Ḥasan ibn al-Ḥāfiẓ was a younger son of the eleventh Fatimid caliph and imam of Hafizi Isma'ilism, al-Hafiz, and ruler, vizier and heir-apparent of the Fatimid Caliphate from 19 July 1134 until his death in March 1135. Hasan came to power rebelling against his own father, and had allegedly espoused Sunnism. His reign was marked by brutality and repression which cost him support, and sparked another uprising that resulted in his downfall. He was poisoned by al-Hafiz, and succeeded by Bahram al-Armani.
Contents
Life
Origin
Hasan was a younger son of the Fatimid caliph al-Hafiz (r. 1132–1149). The legitimacy of al-Hafiz' rule was challenged, as he had succeeded his cousin, al-Amir, in a coup. This led to a schism among the Isma'ili faithful, dividing them into the Hafizi and Tayyibi branches.
In 1134, in an attempt to consolidate the line of succession, al-Hafiz appointed his eldest son, Sulayman, both as heir-apparent (wali ahd al-muslimin) and as vizier (head of government). It was the first time that a Fatimid prince, or even the heir-apparent, had been appointed to the vizierate. Sulayman died after only two months, once more calling into question the supposed infallibility of al-Hafiz as the Isma'ili imam, and thus his legitimacy. Sulayman's younger brother Haydara was immediately appointed as heir and vizier, but this provoked the jealousy of Hasan.