The Great Berber Revolt of 740-43 A.D. (122-25 A.H. in the Muslim calendar) took place during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph
Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik and marked the first successful secession from the Arab caliphate (ruled from Damascus). The revolt began in Tangier in 740, and was led initially by Maysara al-Madghari, a member of the caliphal army.By 740 Hisham's armies had been defeated by the
ByzantinesHisham ibn Abd al-MalikHisham ibn Abd al-Malik was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 723 until his death in 743.Inheriting the caliphate from his brother Yazid II, Hisham was ruling an empire with many different problems....
Byzantine EmpireByzantine Empire is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople....at the
Battle of AkroinonBattle of AkroinonThe Battle of Akroinon was fought at Akroinon in Phrygia, on the western edge of the Anatolian plateau, in 739 between an Umayyad Arab army of Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, led by his brother Sulayman, and Byzantine Empire forces led by Leo III the ...; expeditions into
GaulGaulGaul was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river....during the period 732-737 had been repulsed by the
FranksFranksThe Franks or the Frankish people were one of several west Confederations of Germanic Tribes....under
Charles MartelCharles MartelCharles Martel was the Mayor of the Palace and dux Francorum. He expanded his rule over all three of the Franks: Austrasia, Neustria and Burgundy...., and the strategic city of
NarbonneBattle of Narbonne (737)The Battle of Narbonne was fought in 737 between the forces of Yusuf ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri, Umayyad governor of Narbonne, and a Franks army led by Charles Martel....was threatened; the Caucasian front was at a standstill and Gujarat had been lost. Against this series of reversals, the revolt of the Berbers in
IfriqiyaIfriqiyaIn Middle Ages, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria....marked the crowning blow and largest military catastrophe of Hisham's reign.The main causes of the revolt were the harsh policies of the governor of North Africa, 'Ubayd Allah bin al-Habhab (which required that Berber slaves be delivered as part of the tribute paid by Berber tribes) and discrimination against Berber units of the caliphal army as compared to Arab units, the former frequently being exposed to dangers that commanders spared the latter.The army of the Berber rebels, most of whom belonged to the radical
KharijiteKharijitesKharijites is a general term embracing a variety of Islamic sects which, while initially accepting the caliphate of Ali, later rejected him....sect, swept through the
MaghrebMaghrebThe Maghreb...slaughtering most the Arab aristocracy at the Battle of the Nobles in 741. In 743 a force sent from
DamascusDamascusDamascus is the largest city and capital of Syria. Founded approximately 2500 BC, it is thought to be one of List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, before Al Fayyum, and Gaziantep....under the command of Kulthum finally brought the revolt to an end at the Battle of
KairouanKairouanKairouan is a city in Tunisia, about 160 kilometres south of Tunis. In 2003 the city had about 150,000 inhabitants.....
See also
Berbers and IslamBerbers and IslamThe Berber people are an ethnic group that had, until recently, few links to the Arabs. They have existed in ancient Mauretania, Numidia, Ifriqiya and Tripolitania, for thousands of years....
The
BerbersBerber peopleThe Berbers are an ethnic group indigenous to Northwest Africa, speaking the Berber languages of the Afroasiatic languages....(Imazighen) are an ethnic group that had, until recently, few links to the
ArabArabThe Arabs are predominantly speakers of the Arabic language, rather than a pure ethnic group, mainly found throughout the Middle East and North Africa....s. They have existed in ancient
MauretaniaMauretaniaIn Antiquity, Mauretania was originally an independent Berber monarchy on the Mediterranean coast of north Africa, corresponding to western Algeria, Spain's Plaza de soberana and northern Morocco....,
NumidiaNumidiaNumidia was an ancient Berber kingdom in North Africa that later became a Roman province, and is no longer in existence today....,
IfriqiyaIfriqiyaIn Middle Ages, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria....and
TripolitaniaTripolitaniaTripolitania or Tripolitana is a historic region of western Libya, centered on the coastal city of Tripoli...., (present-day
MoroccoMoroccoThe Kingdom of Morocco is a country in North Africa. It has a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea....,
AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria is a country in north Africa, and the second largest country on the African continent, Sudan being the largest....,
TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian Republic , is a country situated on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa....and
LibyaLibyaLibya , officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya , is a country in North Africa....respectively) for thousands of years. Most Berbers have converted to
IslamIslamIslam is a monotheism religion based upon the Qur'an, which adherents believe was sent by God through Muhammad....over the course several centuries.
