Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib
Encyclopedia
Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib al-Fihri (died 755) was an Arab
noble of the Oqbid or Fihrid family, and ruler of Ifriqiya
(North Africa) from 745 through 755 AD.
(Muslim Arab conqueror of North Africa
). His family, the al-Fihris, were among the leading Arab families of the Maghreb
.
In 740, he joined his father Habib ibn Abi Obeida in an Arab expedition across the water to Sicily
in what was possibly the first attempt at a full-scale invasion of the island (rather than a mere raid). They had a successful landing and laid a brief siege to Syracuse, securing its submission to tribute. But the break-out of the Great Berber Revolt
in the Maghreb
forced the al-Fihris to cancel the invasion of Sicily and ship their army quickly back to Africa to help quell the uprising. The Arabs were defeated by the Berbers the Battle of Bagdoura
(near the Sebou
) (741). His father killed in the field, Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib narrowly escaped himself and fled across the straits to Spain with the remnant of the Arab army.
While in Spain, Ibn Habib intrigued in the conflict which immediately erupted between the commanders of the defeated army (the 'Syrian' regiments (junds)), and the resident governor, Abd al-Malik ibn Qatan al-Fihri, When the Syrian commander Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri
tortured and executed the elderly Ibn Qatan, a Fihrid relative, Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib openly broke with the Syrians and joined the Andalusian (baladi) party. He participated in the Battle of Aqua Portora in August, 740, and is claimed by at least one chronicler (Ibn al-Khatam) of seeking out and fatally wounding Balj in the heat of battle (although here he is likely confused with another Abd al-Rahman, Ibn al-Qama al-Lakhmi, the governor of Narbonne and commander of the Andalusians).
In the aftermath, Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib tried to forward himself as a candidate to replace the governor, but gave up his ambitions with the arrival of Abu al-Khattar ibn Dirar al-Kalbi
as Andalusian governor in 743, who set about pacifying the situation.
In 743, or soon after, Ibn Habib left Spain and returned to Ifriqiya
(although, apparently, he may have left his son, Yusuf
behind). Ibn Habib may have served briefly under the Kairouan
governor Handhala ibn Safwan al-Kalbi
in a variety of military capacities, including command of the Tunis
garrison.
, Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib assembled a small force in Tunis
and declared himself emir of Ifriqiya
. Although urged to quash the usurper, the Ifriqiyan governor Handhala ibn Safwan al-Kalbi
decided it was best to avoid bloodshed and consented to return back to Damascus in February 745, rather than put up a fight.
Nonetheless, at his departure, Handhala ibn Safwan laid a curse on the usurper: "Oh God, do not permit Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib to enjoy his usurped authority! Let his partisans derive no profit from this attempt, may they shed each other's blood! Send against them, O Lord, the most evil of all the men You have created!" Handhala extended the curse to Ifriqiya
itself, the land and its ungrateful people, invoking upon them famine, pestilence and war. As it turned out, save from some brief seasonal interruptions, Ifriqiya was indeed gripped by pestilence for the next seven years.
No sooner had Ibn Habib installed himself in Kairouan
, than revolts, both by Arabs and Berbers, began erupting all over the country. Tunis
was raised to revolt by a certain Orwa ibn ez-Zobeir es-Sadefi, Tabinas by Ibn Attaf el-Azdi, Béja
was taken by the Sanhaja
Berber rebel Thabit al-Sanhaji, and many more. The tireless Ibn Habib patiently (and ruthlessly) crushed the revolts one by one.
The most serious threat came from Tripolitana, then governed by Ibn Habib's brother Ilyas ibn Habib al-Fihri
. In 747, Ilyas tried to crack down on the fledgling Ibadi
tes, a puritanical Kharijite sect, that was growing strong in the cities of Djerba
and Tripoli
and among the Berbers in the surrounding districts. The Ibadites, inspired by the success of their brethren in Hadramut and Oman
, revolted under the leadership of their imam al-Harith, and seized control of much of Tripolitana (between Gabès
and Sirte
) for themselves. But in 752, Ibn Habib dispatched an Ifriqiyan army and reconquered Tripolitana from the Ibadites, driving their remnants south into the Jebel Nafusa.
