Sulaymanid dynasty

The Sulaymanids (Arabic: السليمانيون‎ as-Sulaymāniyūn) were an Arab Muslim dynasty of Algeria, ruling from 814 to 922.[1] Named after the founder Sulyaman I of Tlemcen, the great grandchild of Hasan ibn Ali, the Sulaymanids are brothers with the Idrisids dynasty of Morocco.

For Sulaymanids, see Sulaymanids.
Sulaymanid dynasty

السليمانيون
814–922
map showing the Sulaymanids territory in yellow.
Capital
Common languagesArabic, Berber languages
Religion
Muslim
GovernmentMonarchy
Historical eraMedieval
• Established
814
• Disestablished
922
Preceded by		Succeeded by
Berber Revolt
Caliphate of Córdoba
Almoravid dynasty
Part of a series on the
History of Algeria
Prehistory
Antiquity
Middle Ages
Modern times
Ottoman Algeria (16th - 19th centuries)

French Algeria (19th - 20th centuries)
Contemporary era
1960s–80s

1990s

2000s to present
Related topics

Religion

Sulaymanids have been described as a Sunni Muslim dynasty,[2][3] while other academics have described the Idrisids as a Zaydi-Shia Muslim.[4] They were opponents of the Abbasid Caliphate.[5]

History

The history of the Sulaymānid dynasty is poorly understood[6] and historians have few chronological benchmarks.[7] It begins according to Ibn Khaldūn with the flight of Sulaymān Ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Kāmil towards the Maghreb after the Battle of Fakhkh in 786, then its takeover of Tlemcen then in the hand of the Zenata, (in the northwest of present-day Algeria).[8] But not all Arab chroniclers agree that this brother of Idrīs I survived the massacre or that he does not owe him the governorate of the city.[7]

It seems better supported that Idrīs II, the son of Idrīs I, conquered around 814 Tlemcen, a city then probably with a strong Christian population, a meeting point of the Berber populations and a meeting place of the markets, by putting on the run his chief Maġrāwa Muḥammad Ibn H̱azar. He would then have handed the city over to his cousin Muḥammad, the son of Sulaymān Ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Kāmil, who thereby founded the dynasty of Sulaymānides after his father's name.[9][lower-alpha 1] In 828, Muḥammad Ibn Idrīs II erected the government of Muḥammad Ibn Sulaymān as viceroyalty.[7]

According to historian Gilbert Meynier, one of the descendants of Idris I, Mūḥāmmād Ibn Sūlāymān, creates in the region of Tlemcen, the « sulaymanid kingdom », a state which seems to control only the cities, coexisting with the neighboring tribes which preserve their Kharidjite heterodoxy.[12] Tlemcen becomes a distinguished city, in growing connection with the Arab culture of Al-Andalus, in 931 the Fatimids took the city and put an end to the power of the Sulaymanids who took refuge in Al-Andalus.[12]

The sons of Mūhāmmād Ibn Sūlaymān share all of the central Maghreb (present-day Algeria) after the death of their father. The government of Tlemcen was under the responsibility of Aḥmād, son of Mūḥāmmād then to Mūḥāmmād son of Aḥmād, then to Al-Qasseem son of Mūḥāmmād son of Aḥmād. ‘Ayssā, son of Mūhāmmād, obtains the town of Archgul (town and island at Tafna, river eight leagues from Tlemcen in Algeria.) and he joins forces with the Fatimids. ‘Ayssā's brother Idriss obtains possession of the Dejrawa. His son Abû'l ‘Aych Ibn Ayssā succeeds him. After the death of Abu'l ‘Aych Ayssāā, Al Hasen b. Abou'l ‘Aych takes power among the Dejrawas. After that, it's Ibrahim's turn and then to his sons (Yahya, Ibrahim and Idris). Idris receives Archgul, on the other hand, his brother Yahya joins forces with the Umayyads in the time of Abd al-Rahman I. This causes dissatisfaction of the Fatimids in 935. Yahyia will be arrested by General Mansur.

The city of Dejrawa which shelters Al-Hāssān Ibn Abû'l ‘Aych will be besieged by Ibn Abû'l‘ Afya, representative of the Umayyads in the central Maghreb (current Algeria). The city will be taken by the Umayyads. Then Al-Hāssān escapes to join his cousin Idris, son of Ibrahim, chief of Archgul. Al-Buri, son of Mūssā Ibn Abû'l ‘Afya will take this city.