Background
The region of
North AfricaNorth AfricaNorth Africa or Northern Africa is the north region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Northern Africa includes the following seven territories:...practiced many religions including various forms of
pagan ritualPaganismPaganism is a blanket term which has come to connote a broad set of western spiritualism or religion beliefs and practices of natural or polytheistic religions, as opposed to the Abrahamic monotheistic religions....s,
JudaismJudaismJudaism is the religion of the Jewish people. It is the first recorded Monotheism faith and one of the oldest religious traditions still practiced today...., and
ChristianityChristianityChristianity is a Monotheism#Christian view religion centered on Jesus, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New Testament..... The first Islamic forces encountered fierce opposition by the various city-states resulting from the departure of the
ByzantinesByzantine EmpireByzantine Empire is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople..... The weakest of them in the southern and southwestern parts of the Amazigh territory were the first to fall to the Islamic troops under the Egyptian Qalif in a locally initiated attempt of expansion westward. This first attempt in late 7th century (660 A.D.) resulted in a decisive defeat of the Islamic troops. In 750 the qalifs centralized their command in
DamascusDamascusDamascus is the largest city and capital of Syria. Founded approximately 2500 BC, it is thought to be one of List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, before Al Fayyum, and Gaziantep....and a coalition of Islamic forces from
MedinaMedinaMedina is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia...., Damascus,
BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. It is the second-largest city in Southwest Asia after Tehran and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo, and the largest city in Iraq, with the 2003 population estimated...and
EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a Middle Eastern country in North Africa....returned in a second attempt following successive defeats in
GreeceGreeceGreeceGreece lies at the juncture of Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is heir to the heritages of Ancient Greece, the Byzantine Empire, and nearly four centuries of Ottoman Empire ruleistory .... The Islamic forces in a coalition resumed their conquest of the
Mediterranean SeaMediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia....from the south, through
North AfricaNorth AfricaNorth Africa or Northern Africa is the north region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Northern Africa includes the following seven territories:.... A more diplomatic second attempt resulted in a successful alliance with the mainly desert-based Mauritanian tribes (south and west of modern Algeria) then
NumidiaNumidiaNumidia was an ancient Berber kingdom in North Africa that later became a Roman province, and is no longer in existence today..... The new Muslim northwest African tribes in turn became ambassadors of the Muslim Qalifs, and brokers on their behalf in an attempt to assemble a coalition of forces to engage their common enemy Rome. The new approach was better received by the Numidian tribes of the highlands and were successfully recruited for a joint military venture into Europe and ultimately to Rome and around the Mediterranean Sea. A Numidian chief Tariq ibn Ziyad headed these stronger forces under the green flag of Islam and embarked for Europe, taking over most of the
Iberian PeninsulaIberian PeninsulaThe Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe. It is the western and southernmost of the three southern European peninsulas ..... It is then that
North AfricaNorth AfricaNorth Africa or Northern Africa is the north region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Northern Africa includes the following seven territories:...west of Egypt was referred to as "al-
MaghrebMaghrebThe Maghreb..." or the "West" by the peoples of the
Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a subcontinent for the Historical geography and cultural geography subregion of Africa-Eurasia traditionally held to be countries or regions in Southwest Asia together with Ancient Egypt#Background.....In 670, the Islamic coalition under the command of
