Kingdom of Nekor
Encyclopedia
The Kingdom of Nekor was an emirate in the Rif
area of modern day Morocco
, with its capital initially at Temsaman
but later at Nekor
. It was founded by an immigrant of Yemen, Salih I ibn Mansur
al-Himyar
ī in 710 AD, by Caliph
al grant. He converted the local Berber
tribes to Islam
; they soon tired of the restrictions of the religion, and deposed him in favor of a person known as az-Zaydi from the Nafza tribe, but then changed their mind and took him back, and his dynasty, the Banū Sālih, ruled the region until 1019.
In 859 the kingdom became subject to a 62 ship-strong group of Vikings who defeated a Moorish force in Nekor that had attempted to interfere with their plunderings in the area. After staying for eight days in Morocco, the Vikings went back to Spain and continued up the east coast.
. On the east, it included the tribes of Zouagha and Djeraoua of Ibn Abī l-ʻAys, about five days' journey from Nekor, bordering on the territory of the Matmata
, Kebdana
, Mernissa, Ghassasa of Mt. Herek and Quluʻ Jarra belonging to the Banū Urtendi. On the west, it extended to the Banū Marwan of Ghomara
and the Banū Humayd and bordered the Mestassa and Senhaja. Behind these lay the Awraba, the band of Ferhun, the Banū Walīd, the Zenata
, the Banū Irnian and the Banū Merasen of the band of Qāsim, Lord of Sa. In the north, it was bounded by the sea, some five miles from Nekor.
Thenceforth, the kingdom remained in his line until the Azdâji emir Ya'la ibn Futuh conquered it in 1019 and expelled the family.
All dates are converted from Hijri
, and may be up to a year out. This is largely based on Ibn Khaldun
, whose account is itself based on al-Bakri.
Rif
The Rif or Riff is a mainly mountainous region of northern Morocco, with some fertile plains, stretching from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Ras Kebdana and the Melwiyya River in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river of Wergha in the south.It is part of the...
area of modern day Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, with its capital initially at Temsaman
Temsaman
Temsaman is a region located in the Rif, northwest of Morocco. It is also the name of the main city in the region. The center of the province is Krouna...
but later at Nekor
Nekor
Nekor is a town in the Rif of Morocco. It was the capital of the medieval Kingdom of Nekor, and was founded by Emir Idris ibn Salih between 749 and 761 AD, and became the capital in the reign of his son Said ibn Idris It was sacked by the Vikings sometime between 859 and 862 AD, and destroyed...
. It was founded by an immigrant of Yemen, Salih I ibn Mansur
Salih I ibn Mansur
Salih I ibn Mansur , was an immigrant from Yemen who founded the Kingdom of Nekor, located in modern-day Morocco. He received the title of al-Himyari by caliphal grant and converted the local Berber tribes to Islam. Initially the local tribes resisted the restrictions of the new religion and soon...
al-Himyar
Himyar
The Himyarite Kingdom or Himyar , historically referred to as the Homerite Kingdom by the Greeks and the Romans, was a kingdom in ancient Yemen. Established in 110 BC, it took as its capital the modern day city of Sana'a after the ancient city of Zafar...
ī in 710 AD, by Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
al grant. He converted the local Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
tribes to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
; they soon tired of the restrictions of the religion, and deposed him in favor of a person known as az-Zaydi from the Nafza tribe, but then changed their mind and took him back, and his dynasty, the Banū Sālih, ruled the region until 1019.
In 859 the kingdom became subject to a 62 ship-strong group of Vikings who defeated a Moorish force in Nekor that had attempted to interfere with their plunderings in the area. After staying for eight days in Morocco, the Vikings went back to Spain and continued up the east coast.
. On the east, it included the tribes of Zouagha and Djeraoua of Ibn Abī l-ʻAys, about five days' journey from Nekor, bordering on the territory of the Matmata
Matmâta
Matmata is a small Berber speaking town in southern Tunisia. Some of the local Berber residents live in traditional underground "troglodyte" structures. In 2004 it had a population of 2,116....
, Kebdana
Kebdana
Kebdana Tribe Amazigh In Rif , the name came Kebdana relative to the Queen of Amazigh name Dana Was to govern the region.According to the source is easy to bare rock, which extends along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, passing through Twisted river Without the restrictive manner, and limit...
, Mernissa, Ghassasa of Mt. Herek and Quluʻ Jarra belonging to the Banū Urtendi. On the west, it extended to the Banū Marwan of Ghomara
Ghomara
The Ghomara are an originally Berber group in northern Morocco, living between the rivers Oued Laou and Ouringa, north of Chefchaouen and south of Tetouan, just west of the Rif. The river Tiguisas runs through their territory...
and the Banū Humayd and bordered the Mestassa and Senhaja. Behind these lay the Awraba, the band of Ferhun, the Banū Walīd, the Zenata
Zenata
Zenata were an ethnic group of North Africa, who were technically an Eastern Berber group and who are found in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco....
, the Banū Irnian and the Banū Merasen of the band of Qāsim, Lord of Sa. In the north, it was bounded by the sea, some five miles from Nekor.