In Spain, Handhala's deputy Abu al-Khattar ibn Dirar al-Kalbi
had been toppled back in 745 and civil war broke out anew between the Syrian junds and the Andalusian Arabs. Ibn Habib intervened, dispatching an Ifriqiyan force to help restore order. In 747, Ibn Habib's kinsman (by patronymic record, his son), Yusuf ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri
, was put forward as a compromise candidate and installed as governor of al-Andalus
.
But the western Maghreb - Morocco and eastern Algeria - remained out of his reach. Since the Berber Revolt
of 740, the region had descended into tribal anarchy, fragmented and ruled autonomously by Berber tribes. The Masmuda Berber tribes openly erected an independent state in 744, the Berghwata confederation, with their own 'prophet' and syncretist beliefs. Ibn Habib's attempts to reimpose his rule (or any rule at all) there failed.
In 752, perhaps feeling confident in the possession of his lands for the first time, Ibn Habib shipped an Ifriqiyan army to Sicily
, perhaps hoping to resume the invasion his father
had interrupted back in 740. But finding the defenses too strong, the expedition limited itself to raiding the coasts and returned to Africa.
. After repeated entreaties, he finally managed to secure confirmation in his post from the Umayyad Caliph Marwan II
. It is not as if Marwan II had many options, for at that time, his resources were engaged in fending off the great Abbasid
revolt to the east.
Egypt fell to the Abbasids in middle of 750 and the last Umayyad caliph Marwan II
was caught and killed. Hoping the chaos in the east would allow him to carve out an independent state for himself, Ifriqiyan governor Ibn Habib at first sought an understanding with the Abbasids but was soon disappointed by Abbasid demands for submission. Ibn Habib went into revolt and dropped the name of the Abbasid caliph from the Friday prayers, publicly burnt the official robes of state dispatched by the Abbasids and invited the fleeing members of the Umayyad clan to take refuge in his dominions. Among his guests was the Ummayad prince, Abd al-Rahman ibn Mu’awiya ibn Hisham
, a grandson of Caliph Hisham
. Two other notables, sons of the caliph Walid II
, were appointed to high posts, one of them made qadi
of Kairouan
. His own brother Ilyas ibn Habib married into the Umayyad family.
But not long after their arrival, the governor Ibn Habib was quick to change his mind, probably fearing the prominent Umayyad exiles might serve as a focal point for discontented Arab nobles and challenge his own usurped power. Ibn Habib expressed sufficient hostility to prompt the fugitive Umayyad prince to flee into the Kabylian
hinterlands and hide among the Nafza Berbers (his mother's folk). In 755, frustrated in his African hideout, Abd al-Rahman crossed the straits to Spain and went on to depose Yusuf al-Fihri
and found the Umayyad emirate of Córdoba
in 756
.
In 755
, Ibn Habib discovered what he thought was a plot engineered by the Ummayad qadi
, and ordered the arrest and execution of the plotters. But he didn't count on the revenge of his sister-in-law, the Umayyad wife of his brother Ilyas. In 755, urged on by his wife, Ilyas
assassinated his brother Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib in his personal quarters, plunging a dagger into his back while he played with his children.
Ilyas ibn Habib
proceeded to assume power for himself, but was himself deposed and killed by the end of the year by Abd al-Rahman's son, Habib ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri
.
In 757, the Warfajuma Berbers and their Sufri
te allies swept up from southern Tunisia and captured Kairouan
, killing Habib and putting an end to the Fihrid dynasty. In the meantime, the Ibadi
tes that Ibn Habib had driven out of Tripoli came back: rallied by their imam Abu al-Khattab al-Ma'afiri in Jebel Nefusa, the Ibadites recaptured Tripoli
and went on to take Kairouan
itself from the Berbers in 758, establishing a Kharijite imamate over Ifriqiya
.