Uqba ibn NafiUqba ibn NafiUqba ibn Nafi was an Arab general under the Umayyad dynasty, who began the Islamic conquest of the Maghreb, including present-day western Algeria and Morocco in North Africa....established its camp on the Tunis peninsula and founded the city of
KairouanKairouanKairouan is a city in Tunisia, about 160 kilometres south of Tunis. In 2003 the city had about 150,000 inhabitants...., about 160 kilometers south of present-day
TunisTunisTunis is the capital of Tunisia and also the Tunis Governorate, with a population of 699,700 in 2003..... The Muslims used the city as a base for further operations against Numedians in the West and along the highlands of modern Algeria. Successive and repeated attacks on the villages of the lower Numedian agricultural valleys by
Abu al-Muhajir DinarAbu al-Muhajir DinarAbu al-Muhajir Dinar , amir of Ifriqiya under the Umayyads.His biography is complicated by the existence of two versions of the history of the Umayyad conquest of North Africa...., Uqba's successor, forced the uncoordinated Numidian tribes to eventually work out a modus vivendi through
KusailaKusailaKusaila was a 7th century chief of the Awraba tribe of the Berber people and head of the Sanhadja confederation...., a converted Numidian chief on behalf of an extensive confederation of Christian Imazighen. Kusaila, who had been based in
TilimsanTlemcenTlemcen, sometimes spelled Tlemsen, is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the seat of government for the Tlemcen Province of the same name....(Tlemcen), converted to Islam and relocated his headquarters to Takirwan, near Kairouan.The harmony between the Imazighen and the Muslims was short-lived, however. The tolerance of Islamic preachers among the Imazighen did not guarantee their support for the Ummayad Dynasty - which held control over most of the
Islamic CaliphateIslamic caliphateThe Islamic Caliphate could refer to:*The Umayyad Caliphate*The Abbasid Caliphate.... Their ruling proxies alienated the Imazighen by taxing them heavily; treating convert as second-class citizens; and enslaving the southern and weaker nomadic tribes. As a result, widespread opposition took the form of open revolt in 739-40 under the banner of Kharijite Islam. The Kharijites objected to
AliAliAli ibn Abi ?alib? was an early Islamic leader. He is seen by Sunni Muslims as the last of the four Rashidun...., the fourth caliph - and made peace with the Umayyads in 657 and left Ali's camp (khariji means "those who leave"). The Kharijites had been fighting Umayyad rule in the East, and many Imazighen were attracted by the sect's egalitarian precepts. The issue at hand is the same Numidians had fought against with the Romans (State Religion) whereby the control of the faith is an inherited right of the those in control of the state. Accordingly, a new sect known as Kharijism was born on the premise that any suitable Muslim could be elected caliph without regard to race, station, or descent from the Prophet
MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad 570-632 CE, was an Arab religious and political leader and the historical founder of Islam.....After the revolt, Kharijites established a number of tribal kingdoms in the North African highlands - most of which simply abandoned and rejected Islam altogether and remained separate thereafter. Their safety was purchased with taxation without representation. A set of Islamic representatives and tax collectors were established as attache's, and known as the Marabouts from the
ArabicArabic languageThe Arabic language , or simply Arabic , is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic languages language family and is closely related to Hebrew language and Aramaic language....word "mourabitoun" or attaches whose role was restricted to that of a relay between local tribal council of elders of the tribes
AarchAarchAarch is a supporting protagonist in the animated series, Galactik Football. He is the coach of the Snow Kids, and being a former player himself has a wide range of knowledge he intends to use to help his players master control over the Flux to win t...and the central authority in Tunis. They had neither mosquss nor authority. Their houses served as their quarters and were commonly constructed with a dome above whose Abavic term is qoba and Amazigh one ta qobe-tt(little dome). Other regions and tribes, however, like
SijilmasaSijilmasaSijilmasa was a mediaeval trade centre in the western Maghreb.Sijilmasa was an oasis town south west of Fez, Morocco on the northern edge of the Sahara, overlooking the Ziz River....and
