Ifriqiya

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File:Roman Empire - Africa Proconsularis (125 AD).svg
The Roman province Africa Proconsularis (in red), to which Ifriqiya corresponded and from which it derived its name.

Ifriqiya (Template:Langx) was a medieval historical region comprising today's Tunisia, eastern Algeria, and Tripolitania (roughly western Libya), particularly the region between the sea and the edges of the Sahara.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Michael Brett">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Youssef M. Choueiri">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> It included all of what had previously been the Byzantine province of Africa Proconsularis and extended beyond it,<ref name="Ramzi Rouighi">Template:Cite book</ref> but did not include the Mauretanias.<ref name="Valérian">Template:Cite book</ref>

Ifriqiya is bordered to the west by the Central Maghreb, with which the borders are fluid depending on the chroniclers and the era.<ref name="Valérian" /> For most of its early history, the capital of Ifriqiya was Qayrawan (Kairouan),<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Valérian" /> but in some periods it moved to Mahdiya (Mahdia) and later it remained at Tunis.<ref name="Valérian" />

Etymology

The name Ifriqiya was an Arabic derivation from Latin Template:Lang.<ref name=":0" /> Some historical Arabic sources attributed the name to more legendary etymologies, such as being derived from a king of Yemen named Ifriqis or Ifriqish, who purportedly conquered the Maghreb in ancient times, or to a son of Abraham named Ifriq.<ref name="Valérian" />

Definition

The boundaries of what was known as Ifriqiya were not precise and changed between authors or historical periods.<ref name="Valérian" /><ref name=":0" /> The Mediterranean Sea and the border areas of the Sahara were normally the northern and southern boundaries, respectively.<ref name="Valérian" /><ref name=":0" /> The eastern boundary was typically between Tripolitania (western Libya) and Cyrenaica (eastern Libya), as the latter was attached administratively to Egypt in the early Islamic period. The western boundary was more variable, due mainly to the changing political borders over time. Some writers, like al-Bakri, considered Ifriqiya to be nearly equivalent to all of the Maghreb up to present-day Morocco, but most of them distinguished it from the central Maghreb and placed its boundary in northeastern Algeria, near places such as Béjaïa, Miliana, or Dellys.<ref name="Valérian" />

File:Les trois Maghreb à l'époque classique médiévale.png
Map showing a typical tripartition of the Maghreb in medieval times. Template:Transliteration overlaps with what is typically considered Ifriqiya.

Generally, Arabic writers came to split the wider Maghreb into three parts: the Template:Transliteration (the "Far West") corresponding roughly to present-day Morocco, the Template:Transliteration (the "Middle West") corresponding generally to northern Algeria, and Template:Transliteration.<ref name="Valérian" /> The eastern Maghreb was also known as the Template:Transliteration (the "Near West"), which encompassed more generally present-day Tunisia and northern Libya.<ref name=":28">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

History

Template:More citations needed The province of Ifriqiya was created in 703 CE when the Umayyads seized North Africa from the Byzantine Empire. Although Islam existed throughout the province, there was still considerable religious tension and conflict between the invading Arabs and the native Berbers. The beliefs and perceptions of people also shifted from area to area. This contrast was at its greatest between coastal cities and villages. Muslim ownership of Ifriqiya changed hands numerous times in its history with the collapse of the Umayyads paving the way for the Aghlabids, who acted as agents of the Abbasids in Baghdad.

They were then overthrown by the Fatimids in 909, when they lost their capital of Raqqada and the Fatimids went on to control all of Ifriqiya in 969, when they took control of Egypt. The Fatimids slowly lost control over Ifriqiya as their regents, the Zirids, became more and more autonomous until the mid-11th century when they fully separated.

Religious divisions paved the way for the Almohads to take over western Ifriqiya (Maghreb) in 1147 and all of Ifriqiya by 1160. This empire was to last until the early 13th century where it was then replaced by the Hafsids, an influential clan that boasted many of Ifriqiya's governors. The Hafsids in 1229 declared their independence from the Almohads and organised themselves under Abu Zakariya, who built the Hafsid empire around its new capital, Tunis.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Records of Arabic oral traditions imply that the Muslims first migrated to Africa feeling persecuted in their Arab homeland. However, Muslim military incursions into Africa began around seven years after the death of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad in 632. This campaign into Africa was led by the General Amr ibn al-As and Muslim control of Africa rapidly spread after the initial seizure of Alexandria.

