m from Egypt, led to general
disturbances and insurrections which fully occupied the later years of
his reign. The western provinces, from Tahart and Nakur to Fez and
beyond, frequently threw off all show of allegiance. His authority was
founded more on fear than on religious enthusiasm, though zeal for the
Alide cause had its share in his original success. The new "Eastern
doctrines," as they were called, were enforced at the sword's point, and
frightful examples were made of those who ventured to tread in the old
paths. Nor were the freethinkers of the large towns, who shared the
missionary's esoteric principles, encouraged; for outwardly, at least,
the Mahdi was strictly a Moslem. When people at Kayrawan began to put in
practice the missionary's advanced theories, to scoff at all the rules
of Islam, to indulge in free love, pig's flesh, and wine, they were
sternly brought to order. The mysterious powers expected of a mahdi were
sedulously rumored among the credulous Berbers, though no miracles were
actually exhibited; and the obedience of the conquered provinces was
secured by horrible outrages and atrocities, of which the terrified
people dared not provoke a repetition at the hands of the Mahdi's savage
generals.

His eldest son Abul-Kasim, who had twice led expeditions into Egypt,
succeeded to the caliphate with the title of El-Kaim, 934-946. He began
his reign with warlike vigor. He sent out a fleet in 934 or 935, which
harried the southern coast of France, blockaded and took Genoa, and
coasted along Calabria, massacring and plundering, burning the shipping,
and carrying off slaves wherever it touched. At the same time he
despatched a third army against Egypt; but the firm hand of the Ikshid
now held the government, and his brother, Obeid-Allah, with fifteen
thousand horse, drove the enemy out of Alexandria and gave them a
crushing defeat on their way home. But for the greater part of his reign
El-Kaim was on the defensive, fighting for existence against the
usurpation of one Abu-Yezid, who repudiated Shiism, cursed the Mahdi and
his successor, stirred up most of Morocco and Barbary against El-Kaim,
drove him out of his capital, and went near to putting an end to the
Fatimite caliphate.

It was only after seven years of uninterrupted civil war that this
formidable insurrection died out, under the firm but politic management
of the third caliph, El-Mansur (946-953), a brave man who knew both when
to strike and wh