The Abbasids and the Fatimids

The Fatimid rise to power coincided with the spread of their influence and territorial expansion into Abbasid controlled regions, and the inclination of the Muslim populace towards them. As a result, the Abbasid caliphate was alarmed by the rising power of the Fatimids and decided to confront the new phenomenon. However, since the Buyids had taken control of the Abbasid seat of government at this time, the caliphs in Baghdad had practically lost all real power to the Buyids and held only nominal positions. That is why during the caliphate of al-Muti‘ andat-Taye‘ that witnessed the peak of Buyid power, they were not able to launch any serious efforts against the Fatimid encroachment upon their domain. However, during the caliphate of al-Ghadir-u-billah, the Ghaznavids had come to play an active role on the political scene in Baghdad; and in accordance with their pro-Abbasid religious zeal, they paved the way for al-Ghadir and caliphs after him to take action against the Fatimids.This article takes up the issue of extensive propaganda launched by the Abbasids of Baghdad against the Fatimids of Egypt in brief, in particular between the years 381 to 512 A.H.