Ténès (in the current Wilaya of Chlef in Algeria) will be the seat of Ibrahim, son of Mūḥāmmād, then it will be in the hands of his son Mūḥāmmād, of the same name, then to Ibrahim (same name), then to Yahya and Ali. The latter was defeated by the Zirids during the reign of Ziri ibn Menad in 953. Ali then took refuge with the Maġrāwas. Al Kheyr Ibn Mūhāmmād Ibn Khazer of the Maġrāwī will help Hamza and Yahiya, son of Ali to cross to Spain.

Ahmed son of Sulayman, son of Ibrahim was a chief of (Central Maghreb: Current Algeria). And among the descendants of Mūhāmmād, son of Sulayman, there is Ituwich, son of Hatech, son of Al Hassan, son of Muhammed, son of Sulayman, and Hammad, son of Ali, son of Mūhāmmād, son of Sulayman.

Ibn Khaldun notes that Souk Hamza at Bougie, according to Ibn Hazm, does not bear the name of an Arab alid Idrissides, but of an Arab Sulaymanid. He adds that Jawhar al-Siqilli, General Fatimides, took Hamza's sons to Kairouan in Tunisia.

Sulayman and his brother

According to Ibn Khaldūn in his appendix IV, Sīd Sūlāymān Ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Kāmīl escapes towards the Maghreb during the Abbasids, he arrives at Tiaret after the death of his brother Idris I and he wanted to take power.

But the Berbers resist threats from Sīd Sūlāymān Ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Kāmīl and the Banu Tamim of the Arab Aghlabid dynasty decree the order to arrest him.

Sīd Sūlāymān Ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Kāmīl went to Tlemcen and was master of all the Zenet tribes of this locality.

His son Mūhāmmād Ibn Sūlāymān succeeds and his children share all of (Central Maghreb: present-day Algeria) after the death of their father Sīd Sūlāymān Ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Kāmīl.

The government of Tlemcen was under the responsibility of (Aḥmād), son of (Mūḥāmmād) then to (Mūḥāmmād) son of (Aḥmād), then to (Al Qassem) son of (Mūhāmmād) son of (Aḥmād). (‘Ayssa), son of (Mūhāmmād), obtains Archgul (town and island at Tafna, a river eight leagues from Tlemcen in Algeria) and he allies with the Fatimids. The brother of (‘Ayssa), (Idriss) obtains possession of the Djerawa. His son (Abu’l Aych Aysa) succeeds him. After the death of (Abu l ‘Aych‘ Aysa), (Al Hassan Bin Aboû-l ‘Aych) seized power from the Dejrawas. After that, it’s Ibrahim’s turn and then to his sons (Yahya, Ibrahim and Idris).

Idris receives Archgul, on the other hand, his brother Yahya allies with the Ummayyads at the time of ‘Abd Rāhān An-Nāsīr.

This causes dissatisfaction of the Fatimids in 935. Yāḥyā will be arrested by General Mīsūr.[13]

Sulaymanid currency

Coins of the Sulaymanids minted at Souk Ibrahim and Ténès have been found. Until recently the coins of Mūḥāmmād Ibn Sūlāymān, the founder of the line and his great grandson Aḥmād Ibn ‘Isā were known only. The signatures struck « Mādīnāt Ībrāhīm Ibn Mūḥāmmād », « Mādīnāt ‘Isā Ibn Ibrāhīm and Mādīnāt al-Qāssīm Ibn ‘Isā » are all honorary titles of Suq Ibrahim, while Burjayn, a typing of Yahya Ibn Muhammad, could well be the pseudonym of Ténès.