Banū Salih rulers
- Salih I ibn MansurSalih I ibn MansurSalih I ibn Mansur , was an immigrant from Yemen who founded the Kingdom of Nekor, located in modern-day Morocco. He received the title of al-Himyari by caliphal grant and converted the local Berber tribes to Islam. Initially the local tribes resisted the restrictions of the new religion and soon...
al-HimyarHimyarThe Himyarite Kingdom or Himyar , historically referred to as the Homerite Kingdom by the Greeks and the Romans, was a kingdom in ancient Yemen. Established in 110 BC, it took as its capital the modern day city of Sana'a after the ancient city of Zafar...
i "al-`Abd as-Salih" (710-749) - al-Mu'tasim ibn Salih (749-?), said to have been very pious
- Idris I ibn Salih (?-760), who founded NekorNekorNekor is a town in the Rif of Morocco. It was the capital of the medieval Kingdom of Nekor, and was founded by Emir Idris ibn Salih between 749 and 761 AD, and became the capital in the reign of his son Said ibn Idris It was sacked by the Vikings sometime between 859 and 862 AD, and destroyed...
- Sa'id I ibn IdrisSa'id I ibn IdrisSa'id I ibn Idris was emir of Nekor. He moved the capital from Temsaman to Nekor. The city was later was sacked by the Normans, who took many prisoners, a few of whom were ransomed by the Umayyad ruler of Spain. Later, part of the Ghomara tribe revolted, led by a person called Segguen; their...
(760-803), who moved the capital to Nekor. In his reign, Nekor was sacked by the Vikings, who took many prisoners, a few of whom were ransomed by the UmayyadUmayyadThe Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
ruler of SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Later, part of the GhomaraGhomaraThe Ghomara are an originally Berber group in northern Morocco, living between the rivers Oued Laou and Ouringa, north of Chefchaouen and south of Tetouan, just west of the Rif. The river Tiguisas runs through their territory...
tribe revolted, led by a person called Segguen; their revolt was defeated. - Salih II ibn Sa'id (803-864), whose brother led a revolt against him, but was defeated.
- Sa'id I ibn Salih (864-916); his older brother and uncle led an unsuccessful revolt against him, but he was ultimately defeated and killed by the FatimidFatimidThe Fatimid Islamic Caliphate or al-Fāṭimiyyūn was a Berber Shia Muslim caliphate first centered in Tunisia and later in Egypt that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Sudan, Sicily, the Levant, and Hijaz from 5 January 909 to 1171.The caliphate was ruled by the Fatimids, who established the...
general Messala ibn Habus, who conquered the area for six months. However, his sons took refuge in MálagaMálagaMálaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
with the UmayyadUmayyadThe Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
caliphCaliphThe Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
, and returned once Messala had left the region and successfully expelled his garrison. - Salih III ibn Sa'id (917-927); in gratitude, he acknowledged the Umayyads as the rightful caliphs, thus transferring his nominal allegiance.
- Abd al-Badi' ibn Salih "el-Mu'ayyid" (927-929); he was defeated and killed by another Fatimid general, Musa ibn Abi'l-Afiya, who destroyed Nekor again. However, the line was resumed (and the city rebuilt) by:
- Abu Ayyub Isma'il ibn 'Abd al Malik ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Sa'id I ibn Salih (930?-935), who was defeated and killed by yet another Fatimid general, Sandal the mawlaMawlaThe word Mawlā or patron has two meanings. Mawla is an Arabic word "مولی", prominently used in Islamic literature which means protector.“Call them by their fathers: that is juster in the sight of Allah. But if you know not their father'sthey are your Brothers in faith and those entrusted to you...
. However, when Sandal departed for Fez, installing a governor called Marmazu of the KutamaKutamaThe Kutama were a powerful Berber tribe, in the region of Jijel , a member of the great Sanhaja confederation of the Maghrib and the armed body of the Fatimid Caliphate.-Origins of the Kutama:...
tribe, the inhabitants rebelled and installed yet another member of the line: - Musa ibn Rumi ibn Abd as-Sami` ibn Salih ibn Idris I ibn Salih (936?-940), who defeated Marmazu and sent his head to the UmayyadUmayyadThe Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
Caliph in CordobaCórdoba, Spain-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
. However, he was soon exiled by his relative: - Abd as-Sami' ibn Jurthum ibn Idris ibn Salih I ibn MansurSalih I ibn MansurSalih I ibn Mansur , was an immigrant from Yemen who founded the Kingdom of Nekor, located in modern-day Morocco. He received the title of al-Himyari by caliphal grant and converted the local Berber tribes to Islam. Initially the local tribes resisted the restrictions of the new religion and soon...
(940-947). His people rose up and killed him, and then sent for one of his relatives from MálagaMálagaMálaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
: - Jurthum ibn Ahmad ibn Ziyadat Allah ibn Sa'id I ibn IdrisSa'id I ibn IdrisSa'id I ibn Idris was emir of Nekor. He moved the capital from Temsaman to Nekor. The city was later was sacked by the Normans, who took many prisoners, a few of whom were ransomed by the Umayyad ruler of Spain. Later, part of the Ghomara tribe revolted, led by a person called Segguen; their...
(947-970), who adopted the MalikiMalikiThe ' madhhab is one of the schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. It is the second-largest of the four schools, followed by approximately 25% of Muslims, mostly in North Africa, West Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and in some parts of Saudi Arabia...
school of jurisprudence.
Thenceforth, the kingdom remained in his line until the Azdâji emir Ya'la ibn Futuh conquered it in 1019 and expelled the family.
All dates are converted from Hijri
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
, and may be up to a year out. This is largely based on Ibn Khaldun
Ibn Khaldun
Ibn Khaldūn or Ibn Khaldoun was an Arab Tunisian historiographer and historian who is often viewed as one of the forerunners of modern historiography, sociology and economics...
, whose account is itself based on al-Bakri.