TilimsanTlemcenTlemcen, sometimes spelled Tlemsen, is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the seat of government for the Tlemcen Province of the same name....- which straddled the principal trade routes - proved more viable and prospered. In 750, the Abbasids - who succeeded the Umayyads as the rulers of the Caliphate, moved the caliphate capital to Baghdad and reestablished Islamic authority in
IfriqiyaIfriqiyaIn Middle Ages, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria...., appointing Ibrahim ibn al-Aghlab as governor of
KairouanKairouanKairouan is a city in Tunisia, about 160 kilometres south of Tunis. In 2003 the city had about 150,000 inhabitants..... Although nominally serving at the caliph's pleasure, al-Aghlab and his successors, the
AghlabidAghlabidThe Aghlabid dynasty of emirs, members of the Arab tribe of Bani Tamim, ruled Ifriqiya, nominally on behalf of the Abbasid Caliph, for about a century, until overthrown by the new power of the Fatimids....s, ruled independently until 909, presiding over a court that became a center for learning and culture.To the west of
AghlabidAghlabidThe Aghlabid dynasty of emirs, members of the Arab tribe of Bani Tamim, ruled Ifriqiya, nominally on behalf of the Abbasid Caliph, for about a century, until overthrown by the new power of the Fatimids....lands,
Abd ar-Rahman ibn-RustamRustamidThe Rustamid dynasty of Ibadi Kharijite imams ruled the central Maghreb as a Muslim theocracy for a century and a half from their capital Tahert in present Algeria until the Ismailite Fatimid Caliphs destroyed it....ruled most of the central-west Maghreb from
TahertTahertTahert is the name of a large Algerian town, one that gives its name to the wider farming region of 'Provinces of Algeria de Tiaret' province in central Algeria...., southwest of
AlgiersAlgiersAlgiers is the capital and largest city of Algeria in North Africa. According to the 1998 census the population of the city proper was 1,519,570, whilst the total for the agglomeration was 2,135,630..... The rulers of the
RustamidRustamidThe Rustamid dynasty of Ibadi Kharijite imams ruled the central Maghreb as a Muslim theocracy for a century and a half from their capital Tahert in present Algeria until the Ismailite Fatimid Caliphs destroyed it....imamate, which lasted from 761 to 909, each an
IbadiIbadiAl-Iba?iyyah is a form of Islam distinct from the Shi'ite and Sunni denominations. It is the dominant form of Islam in only one Muslim country, Oman....Kharijite
imamImamImam is an Arabic word meaning "Leader". The ruler of a country might be called the Imam, for example...., were elected by leading citizens. The imams gained a reputation for honesty, piety, and justice. The court at
TahertTahertTahert is the name of a large Algerian town, one that gives its name to the wider farming region of 'Provinces of Algeria de Tiaret' province in central Algeria....was noted for its support of scholarship in mathematics, astronomy, and astrology, as well as theology and law. The
RustamidRustamidThe Rustamid dynasty of Ibadi Kharijite imams ruled the central Maghreb as a Muslim theocracy for a century and a half from their capital Tahert in present Algeria until the Ismailite Fatimid Caliphs destroyed it....imams, however, failed, by choice or by neglect, to organize a reliable standing army. This major factor, accompanied by the dynasty's eventual collapse into decadence, opened the way for Tahert's demise under the assault of the Fatimids.
Imazighen in Al-Andalus
The
MuslimMuslimA Muslim is an adherent of Islam. The feminine form of Muslim is Muslimah. Literally, the word means "one who submits to God"....s who entered
IberiaIberian PeninsulaThe Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe. It is the western and southernmost of the three southern European peninsulas ....in 711 were mainly Imazighen (Berbers), and were led by an Amazigh, Tariq ibn Ziyad, though under the suzerainty of the Arab
CaliphCaliphCaliph is the title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. It is a transliterated version of the Arabic word ????? Khalifah which means "successor" or "representative"....of
DamascusDamascusDamascus is the largest city and capital of Syria. Founded approximately 2500 BC, it is thought to be one of List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, before Al Fayyum, and Gaziantep....
