Ubayd Allah Al-Mahdi

Biography

The mission of Abû `Abd Allâh ach-Chî' I

See also: Abu Abd Allah ach-Chi' I, Abû `Abd Allâh ach-Chî' I

The center of propaganda ismaélienne was in Syria with Have-Salamiya. This propaganda Chiite worried the Abbasid Caliph . The Imam Ismaël Ben Ja `far have-Sâdiq wire of the Shiite sixth imâm had sent to the the Maghreb missionaries (da `I) charged to prepare the arrival of a “envoy”. Among these missionaries Abû `Abd Allâh ach-Chî' I could build a small entity ismaélienne in Kabylie with the assistance of the Berbères Kutama. He the USA for that of trick, persuasion and at the time of force when certain chiefs of tribe opposed too much resistance to him. He could spare the populations by promising the suppression of the nonKoranic taxes.

`Ubayd Allâh Al-Mahdî finally decides to join the Maghreb but fails to meet Abû `Abd Allâh, it takes refuge with Sijilmassa with the Morocco. In 905, at the request of the sovereign aghlabide Zyadat Allâh, the governor of Sijilmassa the met under house arrest.

March 19th, 909, Abû `Abd Allâh definitively overcomes Aghlabides close to Laribus. Six days after it enters their capital Raqqâda. Abû `Abd Allâh leaves towards Sijilmassa to meet its Imam finally there that it forever considering. In the passing it destroys the kingdom rostémide of Tahert (August 26th, 909).

Seizure of power of `Ubayd Allâh Al-Mahdî

January 6th 910, `Ubayd Allâh Al-Mahdî arrives triumphantly at Raqqâda vêtu of black silk while his/her son carries a similar orange silk costume. All notable Arabic or not is there to receive it and lend oath of allegiance to him. The Islamic law is promulgated and all the reinforced interdicts. `Ubayd Allah Al-Mahdî fleeing of Syria arrived finally to Sijilmassa in the South of the Morocco. This city had been one of the hearth of the Kharidjisme, it was made there lock up by the local sovereign.

The January 15th 910, it took the title of caliph and “commander of the believers” in spite of the existence of the caliph Abbasside. It was the first time that two caliphs reigned at the same time. In 911, Abû `Abd Allah pushed by his/her brother started to plot against this caliph that it had to some extent created. `Ubayd Allah made put at dead a certain number of kutamas chiefs become rebellious then made carry out Abû `Abd Allah and its brother the February 18th 911. The kutamas which were attached to Abû `Abd Allah than with the new caliph revolted. `Ubayd Allah managed to control the situation on the continent, but it in particular lost part of the grounds of the old Aghlabide kingdom in Sicily.

Attempts at conquest of Egypt

At once the pacified Maghreb, Al-Mahdî turns to Egypt because its ambition is to recreate a great Moslem empire. In 913, the Al-Mahdî son, Al-Qâ' im, order a fleet which skirts the coast of the Egypt then takes Tripoli before returning.

During the following year Hubasa Ben Yusûf moves towards the east, it takes Syrte. February 6th, 914 it enters Barqah (Benghazi). July 7th, 914, Al-Qâ' im leaves in its turn towards Egypt with an important army. But contrary to the received orders, Hubasa Ben Yusûf does not await the Al-Qâ' im arrival to continue its projection and to take Alexandria on August 27th, 914. The army of the Abbassides manages to prevent Fatimides to enter front to Egypt. The armies fatimides are withdrawn, but Al-Qâ' im leaves a garrison to Barqah and returns in Raqqâda on May 26th 915 .

In 914, Al-Mahdî decides to make build the port of Mahdia in the south-east of Kairouan which it chooses like capital of its kingdom. This new capital which is inaugurated in large pumps the February 20th 921 after seven years of work, was to enable him to prepare a fleet to take again the offensive in Egypt.

In 919, Al-Qâ' im fact a second attempt at invasion of Egypt. The army fatimide under its command leaves on April 5th, 919. As of on July 9th, 919, before guard of its army arrives at Alexandria. The armies fatimides circumvent the city to move towards the capital. They are again pushed back after a naval defeat with Rosette against the Abbasid fleet (May 11th 920). They are folded up towards Barqah.

Perhaps taking account of its failures in Egypt, `Ubayd Allah reinforces its backs by undertaking the conquest of the Maghreb in 922. It set up a local emir but it did not control really the area. The emirs Omeyyades of Cordoue causing of the disorders in the area in north and the Idrisides in the south.

The hardness of the mode imposed by `Ubayd Allah leads to the rebirth in the population of the Maghreb of the currents kharijites.

`Ubayd Allah died the February 22nd 934 and its son Abû Al-Qâsim Al-Qâ' im Bi-Amr Allah, with which it made all its campaigns, succeeds to him.

Random links: