伊夫里基亚

Ifriqiya (Arabic: إفريقية, romanized: Ifrīqiya, lit. 'Africa') was a medieval historical region comprising today's Tunisia, Constantinois (roughly eastern Algeria), and Tripolitania (roughly western Libya), particularly the region between the sea and the edges of the Sahara. It included all of what had previously been the Byzantine province of Africa Proconsularis and extended beyond it, but did not include the Mauretanias.

Ifriqiya is bordered to the west by the Central Maghreb, with which the borders are fluid depending on the chroniclers and the era. For most of its early history, the capital of Ifriqiya was Qayrawan (Kairouan), but in some periods it moved to Mahdiya (Mahdia) and later it remained at Tunis.

Etymology

The name Ifriqiya was an Arabic derivation from Latin Africa. Some historical Arabic sources attributed the name to more legendary etymologies, such as being derived from a king of Yemen named Ifriqis or Ifriqish, who purportedly conquered the Maghreb in ancient times, or to a son of Abraham named Ifriq.

Definition

The boundaries of what was known as Ifriqiya were not precise and changed between authors or historical periods. The Mediterranean Sea and the border areas of the Sahara were normally the northern and southern boundaries, respectively. The eastern boundary was typically between Tripolitania (western Libya) and Cyrenaica (eastern Libya), as the latter was attached administratively to Egypt in the early Islamic period. The western boundary was more variable, due mainly to the changing political borders over time.……

History

The province of Ifriqiya was created in 703 CE when the Umayyads seized North Africa from the Byzantine Empire. Although Islam existed throughout the province, there was still considerable religious tension and conflict between the invading Arabs and the native Berbers. The beliefs and perceptions of people also shifted from area to area. This contrast was at its greatest between coastal cities and villages. Muslim ownership of Ifriqiya changed hands numerous times in its history with the collapse of the Umayyads paving the way for the Aghlabids, who acted as agents of the Abbasids in Baghdad.

They were then overthrown by the Fatimids in 909, when they lost their capital of Raqqada and the Fatimids went on to control all of Ifriqiya in 969, when they took control of Egypt. The Fatimids slowly lost control over Ifriqiya as their regents, the Zirids, became more and more autonomous until the mid-11th century when they fully separated.

List of rulers

Conquest phase

Cyrenaica and Tripolitana conquered in 643 by Amr ibn al-As, organised as new province with regional capital at Barqa; first governors uncertain.

Mu'awiya ibn Hudayj, c.665–666 — ruled from Barqa

Uqba ibn Nafi, 666–674 — conquered south Tunisia (Byzacena), founded Kairouan (670)

Abu al-Muhajir Dinar, 674–681

Uqba ibn Nafi, (restored), 681–683 — led cavalcade to Morocco, ostensibly brought the entire Maghreb under submission.

Uqba killed. Arabs expelled from Byzacena, which was then occupied by Awraba Berber chieftain Kusaila, 683–686.

Zuhayr ibn Qays, 683–689 — initially only Barqa, retook Byzacena in 686.

Zuhayr killed. Berbers under Kahina retake Byzacena in 689. No clear Arab governor, 689–92

Hassan ibn al-Nu'man al-Ghassani, 692–703 — initially only Barqa. Captured Carthage in 695 (lost again), then again in 698 (final). Permanent conquest of Ifriqiya, organised as a new province, separately from Egypt, directly under the Umayyad Caliph, with capital at Kairouan.

Umayyad Governors of Ifriqiya

Musa ibn Nusair al-Lakhmi, 703–715