The Kalbids () were a
Muslim Arab
Arab Muslims ( ar, العرب المسلمون) are adherents of Islam who identify linguistically, culturally, and genealogically as Arabs. Arab Muslims greatly outnumber other ethnoreligious groups in the Middle East and North Africa. Arab M ...
dynasty in the
Emirate of Sicily, which ruled from 948 to 1053. They were formally appointed by the
Fatimids, but gained, progressively, ''de facto'' autonomous rule.
History
In 827, in the midst of internal
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
conflict, the
Muslim conquest of Sicily
The Muslim conquest of Sicily began in June 827 and lasted until 902, when the last major Byzantine stronghold on the island, Taormina, fell. Isolated fortresses remained in Byzantine hands until 965, but the island was henceforth under Musli ...
began: the
Aghlabids
The Aghlabids ( ar, الأغالبة) were an Arab dynasty of emirs from the Najdi tribe of Banu Tamim, who ruled Ifriqiya and parts of Southern Italy, Sicily, and possibly Sardinia, nominally on behalf of the Abbasid Caliph, for about a c ...
arrived at
Marsala in
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
, with a fleet of 10,000 men under the command of
Asad ibn al-Furat
Asad Ibn Al-Furat ( ar, أسد بن الفرات; c.759 – c.828) was a jurist and theologian in Ifriqiya, who played an important role in the Arab conquest of Sicily.
His family, originally from Harran in Mesopotamia, emigrated with him to ...
.
Palermo was conquered in 831 and became the new capital.
Syracuse fell in 878
and in 902 the last Byzantine outpost,
Taormina
Taormina ( , , also , ; scn, Taurmina) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina, on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy. Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on ...
, was taken.
At the same time various Muslim incursions into southern Italy occurred, with new Emirates being founded in
Tropea
Tropea (; scn, label= Calabrian, Trupìa; la, Tropaea; grc, Τράπεια, Trápeia) is a municipality in the province of Vibo Valentia, in Calabria, Italy.
Tropea is a seaside resort with sandy beaches, located on the Gulf of Saint Euphe ...
,
Taranto
Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label= Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important com ...
and
Bari. During this period there were constant power struggles amongst the Muslims. Nominally the island was under rule of the Aghlabids and later the
Fatimids.
After successfully suppressing a revolt the Fatimid caliph appointed
al-Hasan al-Kalbi (948–953) as
Emir
Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cer ...
of Sicily, the first of the Kalbid dynasty. The Fatimids appointed the Kalbids as rulers via proxy
before they shifted their capital from
Ifriqiya to
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
in 969. Raids into southern Italy continued under the Kalbids into the 11th century, and in 982 a German army under
Otto II
Otto II (955 – 7 December 983), called the Red (''der Rote''), was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II was the youngest and sole surviving son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Ita ...
was defeated by
Abu'l-Qasim in the
Battle of Stilo
The Battle of Stilo (also known as Cape Colonna and Crotone) was fought on 13 or 14 July 982 near Crotone in Calabria between the forces of Holy Roman Emperor Otto II and his Italo-Lombard allies and those of the Kalbid emir of Sicily, Abu'l- ...
near
Crotone in
Calabria. The dynasty began a steady period of decline with the Emirate of
Yusuf al-Kalbi
Yusuf ( ar, يوسف ') is a male name of Arabic origin meaning "God increases" (in piety, power and influence).From the Hebrew יהוה להוסיף ''YHWH Lhosif'' meaning "YHWH will increase/add". It is the Arabic equivalent of the Hebrew name ...
(990-998) who entrusted the island to his sons and created space for interference from the
Zirids
The Zirid dynasty ( ar, الزيريون, translit=az-zīriyyūn), Banu Ziri ( ar, بنو زيري, translit=banū zīrī), or the Zirid state ( ar, الدولة الزيرية, translit=ad-dawla az-zīriyya) was a Sanhaja Berber dynasty from ...
of Ifriqiya. Under
al-Akhal (1017–1037) the dynastic conflict intensified, with factions allying themselves variously with
Byzantium and the Zirids. Even though neither of these powers could establish themselves in Sicily permanently, under
Hasan as-Samsam Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to:
People
*Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name
*Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scottis ...
