e Zeirids maintained Mahdia (see ALGIERS), while other cities of the
Maghrib were colonized by Arab tribes sent thither by the Cairene
vizier. This loss was more than compensated by the enrolment of Yemen
among the countries which recognized the Fatimite caliphate through the
enterprise of one 'Ali b. Mahommed al-Sulaihi, while owing to the
disputes between the Turkish generals who claimed supremacy at Bagdad,
Mostansir's name was mentioned in public prayer at that metropolis on
the 12th of January 1058, when a Turkish adventurer Basasiri was for a
time in power. The Egyptian court, chiefly owing to the jealousy of the
vizier, sent no efficient aid to Basasiri, and after a year Bagdad was
retaken by the Seljuk Toghrul Beg, and the Abbasid caliph restored to
his rights. In the following years the troubles in Egypt caused by the
struggles between the Turkish and negro elements in Mostansir's army
nearly brought the country into the dominion of the Abbasids. After
several battles of various issue the Turkish commander Nasir addaula b.
Hamdan got possession of Cairo, and at the end of 1068 plundered the
caliph's palace; the valuable library which had been begun by Hakim was
pillaged, and an accidental fire caused great destruction. The caliph
and his family were reduced to destitution, and Nasir addaula began
negotiations for restoring the name of the Abbasid caliph in public
prayer; he was, however, assassinated before he could carry this out,
and his assassin, also a Turk, appointed vizier. Mostansir then summoned
to his aid Badr al-Jamali, an Armenian who had displayed competence in
various posts which he had held in Syria, and this person early in 1074
arrived in Cairo accompanied by a bodyguard of Armenians; he contrived
to massacre the chiefs of the party at the time in possession of power,
and with the title Amir al-Juyush ("prince of the armies") was given by
Mostansir complete control of affairs. The period of internal
disturbances, which had been accompanied by famine and pestilence, had
caused usurpers to spring up in all parts of Egypt, and Badr was
compelled practically to reconquer the country. During this time,
however, Syria was overrun by an invader in league with the Seljuk Malik
Shah, and Damascus was permanently lost to the Fatimites; other cities
were recovered by Badr himself or his officers. He rebuilt the walls of
Cairo, of more durable material than that which had been employed by
Jauhar--a measure re