Khalid ibn Hamid al-Zanati
Encyclopedia
Khalid ibn Hamid al-Zanati (?-?) was a Zenata
Berber chieftain and military commander during the Berber Revolt
of the 740s against the Umayyad
s in the Maghreb
.
For reasons which are still obscure, Maysara al-Matghari
, the original leader of the Berber Revolt
and self-proclaimed caliph, was deposed and executed by fellow Berber rebels in the Summer or Fall of 740. Khalid ibn Hamid, a respected Zenata chieftain, was elected to take his place.
Khalid ibn Hamid led the Berber rebel armies in two stunning victories over the Umayyad
authorities. In the Battle of the Nobles
in late 740, Khalid annihilated a vanguard Arab army, composed of the aristocratic Arab cavalry elite of Ifriqiya
. The shock of the defeat prompted the Umayyad
Caliph Hisham to dispatch a mighty Syrian expeditionary force from the east to join the Ifriqiyans in crushing the Berber rebellion. In October 741, Khalid's Berber army defeated the combined Ifriqiyan-Syrian force at the Battle of Bagdoura
(or Baqdura), by the Sebou River
(near modern Fes
), killing the new Ifriqyian governor Kulthum ibn Iyad al-Qasi
, in the process.
Khalid ibn Hamid disappears from the chronicles soon after this. The Berber revolt
will continue for a little while longer, but under different commanders.
But while his fate is uncertain, his legacy is not. Khalid ibn Hamid's victories permanently broke the Umayyad
hold on the western Maghreb
. As a result, the region which is now Morocco
and western Algeria
would spin off into an independent future, and never again come under the rule of an eastern caliphate
.
Zenata
Zenata were an ethnic group of North Africa, who were technically an Eastern Berber group and who are found in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco....
Berber chieftain and military commander during 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 the 740s against the Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
s 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...
.
For reasons which are still obscure, Maysara al-Matghari
Maysara al-Matghari
Maysara , oft-surnamed al-Matghari or, in older arab sources, el-Hakir was a Berber rebel leader and original architect of the Great Berber Revolt that erupted in 739-40, until his deposition and death in the middle of 740.-Background:The exact biographical details of Maysara are...
, the original leader of 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...
and self-proclaimed caliph, was deposed and executed by fellow Berber rebels in the Summer or Fall of 740. Khalid ibn Hamid, a respected Zenata chieftain, was elected to take his place.
Khalid ibn Hamid led the Berber rebel armies in two stunning victories over the Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
authorities. In the Battle of the Nobles
Battle of the Nobles
The Battle of the Nobles was an important confrontation in the Berber Revolt in c. 740 CE. It resulted in a major Berber victory over the Arabs near Tangier. During the battle, numerous Arab aristocrats were slaughtered, which led to the conflict being called the "Battle of the Nobles"...
in late 740, Khalid annihilated a vanguard Arab army, composed of the aristocratic Arab cavalry elite 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....
. The shock of the defeat prompted the Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
Caliph Hisham to dispatch a mighty Syrian expeditionary force from the east to join the Ifriqiyans in crushing the Berber rebellion. In October 741, Khalid's Berber army defeated the combined Ifriqiyan-Syrian force at 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...
(or Baqdura), by the Sebou River
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...
(near modern 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....
), killing the new Ifriqyian governor Kulthum ibn Iyad al-Qasi
Kulthum ibn Iyad al-Qasi
Kulthum ibn Iyad al-Qasi was an Umayyad governor of Kairouan, Ifriqiya for only a few months, from February to October, 741....
, in the process.
Khalid ibn Hamid disappears from the chronicles soon after this. 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...
will continue for a little while longer, but under different commanders.
But while his fate is uncertain, his legacy is not. Khalid ibn Hamid's victories permanently broke the Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
hold on the western 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...
. As a result, the region which is now 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...
and western 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...
would spin off into an independent future, and never again come under the rule of an eastern 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...
.
See also
- Berber RevoltBerber RevoltThe 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...
- Battle of the NoblesBattle of the NoblesThe Battle of the Nobles was an important confrontation in the Berber Revolt in c. 740 CE. It resulted in a major Berber victory over the Arabs near Tangier. During the battle, numerous Arab aristocrats were slaughtered, which led to the conflict being called the "Battle of the Nobles"...
- Battle of BagdouraBattle of BagdouraThe 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...