, the enormously ambitious Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib failed to live up to his ancestral billing. Ibn Habib boldly attempted to turn the western half of the Islamic Caliphate
into his private Fihrid empire. Instead, facing opposition at every turn, Ibn Habib ended up losing Morocco to tribal chaos, Spain to the Umayyads and Ifriqiya itself (eventually) to the Kharijites, leaving little for his legacy.
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
noble of the Oqbid or Fihrid family, and ruler of Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
(North Africa) from 745 through 755 AD.
Background
Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib was a great-grandson of Oqba ibn Nafi al-FihriUqba ibn Nafi
Uqba ibn Nafi was an Arab hero and general who was serving the Umayyad dynasty, in Amir Muavia and Yazid periods, who began the Islamic conquest of the Maghreb, including present-day Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Morocco in North Africa. He was the nephew of 'Amr ibn al-'As. Uqba is often surnamed...
(Muslim Arab conqueror of North Africa
Umayyad conquest of North Africa
The Umayyad conquest of North Africa continued the century of rapid Arab Muslim expansion following the death of Muhammad in 632 CE. By 640 the Arabs controlled Mesopotamia, had invaded Armenia, and were concluding their conquest of Byzantine Syria. Damascus was the seat of the Umayyad caliphate....
). His family, the al-Fihris, were among the leading Arab families of the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
.
In 740, he joined his father Habib ibn Abi Obeida in an Arab expedition across the water to Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in what was possibly the first attempt at a full-scale invasion of the island (rather than a mere raid). They had a successful landing and laid a brief siege to Syracuse, securing its submission to tribute. But the break-out of the Great Berber Revolt
Berber Revolt
The Great Berber Revolt of 739/740-743 AD took place during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik and marked the first successful secession from the Arab caliphate...
in the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
forced the al-Fihris to cancel the invasion of Sicily and ship their army quickly back to Africa to help quell the uprising. The Arabs were defeated by the Berbers the Battle of Bagdoura
Battle of Bagdoura
The Battle of Bagdoura was a decisive confrontation in the Berber Revolt in late 741 CE. It was a follow-up to the Battle of the Nobles the previous year, and resulted in a major Berber victory over the Arabs by the Sebou river...
(near the Sebou
Sebou River
Sebou is a river in northern Morocco. The river is 458 kilometres long and has an average water flow of 137 m3/s, which makes it the largest North African river by volume. The source is in the Middle Atlas mountains. It passes near the city of Fes and discharges to the Atlantic Ocean in Mehdia...
) (741). His father killed in the field, Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib narrowly escaped himself and fled across the straits to Spain with the remnant of the Arab army.
While in Spain, Ibn Habib intrigued in the conflict which immediately erupted between the commanders of the defeated army (the 'Syrian' regiments (junds)), and the resident governor, Abd al-Malik ibn Qatan al-Fihri, When the Syrian commander Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri
Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri
Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri ; was a Syrian Arab military commander in North Africa and Iberia, and briefly ruler of al-Andalus in 742....
tortured and executed the elderly Ibn Qatan, a Fihrid relative, Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib openly broke with the Syrians and joined the Andalusian (baladi) party. He participated in the Battle of Aqua Portora in August, 740, and is claimed by at least one chronicler (Ibn al-Khatam) of seeking out and fatally wounding Balj in the heat of battle (although here he is likely confused with another Abd al-Rahman, Ibn al-Qama al-Lakhmi, the governor of Narbonne and commander of the Andalusians).
In the aftermath, Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib tried to forward himself as a candidate to replace the governor, but gave up his ambitions with the arrival of Abu al-Khattar ibn Dirar al-Kalbi
Abu l-Hattar al Husam ibn Darar al-Kalbi
Abu l-Hattar al Husam ibn Darar al-Kalbi was Umayyad governor of Al Andalus from May 743 until August 745. He was succeeded by Tuwaba ibn Salama al-Gudami....
as Andalusian governor in 743, who set about pacifying the situation.
