The Barghawatas (also Barghwata or Berghouata) were a
Berber tribal confederation on the
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
coast of
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
, belonging to the
Masmuda
The Masmuda ( ar, المصمودة, Berber: ⵉⵎⵙⵎⵓⴷⵏ) is a Berber tribal confederation of Morocco and one of the largest in the Maghreb, along with the Zanata and the Sanhaja. They were composed of several sub-tribes: Berghouat ...
confederacy.
After allying with the
Sufri
The Sufris ( ar, الصفرية ''aṣ-Ṣufriyya'') were Khariji Muslims in the seventh and eighth centuries. They established the Midrarid state at Sijilmassa, now in Morocco.
In Tlemcen, Algeria, the Banu Ifran were Sufri Berbers who oppose ...
Kharijite rebellion in
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
against the
Umayyad Caliphate
The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by th ...
, they established an independent state (AD744-1058) in the area of Tamesna on the Atlantic coast between
Safi and
Salé
Salé ( ar, سلا, salā, ; ber, ⵙⵍⴰ, sla) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the right bank of the Bou Regreg river, opposite the national capital Rabat, for which it serves as a commuter town. Founded in about 1030 by the Banu Ifran, ...
under the leadership of
Tarif al-Matghari.
Etymology
Some historians believe that the term ''Barghawata'' is a phonetic deformation of the term ''Barbati'', a nickname which Tarif carried. It is thought that he was born in the area of
Barbate
Barbate is a municipality of Spain part of the Province of Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is coastal town located off the Atlantic Ocean, close to the Strait of Gibraltar. Displaying a total area of 142.17 km2, it ha ...
, near
Cádiz
Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia.
Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...
in Spain. However,
Jérôme Carcopino
Jérôme Carcopino (27 June 1881 – 17 March 1970) was a French historian and author. He was the fifteenth member elected to occupy seat 3 of the Académie française, in 1955.
Biography
Carcopino was born at Verneuil-sur-Avre, Eure, son of a ...
and other historians think the name is much older and the tribe is the same as that which the
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
called ''
Baquates'', who up until the 7th century lived near
Volubilis
Volubilis (; ar, وليلي, walīlī; ber, ⵡⵍⵉⵍⵉ, wlili) is a partly excavated Berber-Roman city in Morocco situated near the city of Meknes, and may have been the capital of the kingdom of Mauretania, at least from the time of Kin ...
.
History
Few details are known about Barghawata. Most of the historical sources are largely posterior to their rule and often present a contradictory and confused historical context. However, one tradition appears more interesting. It comes from
Córdoba in Spain and its author is the Large Prior of Barghawata and the Barghawata ambassador to
Córdoba Abu Salih Zammur, around the middle of the 10th century. This tradition is regarded as most detailed concerning Barghwata. It was reported by
Al Bakri
Abū ʿUbayd ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Muḥammad ibn Ayyūb ibn ʿAmr al-Bakrī ( ar, أبو عبيد عبد الله بن عبد العزيز بن محمد بن أيوب بن عمرو البكري), or simply al-Bakrī (c. 1040–1 ...
,
Ibn Hazm
Abū Muḥammad ʿAlī ibn Aḥmad ibn Saʿīd ibn Ḥazm ( ar, أبو محمد علي بن احمد بن سعيد بن حزم; also sometimes known as al-Andalusī aẓ-Ẓāhirī; 7 November 994 – 15 August 1064Ibn Hazm. ' (Preface). Tr ...
and
Ibn Khaldun, although their interpretations comprise some divergent points of view.
The Barghawatas, along with the
Ghomara and the
Miknasa
The Miknasa (Berber: ''Imeknasen'') was a Zenata Berber tribe in Morocco and Algeria.
The Miknasa Berbers historically populated the Aurès and are part of the Dharisa tribe belonging to Botr who descended from Madghis, coming from the Aures mount ...
, launched the
Berber Revolt
The Berber Revolt of 740–743 AD (122–125 AH in the Islamic calendar) took place during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik and marked the first successful secession from the Arab caliphate (ruled from Damascus). Fired up b ...
of 739 or 740. They were fired up by
Sufri
The Sufris ( ar, الصفرية ''aṣ-Ṣufriyya'') were Khariji Muslims in the seventh and eighth centuries. They established the Midrarid state at Sijilmassa, now in Morocco.
In Tlemcen, Algeria, the Banu Ifran were Sufri Berbers who oppose ...
Kharijite preachers, a Muslim sect that embraced a doctrine representing total
egalitarianism
Egalitarianism (), or equalitarianism, is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds from the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all hu ...
in opposition to the aristocracy of the
Quraysh which had grown more pronounced under the
Umayyad Caliphate
The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by th ...
. The rebels elected
Maysara al-Matghari Maysar al-Matghari (Berber: ''Maysar Amteghri'' or ''Maysar Amdeghri'', ; sometimes rendered ''Maisar'' or ''Meicer''; in older Arab sources, bitterly called: ''al-Ḥaqir'' ('the ignoble'); died in September/October 740) was a Berber rebel leader a ...
to lead their revolt, and successfully seized control of nearly all of what is now
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
, inspiring further rebellions in the
Maghreb
The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...
and
al-Andalus
Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label= Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, al-Ándalus () was the M ...
