Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab
Encyclopedia
Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab al-Maousili (?- ?) was an important Umayyad
official in Egypt
from 724 to 734, and subsequently Umayyad
governor of Kairouan
, Ifriqiya
from 734 to 741. It was under his rule that the Great Berber Revolt
broke out in the Maghreb
(North Africa) and al-Andalus
(Iberian Peninsula).
, while simultaneously exhibiting and harsh and almost vicious disdain of those below him, particularly non-Arabs.. Both those character traits would have significant consequences.
, the Umayyad
Caliph Hisham appointed Obeid Allah as sahib al-kharaj, or head of taxation in Egypt
. As Egyptian governors proved ineffective, Obeid Allah became Hisham's point man and effective ruler of Egypt
. Obeid Allah secured the dismissal of Egyptian governor Al-Hurr ibn Yusuf in 727
, and again his successor Abd al-Malik ibn Rifa'a al-Fahmi, after they challenged his administrative powers.
To expand fiscal revenues, in 725, Obeid Allah raised the kharaj
by an eighth and appointed Arab officials (rather than local Egyptians) as tax-collectors. This provoked a revolt by Egyptian Copts in 725-26. Leaderless and disorganized, the Coptic revolt went nowhere and was quashed by the Arab authorities under the direction of Obeid Allah, with quite some bloodshed.
It became evident that the Arabs needed to expand their presence in Egypt. At Obeid Allah's suggestion, in 726, the Caliph Hisham began dispatching Arab regiments drawn from the Qaysid
(or 'Syrian') tribes of northern Arabia, partly in order to get the more troublesome Qaysid regiments (junds) out of the vicinity of Damascus
, partly to counter-balance the local Arab junds already in Fustat and Alexandria
(drawn from Kalbid or 'Yemenite
' stock of south Arabian tribes) lest they be used as a power base for ambitious local nobles against the central Umayyad
government. To prevent quarrels, the Qaysid junds, some 5,000 who arrived during the time of Obeid Allah, were settled in the Eastern Hawf and forbidden from entering Fustat.
had been swiftly dismissed by Caliph Hisham following a personal quarrel. The Kairouan
government was placed in the temporary hands of the lieutenant-governor Oqba ibn Qudama and the qadi
Abd Allah ibn Mogheir ibn Berda. In al-Andalus
, Abd al-Malik ibn Qatan al-Fihri of the illustrious Fihrid clan, was acclaimed by the Andalusian Arabs as ruler after the death of wali Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi
at the Battle of Tours
in October 732
.
Seeking to restore order in the west, in April 734
, the Umayyad
Caliph Hisham appointed his old Egyptian hand Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab as governor of Kairouan
, Ifriqiya
, with supervisory authority over all the Maghreb
(North Africa west of Egypt) and al-Andalus
(Iberian Peninsula).
Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab found the westerly domains of the Caliphate in disorder and the treasury thin following the mismanagement and reverses of the preceding years. Over Andalusian opposition, Obeid Allah dispatched Oqba ibn al-Hajjaj al-Saluli as his deputy in Córdoba
(al-Andalus
), replacing the popular governor Abd al-Malik ibn Qatan al-Fihri. Around this time, Obeid Allah appointed Omar ibn Abd Allah el-Moradi as his deputy in Tangier
(al-Udwa
).
Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab immediately set about dynamizing his fiscal resources by ordering new raids. In 734
, an expedition was set out against Byzantine-ruled Sicily
(the seventh in as many years), but it proved to be a failure. In 735
, Obeid Allah dispatched an Ifriqiyan army under commander Habib ibn Abi Obeida al-Fihri
to conquer Sous
and the southerly regions of Morocco
, acquiring substantial booty to replenish the treasury and bringing the region within the Umayyad
caliphate. In 735, an amphibian Arab expedition was launched upon Provence
, capturing Arles
and Avignon
and the lower Rhone
valley. But the expeditionary force was expelled from Provence in 737-38 in a joint operation by Charles Martel
of the Franks
and Liutprand
of the Lombards
.
In 740, Obeid Allah dispatched Habib ibn Abi Obeida al-Fihri
at the head of 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). Habib had a successful landing and laid a brief siege to Syracuse, securing its submission to tribute, before events in Africa forced them to break off the invasion.
under his jurisdiction to make up for the financial shortfalls. Contravening Islamic law
and the 718
edicts of the Caliph Umar II, Obeid Allah reinstated some of the extraordinary dhimmi
taxation (the jizyah and kharaj
) and slave-tributes on the Muslim Berber population, provoking immense opposition. Similar policies were implemented by his deputies Oqba ibn al-Saluli in al-Andalus and (with particular zeal) Omar ibn el-Moradi in Morocco.
