real power and autonomous rulers were establishing themselves. In reality, the three great powers at the end of the 11th century were the Great Seljuk Sultanate, the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum and the Fatimid Caliphate which was ruled by a military wazirate. By the end of his life, however, Syria and Egypt were united under Saladin and had re-conquered most of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from the crusaders. The Fatimite court was full of conspiracies and feuds. Usama shows how the power of the caliph was limited by the military rulers and how the instability of the government caused feuds and assassinations For example, in 1150 the Fatimite caliph tried to kill his vizier: Al-Zafir [the caliph] now planned to put al-Adil (his vizier) to death. He concerted with a group of young men from his special bodyguard, together with others whom he won over to the scheme by distributing money among them, that they attack al-Adil in his home and put him to death. Another instance is when al-Adil is killed by Nasr ibn Abbas, and Ibn Abbas' father (Abbas ibn Abi al-Futuh) becomes the vizier. When al-Adil had gone to sleep, that prefect notified Ibn Abbas who, with six of his attendants, made an assault upon him in the house in which he was sleeping and killed him. Also revealed is the corruption and bribery that went on. Usama gives the example of when the caliph tried to persuade Ibn Abbas to kill his father so that he would succeed to become vizier. The caliph bribes him to do this: He received twenty trays of silver holding twenty thousand dinars. After neglecting him for a few days, the caliph sent him an assortment of clothing of all kinds. .. Ibn Abbas, however tells his father about the plot and they decide to kill the Caliph: Nasr invited the caliph to come to his residence. ..after having installed a band of followers on one side of the house. As soon as the caliph was seated, the band rushed upon him and killed him Attitudes towards the west The autobiography gives us details of Muslim attitudes towards the Christian crusaders who went to the Middle East. His views of the Franks can reveal the impression Muslims had at the time about the nature of their own society compared to the Franks' society, for example when he describes the lack of