Ziri ibn Atiyya (
Berber language: Ziri en Ɛaṭiyya Ameɣraw) also known as Ziri ibn Atiyya ibn Abd Allah ibn Tabādalt ibn Muhammad ibn Khazar az-Zanātī al-Maghrāwī al-Khazarī (died 1001) was the tribal leader of the
Berber
Berber or Berbers may refer to:
Ethnic group
* Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa
* Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages
Places
* Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile
People with the surname
* Ady Berber (1913–196 ...
Maghrawa tribal confederacy and kingdom in
Fez
Fez most often refers to:
* Fez (hat), a type of felt hat commonly worn in the Ottoman Empire
* Fez, Morocco (or Fes), the second largest city of Morocco
Fez or FEZ may also refer to:
Media
* ''Fez'' (Frank Stella), a 1964 painting by the moder ...
.
Under the protection of the
Umayyad Caliph in Spain,
Hisham II
Hisham II or Abu'l-Walid Hisham II al-Mu'ayyad bi-llah (, Abū'l-Walīd Hishām al-Muʾayyad bi-ʾllāh) (son of Al-Hakam II and Subh of Cordoba) was the third Umayyad Caliph of Spain, in Al-Andalus from 976 to 1009, and 1010–13.
Reign
In 9 ...
, and his powerful regent
Al-Mansur, Ziri became king of the
Zenata tribes in 978-979 and immediately set about conquering as much as he could of what is now known as northern
Morocco. In 987-988 he was secure enough to be able to establish his court at
Fes
Fez or Fes (; ar, فاس, fās; zgh, ⴼⵉⵣⴰⵣ, fizaz; french: Fès) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès administrative region. It is the second largest city in Morocco, with a population of 1.11 mi ...
.
In 989, he was asked by
Al-Mansur to attack Abu al-Bahār, who controlled most of what is now
Algeria and
Tunisia. Abu al-Bahār had deserted the
Fatimid cause to align himself with the
Umayyads, but then changed sides again once he had gained control of most of the
Maghreb. Ziri attacked with such vigour that Abu al-Bahār fled without much of a fight, and Ziri became master of the
Maghreb in the year 991.
After this victory, Ziri is said to have sent
Al-Mansur a present consisting of 200 racehorses, 50 racing camels, 1000 shields, musk civets, giraffes, gazelles and other animals of the Sahara, and 1000 loads of dates.
Al-Mansur invited Ziri to
Cordoba. He went accompanied by 300 slaves on horseback and 300 more on foot, as well as taking more presents including lions in cages, cattle that resembled horses, a bird that spoke both Arabic and Berber, dates the size of melons, and other prodigies.
Al-Mansur gave him the title of
vizir
A vizier (; ar, وزير, wazīr; fa, وزیر, vazīr), or wazir, is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in the near east. The Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was a ...
. However, on his return to Morocco, Ziri is said to have exclaimed "Now my head is my own!" and forbade anyone to call him by any title other than
amir.
In his absence, the
Banu Ifran had managed to capture
Fes
Fez or Fes (; ar, فاس, fās; zgh, ⴼⵉⵣⴰⵣ, fizaz; french: Fès) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès administrative region. It is the second largest city in Morocco, with a population of 1.11 mi ...
. They were led by Yaddū, a long-standing adversary of Ziri. After a bloody struggle, Ziri recaptured
Fes
Fez or Fes (; ar, فاس, fās; zgh, ⴼⵉⵣⴰⵣ, fizaz; french: Fès) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès administrative region. It is the second largest city in Morocco, with a population of 1.11 mi ...
in 993 and displayed Yaddū's severed head on its walls. There followed a period of peace during which time Ziri built (or rebuilt) the city of
Oujda
Oujda ( ar, وجدة; ber, ⵡⵓⵊⴷⴰ, Wujda) is a major Moroccan city in its northeast near the border with Algeria. Oujda is the capital city of the Oriental region of northeastern Morocco and has a population of about 558,000 people. It ...
beginning in August or September 994.
Rumours began to reach
Al-Mansur that Ziri was ignoring his wishes. At last, in 996,
Al-Mansur withdrew his support and cancelled his title. Ziri responded by acknowledging
Hisham II
Hisham II or Abu'l-Walid Hisham II al-Mu'ayyad bi-llah (, Abū'l-Walīd Hishām al-Muʾayyad bi-ʾllāh) (son of Al-Hakam II and Subh of Cordoba) was the third Umayyad Caliph of Spain, in Al-Andalus from 976 to 1009, and 1010–13.
Reign
In 9 ...
as rightful Caliph.
Al-Mansur then sent an invasion force to Morocco.
After three months of struggle,
Al-Mansur's force had to retreat to the safety of
Tangiers.
Al-Mansur immediately sent a powerful reinforcement under his son Abd al-Malik. The armies clashed near Tangiers. During the battle, Ziri was stabbed by an African soldier who reported to Abd al-Malik that he had seriously wounded the
Zenata leader. Abd al-Malik pressed home the advantage, and the wounded Ziri fled the field hotly pursued by the Caliph's army. The inhabitants of
Fes
Fez or Fes (; ar, فاس, fās; zgh, ⴼⵉⵣⴰⵣ, fizaz; french: Fès) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès administrative region. It is the second largest city in Morocco, with a population of 1.11 mi ...
would not let him enter the city, but opened the gates to Abd al-Malik on October 13, 998.
Ziri fled to the Sahara, where he rallied the
Zenata tribes and overthrew the unpopular remnants of the
Idrisid dynasty at
Tiaret. He was able to expand his territory to include
Tlemcen and other parts of western
Algeria, this time under
Fatimid protection.
Ziri died in 1001 of the eventual effects of the stab wounds. He was succeeded by his son Al-Mu'izz, who made his peace with
Al-Mansur, who restored him to possession of all his father's former territories.
References
*
Ibn Abi Zar, ''
Rawd al-Qirtas''. Annotated Spanish translation: A. Huici Miranda, ''Rawd el-Qirtas''. 2nd edition, Anubar Ediciones, Valencia, 1964. Vol. 1 .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ziri ibn Atiyya
1001 deaths
10th-century Berber people
10th-century monarchs in Africa
Fez, Morocco
City founders
Year of birth unknown