Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar
Encyclopedia
Abu Bakr ibn Umar ibn Ibrahim ibn Turgut, sometimes suffixed al-Sanhaji or al-Lamtuni (died 1087; ) was a chieftan of the Lamtuna
Berbers
of the western Sahara
, and commander of the Almoravids from 1056 until his death.
Abu Bakr ibn Umar was a member of the Banu Turgut, a clan of the Lamtuna
Berbers of the western Sahara
. His brother, Yahya ibn Umar was the chieftan of the Lamtuna who invited the Maliki
teacher Abdallah ibn Yasin, and together launched the Almoravid (murabitūn) movement in the early 1050s.
Upon the death of Yahya ibn Umar in 1056, the spiritual leader Abdallah ibn Yasin appointed Abu Bakr as military commander of the Almoravids. He captured Sūs
and its capital Aghmat
in southern Morocco
in 1057. The death of Ibn Yasin in battle with the Berghwata in 1059, left Abu Bakr as the sole leader of the Almoravids, which now continued without a religious leader. Abu Bakr continued carrying out the Almoravid program without assuming the pretence of religious authority in himself. Abu Bakr, like later Almoravid rulers, took up the comparatively modest title of amir al-Muslimin ("Prince of the Muslims"), rather than the caliph
al amir al-Mu'minin ("Commander of the Faithful").
Abu Bakr married the wealthiest woman in Aghmat
, Zaynab an-Nafzawiyyat
, and began to found a new capital at Marrakech
in 1070. On being recalled to the Sahara
in 1071 to put down a rebellion by the Guddala Berbers, he left control of the Sūs
to his cousin Yusuf ibn Tashfin
while his son Ismail was given charge of Sijilmassa. He divorced Zaynab
before he left and advised her to marry Yusuf
, knowing that she was not suited to a life of jihad
in the Sahara
.
After suppressing the rebellion , he wanted to return to take up his former position. However, Yusuf
had taken a liking to power. Acting on Zaynab
's advice Yusuf
was able to turn back Abu-Bakr using diplomacy rather than force. As a courtesy to his former leader, Yusuf
kept Abu-Bakr's name on the Almoravid coinage until his death.
Abu-Bakr returned to the Sahara
. He is said to have attacked ancient Ghana
in 1076 and is often credited with initiating the spread of Islam
on the southern periphery of the Sahara. Abu Bakr ibn Umar died shortly after receiving news of Yusuf Ibn Tashfin's victory at the Battle of Sagrajas near Badajoz
(in modern Spain
), in 1087.
In 1054 Abu-Bakr and his men took the city of Audoghast. In 1075 they declared a jihad against Ghana. In 1076 after many battles, the Almoravids seized Koumbi Saleh which was the capital of the empire. However, the Almoravids could not hold the lands they had conquered. There were many revolts and much resistance. Abu Bakr was killed while attempting to suppress one of these in 1087.
Mauritanian oral tradition claims Abu Bakr was killed in a clash with the "Gangara" (Wangara
, a black Soninke people of Tagant Region of southern Mauritania
), relating that he was struck down by an arrow from an old, blind Gangara chieftan in the pass of Khma (between the Tagant and Assab mountains, en route to Ghana). According to Wolof
oral tradition, the Serer
Ama Gôdô Maat
killed him with his bow near lake Rzik (just north of the Senegal). It goes on to note that Abu Bakr left a pregnant Fula wife, Fâtimata Sal, who gave birth to a son, Amadou Boubakar ibn Omar, better known as Ndiadiane Ndiaye, who went on to found the Wolof kingdom of Waalo
in the lower Senegal river.
Lamtuna
The Lamtuna were a powerful nomadic Berber tribe belonging to the Senhaja inhabiting the western Sahara.During the eighth century the Lamtuna created a kingdom out of a confederation of Berber tribes, which they dominated until the early tenth century. The Lamtuna probably did not convert to Islam...
Berbers
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
of the western Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
, and commander of the Almoravids from 1056 until his death.
