# Ruzzik ibn Tala'i
**Ruzzik ibn Tala'i** (رزيك بن طلائع) was the vizier of the [Fatimid Caliphate](https://www.edgepedia.org/fatimid-caliphate) in Egypt from AH 556 to 558, the son and successor of the military vizier [Tala'i ibn Ruzzik](https://www.edgepedia.org/talai-ibn-ruzzik). He took the title al-Malik al-Adil when he succeeded his assassinated father in Ramadan 556 (September 1161).[1](https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/talai-b-ruzzik) • [2](https://shamela.ws/book/16521/5073) • [3](https://kureansiklopedi.com/en/detay/dirgam-b-amir/llms.txt)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | al-Malik al-Adil, vizier of the Fatimid Caliphate[1](https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/talai-b-ruzzik) • [2](https://shamela.ws/book/16521/5073) |
| Father | Tala'i ibn Ruzzik, Armenian military vizier of Cairo, 549/1154 to 556/1161[4](https://referenceworks.brill.com/display/entries/EIEO/SIM-7356.xml) • [5](https://geniza.princeton.edu/en/people/talai-b-ruzzik/) |
| Caliph served | al-Adid, a minor at his accession in 555 (1160)[1](https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/talai-b-ruzzik) • [6](https://search.emarefa.net/ar/detail/BIM-1364982-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%84-%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%83-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B9-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%83-%D9%88-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%85) |
## Origins and family
Ruzzik was the son of Abu'l-Gharat Faris al-Muslimin al-Malik al-Salih Tala'i ibn Ruzzik al-Ghassani al-Armani, a military vizier of Armenian origin who governed the Fatimid state in Cairo from 549/1154 until his assassination in 1161.[4](https://referenceworks.brill.com/display/entries/EIEO/SIM-7356.xml) • [5](https://geniza.princeton.edu/en/people/talai-b-ruzzik/) The concentration of authority in Tala'i's hands disturbed both the caliph and the palace household, the atmosphere in which his son would later govern.[1](https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/talai-b-ruzzik)
## Career
The reference works differ by one day on the father's death, giving 19 or 20 Ramadan 556 (11 or 12 September 1161).[1](https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/talai-b-ruzzik) • [2](https://shamela.ws/book/16521/5073)
Two military events fall within his tenure. In Shawwal 557 (September 1162) King Amaury of Jerusalem marched on Egypt, using the non-payment of the annual tribute promised by Tala'i as his pretext; the Egyptian army under Dirgham's command was defeated and withdrew to Bilbeis east of Cairo, where the defenders opened the Nile dams and forced Amaury to withdraw.[3](https://kureansiklopedi.com/en/detay/dirgam-b-amir/llms.txt) In the same period a campaign launched by the Berbers under Husayn ibn Nazar, dated AH 557 (1162) in the Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam, was suppressed: Husayn was seized and killed.[2](https://shamela.ws/book/16521/5073)
The fatal conflict came from within. In AH 558 Ruzzik tried to remove his rival Shawar from the governorship of [Upper Egypt](https://www.edgepedia.org/upper-egypt) (the governorship of Qus); Shawar, encouraged by Caliph al-Adid, attacked him.[2](https://shamela.ws/book/16521/5073) • [6](https://search.emarefa.net/ar/detail/BIM-1364982-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%84-%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%83-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B9-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%83-%D9%88-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%85)
## Political influence
Because Caliph al-Adid was still young, Ruzzik, like his father before him, took control of the country's affairs, continuing the military-vizierate in which the holder, not the caliph, directed the state.[6](https://search.emarefa.net/ar/detail/BIM-1364982-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%84-%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%83-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B9-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%83-%D9%88-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%85) His father had been the last Fatimid military grand vizier to attempt an autonomous Fatimid political project in the [Eastern Mediterranean](https://www.edgepedia.org/eastern-mediterranean), drawing power from Upper Egypt and its control of the pilgrimage route, the wheat supply to the holy cities, and trade with the Yemen, the Indian Ocean, and black Africa.[4](https://referenceworks.brill.com/display/entries/EIEO/SIM-7356.xml)
The opposition that destroyed him was a court coalition: the women of the palace, the caliph, the princes of the state, and Ruzzik's own relatives conspired against him and incited Shawar, the governor of Qus, against him.[6](https://search.emarefa.net/ar/detail/BIM-1364982-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%84-%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%83-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B9-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%83-%D9%88-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%85) One institutional marker attaches to his name: the historian al-Maqrizi records that Ruzzik was the last person to hold the office of nazar al-mazalim, the supervision of grievances, in the Fatimid period.[2](https://shamela.ws/book/16521/5073)
## Death and successors
The scholarly study of his vizierate dates the office itself AH 556–558 but prints the CE equivalent as 1160–1162, a year earlier than the 1161–1163 implied by the death dates of the other sources.[6](https://search.emarefa.net/ar/detail/BIM-1364982-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%84-%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%83-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B9-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%83-%D9%88-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%85)
## Historians' assessment
The Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam notes that Ruzzik inherited his father's literary taste, and that it is said of him that he judged well (fa-ahsana al-hukm).[2](https://shamela.ws/book/16521/5073) His father Tala'i was also a recognized poet of the period.[7](https://arab-ency.com.sy/overview/7517)
## References
1. TALÂİ‘ b. RÜZZÎK, TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi. https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/talai-b-ruzzik
2. موجز دائرة المعارف الإسلامية: رزيك بن طلائع, al-Maktaba al-Shamila. https://shamela.ws/book/16521/5073
3. DIRGĀM b. ÂMİR, TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (Kuram Ansiklopedi). https://kureansiklopedi.com/en/detay/dirgam-b-amir/llms.txt
4. Th. Bianquis, "Ṭalāʾiʿ b. Ruzzīk," Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Brill. https://referenceworks.brill.com/display/entries/EIEO/SIM-7356.xml
5. "Ṭalāʾiʿ b. Ruzzīk," Princeton Geniza Lab. https://geniza.princeton.edu/en/people/talai-b-ruzzik/
6. "الوزير العادل رزيك بن طلائع بن رزيك و دوره في الخلافة الفاطمية," emarefa digital archive. https://search.emarefa.net/ar/detail/BIM-1364982-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%84-%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%83-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B9-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%83-%D9%88-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%85
7. "طلائع بن رزيك," الموسوعة العربية. https://arab-ency.com.sy/overview/7517
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › History and archaeology › Other history › Middle East and North Africa › Fatimid period (909 to 1171) › Fatimid people*
*Initially written Sep 23, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 30, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license