Abu Inan Faris
Encyclopedia
Abu Inan Faris (born 1329) was a Marinid
ruler. He succeeded his father Abu al-Hasan ibn Uthman
as sultan
of Morocco
in 1348. He died strangled by his vizier in 1358.
("commander of the believers"). Abu Inan had to eliminate one of his nephews who had seized power in Fes
. He built the madrasas in Meknes and Fes in 1350, and then seized Tlemcen
in 1351 and Béjaïa
in 1352. But he was defeated in 1357 and killed the following year by one of his viziers. He had also built another madrasa in Fes in 1357.
Under his ruling, the Black Death
and the rebellions of Tlemcen
(nowadays a city in Algeria
) and Tunis
marked the beginning of the decline of the Marinids. They proved unable to drive back the Portuguese
and the Spaniards
, who settled on the North African coast during the Wattasids dynasty which succeeded to the Marinids.
Marinid
The Marinid dynasty or Benemerine dynasty was a Zenata Berber dynasty of Morocco. The Marinid dynasty overtook the Almohads in controlling Morocco in 1244. They controlled most of the Maghreb from the mid-14th century to the 15th century and supported the Kingdom of Granada in Al-Andalus in the...
ruler. He succeeded his father Abu al-Hasan ibn Uthman
Abu al-Hasan 'Ali
Abu Al-Hasan 'Ali ibn 'Othman was a sultan of the Marinid Dynasty who reigned in Morocco and Al-Andalus . The son of Marinid ruler Abu Sa'id Uthman II and an Abyssinian mother, Abu al-Hassan had a dark complexion, and was known as the 'Black Sultan' of Morocco.He succeeded his father Abu Sa'id...
as sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of 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 1348. He died strangled by his vizier in 1358.
History
He took the title of Amir al-mumininAmir al-Muminin
Amīr al-Mu'minīn usually translated Commander of the Faithful or Leader of the Faithful, is the Arabic style of Caliphs and other independent sovereign Muslim rulers that claim legitimacy from a community of Muslims...
("commander of the believers"). Abu Inan had to eliminate one of his nephews who had seized power in Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
. He built the madrasas in Meknes and Fes in 1350, and then seized Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
in 1351 and Béjaïa
Béjaïa
Béjaïa, Vgaiet or Bejaya is a Mediterranean port city on the Gulf of Béjaïa in Algeria; it is the capital of Béjaïa Province, Kabylia. Under French rule, it was formerly known under various European names, such as Budschaja in German, Bugia in Italian, and Bougie...
in 1352. But he was defeated in 1357 and killed the following year by one of his viziers. He had also built another madrasa in Fes in 1357.
Under his ruling, the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
and the rebellions of Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
(nowadays a city in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
) and 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....
marked the beginning of the decline of the Marinids. They proved unable to drive back the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and the Spaniards
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...
, who settled on the North African coast during the Wattasids dynasty which succeeded to the Marinids.
Sources
- Julien, Charles-André, Histoire de l'Afrique du Nord, des origines à 1830, Payot, Paris, 1994