The Mustansirite Hardship (Arabic: الشِّدَّةُ المُسْتَنْصِرِيَّة, romanized: Ash-shiddatu l-Mustanṣiriyyah) was a political crisis in Fatimid Egypt which resulted in a seven-year famine that occurred between 1064 and 1071 CE. Around 40,000 people are estimated to have starved to death during that period.[1] The crisis occurred during the reign of Caliph al-Mustansir Billah, after whom it is named.