35. The Mad Caliph, One of the Middle Ages’ Weirdest Rulers (Part 1)
The Fatimid Caliph Abu Ali Mansur (985 – 1021), better known by his regnal title Al-Hakim bi Amr Allah (“Ruler by God’s Command”), and better yet known by the nickname “The Mad Caliph”, was one of the medieval era’s weirdest rulers. Among other things, he was afflicted with megalomania that led him to declare himself an incarnation of god. While other rulers who declared themselves gods ended up with universal scorn, the Mad Caliph actually ended up with some adherents. And not just ones who adhered out of fear, but sincere ones who continued their reverence for Al-Hakim long after his death. Indeed, to this day he is still viewed as a divine incarnation by the Druze sect in the Middle East, and is seen as a religiously important figure by some Shi’a Muslims.
The son of the Fatimid Caliph Abu Mansur and a consort named Al Azizah, Al-Hakim became Caliph at age 11 following his father’s death. The Mad Caliph’s mother was a Christian, and that opened him to allegations that he was an insufficiently zealous Muslim, and that he was soft on Christianity. It seems those accusations got to him, so he went out of his to prove his Muslim chops, and demonstrate that he was no Christian puppet. As in way, way, out of his way: he launched an unprecedented wave of persecutions against Christians in his empire, and ordered the destruction of Christian churches and monuments.