(1040–1053) the island fragmented into small fiefdoms. The Kalbids died out in 1053,
and in 1061 the
Normans
The Normans ( Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Franks and Gallo-Romans. ...
of southern Italy arrived under
Roger I of Sicily
Roger I ( it, Ruggero I, Arabic: ''رُجار'', ''Rujār''; Maltese: ''Ruġġieru'', – 22 June 1101), nicknamed Roger Bosso and The Great, was a Norman nobleman who became the first Count of Sicily from 1071 to 1101. He was a member of the ...
and began their conquest, which was completed in 1091. The Muslims were allowed to remain and played an important role in the administration, army and economy of the Norman kingdom until the 12th century.
The Kalbites focused their efforts on the
Islamization
Islamization, Islamicization, or Islamification ( ar, أسلمة, translit=aslamāh), refers to the process through which a society shifts towards the religion of Islam and becomes largely Muslim. Societal Islamization has historically occur ...
of Sicilian society, notably in 962 with a large ceremony, where fourteen thousand children were
circumcised
Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. Topic ...
simultaneously; after a
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
offensive, crushed in 965 at the Battle of the Ditch or Rametta, the fâtimid caliph Mu'izz had the Kalbite emir perform a great ''incastellamento''in 967, a movement that represents a profound transformation of the habitat. It decides the forced regrouping of all inhabitants in a small number of cities or medina, one per district, each guarded by a castle and equipped with a
Friday mosque
A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.*
*
*
*
*
*
*
...
, essential to ensure political fidelity and
religious indoctrination
Indoctrination is the process of wikt:inculcate, inculcating a person with ideas, attitude (psychology), attitudes, cognition, cognitive strategies or professional methodology, methodologies (see doctrine).
Humans are a social animal species in ...
. It was not just a question of bringing Islam into the Sicilian way of life, but also of conveying the
Shiite
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...
message on which the dynasty is based.
Under the Kalbid dynasty, Sicily, and especially Palermo, was an important economic centre of the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
. The Muslims introduced lemons, Seville oranges and sugar cane, as well as cotton and mulberries for sericulture, and built irrigation systems for agriculture.
Sicily was also an important hub for trade between the Near East, North Africa and the Italian maritime republics such as
Amalfi
Amalfi (, , ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto (1,315 metres, 4,314 feet), surrounded by dramati ...
,
Pisa and
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
.
Rulers
![Lipari-Citrons (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Lipari-Citrons_%281%29.jpg)
*
al-Hasan al-Kalbi (948–953)
*
Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Kalbi
Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Kalbi () was the second Kalbid Emir of Sicily. He was the son of the first Kalbid emir, al-Hasan ibn Ali al-Kalbi, who ruled the island on behalf of the Fatimid Caliphate. Ahmad succeeded his father in May 953 until 968, apar ...
(954–969)
*
Ya'ish (969-970)
*
Abu'l-Qasim Ali ibn al-Hasan al-Kalbi
Abu'l-Qasim Ali ibn al-Hasan al-Kalbi ( ar, أبو القاسم علي بن الحسن الكلبي, Abū al-Qāsim ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥasan al-Kalbī), known to the Byzantine Greeks as Bolkasimos, was the third Emir of Sicily. He ruled from June 2 ...
(970–982)
*
Jabir ibn Ali ibn al-Kalbi Jabir (Arabic: جابر ) is an Arabic surname or male given name, which means "comforter".''Behind The Name''"Jabir" Retrieved on 8 January 2016. Alternative spellings include Djābir, Jaber, Jābir, Gabir, and Geber. The name may refer to:
Giv ...