In 743, or soon after, Ibn Habib left Spain and returned to Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
(although, apparently, he may have left his son, Yusuf
Yusuf ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri
Yusuf ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri was Umayyad governor of Narbonne in Septimania and then from 747 to 756 governor of al-Andalus, ruling independently following the collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate in 750...
behind). Ibn Habib may have served briefly under the Kairouan
Kairouan
Kairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...
governor Handhala ibn Safwan al-Kalbi
Handhala ibn Safwan al-Kalbi
Handhala ibn Safwan al-Kalbi was an Umayyad governor of Egypt from 721 to 724 and again 737 to 741, and subsequently governor of Ifriqiya from 741 to 745.-Governor in Egypt:...
in a variety of military capacities, including command of the Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
garrison.
Tunisian Coup
In late 744, in the turmoil following the death of the Umayyad caliph HishamHisham ibn Abd al-Malik
Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik 10th Umayyad caliph who ruled from 723 until his death in 743. When he was born in 691 his mother named him after her father....
, Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib assembled a small force in Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
and declared himself emir of Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
. Although urged to quash the usurper, the Ifriqiyan governor Handhala ibn Safwan al-Kalbi
Handhala ibn Safwan al-Kalbi
Handhala ibn Safwan al-Kalbi was an Umayyad governor of Egypt from 721 to 724 and again 737 to 741, and subsequently governor of Ifriqiya from 741 to 745.-Governor in Egypt:...
decided it was best to avoid bloodshed and consented to return back to Damascus in February 745, rather than put up a fight.
Nonetheless, at his departure, Handhala ibn Safwan laid a curse on the usurper: "Oh God, do not permit Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib to enjoy his usurped authority! Let his partisans derive no profit from this attempt, may they shed each other's blood! Send against them, O Lord, the most evil of all the men You have created!" Handhala extended the curse to Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
itself, the land and its ungrateful people, invoking upon them famine, pestilence and war. As it turned out, save from some brief seasonal interruptions, Ifriqiya was indeed gripped by pestilence for the next seven years.
Ruler in Ifriqiya
Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib had come to power essentially as the figurehead of the local Arab high military caste, a group much despised and feared by the common population. Their appetites and aspirations had long been kept in check by the Umayyad governors. But with the cord to Damascus now cut, the high nobles fully expected to be allowed free rein by 'their' emir. But they were soon to be disappointed. Ibn Habib wanted a country to govern, and was not prepared to see it fragmented and handed over to the anarchic ways of a feudal nobility. Ibn Habib consequently faced the prospect of revolts whatever he did - should the nobles be let loose, the people will revolt; hold the reins tight, the nobles would turn against him. Ibn Habib consequently turned to his greatest asset - his family, the illustrious Fihrid brood - to assert himself on the bewildered country.No sooner had Ibn Habib installed himself in Kairouan
Kairouan
Kairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...
, than revolts, both by Arabs and Berbers, began erupting all over the country. Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
was raised to revolt by a certain Orwa ibn ez-Zobeir es-Sadefi, Tabinas by Ibn Attaf el-Azdi, Béja
Béja
Beja is a town in Tunisia, Africa. It is the capital of the Béja Governorate. It is located 105 km from Tunis, between the Medjerdah River and the Mediterranean, against the foothills of the Khroumire, the town of Beja is situated on the sides of Djebel Acheb, facing the greening meadows,...
was taken by the Sanhaja
Sanhaja
The Sanhaja or Senhaja were once one of the largest Berber tribal confederations of the Maghreb, along with the Zanata and Masmuda...
Berber rebel Thabit al-Sanhaji, and many more. The tireless Ibn Habib patiently (and ruthlessly) crushed the revolts one by one.
The most serious threat came from Tripolitana, then governed by Ibn Habib's brother Ilyas ibn Habib al-Fihri
Ilyas ibn Habib al-Fihri
Il-Yas ibn Habib al-Fihri was an Arab noble of the Oqbid or Fihrid family, and briefly ruler of Ifriqiya in 755.Ilyas ibn Habib was a son of the Ifriqiyan military commander Habib ibn Abi Obeida al-Fihri...
