THE RISE OF THE FATIMIDS IN NORTH AFRICA (280-296 A.H./893-909 C.E.) BY WAN ASMA BINTI WAN IBRAHIM A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (History and Civilization) Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences International Islamic University Malaysia AUGUST 2014 ABSTRACT This research examines local factors that helped the rise of the Fatimids in North Africa in 296 A.H./909 C.E. The socio-religious, political and economic conditions of the region provided fertile ground for the Isma'ili dāʿī, Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Shīʿī to implement his da’wa strategies. The prevalence of Islam in the region and its sectarian groups facilitated the acceptance of the Isma'ili doctrine among the populace. The poor control of the ʿAbbasids over the region and the emergence of local independent states such as the Midrarids, Rustamids and Idrisids convinced the Fatimids to select the North Africa as their stronghold, with the promise of establishing their state based on the rich sub-Saharan trade. Thus, when the internal turbulence faced by the Isma'ilis in Salamiyya forced the Imām to flee, he naturally headed to North Africa due to the encouraging progress of his dāʿī there. The Aghlabids’ meanwhile had successfully alienated all potential sources of support and the general public, antagonising the religious institutions and Arab militias and levying large cash taxes on the population in the late third/ninth century, making the Fatimids appear to be rescuers to many inhabitants. Al-Shīʿī approached a local proto-Shīʿa community, the Kutama, who later became the stalwart of his military forces, ingratiating himself with them as a religious teacher and then leader. Having consolidated his control over this tribe, al-Shīʿī went on to forge a multi-tribal confederation that swept across North Africa and destroyed the Aghlabid mercenary forces. Furthermore, the last Aghlabid amīr, Ziyādat Allāh III, failed to secure his own people’s confidence due to his corrupt administrative system and dissolute court. Al-Shīʿī also successfully conquered the important trade cities such as Qayrawān, Tahart and Sijilmasa, permanently securing his supplies and making North Africa the engine of the Fatimid aspiration to statehood. ii ملخص البحث هذا البحث يسلط الضوء على العوامل احمللية اليت ساعدت الفاطميني على السيطرة على مشال إفريقيا يف سنة 692ه/909م. وبني أن الظروف اﻻجتماعية والدينية واﻷوضاع السياسية واﻻقتصادية يف املنطقة شكلت أرضية خصبة للداعي اﻹمساعيلي، أبو عبد اهلل الشيعي، أن ينفذ الدعوة له. وانتشرت العقيدة اﻹمساعيلية بسهولة بني اجلماهري ﻷجل اجلماعات الطائفية يف املنطقة. وكذلك بسبب عدم قدرة العباسيني على السيطرة على بعض املناطق، فظهرت الدول املستقلة احمللية مثل املدرارية، الرستمية، واﻹدريسية وغريهم. وكل هذا جعل الفاطميني خيتارون مشال إفريقيا بوصف ذلك املنطقة معقﻻً هلم مع الغاية بإقامة دولتهم استناداً على جتارة الصحراء الغنية. وملا فر اﻹمام اﻹمساعيلي من سلمية بسبب اﻻضطرابات الداخلية تواجه اﻹمساعيليني، توجه اﻹمام إىل مشال إفريقيا من أجل نشر الدعوة له هناك. اﻷغالبة يف أواخر القرن الثالث اهلجري/التاسع امليﻻدي اﻻعتداء على املؤسسات الدينية وامليليشيات العربية وفرض ضرائب نقدية كبرية على السكان يف مشال إفريقيا، وهذا مما جعل الفاطمي ون يظهرون لينقذ ون العديد من السكان. الشيعي حينئذ إقرتب اىل اجملتمع احمللي املنتسب للتشيع، الكتامة، الذين أصبح فيما بعد نص ًريا لقواته العسكرية، ويعرض نفسه عليهم بوصفه معلما دينيا وزعيما هلم. وبعد سيطرته على هذه القبيلة، ذهب الشيعي إىل تشكيل اﻻحتاد بني القبائل املتعددة اليت اجتاحت مشال إفريقيا ودمرت قوات اﻷغالبة العسكرية. وفوق ذلك كلها، أن آخر أمري اﻷغالبة، زيادة اهلل الثالث، مل يستطع أن يقنع الشعىب يف منطقته على ثقته نظراً ﻷن النظام اﻹداري كانت فاسدة واحلك ومة املاجنة. وبذلك جنح الشيعي يف غزو املدن التجارية املهمة مثل القريوان، وتاهرت، وسجلماسة، بشكل دائم على إمداداهتا وجعل مشال إفريقيا احملرك لتنظم إقامة الدولة الفاطمية. iii APPROVAL PAGE I certify that I have supervised and read this study and that in my opinion it conforms to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (History and Civilization). .................………...……….…. Arshad Islam Supervisor I certify that I have supervised and read this study and that in my opinion it conforms to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (History and Civilization). ...……...……….........…........... Fauziah Fathil Examiner This thesis was submitted to the Department of History and Civilization and is accepted as a fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (History and Civilization). ................................................ Arshad Islam Head, Department of History and Civilization This thesis was submitted to the Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences is accepted as a fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (History and Civilization). .