. At the
Battle of Bagdoura
The Battle of Bagdoura (or Baqdura) was a decisive confrontation in the Berber Revolt in late 741 CE. It was a follow-up to the Battle of the Nobles the previous year, and resulted in a major Berber victory over the Arabs by the Sebou River (near ...
, the rebels annihilated a particularly strong army dispatched by the Umayyad caliph from Syria. But the rebels army itself was eventually defeated in the outskirts
Kairouan
Kairouan (, ), also spelled El Qayrawān or Kairwan ( ar, ٱلْقَيْرَوَان, al-Qayrawān , aeb, script=Latn, Qeirwān ), is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded by t ...
,
Ifriqiya in 741. In the aftermath, the rebel alliance dissolved. Even before this denouement, the Barghawatas, as founders of the revolt, had grown resentful of the attempt by later adherents, notably the
Zenata
The Zenata ( Berber language: Iznaten) are a group of Amazigh (Berber) tribes, historically one of the largest Berber confederations along with the Sanhaja and Masmuda. Their lifestyle was either nomadic or semi-nomadic.
Etymology
''Iznaten ( ...
chieftains, in alliance with the increasingly authoritarian Sufri commissars, to take control of the leadership of the rebellion. As their primary objective – the liberation of their people from Umayyad rule – had already been achieved, and there was little prospect of it ever being re-imposed, the Barghwata saw little point in continued military campaigns. In 742 or 743, the Barghwata removed themselves from the rebel alliance, and retreated to the Tamesna region, on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, where they founded their new independent state and abandoned their Sufri Kharijitism.
The Barghawatas ruled in the Tamesna region for more than three centuries (744–1058). Under the successors of
Salih ibn Tarif Ṣāliḥ ibn Tarīf (Arabic: صالح بن طريف) was the second king of the Berghouata kingdom, the prophet of a new Judeo-Christian religion, and the eponymous ancestor of the Oulad Salah tribe of Morocco. He appeared during the caliphate of ...
,
Ilyas ibn Salih (792-842); Yunus (842-888) and Abu Ghufail (888–913) the tribal kingdom was consolidated, and missions sent to neighbouring tribes. After initially good relations with the
Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba there was a break at the end of the 10th century. Two Umayyad incursions, as well as attacks by the
Fatimids were fought off by the Barghawata. From the 11th century there was an intensive
guerrilla war
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tactics ...
with the
Banu Ifran
The Banu Ifran ( ar, بنو يفرن, ''Banu Yafran'') or Ifranids, were a Zenata Berber tribe prominent in the history of pre-Islamic and early Islamic North Africa. In the 8th century, they established a kingdom in the central Maghreb, with ...
. Even though the Barghawata were subsequently much weakened, they were still able to fend off
Almoravid
The Almoravid dynasty ( ar, المرابطون, translit=Al-Murābiṭūn, lit=those from the ribats) was an imperial Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire in the 11th century that ...
attacks—the spiritual leader of the
Almoravid
The Almoravid dynasty ( ar, المرابطون, translit=Al-Murābiṭūn, lit=those from the ribats) was an imperial Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire in the 11th century that ...
s,
Abdallah ibn Yasin
Abdallah ibn Yasin () (died 7 July 1059 C.E. in "Krifla" near Rommani, present-day Morocco) was a theologian and spiritual leader of the Almoravid movement.
Early life, education and career
Abdallah ibn Yasin was from the tribe of the Jazulah ( ...
, fell in battle against them on 7 July 1058. Only in 1149 were the Barghawata eliminated by the
Almohads
The Almohad Caliphate (; ar, خِلَافَةُ ٱلْمُوَحِّدِينَ or or from ar, ٱلْمُوَحِّدُونَ, translit=al-Muwaḥḥidūn, lit=those who profess the unity of God) was a North African Berber Muslim empire f ...
as a political and religious group.
Religion
After the conversion to Islam at the beginning of the 8th century and the
Maysara uprising (739-742), the Barghawata Berbers formed their own state on the Atlantic coast between
Safi and
Salé
Salé ( ar, سلا, salā, ; ber, ⵙⵍⴰ, sla) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the right bank of the Bou Regreg river, opposite the national capital Rabat, for which it serves as a commuter town. Founded in about 1030 by the Banu Ifran, ...
.
The Barghawata kingdom followed a syncretic religion inspired by
Islam with elements of
Sunni,
Shi'a and
Kharijite Islam, mixed with
astrological
Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Dif ...
and traditional
Berber mythology
The traditional Berber religion is the ancient and native set of beliefs and deities adhered to by the Berbers (Amazigh autochthones) of North Africa. Many ancient Amazigh beliefs were developed locally, whereas others were influenced over time th ...
such as their taboo surrounding eating eggs and chickens, and the belief that the saliva of Salih and his family contained baraka, or, roughly translated, blessedness.
