The author of this work, Abu Ali Mansur al-Azizi al-Jawdhari, was a private secretary of Jawdhar, a confidant of the first four Fatimid caliph-imams who ruled in North Africa (from 297/910 to 361/972). Mansur had easy access to archives held by Jawdhar, including letters he had received from the imams, and was also privy to secrets that Jawdhar confided to him. After Jawdhar's death in 362/973, the Fatimid caliph-imam al-Muizz appointed Mansur to succeed him. The author cherished the memory of his mentor and wished to preserve his memory. With this end in view, he compiled the Sirat...