(982–983)
[M. Amari (1858) ''Storia dei Musulmani di Sicilia'', v.2, p.330-31]
*
Ja'far I ibn Muhammad ibn al-Kalbi (983–985)
[
* ]Abdallah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Kalbi
Abd Allah ( ar, عبدالله, translit=ʻAbd Allāh), also spelled Abdallah, Abdellah, Abdollah, Abdullah and many others, is an Arabic name meaning "Servant of God". It is built from the Arabic words ''Abd (Arabic), abd'' () and ''Allah, Allāh ...
(985–990)[
* Abu'l-Futuh Yusuf ibn Abdallah ibn al-Kalbi (990–998)][
* Ja'far II ibn al-Kalbi (998–1019)
* al-Akhal (1019–1037)
* Abdallah (1037–1040), ]Zirid
The Zirid dynasty ( ar, الزيريون, translit=az-zīriyyūn), Banu Ziri ( ar, بنو زيري, translit=banū zīrī), or the Zirid state ( ar, الدولة الزيرية, translit=ad-dawla az-zīriyya) was a Sanhaja Berber dynasty from m ...
usurper
* Hasan as-Samsam (1040–1053)
See also
*History of Islam in Southern Italy
The history of Islam in Sicily and Southern Italy began with the first Arab settlement in Sicily, at Mazara, which was captured in 827. The subsequent rule of Sicily and Malta started in the 10th century. The Emirate of Sicily lasted from 831 ...
*List of Shi'a Muslim dynasties
The following is a list of Shia Muslim dynasties.
North Africa and Europe
*Idrisid dynasty (788–985 CE) — (Morocco) - Zaidi
*Fatimid Caliphate (909–1171 CE) — (Kabylia) - Ismaili
* Banu Kanz (1004–1412 CE) - ( Upper Egypt) — Isma ...
*Mirdasid dynasty
The Mirdasid dynasty ( ar, المرداسيون, al-Mirdāsiyyīn), also called the Banu Mirdas, was an Arab dynasty which ruled an Aleppo-based emirate in northern Syria and the western Jazira (Upper Mesopotamia) more or less continuously f ...
*Muslim conquest of Sicily
The Muslim conquest of Sicily began in June 827 and lasted until 902, when the last major Byzantine stronghold on the island, Taormina, fell. Isolated fortresses remained in Byzantine hands until 965, but the island was henceforth under Musli ...
*Uqailids
The Uqaylid dynasty () was a Shia Islam, Shia Arab dynasty with several lines that ruled in various parts of Al-Jazira (caliphal province), Al-Jazira, northern Bilad al-Sham, Syria and Iraq in the late tenth and eleventh centuries. The main line, ...
*Jarwanid dynasty
The Jarwanid dynasty () was an Arab dynasty that ruled Eastern Arabia in the 14th century.
History
The Jarwanids belonged to the clan of Bani Malik. It is disputed whether they belonged to the Banu Uqayl—the tribe of their predecessors the Usf ...
*Usfurids
The Usfurids ( ar, آل عصفور, Al ʿUṣfūr) were an Arab dynasty that in 1253 gained control of Eastern Arabia, including the islands of Bahrain. They were a branch of Uqaylids who re-migrated to Arabia after the fall of their rule in Syr ...
*Banu 'Amir
The Banū ʿĀmir ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿa ( ar, بنو عامر بن صعصعة) was a large and ancient Arab tribe originating from central Arabia, that dominated Najd for centuries after the rise of Islam. The tribe is an Arab Adnanite tribe and its ...
References
Sources
*
* {{EI2 , volume = 4 , last = Rizzitano , first = U. , author-link=Umberto Rizzitano , title = Kalbids , pages = 496–497 , url = http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_3822
External links
Sicily(Italy):A Great Centre of the Islamic Civilization
Arab dynasties
Shia dynasties
States and territories established in the 940s
948 establishments