Kusaila
Kusaila Ibn Malzam | |
---|---|
Dihya | |
Died | 688 AD Valley of Mamma, east of Timgad in the Aurès Mountains |
Burial | |
Religion | Arian Christianity |
History of Algeria |
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Kusaila (
Etymology
Possibly from Caesilius (Cecilian), a Roman name widely used among Christianized Berbers, but more likely from Berber (Aksil) "Feline", still attested in the dialects of Aurès, region of which Kusila was native.
Historical importance
Initially the Berber States were able to defeat the Umayyad invaders at the Battle of Vescera (modern Biskra in Algeria), that was fought in 682 AD between the Berbers of King Kusaila and their Byzantine allies from the Exarchate of Africa against an Umayyad army under Uqba ibn Nafi, the founder of Kairouan.[9]
Uqba ibn Nafi had led his men in an invasion across North Africa, eventually reaching the Atlantic Ocean and marching as far south as the Draa and Sous rivers. On his return, he was met by the Berber-Byzantine coalition at Tahuda south of Vescera, his army was crushed and he himself was killed. As a result of this crushing defeat Kusaila took control of Byzacena and a large part of Ifriqiya, the Arabs lost all of their land in Africa west of Cyrenaica and were expelled from the area of modern Tunisia and eastern Algeria for more than a decade.[10][11][12]
Biography
His homeland was Tlemcen, now in Algeria, according to Ibn Khaldun. However, this account dates from the 14th century, some 700 years later. Indeed, Kusaila, according to historian Noe Villaverde,[13] was probably a king of Altava. Other sources closer to Kusaila's time (ninth century is the earliest available) associate him only with the Aurès Mountains in Algeria.[2] Kusaila grew up in Berber tribal territory during the time of the Byzantine exarchate.
Kusaila is speculated to be a Christian based on his Roman-sounding name. According to historian Gabriel Camps, his name was a possible translation in Berber of the Latin name "Caecilius", showing that he was from a noble Berber family.[14] His name even intrigued Orientalists; unlike other Berber kings, like his predecessors Masuna, Masties, Mastigas and Garmul, Arab chroniclers likely transmitted us a name of another language: Latin Caecilius, a common name found in the graves of Volubilis.
He was captured by Uqba but in AD 683 he succeeded in escaping and raised against his tormentors a large force of Christian Berber and Byzantine soldiers. And attacked Uqba, killing him near Biskra. After Uqba's death his armies retreated from Kairouan, which Kusaila took as his capital, and for a while he seems to have been at least in name the master of all North Africa. But his respite from battle was to be short-lived. Five years later Kusaila was killed in battle against fresh Arab forces led by a Muslim general from Damascus. This soldier was himself ambushed and put to death by Byzantine sea-raiders shortly afterwards. For a while confusion reigned, but the Awraba recognized the weakness of their position and eventually capitulated to the newly re-organized and reinforced Arab army. With the death of Kusaila, the torch of resistance passed to a tribe known as the Jerawa, who had their home in the Aurès.
According to late Muslim accounts (11th century through to ibn Khaldun in the 14th century) the
This amir was then forcibly replaced by Uqba ibn Nafi, who treated Kusaila and his men with contempt. Eventually Uqba's disrespect enraged Kusaila and provoked a plot of revenge. On the army's return from Morocco, Uqba allowed his troops to break up and go home. The remainder, about 300, were vulnerable and exhausted. On the return march to Kairouan, Kusaila joined with the Byzantine forces and organised an ambush. The Christian-Berber force, about 5000 strong, defeated the Arabs and felled Uqba at Tahudha near Biskra in 683. Kusaila now held undisputed mastery over North Africa and marched to Kairouan in triumph.[10]
The above account is disputed by some historians, who prefer the earlier 9th-century sources.[2][15] According to these, Abu al-Muhajir had no connection with Kusaila, nor did Uqba ibn Nafi until he was ambushed at Tahudha. These earlier sources also describe Kusaila as a Christian, not a Muslim convert. They do agree, however, that he led a Berber force when he defeated Uqba.
In 687 AD Arab reinforcements arrived under
See also
- Kingdom of Altava
- Dihya
References
- ^ Dictionary of African Biography, Volumes 1-6, By Emmanuel Kwaku Akyeampong, Henry Louis Gates
- ^ ISBN 2-87775-391-3.
- ^ Midstream, Volume 39 Theodor Herzl Foundation
- ^ The Great Arab Conquests: How the Spread of Islam Changed the World We Live InHugh Kennedy Hachette UK,
- ^ Middle East and Africa: International Dictionary of Historic Places Trudy Ring, Noelle Watson, Paul Schellinger Routledge
- ^ Historical Dictionary of Tunisia Kenneth J. Perkins Rowman & Littlefield
- ^ Islam, 01 AH-250 AH: A Chronology of Events Abu Tariq Hijazi Message Publications,
- ^ Hadadou, Mohand Akli (2003). RECUEIL DE PRENOMS BERBERES (in French). Alger: Haut commissariat à l'amazighité. p. 102.
- ISBN 978-1615303182.
- ^ ISBN 978-0521196970.
- ^ Cambridge Medieval History, Shorter: Volume 1, The Later Roman Empire to the Twelfth Century C. W. Previté-Orton CUP Archive,
- ^ Histoire de la Tunisie: De Carthage à nos jours By Sophie Bessis
- ^ Noé Villaverde, Vega. El Reino mauretoromano de Altava, siglo VI [The Mauro-Roman kingdom of Altava]. p. 355.
- .
- ISBN 2-87775-391-3.
- ^ Islamic books by ibn Taymiyyah, Maqdisi and Abdullah Azzam. Ibn Taymiyyah and Sayyid Qutb. 2015.
Further reading
- Hrbek, I. (ed.). General History of Africa III: Africa From the Seventh to the Eleventh Century.