- Ali bin Ahmad Jarjarai
Al-Jarjarai ( d
March 27 1045 ),Fatimid Vizir (1028-1045)Ali bin Ahmad Jarjarai came from a small town south of
Baghdad . He came toEgypt and entered the service ofSitt al-Mulk , before becoming secretary to the police chief ofCairo . He was convicted of disloyalty when he opened letters of the secret services in 1013, as a result of which his hands were cut off. However the CaliphAl-Hakim soon regretted this harsh punishment, and took him back into the palace and promoted him to high office. After the death of Al-Hakim he administered the private estate of the regentSitt al-Mulk and after she died in 1023 took over control of the state finances.In the ensuing years Al-Jarjarai exercised power as one of a group of favourites of
Az-Zahir , while the kingdom was shaken by a severe famine and aBedouin revolt inSyria andPalestine . By 1028 he had eliminated his rivals and took the position ofVizir .After the pacification of Syria by
Anushtegin ad-Duzbirir he concerned himself with improving relations with theByzantine Empire . A ceasefire had been in place since 1027, and after fresh fighting in 1036 a peace treaty was agreed. The main point of contention was the suzerainty over theEmirate of theMirdasids inAleppo , which both powers made claim to. In practice a kind of dual control came into operation.Under the
Caliph Al-Mustansir Al-Jarjarai assumed the regency during his minority. He diedMarch 27 1045 .
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