But Obeid Allah went above and beyond his duties. Seeking to satisfy the luxurious tastes of the nobles of Damascus, Obeid Allah sent his officials in the relentless pursuit of the highly-prized wool of unborn Merino
lambs, seizing (and destroying) entire flocks - the livelihoods of many Berber communities - just to gather the handful he could dispatch back to Syria. Berber girls and women were also highly prized as concubines by Damascus lords. Obeid Allah, eager to please as always, ordered them seized and kidnapped in great numbers, not stopping even at the wives and daughters of loyal Berber chieftains.
Berber patience finally broke in 740
, in what became known as the Great Berber Revolt
. It began with an uprising in Tangiers against Obeid Allah's tax-collectors and raiders. Fired up by Sufri
te (Kharijite) activists, the Berber tribes of western Morocco (the Ghomara
, Miknasa
and Berghwata) formed a coalition and acclaimed the Berber chieftain Maysara al-Matghari
as 'caliph'. Tangiers fell into the hands of the Berber rebels hands, and soon enough the entire length of Morocco, from the Straits down to the Sous
. Obeid Allah's own son, Ismail, then a governor in the Sous, was killed by the rebels.
Obeid Allah immediately dispatched orders to Habib ibn Abi Obeida al-Fihri
to break off the Sicilian invasion and return the Ifriqiyan army to Africa. In the meantime, he dispatched a vanguard cavalry force, composed of the aristocratic Arab elite of Kairouan
under the command of Khalid ibn Abi Habib al-Fihri
(Habib's brother?), to hold the line against the Berber rebels while awaiting the Sicilian expeditionary force.
After a few skirmishes with the Arab vanguard in the outskirts of Tangiers, the Berber rebels decided to depose Maysara and reorganize their forces under the Zenata
chieftain Khalid ibn Hamid al-Zanati
. Khalid ordered an immediate attack and destroyed the Ifriqiyan vanguard at the Battle of the Nobles
in October 740, cutting down the cream of the Ifriqyan Arab nobility. The main Ifriqiyan force under Habib ibn Abi Obeida arrived too late to prevent the massacre, and retreated to Tlemcen
, which had in the meantime itself been raised to revolt by Sufri
te activists.
Governor Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab forwarded the report of the battle to Damascus
and requested reinforcements. Caliph Hisham, shocked at the news, dismissed Obeid Allah in February, 741 and began preparations to dispatch a large eastern Arab army under a new governor, Kulthum ibn Iyad al-Qasi
to crush the Berber rebellion. The disgraced Obeid Allah left Ifriqiya
in April, 741, and returned to the east.
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...
official in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
from 724 to 734, and subsequently 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...
governor 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...
, 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....
from 734 to 741. It was under his rule that 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...
broke out 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...
(North Africa) and 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...
(Iberian Peninsula).
Background and Character
Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab was an Arab official of the Banu Makhzoum, a clan of the Quraysh. Although exceptionally educated and remarkably competent and well-respected, Obeid Allah was the grandson of a manumitted slave.. That humble origin may have embarrassed him and left him with a sense of personal insecurity among the high-bloods that packed the Umayyad circles. Throughout his career, Obeid Allah seemed to have been overly obsequious, a little too eager to please the whims of the well-born lords of 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...
, while simultaneously exhibiting and harsh and almost vicious disdain of those below him, particularly non-Arabs.. Both those character traits would have significant consequences.
Official in Egypt
In 724724
Year 724 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 724 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.- Asia :* Emperor Shōmu succeeds Empress Genshō on the...
, 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 appointed Obeid Allah as sahib al-kharaj, or head of taxation in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. As Egyptian governors proved ineffective, Obeid Allah became Hisham's point man and effective ruler of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Obeid Allah secured the dismissal of Egyptian governor Al-Hurr ibn Yusuf in 727
727
Year 727 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 727 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.- Byzantine Empire :* Umayyad troops under Abdallah...
, and again his successor Abd al-Malik ibn Rifa'a al-Fahmi, after they challenged his administrative powers.
To expand fiscal revenues, in 725, Obeid Allah raised the kharaj
Kharaj
In Islamic law, kharaj is a tax on agricultural land.Initially, after the first Muslim conquests in the 7th century, kharaj usually denoted a lump-sum duty levied upon the conquered provinces and collected by the officials of the former Byzantine and Sassanid empires or, more broadly, any kind of...
by an eighth and appointed Arab officials (rather than local Egyptians) as tax-collectors. This provoked a revolt by Egyptian Copts in 725-26. Leaderless and disorganized, the Coptic revolt went nowhere and was quashed by the Arab authorities under the direction of Obeid Allah, with quite some bloodshed.
It became evident that the Arabs needed to expand their presence in Egypt. At Obeid Allah's suggestion, in 726, the Caliph Hisham began dispatching Arab regiments drawn from the Qaysid
Qais
Qais , also spelled Qays or Kais, were an Arabian tribe branched from the Mudhar Adnani groups.-Main branches of Qais:The main branches of the Qais tribes are the Banu Sulaym, Hawazin and the Banu Ghatafan. These three main groups remained in the Eastern Hejaz until the 7th century...
