TheMustansirite Hardship (Arabic:الشِّدَّةُ المُسْتَنْصِرِيَّة,romanized: Ash-shiddatu l-Mustanṣiriyyah) was a political crisis inFatimid Egypt which resulted in a seven-yearfamine that occurred between 1064 and 1071 CE. Around 40,000 people are estimated to have starved to death during that period.[1] The crisis occurred during the reign of Caliphal-Mustansir Billah, after whom it is named.
For several years before the crisis, theNile failed to flood as was required for crop irrigation, which lowered agricultural outputs.[2][3]: 98 In 1066, a quarrel between TurkishMamluk slave-mercenaries andSudanese slave-mercenaries escalated into a full-blown civil war, with both sides vying for control over the weak Caliphal-Mustansir.[a][5]: 335 The Caliph's mother, being an African slave-concubine herself, used her influence in favor of the African faction.[2][6]: 273 The Turks were led by the generalNasir al-Dawla ibn Hamdan.[6]: 273 Military engagement between the Turkish and African factions, including a siege ofCairo, led to further food shortages. Eventually, Nasir al-Dawla was able to rout the African forces and thus took control of theviziership of Egypt.[6]: 273
Amarket run on wheat and bread caused rapid inflation and the complete depletion of Fatimidstate coffers. Soon enough, food became too expensive, if not unobtainable, for the average Egyptian.[3]: 98 The 14th-century Egyptian historianal-Maqrizi relates some of the desperate measures taken by the starving masses during this time—cannibalism became commonplace, and some even resorted to kidnapping passersby by use of hooks dangled from the roof of buildings, upon which the kidnappers would eat the victim.[1][2][5]: 337 The corpses of executed criminals were also eaten.[3]: 99 Dogs were sold at 5 silverdirhams each, which eventually caused a shortage of dogs.[3]: 98 Al-Maqrizi also relates the story of a woman who had strips of flesh cut from her thighs by hungry kidnappers.[5]: 337 Several cities were completely depopulated as a result of the famine, includingal-Askar andal-Qata'i, and other cities such asFustat saw the majority of their populations perish.[2]
Some Arab historians likened this famine to Egypt'sseven-year famine described in Judeo-Christian and Islamic tradition.[3]: 100