Abd al-MalikAbd al-MalikAbd al-Malik ibn MarwanAbd al-Malik became caliph after the death of his father in 685. Within a few years, he dispatched armies under Al-Hajjaj bin Yousef on a campaign to reassert Umayyad control over the Islamic empire....and his North African Viceroy, Musa ibn Nusayr. A second mixed army of
ArabArabThe Arabs are predominantly speakers of the Arabic language, rather than a pure ethnic group, mainly found throughout the Middle East and North Africa....s and Imazighen came in 712 under Ibn Nusayr himself. It is claimed they formed approximately 66% of the Islamic population in Iberia; supposedly they helped the Umayyad caliph
Abd ar-Rahman IAbd ar-Rahman IAbd ar-Rahman I was the founder of a Muslim dynasty that ruled the Al-Andalus for nearly three centuries....in
Al-AndalusAl-AndalusAl-Andalus was the Arabic name given to those parts of the Iberian Peninsula governed by Muslims from 711 to 1492...., because his mother was a Berber. During the
TaifaTaifaThe term taifa in the history of Iberian Peninsula refers to an independent Muslim-ruled principality, an emirate or petty kingdom, of which a number formed in Spain after the final collapse of the Umayyad Caliph of Cordoba in 1031....era, the petty kings came from a variety of ethnic groups; some-- for instance the
ZiridZiridThe Zirids were a Berber dynasty, originating in Petite Kabylie among the Kutama tribe, that ruled Ifriqiya, initially on behalf of the Fatimids, for about two centuries, until weakened by the Banu Hilal and finally destroyed by the Almohads....kings of
GranadaGranadaGranada – Greek language: - Elibyrge; Latin: Illiberis or Illiberi Liberini ; Arabic language: ?????? – is a city and the capital of the province of Granada , in the autonomous communities of Spain of Andalusia,...--were of Amazigh origin. The Taifa period ended when an Amazigh dynasty--the Almoravids from modern-day
Western SaharaWestern SaharaWestern Sahara is one of the List of countries by population density, mainly consisting of desert flatlands....and
MauritaniaMauritaniaMauritania , officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country in northwest Africa....--took over
Al-AndalusAl-AndalusAl-Andalus was the Arabic name given to those parts of the Iberian Peninsula governed by Muslims from 711 to 1492....; they were succeeded by the
AlmohadAlmohadThe Almohad Dynasty were a Berber Muslim religion power which founded the fifth Moorish dynasty in the 12th century, and conquered all northern Africa as far as Egypt, together with Al-Andalus ....dynasty from
MoroccoMoroccoThe Kingdom of Morocco is a country in North Africa. It has a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea...., during which time al-Andalus flourished.In the power hierarchy, Imazighen were situated between the Arabic aristocracy and the
MuladiMuladiMulades were an ethnic group that lived in the Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages.The spanish language word mulad is derived from arabic language muwallad....populace. Ethnic rivalries were one of the factors of Andalusi politics.After the fall of the Caliphate, the taifa kingdoms of
ToledoToledo, SpainToledo is a city and municipality located in central Spain, about 70 kilometers south of Madrid....,
BadajozBadajozBadajoz , the capital of the Spain provinces of Spain of Badajoz in the autonomous communities of Spain of Extremadura, is situated close to the Portugal frontier, on the left bank of the river Guadiana, and the Madrid-Lisbon railway....,
MlagaMlagaMlaga is a port city in Andalusia, southern Spain, on the Costa del Sol coast of the Mediterranean. According the 2006 census the population is 558,287....and Granada had Amazigh rulers.
See also
Berber RevoltBerber RevoltThe Great Berber Revolt of 12225/74043 took place during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik and marked the first successful secession from the caliphate....
Muslim conquest of North Africa
Uqba ibn NafiUqba ibn NafiUqba ibn Nafi was an Arab general under the Umayyad dynasty, who began the Islamic conquest of the Maghreb, including present-day western Algeria and Morocco in North Africa....
Musa bin NusairMusa bin NusairMusa bin Nusair was a Yemeni Muslim governor and general under the Umayyads. In 698 he was made the governor of Ifriqiya and was responsible for putting down a large Berber rebellion....
Kahena
KusailaKusailaKusaila was a 7th century chief of the Awraba tribe of the Berber people and head of the Sanhadja confederation....
Umayyads
Almohads
AlmoravidsAlmoravidsAlmoravides , was a Berber dynasty from the Sahara that flourished over a wide area of Africa and Europe during the 11th century....
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