Supposedly, they had their own
Qur'an
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
in the
Berber language
The Berber languages, also known as the Amazigh languages or Tamazight,, ber, label=Tuareg Tifinagh, ⵜⵎⵣⵗⵜ, ) are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They comprise a group of closely related languages spoken by Berber commun ...
comprising 80
suras under the leadership of the second ruler of the dynasty
Salih ibn Tarif Ṣāliḥ ibn Tarīf (Arabic: صالح بن طريف) was the second king of the Berghouata kingdom, the prophet of a new Judeo-Christian religion, and the eponymous ancestor of the Oulad Salah tribe of Morocco. He appeared during the caliphate of ...
who had taken part in the Maysara uprising. He proclaimed himself a prophet.
[Talbi (ref. cited above) notes that in fact there is no contemporary record of him being anything other than a ]Sufri
The Sufris ( ar, الصفرية ''aṣ-Ṣufriyya'') were Khariji Muslims in the seventh and eighth centuries. They established the Midrarid state at Sijilmassa, now in Morocco.
In Tlemcen, Algeria, the Banu Ifran were Sufri Berbers who oppose ...
Kharijite, and that it may have been a myth propagated by Yunus He also claimed to be the final
Mahdi
The Mahdi ( ar, ٱلْمَهْدِيّ, al-Mahdī, lit=the Guided) is a messianic figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the end of times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a descendant of Muhammad w ...
, and that
Isa (
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
) would be his companion and pray behind him.
Tribes
The Barghawata confederacy was made of 29 tribes. 12 of these tribes adopted the Barghawata religion while 17 retained Islam.
Barghawata religion (syncretic with Islam) tribes
* Gerawa
* Zouagha
* Branès
* Banu Abi Nacer
* Menjasa
* Banu Abi Nuh
* Banu Waghmar
* Matghara
* Banu Borgh
* Banu Derr
* Matmata
* Banu Zaksent
Khariji Muslim tribes
* Zenata-Jbal
* Banu Bellit
* Nemala
* Ounsent
* Banu Ifren
* Banu Naghit
* Banu Nuaman
* Banu Fallusa
* Banu Kuna
* Banu Sebker
* Assada
* Regana
* Azmin
* Manada
* Masina
* Resana
* Trara
Some constituent tribes, such as Branès, Matmata, Ifren and Trara, were fractions of much larger tribal groups, and only the Tamesna-based fractions joined the Barghawata Confederacy.
Barghawata kings
*
Tarif al-Matghari
*
Ṣāliḥ ibn Tarīf (744-?), who declared himself prophet
in 744 and went away at the age of 47, promising to return.
*Ilyas ibn Salih (?792-842),
[Dates with question marks are calculated on the basis of a secondary sourc]
Other info is from Ibn Khaldun. who is said to have professed Islām publicly but Ṣāliḥ's religion secretly, and died in the 50th year of his reign.
*Yunus ibn Ilyas (?842-888), who made Ṣāliḥ's religion official and fought those who would not convert (killing 7770 people, according to
Ibn Khaldun's sources, some at a place called Tamlukeft). Curiously enough, he is also said to have performed the
Hajj. He died in the 44th year of his reign.
*Abu-Ghufayl Muhammad (?888-917), who may also have been called a prophet (according to a poem
Ibn-Khaldun cites) and who had 44 wives and more sons. He died in the 29th year of his reign.
*Abu al-Ansar Abdullah (?917-961), buried at Ameslakht. He died in the 44th year of his reign.
*Abu Mansur Isa (?961-?), who was 22 when he became king.
See also
*
Kingdom of Nekor
The Emirate of Nekor ( ar, إمارة بني صالح ''ʾImārat Banī Ṣāliḥ'') was an emirate centered in the Rif area of present-day Morocco. Its capital was initially located at Temsaman, and then moved to Nekor. The dynasty was of Hi ...
*
Maghrawa
The Maghrawa or Meghrawa ( ar, المغراويون) were a large Zenata Berber tribal confederation whose cradle and seat of power was the territory located on the Chlef in the north-western part of today's Algeria, bounded by the Ouarsenis t ...
*
Banu Ifran
The Banu Ifran ( ar, بنو يفرن, ''Banu Yafran'') or Ifranids, were a Zenata Berber tribe prominent in the history of pre-Islamic and early Islamic North Africa. In the 8th century, they established a kingdom in the central Maghreb, with ...
References
Citations
Bibliography
* Ulrich Haarmann, ''Geschichte der Arabischen Welt''. C.H. Beck München, 2001.
* John Iskander, Devout Heretics: The Barghawata in Maghribi Historiography, in ''The Journal of North African Studies'' Volume 12, 2007, pages 37–53.
* Stephan und Nandy Ronart, ''Lexikon der Arabischen Welt''. Artemis Verlag, 1972.
* Mohammed Talbi, ''Hérésie, acculturation et nationalisme des berbères Bargawata'', in ''Premier congrès des cultures Méditerranéennes d'influence arabo-berbère'', Alger 1973,217-233.
{{Muslim dynasties in Maghreb region
744 establishments
1058 disestablishments
Berber dynasties
Berber peoples and tribes
740s in the Umayyad Caliphate
Masmuda
Medieval Morocco
States and territories established in the 740s
8th-century establishments in Africa