Abu Bakr ibn Umar was a member of the Banu Turgut, a clan of the Lamtuna
Lamtuna
The Lamtuna were a powerful nomadic Berber tribe belonging to the Senhaja inhabiting the western Sahara.During the eighth century the Lamtuna created a kingdom out of a confederation of Berber tribes, which they dominated until the early tenth century. The Lamtuna probably did not convert to Islam...
Berbers of the western Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
. His brother, Yahya ibn Umar was the chieftan of the Lamtuna who invited the Maliki
Maliki
The ' madhhab is one of the schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. It is the second-largest of the four schools, followed by approximately 25% of Muslims, mostly in North Africa, West Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and in some parts of Saudi Arabia...
teacher Abdallah ibn Yasin, and together launched the Almoravid (murabitūn) movement in the early 1050s.
Upon the death of Yahya ibn Umar in 1056, the spiritual leader Abdallah ibn Yasin appointed Abu Bakr as military commander of the Almoravids. He captured Sūs
Sous
The Sous or Souss is a region in southern Morocco. Geologically, it is the alluvial basin of the Oued Sous , separated from the Sahara by the Anti-Atlas Mountains...
and its capital Aghmat
Aghmat
Aghmāt was an important medieval Berber town in southern Morocco which is today an archaeological site known as "Joumâa Aghmat". It is situated approximately 30 km east of Marrakech on the Ourika road...
in southern Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
in 1057. The death of Ibn Yasin in battle with the Berghwata in 1059, left Abu Bakr as the sole leader of the Almoravids, which now continued without a religious leader. Abu Bakr continued carrying out the Almoravid program without assuming the pretence of religious authority in himself. Abu Bakr, like later Almoravid rulers, took up the comparatively modest title of amir al-Muslimin ("Prince of the Muslims"), rather than the caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
al amir al-Mu'minin ("Commander of the Faithful").
Abu Bakr married the wealthiest woman in Aghmat
Aghmat
Aghmāt was an important medieval Berber town in southern Morocco which is today an archaeological site known as "Joumâa Aghmat". It is situated approximately 30 km east of Marrakech on the Ourika road...
, Zaynab an-Nafzawiyyat
Zaynab an-Nafzawiyyat
Zaynab an-Nafzāwiyyat , a Berber woman of influence in the early Almoravid movement which gained control of Morocco, Algeria and parts of Spain....
, and began to found a new capital at Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
in 1070. On being recalled to the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
in 1071 to put down a rebellion by the Guddala Berbers, he left control of the Sūs
Sous
The Sous or Souss is a region in southern Morocco. Geologically, it is the alluvial basin of the Oued Sous , separated from the Sahara by the Anti-Atlas Mountains...
to his cousin Yusuf ibn Tashfin
Yusuf ibn Tashfin
Yusef ibn Tashfin also, Tashafin, or Teshufin; or Yusuf; was a king of the Almoravid empire, he founded the city of Marrakech and led the Muslim forces in the Battle of Zallaqa....
while his son Ismail was given charge of Sijilmassa. He divorced Zaynab
Zaynab an-Nafzawiyyat
Zaynab an-Nafzāwiyyat , a Berber woman of influence in the early Almoravid movement which gained control of Morocco, Algeria and parts of Spain....
before he left and advised her to marry Yusuf
Yusuf ibn Tashfin
Yusef ibn Tashfin also, Tashafin, or Teshufin; or Yusuf; was a king of the Almoravid empire, he founded the city of Marrakech and led the Muslim forces in the Battle of Zallaqa....
, knowing that she was not suited to a life of jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
in the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
.
After suppressing the rebellion , he wanted to return to take up his former position. However, Yusuf
Yusuf ibn Tashfin
Yusef ibn Tashfin also, Tashafin, or Teshufin; or Yusuf; was a king of the Almoravid empire, he founded the city of Marrakech and led the Muslim forces in the Battle of Zallaqa....
had taken a liking to power. Acting on Zaynab
Zaynab an-Nafzawiyyat
Zaynab an-Nafzāwiyyat , a Berber woman of influence in the early Almoravid movement which gained control of Morocco, Algeria and parts of Spain....