(or 'Syrian') tribes of northern Arabia, partly in order to get the more troublesome Qaysid regiments (junds) out of the vicinity of Damascus
Damascus
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...
, partly to counter-balance the local Arab junds already in Fustat and Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
(drawn from Kalbid or 'Yemenite
Yemenite
Yemenite may refer to:*Yemenite, a person from Yemen*Yemeni Arabic, dialect of the Arabic language*Yemenite step, an Israeli folk dance step originating from Yemen*Yemenite Jews...
' stock of south Arabian tribes) lest they be used as a power base for ambitious local nobles against the central 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...
government. To prevent quarrels, the Qaysid junds, some 5,000 who arrived during the time of Obeid Allah, were settled in the Eastern Hawf and forbidden from entering Fustat.
Governor in Ifriqiya
In late 732, Obeida ibn Abd al-Rahman es-Solemi, governor of IfriqiyaIfriqiya
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....
had been swiftly dismissed by Caliph Hisham following a personal quarrel. 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...
government was placed in the temporary hands of the lieutenant-governor Oqba ibn Qudama and the 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...
Abd Allah ibn Mogheir ibn Berda. In 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...
, Abd al-Malik ibn Qatan al-Fihri of the illustrious Fihrid clan, was acclaimed by the Andalusian Arabs as ruler after the death of wali Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi
Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi
Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi , also known as Abd er Rahman, Abdderrahman, Abderame, and Abd el-Rahman, led the Andalusian Muslims into battle against the forces of Charles Martel in the Battle of Tours on October 10, 732 AD. for which he is primarily remembered in the West...
at the Battle of Tours
Battle of Tours
The Battle of Tours , also called the Battle of Poitiers and in Battle of the Court of the Martyrs, was fought in an area between the cities of Poitiers and Tours, located in north-central France, near the village of Moussais-la-Bataille, about northeast of Poitiers...
in October 732
732
Year 732 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 732 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 :* October 10 – Battle of Tours: Near...
.
Seeking to restore order in the west, in April 734
734
Year 734 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 734 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 :* The Franks defeat the Frisians in the Battle...
, 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 appointed his old Egyptian hand Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab as governor 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...
, 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....
, with supervisory authority over all 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...
(North Africa west of Egypt) and 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...
(Iberian Peninsula).
Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab found the westerly domains of the Caliphate in disorder and the treasury thin following the mismanagement and reverses of the preceding years. Over Andalusian opposition, Obeid Allah dispatched Oqba ibn al-Hajjaj al-Saluli as his deputy in Córdoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
(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...
), replacing the popular governor Abd al-Malik ibn Qatan al-Fihri. Around this time, Obeid Allah appointed Omar ibn Abd Allah el-Moradi as his deputy in Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
(al-Udwa
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...
).
Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab immediately set about dynamizing his fiscal resources by ordering new raids. In 734
734
Year 734 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 734 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 :* The Franks defeat the Frisians in the Battle...
, an expedition was set out against Byzantine-ruled 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,...
(the seventh in as many years), but it proved to be a failure. In 735
735
Year 735 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 735 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.- Asia :* A smallpox epidemic starts in Ancient Japan,...
, Obeid Allah dispatched an Ifriqiyan army under commander Habib ibn Abi Obeida al-Fihri
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:...
to conquer Sous
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 the southerly regions 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...
, acquiring substantial booty to replenish the treasury and bringing the region within 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...
caliphate. In 735, an amphibian Arab expedition was launched upon Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, capturing Arles
Arles
Arles is a city and commune in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture, in the former province of Provence....
and Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
and the lower Rhone
Rhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
valley. But the expeditionary force was expelled from Provence in 737-38 in a joint operation by Charles Martel
Charles Martel
Charles Martel , also known as Charles the Hammer, was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks. In 739 he was offered the...
of the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
and Liutprand
Liutprand, King of the Lombards
Liutprand was the King of the Lombards from 712 to 744 and is chiefly remembered for his Donation of Sutri, in 728, and his long reign, which brought him into a series of conflicts, mostly successful, with most of Italy. He profited by Byzantine weakness to enlarge his domains in Emilia and the...
of the Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
.
In 740, Obeid Allah dispatched Habib ibn Abi Obeida al-Fihri
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:...
at the head of 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
History of Islam in southern Italy
The history of Islam in southern Italy begins with the Islamic conquest and subsequent rule of Sicily and Malta, a process that started in the 9th century. Islamic rule over Sicily was effective from 902, and the complete rule of the island lasted from 965 until 1061...
of the island (rather than a mere raid). Habib had a successful landing and laid a brief siege to Syracuse, securing its submission to tribute, before events in Africa forced them to break off the invasion.
