Fannu bint Umar ibn Yintan (died April 1147) was a princess and a

Commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

of the Almoravid dynasty. In the guise of a man, wearing

armour Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or fr ...

she participated in the defense of the citadel of

Marrakesh Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...

during the Almohad conquest of the city in 1147.

Life

She was raised in the Almoravid Palace in

as the daughter of Umar ibn Yintan. Her future role was not strange, as women in Almoravid Morocco had a higher status than what was otherwise normal in Muslim states. Women at court were known to wield great influence in state affairs in the tradition and example of Zaynab an-Nafzawiyyah, co-founder of the dynasty: women in Morocco did not wear veils, and the education of women was accepted and normal, with notable women such as

Hafsa Bint al-Hajj al-Rukuniyya Ḥafṣa bint al-Ḥājj ar-Rakūniyya (, born c. 1135, died AH 586/1190–91 CE) was a Granadan aristocrat and perhaps one of the most celebrated Andalusian female poets of medieval Arabic literature. Biography We know little about Ḥafṣa's ...

holding courses for the women of the palace, and at least two women known to have been doctors.Alison Baker, ''Voices of Resistance: Oral Histories of Moroccan Women'' In March 1147, the forces of Abd-al Mumin, successor of

Ibn Tumart Abu Abd Allah Amghar Ibn Tumart ( Berber: ''Amghar ibn Tumert'', ar, أبو عبد الله امغار ابن تومرت, ca. 1080–1130 or 1128) was a Muslim Berber religious scholar, teacher and political leader, from the Sous in southern M ...

and founder of the

Almohad Caliphate The Almohad Caliphate (; ar, خِلَافَةُ ٱلْمُوَحِّدِينَ or or from ar, ٱلْمُوَحِّدُونَ, translit=al-Muwaḥḥidūn, lit=those who profess the Tawhid, unity of God) was a North African Berbers, Berber M ...

, reached the capital of Marrakech during his ''

jihad Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...

'' against the Almoravid dynasty, broke into the town and battled over the control of the ''qasba'' (fortress) of the Almoravid Palace for days. Fannu famously dressed herself in male clothing and participated in the defense of the fortress, and according to tradition, the Almohads did not manage to conquer the fortress before "a young Almoravid woman, dressed as a man", was killed. The Almohads were reportedly astonished by Fannu's conduct and bravery during the battle, and surprised that they had not realized that she was a woman before she died. In Morocco, she was depicted as a figure of Berber resistance.

References

{{Reflist 1147 deaths 12th-century Berber people 12th-century Moroccan people People under the Almoravid dynasty Princesses Women in 12th-century warfare African women in war Female wartime cross-dressers