An Islamic dynasty that
ruled the province of Ifriqiyah from 800 to 909, the Aghlabids oversaw the
creation of a center of culture, religion, and commerce in the region.
Foundation
The
Aghlabids came from the Arab Muslim tribe called Banu Tanim. They along with
other Arab tribal armies marched across all directions to conquer and convert
people to Islam. The Banu Tanim in particular marched westward and helped to
bring North Africa into the fold of the Islamic Caliphates.
Many
clans and tribes settled in this region and established themselves as elite
ruling class. Rebellions against the central Caliphate government were most
frequent as some Arabs desired to maintain their autonomy. During the reign of
Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid (r. 786 – 809) a renewed rebellion embroiled
Ifriqiya caused by the insistent of Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid
Caliphate, to reassert control over the province. Eventually, Ibrahim ibn
Aghlab went to Ifriqiya to crush the rebellion. Ibrahim requested as a reward
for his deed to be given the province as a hereditary fiefdom. Caliph al-Rashid
agreed to grant Ibrahim ibn Aghlab’s wishes and named him Emir in exchange for
an annual tribute of 40,000 dinar.
Ibrahim
ibn Aghlab settled in al-Qayrawan or Kairouan and built the palace complex
called al-Abbasiyya, in honor of the Abbasid Caliphate. And so began the
Aghlabid Emirate of Ifriqiya that was independent all but in name.
Consolidation of
Power
The
Aghlabids Emirs had a tough task ahead of them. After all, they were foreigners
and Ibrahim ibn Aghlab had been nobody in the province because he had been the
governor of the neighboring Zab province. His grandfather though ruled as
governor of the region in the middle of the 7th century. But he and
his successors had the challenge of ruling over a people they saw as foreign
and who them foreign as well.
The
Aghlabids ruled over a proud people. They included independent nomadic Berbers,
pious religious leaders, and longtime Arab nobles and soldiers called the Jund settling in the province for
decades. During the early decades of the Aghlabid rule, the Emirs and religious
leaders quarreled over taxation as the latter opposed the fixed amount of tax
imposed by the former that they deemed deviation from the Quran. Moreover, the
Aghlabids adopted the Hanafi School of Islamic jurisprudence while the locals
adopted the stricter Maliki School. Eventually, the Aghlabids bended to
pressure from the locals in 820 and adopted the Maliki School.
Meanwhile,
the Aghlabids also had full hands in facing the Arab elite soldiery. Within
less than 30 years, 3 major revolts erupted in 802, 809, and 824. All crushed,
but Aghlabids knew they had to find a way to silence them to secure the
Emirate’s internal affairs. They then built ribats
or fortified mosque to serve as defense bases against rebellions as well as
primary coastal defense.
During
the reign of Emir Ziyadat Allah I (r. 817 – 838), the Emir found another way to
prevent rebellion by the Arab soldiery by redirecting their energy and
attention from local politics towards adventure and conquest. In 827, the
Aghlabids received request for military support from Sicily. Ziyadat sent then
his forces to land in Sicily and began the conquest of the island just as Tariq did with Spain a century ago. After the conquest of Sicily, the Muslims held
the Island and raided Italy for 2 centuries. Aghlabids even raided Rome itself.
Corsica and Malta too fell to the Aghlabids.
The
attack of Italy also brought additional benefits for the Aghlabids. It united
the Emirates under the banner of Jihad or holy war against infidels in Italy.
Also, it allowed the Aghlabids to establish a powerful navy that dominated the
Mediterranean.
Prosperity
With
Sicily, booty, a powerful navy, and a good location, the Aghlabids prospered
for decades.
As
the Aghlabid navy ruled the waves, piracy became frequent at the expense of
many European shipping. Aghlabid raiders captured ships and took hostages for
ransom. Ransoms and booties enriched many sailors and the Aghlabids had their
share. Though exemptions applied, they spared shipping conducting business with
Ifriqiya regardless of religion. This secular way of choosing target angered
some of Qayrawan’s clerics.
Moreover,
Aghlabids also practiced toleration of other religions as the Abbasids. They
welcomed all people from different ethnicity and religion. This opened the
country for contribution of many talents of different sort of people. It also
opened the Emirate for open trade.
The
Aghlabid Emirate boasted a perfect location as an entrepot. With connection to
Baghdad, goods from the Silk Road reached the markets of Qayrawan and North
Africa. Then also came the North African trade network where salt, gold, and
slaves circulated and shipped to Europe through ports with some located in
Ifriqiya. Slave trade also gave the Aghlabids additional source of income.
Their raids resulted to hostages with some either ransomed or sold into
slavery. Thus, raid only not meant as part of Jihad but also of the slave
enterprise. Food production also improved much credit to the capture of Sicily,
once the breadbasket of the Roman Empire. Local craft industries also
flourished as commercial centers attracted skilled labors. Cottage industries
such as carpentry provided additional source of income. With these economic
activities, the capital Qayrawan teemed with business deals and filled the
coffers of the Aghlabid Emirs giving them the money and prosperity to stay in
power.