The Berber Revolt
In the late 730s, Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab had begun leaning more heavily on the BerbersBerber 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...
under his jurisdiction to make up for the financial shortfalls. Contravening Islamic law
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
and the 718
718
Year 718 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 718 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 :* Tervel's reign as monarch of Bulgaria...
edicts of the Caliph Umar II, Obeid Allah reinstated some of the extraordinary dhimmi
Dhimmi
A , is a non-Muslim subject of a state governed in accordance with sharia law. Linguistically, the word means "one whose responsibility has been taken". This has to be understood in the context of the definition of state in Islam...
taxation (the jizyah and kharaj
Kharaj
In Islamic law, kharaj is a tax on agricultural land.Initially, after the first Muslim conquests in the 7th century, kharaj usually denoted a lump-sum duty levied upon the conquered provinces and collected by the officials of the former Byzantine and Sassanid empires or, more broadly, any kind of...
) and slave-tributes on the Muslim Berber population, provoking immense opposition. Similar policies were implemented by his deputies Oqba ibn al-Saluli in al-Andalus and (with particular zeal) Omar ibn el-Moradi in Morocco.
But Obeid Allah went above and beyond his duties. Seeking to satisfy the luxurious tastes of the nobles of Damascus, Obeid Allah sent his officials in the relentless pursuit of the highly-prized wool of unborn Merino
Merino
The Merino is an economically influential breed of sheep prized for its wool. Merinos are regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep...
lambs, seizing (and destroying) entire flocks - the livelihoods of many Berber communities - just to gather the handful he could dispatch back to Syria. Berber girls and women were also highly prized as concubines by Damascus lords. Obeid Allah, eager to please as always, ordered them seized and kidnapped in great numbers, not stopping even at the wives and daughters of loyal Berber chieftains.
Berber patience finally broke in 740
740
Year 740 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 740 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 :* October 26 – An earthquake strikes...
, in what became known as 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...
. It began with an uprising in Tangiers against Obeid Allah's tax-collectors and raiders. Fired up by 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 (Kharijite) activists, the Berber tribes of western Morocco (the Ghomara
Ghomara
The Ghomara are an originally Berber group in northern Morocco, living between the rivers Oued Laou and Ouringa, north of Chefchaouen and south of Tetouan, just west of the Rif. The river Tiguisas runs through their territory...
, Miknasa
Miknasa
The Miknasa were a Berber tribe in Morocco and western Algeria.The Miknasa Berbers originated in southern Tunisia, but migrated westwards into central Morocco and western Algeria in pre-Islamic times. The modern Moroccan city of Meknes bears witness to their presence.After defeat by the Muslims...
and Berghwata) formed a coalition and acclaimed the Berber chieftain 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...
as 'caliph'. Tangiers fell into the hands of the Berber rebels hands, and soon enough the entire length of Morocco, from the Straits down to the Sous
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...
. Obeid Allah's own son, Ismail, then a governor in the Sous, was killed by the rebels.
Obeid Allah immediately dispatched orders to Habib ibn Abi Obeida al-Fihri
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:...
to break off the Sicilian invasion and return the Ifriqiyan army to Africa. In the meantime, he dispatched a vanguard cavalry force, composed of the aristocratic Arab elite 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...
under the command of Khalid ibn Abi Habib al-Fihri
Khalid ibn Abi Habib al-Fihri
Khalid ibn Abi Habib al-Fihri was an Arab military commander in North Africa during the Berber Revolt, who led the Arab army that was defeated at the Battle of the Nobles in late 740....
(Habib's brother?), to hold the line against the Berber rebels while awaiting the Sicilian expeditionary force.
After a few skirmishes with the Arab vanguard in the outskirts of Tangiers, the Berber rebels decided to depose Maysara and reorganize their forces under the Zenata
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....
chieftain Khalid ibn Hamid al-Zanati
Khalid ibn Hamid al-Zanati
Khalid ibn Hamid al-Zanati was a Zenata Berber chieftain and military commander during the Berber Revolt of the 740s against the Umayyads in the Maghreb....
. Khalid ordered an immediate attack and destroyed the Ifriqiyan vanguard at 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 October 740, cutting down the cream of the Ifriqyan Arab nobility. The main Ifriqiyan force under Habib ibn Abi Obeida arrived too late to prevent the massacre, and retreated to 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...
, which had in the meantime itself been raised to revolt by 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 activists.
Governor Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab forwarded the report of the battle to Damascus
Damascus
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...
and requested reinforcements. Caliph Hisham, shocked at the news, dismissed Obeid Allah in February, 741 and began preparations to dispatch a large eastern Arab army under a new 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....
to crush the Berber rebellion. The disgraced Obeid Allah left 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....
in April, 741, and returned to the east.