African Kingdoms

Tunisia

The region which later formed Tunisia originated in the Phoenician settlement of Carthage. Frequent fighting against the republic of Rome saw the city eventually defeated and destroyed in 146 BC. Thereafter the region remained in Roman hands until it was conquered by the Vandals in the fifth and sixth centuries. The resurgent Eastern Roman empire took control of Carthage in AD 534.

In 698 Hasan ibn al-Nu'man defeated Byzantine Emperor Tiberius III at the Battle of Carthage, and Africa was abandoned to the Islamic empire. Carthage was again destroyed and was replaced by Tunis as the regional capital. The country itself would eventually bear the same name, that of Tunisia. The final Islamic conquest was not an easy one, however, as the Berbers of the interior were intent on fighting everyone, Byzantines or Islamic, and they continued their resistance.

647 - 649

The troops of Gregory the Patrician in Carthage are severely defeated by the invading troops of the Islamic empire, and Gregory himself is killed in 648. The province appears to be occupied for perhaps a year or so before being abandoned in 649, allowing Byzantium to regain some level of control there. The country's interior remains firmly in the hands of the native Berbers, who repel any attempts to subdue them.

670 - 698

Khusalah

Berber leader.

698 - 703

Kahinah

Female Berber leader.

703

The Berbers are defeated and Tunisia is firmly in Islamic hands.

Walis of Ifriqiyya and the Maghreb
AD 665 - 745

Ifriqiyya was the Islamic term for the former Roman province of Africa. An Islamic attack of 670 led by Oqba ibn Nafi'i bypassed Byzantine coastal defences and established a base at Kairouan. From here they were able to conquer the region in stages, eventually defeating both Byzantium and the native Berbers.

665 - 670

Muawiya ibn Hudaij al-Saquni

First Islamic Wali of Ifriqiyya and the Maghreb.

667

The Islamic empire snatches control of parts of the region from Byzantium's Carthage, and launch raids further west.

The Arab empire conquered Byzantine Carthage through a series of campaigns over the space of half a century

670 - 675

Oqba ibn Nafi'i al-Fihri / Uqba

670

Oqba ibn Nafi'i establishes a base of operations at Kairouan and begins the erection of the Great Mosque, generally thought to be the oldest sanctuary in the western section of the Islamic empire.

675 - 681

Abu-l Mohadjir Dinar al-Makhzumi

681 - 682

Oqba ibn Nafi'i

Restored.

682 - 688

Zoheir ibn Kais al-Balawi / Zuhayr

686

Zoheir ibn Kais leads a force which defeats a joint army of Byzantines and Berbers in Carthage commanded by Berber leader Khusalah on the Qairawan plain. The victors are not strong enough to follow up their victory.

688 - 698

Hasan ibn al-Nu'man al-Ghassani

695 - 698

In 695, Hasan ibn al-Nu'man captures Carthage and advances into the Atlas Mountains. Taking advantage of his absence, a Byzantine fleet arrives to retake Carthage in 697, but within a year Hasan returns and defeats Emperor Tiberius III at the Battle of Carthage. Africa is abandoned to the Islamic empire. Carthage is again destroyed and is replaced by Tunis as the regional capital.

698 - 715

Musa ibn Nusair al-Lakhmi

715 - 718

Muhammad ibn Yezid

718 - 719

Isma'il ibn Abdallah

719 - 720

Yezid ibn Dinar

720

Muhammad ibn Aws al-Ansari

720 - 728

Bishr ibn Safwan al-Kalbi

728 - 732

Obeïda ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Salami

734 - 741

Ubeidallah ibn al-Habhab al-Maousili

741 - 742

Kulthum ibn Iyadh al-Kushayri

742 - 745

Handhala ibn Safwan al-Kalbi

744 - 746

A successional dispute for the caliphate sees an army march on Damascus, where a new caliph is proclaimed. Rebellions and revolts break out across the empire, one of which results in a change in command in Tunisia (Ifriqiyya), as a dynasty of governors is established.

Oqbid Dynasty
AD 745 - 768

The entire region was disturbed during this period, as revolts sprang up preceding the fall of the Umayyad caliphs. The Oqbids established the first Islamic dynasty in Tunisia and began the trend towards increased local control at the expense of the caliphate.

745 - 755

Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib

755

Ilyas ibn Habib

Brother?

755 - 757

Habib ibn Abd al-Rahman

Son of Abd al-Rahman.

757 - 758

'Asim ibn Jamil al-Warfajumi

758

Abd al-Malik ibn Abi-l-Dja'd

758 - 761

Abu-l-Khattab Abd al-A'la ibn Assamh

761 - 765

Muhammad ibn al-Ash'ath al-Khuza'i

765

Isa ibn Yusef al-Khurassani

765 - 766

al-Aghlab ibn Salim at-Tamimi

Forefather of the Aghlabid dynasty.

766 - 767

al-Hasan ibn Harb al-Kindi

767 - 768

al-Aghlab ibn Salim at-Tamini

Restored.