. In 747, Ilyas tried to crack down on the fledgling Ibadi
Ibadi
The Ibāḍī movement, Ibadism or Ibāḍiyya is a form of Islam distinct from the Sunni and Shia denominations. It is the dominant form of Islam in Oman and Zanzibar...
tes, a puritanical Kharijite sect, that was growing strong in the cities of Djerba
Djerba
Djerba , also transliterated as Jerba or Jarbah, is, at 514 km², the largest island of North Africa, located in the Gulf of Gabes, off the coast of Tunisia.-Description:...
and Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
and among the Berbers in the surrounding districts. The Ibadites, inspired by the success of their brethren in Hadramut and Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, revolted under the leadership of their imam al-Harith, and seized control of much of Tripolitana (between Gabès
Gabès
Gabès , also spelt Cabès, Cabes, Kabes, Gabbs and Gaps, the ancient Tacape, is the capital city of the Gabès Governorate, a province of Tunisia. It lies on the coast of the Gulf of Gabès. With a population of 116,323 it is the 6th largest Tunisian city.-History:Strabo refers to Tacape as an...
and Sirte
Sirte
Sirte is a city in LibyaSirte may also refer to:* Sirte Declaration, a 1999 resolution to create the African Union* Sirte Oil Company, a Libyan oil companyIn geography:* Gulf of Sirte, alias for Gulf of Sidra on Libya's coast...
) for themselves. But in 752, Ibn Habib dispatched an Ifriqiyan army and reconquered Tripolitana from the Ibadites, driving their remnants south into the Jebel Nafusa.
In Spain, Handhala's deputy Abu al-Khattar ibn Dirar al-Kalbi
Abu l-Hattar al Husam ibn Darar al-Kalbi
Abu l-Hattar al Husam ibn Darar al-Kalbi was Umayyad governor of Al Andalus from May 743 until August 745. He was succeeded by Tuwaba ibn Salama al-Gudami....
had been toppled back in 745 and civil war broke out anew between the Syrian junds and the Andalusian Arabs. Ibn Habib intervened, dispatching an Ifriqiyan force to help restore order. In 747, Ibn Habib's kinsman (by patronymic record, his son), Yusuf ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri
Yusuf ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri
Yusuf ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri was Umayyad governor of Narbonne in Septimania and then from 747 to 756 governor of al-Andalus, ruling independently following the collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate in 750...
, was put forward as a compromise candidate and installed as governor of al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
.
But the western Maghreb - Morocco and eastern Algeria - remained out of his reach. Since the Berber Revolt
Berber Revolt
The Great Berber Revolt of 739/740-743 AD took place during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik and marked the first successful secession from the Arab caliphate...
of 740, the region had descended into tribal anarchy, fragmented and ruled autonomously by Berber tribes. The Masmuda Berber tribes openly erected an independent state in 744, the Berghwata confederation, with their own 'prophet' and syncretist beliefs. Ibn Habib's attempts to reimpose his rule (or any rule at all) there failed.
In 752, perhaps feeling confident in the possession of his lands for the first time, Ibn Habib shipped an Ifriqiyan army to Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, perhaps hoping to resume the invasion his father
Habib ibn Abi Obeida al-Fihri
Habib ibn Abi Obeida al-Fihri was an Arab military commander of the illustrious Fihrid family who played an important role in the early history of Ifriqiya and al-Andalus .-Biography:...
had interrupted back in 740. But finding the defenses too strong, the expedition limited itself to raiding the coasts and returned to Africa.
Relations with the Caliphs
Ibn Habib also tried to repair his relations with DamascusDamascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
. After repeated entreaties, he finally managed to secure confirmation in his post from the Umayyad Caliph Marwan II
Marwan II
Marwan ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan or Marwan II was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 744 until 750 when he was killed. He was the last Umayyad ruler to rule from Damascus.In A.H. 114 Caliph Hisham appointed Marwan governor of Armenia and Azerbaijan. In A.H...