…………………………....... Ibrahim Mohamed Zein Dean, Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences iv DECLARATION I hereby declare that this dissertation is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. I also declare that it has not been previously or concurrently submitted as a whole for any degrees at IIUM or other institutions. Wan Asma Wan Ibrahim Signature………………………….... Date………......…………….. v INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA DECLARATION OF COPYRIGHT AND AFFIRMATION OF FAIR USE OF UNPUBLISHED RESEARCH Copyright © 2014 by International Islamic University Malaysia. All rights reserved. THE RISE OF THE FATIMIDS IN NORTH AFRICA (280-296 A.H./893-909 C.E.) No part of this unpublished research maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder except as provided below. 1. Any material contained in or derived from this unpublished research maybe used by others in their writing with due acknowledgement. 2. IIUM or its library will have the right to make and transmit copies (print or electronic) for institutional and academic purposes. 3. The IIUM library will have the right to make, store in a retrieval system and supply copies of this unpublished research if requested by other universities and research libraries. Affirmed by Wan Asma Wan Ibrahim …………………………….. ……………………. Signature Date vi To my beloved parents vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Alḥamdulillāh. All praise only belongs to Allāh subḥanahu wa taʿalā, the Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate. It is only due to His love, mercy and grace; I had been able to complete my humble thesis. Salutations and blessings upon the chosen messenger, the Prophet Muḥammad ṣallallāhu ʿalaih wa sallam. Here I would like to express my most gracious thanks to my supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arshad Islam for his help, guidance and advice to complete my writing. I also would like to extend my sincere appreciation to all my lecturers in the Department of History and Civilization; Dr. Wan Suhana Wan Sulong, Dr. Fauziah Fathil, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hafiz Zakariya, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdul Ghani Yakob, Prof. Hassan Ahmed Ibrahim and all those who had moved on to other places; Prof. Ahmed Ibrahim Abushouk, Prof. Ataullah Bogdan Kopanski, the late Prof. Ghassan Taha Yaseen (raḥimahu Allāh ʿalaih) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdul Rahman Tang Abdullah for their continuous encouragement and inspiration in improving my dissertation. Not forgotten, my deepest gratitude to Sis. Mazian Yusof, (the secretary), as well as Sis. Azura Abdul Jalil, (the previous Secretary) of the department, for their kind assistance. Furthermore, I also want to acknowledge my indebtedness to my self- appointed personal counsellor Dr. Nadwah Hj. Daud and Dr Fauzi@Fauri Ahmad from the Department of Arabic Language and Literature for their constant insight and motivation. Many thanks to all my friends and those who gave their hands in the process of completing my writing, directly and indirectly for their excellent ideas and help. Lastly, my special thanks, acknowledgement and appreciation to all my beloved family members, especially to my grandfather, Wan Jaafar Wan Sulaiman, my parents; Wan Ibrahim Wan Jaafar and Wan Rohimah Wan Hassan, my uncles and aunties; especially, Rosli Zainun and his wife, Che Nab Daud, and my siblings, particularly my sister; Wan Qamariyah Wan Ibrahim and her husband, Hasbullah Daud. Without all of your patience, tolerance, inspiration and sacrifice; this dissertation would not be done. Only Allāh subḥanahu wa taʿalā could repay all of your kindness and generous support. May He, the al-Mighty grants His blessing and goodness upon all of us. Āmīn. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract…………………….…………………………………………………….. ii Abstract in Arabic…………………….………………………………………....... iii Approval Page…………………….……………………………………………… iv Declaration Page……………………….…………………………………...…….. v Copyright Page…………………………………………….………....................... vi Dedication……………………………………………………………………….... vii Acknowledgements………………….........………………………………..…...... viii List of Figures……………………………………………...................................... xii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION……………………….............................. 1 Statement of the Problem……………………….......................................... 4 Significance of the Study………………….................................................. 5 Objectives of the Study……………………………..................................... 7 Literature Review …………………………………....................................