Muhallid Dynasty
AD 768 - 800

The Muhallids turned out to be a great family of governors which originated from the Arabic tribe of Azd. Resentment at the direct rule of the Abbasid caliphs from their capital far to the east grew, and this came to a head towards the end of the eighth century.

768 - 771

'Umar ibn Hafs

771 - 787

Yezid ibn Hatim

787

Daoud ibn Yezid

Son.

787 - 791

Raouh ibn Hatim

791 - 793

Nasr ibn Habib

793 - 795

al-Fadhl ibn Raouh

Son of Raouh.

795 - 797

Herthema ibn A'yun

797 - 799

Muhammad ibn Muqatil al-'Aqqi

799 - 800

Temmam ibn Tamim at-Tamimi

800

Muhammad ibn Muqatil

Restored.

800

The Islamic Aghlabids take control of Tunisia and become independent from Abbasid Arabia.

Aghlabid Dynasty
AD 800 - 909

The Aghlabids were originally the faithful Abbasid Oqbid governors of Tunisia and (they claimed) Algeria, and they only gradually drifted out of central supervision and control. Their greatest independent project was the conquest of Sicily, which they occupied from 827-878, and which remained part of the Islamic empire until the arrival of the Normans.

800 - 812

Ibrahim I

800 - 812

Any claim the Aghlabids hold over Algeria ends with Ibrahim's death.

812 - 817

Adbullah I

817 - 838

Ziyadat Allah I

827

The Aghlabids invade Sicily.

838 - 841

al-Aghlab

841 - 856

Muhammad I

856 - 863

Ahmad

863

Ziyadat Allah II

863 - 875

Muhammad II

875 - 902

Ibrahim II

878

Syracuse in Sicily is captured.

902 - 903

Abdullah II

903 - 909

Ziyadat Allah III

909

The Aghlabids are conquered by the Fatimids, who quickly conquer Morocco, Syria, Algeria, and Arabia.

Fatamid Dynasty
AD 909 - 1171

The Fatamids quickly conquered Morocco in 926.

909 - 934

al Mahdi

909 - 934

The Shiite (Sevener) Caliphate is established in North Africa to rival the Orthodox Abbasid Caliphate.

934 - 946

al Qaim

946 - 952

al Mansur

952 - 975

al Muizz

969

Egypt is occupied. The Caliphate is removed to alQahirah (Cairo).

975 - 996

al Aziz

996 - 1021

al Hakim

1009

On 27 September, Caliph al Hakim orders the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, a Christian holy site.

1021 - 1035

az Zahir

1035 - 1094

al Mustansir

1094 - 1101

al Mustali

1101 - 1130

al Amir

1123

Venice is victorious against the Egyptian fleet at Ashkelon.

1130 - 1149

al Hafiz.

1149

The collateral line assumes the throne and is no longer considered to be Shiite Imams. The Almohad Dynasty of Morocco occupies Tunisia.

1149 - 1154

az Zafir

1154 - 1160

al Faiz

1160 - 1171

al Âdid

Died a natural death.

1169

Damascus is involved in a race with the Crusader kingdom of Jerusalem to conquer Fatamid Egypt. On 2 January 1169, the Crusaders retreat from their siege of the walls of Cairo and evacuate the region, allowing Asad ad-Din Shirkuh to take control as vizier (prime minister) under the Fatamids, founding the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt (although not, at this stage, an independent one).

1171 - 1174

The caliph dies, ending Fatamid rule of Egypt and leaving the country in the control of Saladin, under the suzerainty of Mahmud Nur ad-Din of Damascus. The latter's death in 1174 allows Saladin to assert his full control over Egypt, becoming the first Ayyubid sultan.

Hafsid Dynasty
AD 1229 - 1574

After the split of the Hafsids from the Almohads under Abu Zakariya, he organised the administration in Ifriqiya (the Roman province of Africa in modern Maghreb; today's Tunisia, eastern Algeria and western Libya), and built up Tunis as the economic and cultural centre of the empire.

1229 - 1249

Abu Zakariya

1249 - 1277

Muhammad I al-Mustansir

Took the title of caliph.

1270

The Seventh Crusade under St Louis IX of France gets no further than Tunisia, where the king dies.

1277 - 1279

Yahya II al-Watiq

1279 - 1283

Ibrahim I

1283 - 1284

Ibn Abi Umara

1284 - 1295

Abu Hafs Umar I

1318 - 1346

Abu Bakr II

1347 - 1350

The Berber Merinids of Morocco destroy the Hafsids, but their rule in Tunisia is short-lived.

1350 - 1369

Ishaq II

1370 - 1394

Abu al-Abbas Ahmad II

1394 - 1434

Abd al-Aziz II

1435 - 1488

Uthman

1574

During the course of the century the Hafsids increasingly become caught up in the power struggle between Spain and the Corsairs, supported by the Ottoman empire. The latter conquers Tunis in 1574 and topples the Hafsids, who, at times, had accepted Spanish sovereignty over them.

1883

Tunisia is annexed by republican France.

1965

Tunisia gains peaceful independence from France.