The dynasty

Rulers
  • Sulayman ibn Abd-Allah, known as "Sulayman I of Tlemcen" was the emir of Tlemcen (786 / 7–813).
  • Muhammad Ibn Sulayman, known as "Muhammad I" – Emir of Tlemcen (813–828).
  • Isa ibn Muhammad, known as "Isa I" – emir of Arshkul (since 828).
  • Ahmad ibn Muhammad, known as "Ahmad I" – Emir of Tlemcen (since 828).
  • Muhammad ibn Ahmad, known as "Muhammad II" is the emir of Tlemcen.
  • al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, known as "Al-Qassim I" – emir of Tlemcen (until 931).
  • Idris ibn Muhammad, known as "Idris I of Algeria" – Emir of Jarava (since 828).
  • Abu'l-Ish Aisa, known as "‘Issa II" - Emir of Jarava.
  • Al-Hassan ibn Abi'l-Aish, known as "Al-Hassan I of Algeria" – Emir of Jarava (around 935).
  • Ibrahim ibn Idris, known as "Ibrahim I" – Emir of Arshkul.
  • Yahya ibn Ibrahim, known as "Yahya I" – arrested by the Fatimid warlord Mizur in 935.
  • Ibrahim ibn Ibrahim.
  • Idris ibn Ibrahim, known as "Idris II of Algeria" – emir of Arshkul (around 935).
  • Ibrahim ibn Muhammad, known as "Ibrahim II" – Emir of Tenes and Suk-Ibrahim (since 828).
  • Isa ibn Ibrahim, known as "‘Issa III" is the emir of Suk Ibrahim.
  • al-Qasim ibn Isa, known as "Al-Qassim II" – émir de Suk-Ibrahim.
  • Ahmad ibn Isa, known as "Ahmad II" – Emir de Suk-Ibrahim.
  • Muhammad ibn Ibrahim, known as "Muhammad III" est l'émir de Tenes.
  • Yahya ibn Muhammad, known as "Yahya II" – Emir of Tenes.

Timeline
Sulyaman I of Tlemcen

See also

Notes and references

Notes
  1. L'historien Daniel Eustache évoque la possibilité que Sulaymān puis son fils Muḥammad soient déjà à Tlemcen, reconnus par les berbères maġrāwa, lorsqu'Idrīs
    atteint la ville en 814.[7] Cette version, décrite par les chroniqueurs Ibn Idhari et Al-Bakri,[10] est retenue par les historiens Philippe Sénac et Patrice Cressier qui indiquent que Sulaymān a été gouverneur de Tlemcen entre 786 et 813.[11]

References
  1. Histoire-Islamique 2015.
  2. A History of the Maghrib in the Islamic Period, (J. Abun-Nasr, 1987), p.50
  3. Al-Bayan Al-Maghreb (Ibn Idhari al-Marrakushi, 13th century), Vol.1, p.118 (Arabic - Dr. Bashar A. Marouf & Mahmoud B. Awad, 2013)
  4. Meis Al-Kaisi, "The Development of Politico-Religious Movements: A General Overview", Arabic Heritage in the Post-Abbasid Period, ed. Imed Nsiri, (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2019), 124.
    Ludwig W. Adamec, The Historical Dictionary of Islam, page 145, "Idrisid Dynasty (788-985). First Shi'ite dynasty in Islamic history, founded by Idris ibn Abdullah....".
    C.E. BosworthThe New Islamic Dynasties, page 25, "The Idrisids were the first dynasty who attempted to introduce the doctrines of Shi'ism, albeit in a very attenuated form, into the Maghrib...".
    Ignác Goldziher and Bernard Lewis, Introduction to Islamic theology and law, Princeton University Press (1981), p. 218
    Mara A. Leichtman, Shi'i Cosmopolitanisms in Africa: Lebanese Migration and Religious Conversion in Senegal, page 216;"Senegalese Shi'a also refer to the spread of Shi'i Islam to Senegal through the Idrisid dynasty and evidence of Shi'i roots in Morocco through 'Alaouis (Hydarah 2008:132-135). Cornell writes that Moulay Idris and his successors, descendants of the Prophet's grandson Hasan, brought with them to Morocco from the Arabian Peninsula "a form of archaic Shi'ism that was similar in many respects to Zaydism" (1998:200)."
  5. Tarikh al-Tabari (Al-Tabari, 9th century) – English translation: The History of al-Tabari vol.26, p.37-38
  6. Lowick 1983, p. 177.
  7. Eustache 1970, p. 49.
  8. Ibn Khaldūn 1854, pp. 569-570.
  9. Garcia-Arenal & Moreno 1995, p. 28.
  10. Marçais 1941, pp. 59-60.
  11. Sénac & Cressier 2012, p. 118.
  12. Meynier, Gilbert (2010). "De l'ouverture islamo-arabe au repli (698-1518)". L'Algérie, cœur du Maghreb classique (in French). Paris: La Découverte. p. 28. ISBN 9782707152312.
  13. Ibn Khaldūn 1854, p. 570.

Sources
  • Ibn Abi Zar, Rawd al-Qirtas (contains a chronicle of the dynasty).
  • Charles-André Julien, Histoire de l'Afrique du Nord, des origines à 1830, Payot 1994.
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