's advice Yusuf
Yusuf ibn Tashfin
Yusef ibn Tashfin also, Tashafin, or Teshufin; or Yusuf; was a king of the Almoravid empire, he founded the city of Marrakech and led the Muslim forces in the Battle of Zallaqa....
was able to turn back Abu-Bakr using diplomacy rather than force. As a courtesy to his former leader, Yusuf
Yusuf ibn Tashfin
Yusef ibn Tashfin also, Tashafin, or Teshufin; or Yusuf; was a king of the Almoravid empire, he founded the city of Marrakech and led the Muslim forces in the Battle of Zallaqa....
kept Abu-Bakr's name on the Almoravid coinage until his death.
Abu-Bakr returned to the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
. He is said to have attacked ancient Ghana
Ghana Empire
The Ghana Empire or Wagadou Empire was located in what is now southeastern Mauritania, and Western Mali. Complex societies had existed in the region since about 1500 BCE, and around Ghana's core region since about 300 CE...
in 1076 and is often credited with initiating the spread of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
on the southern periphery of the Sahara. Abu Bakr ibn Umar died shortly after receiving news of Yusuf Ibn Tashfin's victory at the Battle of Sagrajas near Badajoz
Badajoz
Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain, situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana, and the Madrid–Lisbon railway. The population in 2007 was 145,257....
(in modern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), in 1087.
In 1054 Abu-Bakr and his men took the city of Audoghast. In 1075 they declared a jihad against Ghana. In 1076 after many battles, the Almoravids seized Koumbi Saleh which was the capital of the empire. However, the Almoravids could not hold the lands they had conquered. There were many revolts and much resistance. Abu Bakr was killed while attempting to suppress one of these in 1087.
Mauritanian oral tradition claims Abu Bakr was killed in a clash with the "Gangara" (Wangara
Wangara
Wangara may refer to:*The Soninke Wangara of West Africa*Wangara, Western Australia*Wangara, Burkina Faso...
, a black Soninke people of Tagant Region of southern Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
), relating that he was struck down by an arrow from an old, blind Gangara chieftan in the pass of Khma (between the Tagant and Assab mountains, en route to Ghana). According to Wolof
Wolof people
The Wolof are an ethnic group found in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania.In Senegal, the Wolof form an ethnic plurality with about 43.3% of the population are Wolofs...
oral tradition, the Serer
Serer people
The Serer people along with the Jola people are acknowledged to be the oldest inhabitants of The Senegambia....
Ama Gôdô Maat
Ama Gôdô Maat
Ama Gôdô Maat was an 11th century Serer king ....
killed him with his bow near lake Rzik (just north of the Senegal). It goes on to note that Abu Bakr left a pregnant Fula wife, Fâtimata Sal, who gave birth to a son, Amadou Boubakar ibn Omar, better known as Ndiadiane Ndiaye, who went on to found the Wolof kingdom of Waalo
Waalo
The Kingdom of Waalo was a kingdom on the lower Senegal River in West Africa, in what are now Senegal and Mauritania. It included parts of the valley proper and areas north and south, extending to the Atlantic Ocean...
in the lower Senegal river.
Sources
- Ibn IdhariIbn IdhariAbū al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Idhāri al-Marrākushi who lived in the late 13th and the early 14th century, was the author of an important medieval text on the history of the Maghreb and Iberia written in 1312.Little is known about the life of this author, who was born in Al-Andalus and...
, Al-bayan al-mughribAl-Bayan al-MughribKitāb al-bayān al-mughrib fī ākhbār mulūk al-andalus wa'l-maghrib is an important medieval text on the history of the Maghreb and Iberia, written in Arabic in Marrakech in about the year 1312 by Ibn Idhari...
Part III, annotated Spanish translation by A. Huici Miranda, Valencia, 1963. - N. Levtzion & J.F.P. Hopkins, Corpus of early Arabic sources for West African history, Cambridge University Press, 1981, ISBN 0-521-22422-5 (reprint: Markus Wiener, Princeton, 2000, ISBN 1-55876-241-8). Contains English translations of extracts from medieval works dealing with the AlmoravidsAlmoravidsThe Almoravids were a Berber dynasty of Morocco, who formed an empire in the 11th-century that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus. Their capital was Marrakesh, a city which they founded in 1062 C.E...
; the selections cover some (but not all) of the information above.