The
wealth obtained from the economy then went to public works meant to show
charity, prosperity, and power. As Muslim rulers, they built or improve
numerous mosque including the Great Mosque of Qayrawan and the Great Mosque of
Souse. They also showed that they had power over nature and built amazing works
in the transportation and storage of water. They built aqueducts to bring water
to Qayrawan and into the famous 3 Aghlabid cisterns, one having a diameter of
128 meters.
Besides
water works and mosque, the Aghlabids also sponsored the establishment of
hospitals. Emir Ziyadat Allah ordered the establishment of the ad-Dimnah
hospital in 830. It provided excellent service with halls for the sick and
visitors. It also provided a special ward for lepers, people scorned for their
deforming disease called by many back then as a curse. This hospital allowed
the training of doctors and provided insights in diseases and hygiene.
Finally,
the Aghlabids also invested in learning. During the last decades of the 9th century, the Aghlabids established their very own Bayat al-Hikam or House of
Wisdom modeled after the same institution in Baghdad. Like the one in the
Abbasid capital, it worked in the translation of many classical works to Arabic
and hosted scholars for their studies and research. Islamic studies
proliferated, especially the study of Maliki School. Women participated allowed
to study. Many medical works by Ishaq ibn Imran about melancholy conceived
during the Aghlabid’s patronage. Qayrawan became a hub for medical studies and
in the 11th century, the works from the Aghlabid era were translated by
Constantine the African and used for the curriculum of the University of
Salerno, a premier institution of medical studies during the Medieval Age.
Decline and Downfall
The
decline of the Aghlabids came less than a century after its foundation. Due to
wasteful opulence, simmering local discontent, and ineffective Emirs, the
Aghlabid dynasty met its demise under a new Shia Caliphate.
In
875, Ibrahim II came to power as the 9th Emir of Ifriqiya. He planned to open
his reign with extravagance by ordering the construction of a new palace
complex, Raqqada, few miles from the capital. Its large area, walls, towers,
and palaces brought an aura of magnificence and grandeur. However, the cost for
this project earned criticism from the religious leaders. Worst, the projects
of the Emirs had put a burden in the population as revenue from tremendously
high taxes financed it.
The
out of control expenditure of the Aghlabid Emir Ibrahim came in a time of Shia
Muslim penetrating deep into the minds and hearts of the people of Ifriqiya.
Aghlabids showed themselves as Sunni and ruled with almost secular ideas. The
waste of the Raqqada project became an opportunity for Shia Muslims to undermine
the Aghlabids.
Thus,
in 893, Kutama Berbers, led by Ubaydalla Said, mounted a rebellion against the
Aghlabids. Said claimed himself as a descendant of Fatima, daughter of the
Prophet Mohammed, and called himself the Mahdi, the one who would bring redemption
before the judgment day. Gradually, his movement gained the support of locals.
By
the time of Ibrahim’s death in 902, the days of the dynasty were numbered.
Infighting between the Aghlabids brought Ziyadat Allah III to power over a
weakened dynasty. Ziyadat came to power by killing his rivals which the Shia
used to portray the Emir as a cruel despot. Ziyadat had the option of bringing
in support from Baghdad and the Abbasid Caliphs who were still their overlords.
But fear of interference from Baghdad weighted more than the need of military
support.
In
909, Ziyadat Allah loss the Battle of al-Urbus against Ubaydalla’s Fatimid army.
He fled to Egypt only to see his former holding become part of the newly
established Fatimid Caliphate. He eventually passed away in the Levant, ending
the Aghlabid dynasty for good.
See also:
Bibliography:
Books:
Metcalfe,
Alex. Muslims of Medieval Italy. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press Ltd.,
2009.
Meredith,
Martin. Fortunes of Africa: A 5,000 Year History of Wealth, Greed and
Endeavour. London: Simon & Schuster UK Ltd., 2014.
General References:
“Aghlabids
(800-909).” Historical Dictionary of Algeria. Edited by Philip Naylor. Lanham,
Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2006.
Perkins,
Kenneth. “Aghlabid Amirate of Ifriqiya (800-909).” In Encyclopedia of African
History. Edited by Kevin Shillington. New York, New York: Fitzroy Dearborn,
2005.
Websites:
"Aghlabids."
Encyclopaedia Judaica. . Encyclopedia.com. (March 29, 2018). http://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/aghlabids
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Aghlabid Dynasty.” In Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed on March 30, 2018. URL: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Aghlabid-dynasty
Zaimeche,
Salah. “The Aghlabids of Tunisia.” In Muslim Heritage. Accessed on April 1,
2018. URL: http://www.muslimheritage.com/article/aghlabids-tunisia
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