. It is not as if Marwan II had many options, for at that time, his resources were engaged in fending off the great Abbasid
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
revolt to the east.
Egypt fell to the Abbasids in middle of 750 and the last Umayyad caliph Marwan II
Marwan II
Marwan ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan or Marwan II was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 744 until 750 when he was killed. He was the last Umayyad ruler to rule from Damascus.In A.H. 114 Caliph Hisham appointed Marwan governor of Armenia and Azerbaijan. In A.H...
was caught and killed. Hoping the chaos in the east would allow him to carve out an independent state for himself, Ifriqiyan governor Ibn Habib at first sought an understanding with the Abbasids but was soon disappointed by Abbasid demands for submission. Ibn Habib went into revolt and dropped the name of the Abbasid caliph from the Friday prayers, publicly burnt the official robes of state dispatched by the Abbasids and invited the fleeing members of the Umayyad clan to take refuge in his dominions. Among his guests was the Ummayad prince, Abd al-Rahman ibn Mu’awiya ibn Hisham
Abd ar-Rahman I
Abd al-Rahman I, or, his full name by patronymic record, Abd al-Rahman ibn Mu'awiya ibn Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan was the founder of the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba , a Muslim dynasty that ruled the greater part of Iberia for nearly three centuries...
, a grandson of Caliph Hisham
Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik
Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik 10th Umayyad caliph who ruled from 723 until his death in 743. When he was born in 691 his mother named him after her father....
. Two other notables, sons of the caliph Walid II
Al-Walid II
Walid ibn Yazid or Walid II was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 743 until 744. He succeeded his uncle, Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik....
, were appointed to high posts, one of them made qadi
Qadi
Qadi is a judge ruling in accordance with Islamic religious law appointed by the ruler of a Muslim country. Because Islam makes no distinction between religious and secular domains, qadis traditionally have jurisdiction over all legal matters involving Muslims...
of Kairouan
Kairouan
Kairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...
. His own brother Ilyas ibn Habib married into the Umayyad family.
But not long after their arrival, the governor Ibn Habib was quick to change his mind, probably fearing the prominent Umayyad exiles might serve as a focal point for discontented Arab nobles and challenge his own usurped power. Ibn Habib expressed sufficient hostility to prompt the fugitive Umayyad prince to flee into the Kabylian
Kabylie
Kabylie or Kabylia , is a region in the north of Algeria.It is part of the Tell Atlas and is located at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Kabylia covers several provinces of Algeria: the whole of Tizi Ouzou and Bejaia , most of Bouira and parts of the wilayas of Bordj Bou Arreridj, Jijel,...
hinterlands and hide among the Nafza Berbers (his mother's folk). In 755, frustrated in his African hideout, Abd al-Rahman crossed the straits to Spain and went on to depose Yusuf al-Fihri
Yusuf ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri
Yusuf ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri was Umayyad governor of Narbonne in Septimania and then from 747 to 756 governor of al-Andalus, ruling independently following the collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate in 750...
and found the Umayyad emirate of Córdoba
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
in 756
756
Year 756 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 756 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Pepin the Short defeats the Lombards of...
.
In 755
755
Year 755 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 755 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Pepin the Short sends his armies into...
, Ibn Habib discovered what he thought was a plot engineered by the Ummayad qadi
Qadi
Qadi is a judge ruling in accordance with Islamic religious law appointed by the ruler of a Muslim country. Because Islam makes no distinction between religious and secular domains, qadis traditionally have jurisdiction over all legal matters involving Muslims...
