Fatimid Conquest of Barca
| Fatimid conquest of Barca | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Fatimid caliphate | Abbasid caliphate | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Hubasa ibn Yusuf |
Abu Mansur Takin (governor) Khayr al-Mansuri Abd al-Aziz ibn Kulayb al-Jarashi Abi al-Nimr Ahmad ibn Salih | ||||||||
  Location of the battle within Libya | |||||||||
The Fatimid conquest of Barca was led by the general Hubasa ibn Yusuf al-Kutami in 914 CE.[1] During the military campaign, Hubasa confronted three Abbasid commanders dispatched by Abu Mansur Takin, the governor of Fustat in Egypt. He captured Sirte and Ajdabiya,[1] defeated the Abbasid army in Barca (Cyrenaica), and forced them to retreat to Fustat.[2] Following these victories, Barca came under Fatimid control, paving the way for the first attempted invasion of Egypt a few.[3]
Background
Military operations aimed at Alexandria began around 910 CE,[4] following the appointment of Abu Mansur Takin as the new governor of Fustat by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Muqtadir bi-Allah.[5] He promptly dispatched a large military force under his deputy, Abu al-Nimr Ahmad ibn Salih, to assert control over Barca.[3] These forces consolidated their positions in Sirte in preparation for confronting the Fatimid army, who were advancing toward Barca under the command of Hubasa ibn Yusuf al-Kutami. However, subsequent developments compelled Hubasa to redirect his advance toward Sirte to face the Abbasid forces stationed there.[6]
Battles
During these maneuvers, there was a change in the Abbasid leadership following the dismissal of Abu al-Nimr, which led him to withdraw first to Barca and then to Fustat. Hubasa entered Sirte and took control of the city, causing all the Abbasids there to flee. Hubasa then pursued Abu al-Nimr until he reached Barca and established his camp there, prompting all the Abbasids in the region to flee as well.[3] As a result of this change, command was assigned to two new leaders, Khayr al-Mansuri and Abd al-Aziz ibn Kulayb al-Jurashi, who were tasked with confronting the Fatimid advance. However, the dispute between them weakened their position, enabling Hubasa to achieve a decisive victory over them and force their withdrawal toward Fustat.[4]
The available data indicate that the Fatimid control over Barca was established in 301 AH / 914 CE, following a military campaign that set out from Mahdiya early in the same year.[6] The campaign advanced through Sirte and Ajdabiya with little resistance before entering Barca. Abu al-Nimr later returned to the region, prompting the dispatch of additional reinforcements to support the Fatimid forces and secure their positions.[6]
A comparison of the different accounts shows that the general sequence of events suggests that the Fatimid commander Hubasa had already begun directing his campaigns toward Egypt as early as 297 AH / 910 CE, engaging in clashes with the Abbasid forces stationed in Sirte.[6] With the prolonged military operations between the two sides yielding no decisive outcome, the balance of power shifted in favor of the Fatimids following the arrival of the necessary reinforcements,[4] enabling them to capture Barca definitively and open the way toward Alexandria.[6]
Prelude to the invasion of Egypt
After securing this route, the conditions became favorable to commence the conquest of Egypt. The Fatimid Caliph Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi assembled a large army and entrusted its command to his son and heir, al-Qasim, the future al-Qa'im bi-Amr Allah, who departed from Raqqada toward Egypt on the 15th of Dhu al-Hijjah, 301 AH (914 CE), marking the beginning of the decisive phase of the Fatimid conquests along the Nile Valley.[6]
References
- ^ a b Madelung, Wilferd (2024-10-28). Studies in Medieval Shi'ism. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-040-24522-4.
- ^ al-Bahiji, Inas Muhammad (2017-01-01). History of the Fatimid State (in Arabic). Markaz al-Kitab al-Akademi. ISBN 978-9957-35-204-2.
- ^ a b c Taqush, Muhammad Suhail (2007). History of the Fatimids in North Africa, Egypt, and the Levant (in Arabic). Dar al-Nafa’is for Publishing and Distribution.
- ^ a b c Al-Kindi, Abu Umar (1900). Al-Wulat wa al-Qudat (in Arabic). Rufoof. ISBN 9786634673711.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - ^ Sobhi, Ahmas Hassan (2005-01-01). The Fatimid daʿwa (in Arabic). ktab INC. ISBN 978-977-208-523-1.
- ^ a b c d e f al-Dashrawi, Farhat (2018-06-30). The Fatimid Caliphate in the Maghreb, 296–365 AH / 909–975 CE (in Arabic). Dar al-Gharb al-Islami.