Malik Ifrīqiya: The Norman Kingdom of Africa and the Fāṭimids

Abstract

AbstractThis article reviews some aspects of the interesting history of a briefly held Norman Kingdom in Africa in the mid-twelfth century. The question of whether or not the Norman rulers of Sicily ever adopted a formal Arabic title for their African kingdom (malik Ifrīqiya) is discussed in detail, with attention drawn in particular to multilingual inscriptions set up in 1148 by Grizant, priest of King Roger. The significant date of these inscriptions, being the very year at which the African conquests became firmly established, suggests an official title which was experimented with and discarded (at least in formal use, since it occurs in private documents later). The reasons why the style was not more widely adopted are examined in the second part of the article, focusing on the changing pattern of relations between the Norman court in Sicily and the Fāṭimid administration in Egypt.