of the kingdom ; 
and its calamities and defolate condition encouraged 1 Ha- 
fan to make an invafion, at the head of a numerous army 
of Turks. After befieging the caliph in his palace, the 
merciiefs invaders plundered Lower Egypt, and inflicted 
the mod horrid cruelties on the inhabitants. Having no 
other refource, Mondanzer was reduced to the necedity 
of obtaining peace by giving up to the plunderers all the 
treafures he could coliedt from his fubjeets. This evil 
was followed by the lofs of mod.of the Egyptian poflef- 
fions in Syria. Towards the end of his reign, Mondanzer 
committed the care and government of Egypt to a fa¬ 
vourite minider, and retained little more than a nominal 
power. Having a tade for poetry, he employed his time 
principally in reading and cornpofing poetical works; and 
died in the fixtieth year of his reign. 
The grand-vizier efpoufing the intereds of Modali, the 
the younger fon of the late caliph, againd thofe of his 
brother, had the addrefs to caufe him to be proclaimed, 
A.D. 1094, and acknowledged by the court and army, 
as the lawful fucceilor to the caliphate, Nezar, the 
P T.. 819 
elder brother of Modali, fled with his friends to Alex¬ 
andria, where he endeavoured to maintain his jud title. 
The grand-vizier, however, foon compelled Nezar to 
furrendcr himfelf at diferetion, whofe life he not only 
fpared, but alfo procured him the forgivenefs and recon¬ 
ciliation of the caliph. But this clemency was of fhort 
duration, and had little effeft on the temper and difpofi- 
tion of NeZar, who, being detedfed in a fecond confpi- 
racy againd the government, was thrown into irons, and 
condemned to be ftarved to death in a dungeon. The mod 
remarkable event during the life of this caliph, was the 
retaking the city of Jerufalem from the Franks or crufa- 
ders, and the immenfe plunder which Afdal, his general. 
Brought from thence. Modali died in the eighth year of 
his reigtv. 
His fon and fucceflor, Amer, though at that time only 
five years of age, was proclaimed caliph, and inveded 
with the authority, A.D. 1101. The tender age of Amer 
encouraged his uncle to attempt to dethrone him. With 
that intention he repaired to Alexandria, which was then 
commanded by a Have belonging to the grand-vizier, 
who, by means of promifes and rewards, permitted him 
to be proclaimed caliph in that city. Afdal, who go¬ 
verned the kingdom during the minority of Amer, was 
no fooner a'pprifed of this revolt, than he marched an 
army to befiege the cadle of Alexandria, which he re¬ 
duced, and compelled the traitors to furrender at difere¬ 
tion. The grand-vizier returned in triumph to Cairo, 
and continued to conduct the affair's of the kingdom with 
fitch moderation and prudence, that lie acquired the af¬ 
fection and edeem of the Egyptians; and the caliph, by 
his means, and during his regency, enjoyed a peaceable 
and profperous reign. Afdal, however, was very ill re¬ 
warded for the fervices he rendered to Amer and to the 
ftate ; being afterwards .difgraced by the prince, and ex- 
pofed to the inoft ignominious treatment. Amer, we are 
told, was cruel, abandoned to debauchery, addicted to 
gaming, and deftitute of all religion. In other refpeCts, 
he is reprefented as having been polfeded of the art of 
governing, fond of the fciences, and a prince of no incon- 
fiderable learning and abilities. He was, at length, aflaf- 
finated by fome mercenary wretches, whom the difeon- 
tented grandees of the kingdom hired for that purpofe. 
In this reign Tamim, and his fon Yaiah, who fucceeded 
to the African monarchy, befieged Tunis. Yaiah being 
addicted to aflrology, imagined a particular day would 
be fatal to him, and pafied it in prayer. In the evening, 
happy that he had efcaped the danger, he ordered a mag¬ 
nificent feaff, and died as he fat down to table. Ali his 
fon fucceeded him, received Tunis on fubmifiion, fent a 
fleet and army again!! Sicily, and feverely punifhed the 
robbers of the caravans. 
The widow of Amer, whom he had left pregnant at his 
death, being delivered of a daughter, Hafed, the grand- 
fon of Mondanzer, was proclaimed and acknowledged 
lawful fucceflor to the caliphate, A.D. 1126. This prince 
was no fooner feated on the throne, than he appointed 
Bahrain to be his grand-vizier, a perfon of noble extrac¬ 
tion, and of great merit and integrity. Under his govern¬ 
ment, the Chriftians were much favoured, and advanced 
to lucrative places of the army and the ftate ; infonmcli 
that the jealoufy of the Muflulmans was thereby excited, 
and a tumult enfued. Redvan, the rival of the grand- 
vizier, marched to the gates of the palace, at the head of 
a body of troops, who were armed with lances to which 
copies of the'Koran were affixed. Upon this-Bahram re¬ 
moved -with the beft of his Armenian foldiers into Upper 
Egypt ; but finding his affairs defperate, he retired into 
a monaltery, where he foon after took the monkifh habit. 
Redvan deftroyed a great' part o.f Cairo, and plundered 
the houfes and churches of the Chriftians, whom he com¬ 
pelled to wear a particular garb, as a mark of reproach, 
Hafed, however, to heal the dilfenfions which prevailed, 
thought it necefl’ary to deprive Redvan of his dignities 
and authority, to confine him to his own palace, and not 
5 ® 