Islam slowly took root in the East African coast due to cross-cultural links established between Muslim traders and the natives of the African coast. The political situation in Islamic Africa was like any other, filled with a chaotic and constant power struggle between movements and dynasties. A key factor in the success of any hopeful party was securing the wealth to fund a push for dominance. One source of great wealth was the lucrative gold-mining areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. The existence of these gold mines made expansion into Africa very worthwhile. The Muslim Empires pushed for influence and control of both the Northern and Southern parts of Africa. By the end of the 11th century, Islam had firmly established itself along the Mediterranean. Like the Europeans, Muslims felt the brutal effects of the Black Death in the 14th century when it arrived in Western Africa (Maghreb) through Europe. Maghreb and Ifriqiya were largely under the rule of the Ottoman Empire between the 16th and 18th centuries. Around the end of the 19th century, Islam accounted for 1/3rd of the religious population of Africa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

List of rulers

Template:Anchor Template:MainTemplate:More citations neededTemplate:History of Tunisia Template:History of Algeria Template:History of Libya

Conquest phase

  • Cyrenaica and Tripolitana conquered in 643 by Amr ibn al-As, organised as new province with regional capital at Barqa; first governors uncertain.<ref>See chronicles of Ibn Abd al-Hakam and al-Nuwayri for accounts of the conquest.</ref>
  • Mu'awiya ibn Hudayj, c.665–666 — ruled from Barqa<ref>This follows the tradition of al-Nuwayri, who says Mu'waiya ibn Hudaij was the first emir of Ifriqiya (ruling from Baqra) in 665. Ibn Khaldoun, however, dates the appointment of Mu'waiya ibn Hudaij as early as 651/52, when Abdallah ibn Sa'ad was governor in Egypt.</ref>
  • Uqba ibn Nafi, 666–674 — conquered south Tunisia (Byzacena), founded Kairouan (670)
  • Abu al-Muhajir Dinar, 674–681
  • Uqba ibn Nafi, (restored), 681–683 — led cavalcade to Morocco, ostensibly brought the entire Maghreb under submission.
  • Uqba killed. Arabs expelled from Byzacena, which was then occupied by Awraba Berber chieftain Kusaila, 683–686.
  • Zuhayr ibn Qays, 683–689 — initially only Barqa, retook Byzacena in 686.
  • Zuhayr killed. Berbers under Kahina retake Byzacena in 689. No clear Arab governor, 689–92
  • Hassan ibn al-Nu'man al-Ghassani, 692–703 — initially only Barqa. Captured Carthage in 695 (lost again), then again in 698 (final). Permanent conquest of Ifriqiya, organised as a new province, separately from Egypt, directly under the Umayyad Caliph, with capital at Kairouan.

Umayyad Governors of Ifriqiya

Fihrid Emirs of Ifriqiya

Kharijite rulers

Abbasid governors in Kairouan

Appointed governors
Muhallabids
Appointed governors

Aghlabid Emirs of Ifriqiya

<ref>This is primarily covered in the chronicle of al-Nuwayri.</ref>

Fatimid Caliphs in Ifriqiya

<ref>On the rise of the Fatimids, see Ibn Khaldoun (v.2 App. #2(pp.496–549))</ref>

Zirid dynasty rulers of Ifriqiya

<ref>See al-Nuwayri (v.2, App.1) and Ibn Khaldoun, v.2</ref>

(Invasion of the Banu Hilal (1057) — Kairouan destroyed, Zirids reduced to the main coastal cities, rural areas fragments into petty Bedouin emirates)<ref>On the Banu Hillal invasion, see Ibn Khaldoun (v.1).</ref>

(Ifriqiyan coast annexed by Norman Sicily (1143–1160))

Norman kings of the Kingdom of Africa (Ifriqiya)

<ref>Abulafia, "The Norman Kingdom of Africa"</ref> Template:See also

(All of Ifriqiya conquered and annexed by the Almohads (1160))<ref>For an account of the Almohad and Norman conquests of Ifriqiya, see Ibn al-Athir (p.578ff)</ref>

Hafsid governors of Ifriqiya

<ref>See Ibn Khaldoun (v.2 & 3)</ref>

Hafsid caliphs of Ifriqiya

See also

Notes

Template:Reflist

Sources

Chronicles

  • Ibn Abd al-Hakam, English trans. by C.C. Torrey, 1901, "The Mohammedan Conquest of Egypt and North Africa", Historical and Critical Contributions to Biblical Science, pp. 277–330. online; French trans. in De la Salle Histoire des Berbères et des dynasties musulmanes de l'Afrique Septentrionale, 1852, v.1, App. 1 (pp. 301–308)
  • al-Nuwayri, French trans. in De La Salle, Histoire des Berbères et des dynasties musulmanes de l'Afrique Septentrionale, 1852, v.1, App. 2 (pp. 314–444) (From 647 raid through end of Aghlabids) and 1854, v. 2 App.1 (pp. 483–89) (for Zirids). Italian transl. in M. Amari (1851) Nuova raccolta di scritture e documenti intorno alla dominazione degli arabi in Sicilia, (p.27-163) (Aghlabids only)
  • Ibn Khaldoun, French trans. in De La Salle (1852–56), Histoire des Berbères et des dynasties musulmanes de l'Afrique Septentrionale 4 vols, Algiers: Imprimerie du Gouvernment. v.1, v.2 v.3, vol. 4
  • Ibn al-Athir extracts from Kamel al-Tewarikh, French trans. in De La Salle, Histoire des Berbères et des dynasties musulmanes de l'Afrique Septentrionale, 1854, v.2, App.#5, (pp. 573ff)

Secondary

Template:Rulers of Algeria Template:Muslim dynasties in Maghreb region Template:Timeline of the Maghreb dynasties Template:Authority control Template:Coord

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