Abstract
The history of the Fatimids is as vast and varied as the geographical span of their empire (909-1171) and the social, religious and ethnographic diversity of its people. While Fatimid rule began in North Africa and expanded to Egypt and parts of Syria, its influence over the course of its two and a half century rule radiated across Iraq, Iran, India, Hijaz and Yemen. Yet, for a variety of reasons including their ideological marginalisation, the Fatimids remain relatively understudied in comparison to their peer dynasties such as the Abbasids and the Umayyads of Spain, as well as the successor dynasties in Egypt such as the Ayyubids and the Mamluks.
Nonetheless, the turn of the century has witnessed the increasing recovery of primary sources which has begun to attract scholarly attention. This has resulted in a growing pool of annotated editions as well as secondary studies focussing on facets of Fatimid history.
This paper will examine the range of historical materials that have emerged over the last decade so as to review their efficacy in furthering our understanding of this era. It will also draw attention to disciplinary approaches, themes and issues that remain to be considered so as to encourage further scholarship in the field.
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