, and ordered the arrest and execution of the plotters. But he didn't count on the revenge of his sister-in-law, the Umayyad wife of his brother Ilyas. In 755, urged on by his wife, Ilyas
Ilyas ibn Habib al-Fihri
Il-Yas ibn Habib al-Fihri was an Arab noble of the Oqbid or Fihrid family, and briefly ruler of Ifriqiya in 755.Ilyas ibn Habib was a son of the Ifriqiyan military commander Habib ibn Abi Obeida al-Fihri...
assassinated his brother Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib in his personal quarters, plunging a dagger into his back while he played with his children.
Ilyas ibn Habib
Ilyas ibn Habib al-Fihri
Il-Yas ibn Habib al-Fihri was an Arab noble of the Oqbid or Fihrid family, and briefly ruler of Ifriqiya in 755.Ilyas ibn Habib was a son of the Ifriqiyan military commander Habib ibn Abi Obeida al-Fihri...
proceeded to assume power for himself, but was himself deposed and killed by the end of the year by Abd al-Rahman's son, Habib ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri
Habib ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri
Habib ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri was an Arab noble of the Oqbid or Fihrid family, and briefly ruler of Ifriqiya from 755 to 757....
.
In 757, the Warfajuma Berbers and their Sufri
Sufri
The Sufris were a Khariji sect of Islam that existed in the 7th and 8th centuries. They established the Midrarid state at Sijilmassa.In Algeria , the Banu Ifran were Sufri Berbers who opposed Umayyad, Abbasids and Fatimid rule, most notably under resistance movements led by Abu Qurra and Abu...
te allies swept up from southern Tunisia and captured Kairouan
Kairouan
Kairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...
, killing Habib and putting an end to the Fihrid dynasty. In the meantime, the Ibadi
Ibadi
The Ibāḍī movement, Ibadism or Ibāḍiyya is a form of Islam distinct from the Sunni and Shia denominations. It is the dominant form of Islam in Oman and Zanzibar...
tes that Ibn Habib had driven out of Tripoli came back: rallied by their imam Abu al-Khattab al-Ma'afiri in Jebel Nefusa, the Ibadites recaptured Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
and went on to take Kairouan
Kairouan
Kairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...
itself from the Berbers in 758, establishing a Kharijite imamate over Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
.
Legacy
A descendant of the great conqueror Oqba ibn NafiUqba ibn Nafi
Uqba ibn Nafi was an Arab hero and general who was serving the Umayyad dynasty, in Amir Muavia and Yazid periods, who began the Islamic conquest of the Maghreb, including present-day Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Morocco in North Africa. He was the nephew of 'Amr ibn al-'As. Uqba is often surnamed...
, the enormously ambitious Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib failed to live up to his ancestral billing. Ibn Habib boldly attempted to turn the western half of the Islamic Caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
into his private Fihrid empire. Instead, facing opposition at every turn, Ibn Habib ended up losing Morocco to tribal chaos, Spain to the Umayyads and Ifriqiya itself (eventually) to the Kharijites, leaving little for his legacy.
Sources
- Ibn Khaldun, Histoire des Berbères et des dynasties musulmanes de l'Afrique, 1852 transl. Algiers.
- Julien, Charles-André, Histoire de l'Afrique du Nord, des origines à 1830, édition originale 1931, réédition Payot, Paris, 1961
- Kennedy, Hugh Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of al-Andalus, New York and London: Longman, 1996.
- Mercier, E. (1888) Histoire de l'Afrqiue septentrionale, V. 1, Paris: Leroux. Repr. Elibron Classics, 2005.
- History of early Islamic TunisiaHistory of early Islamic TunisiaThe History of early Islamic Tunisia opens with the arrival of the Arabs who brought their language and the religion of Islam, and its calendar. The Arab conquest followed strategy designed by the Umayyad Caliphate regarding ist long-term conflict with the Byzantine Empire...
- History of medieval TunisiaHistory of medieval TunisiaThe medieval era opens with the commencement of a process that would return Ifriqiya, i.e., Tunisia, and the entire Maghrib to local Berber rule. The precipitating cause was the departure of the Shia Fatimid Caliphate to their newly conquered territories in Egypt. To govern Ifriqiya in their stead,...