Kulthum ibn Iyad al-Qasi
Encyclopedia
Kulthum ibn Iyad al-Qasi (died October 741
) was an Umayyad
governor of Kairouan
, Ifriqiya
for only a few months, from February to October, 741.
Kulthum ibn Iyad, an Arab aristocrat of Qaysid
stock, was appointed by Umayyad
Caliph Hishamin February 741 as governor of Kairouan
(Ifriqiya
), with authority over all the Maghreb
(North Africa) and al-Andalus
(Iberian Peninsula). He was to replace the disgraced Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab
, whose misgovernment had provoked the Great Berber Revolt
in Morocco and led to the defeat of the Arab army at the Battle of the Nobles
in late 740.
Kulthum was give a fresh Arab army of 30,000, raised from the regiments (junds) of the east - specifically, Damascus, Jordan, Qinnasrin
, Emesa (Hims), Palestine and Egypt. The military command of this elite 'Syrian' army was given to Kulthum's nephew and designated successor Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri
and the vice-command to the designated second successor, Thalaba ibn Salama al-Amili
.
Kulthum ibn Iyad arrived in the environs of Kairouan
in the summer of 741. He did not enter the city, but dispatched a messenger assigning the government of the city to Abd al-Rahman ibn Oqba al-Ghaffari, the qadi
of Ifriqiya. Kulthum then hurried along the coast to make junction with the remaining Ifriqiyan forces of Habib ibn Abi Obeida, then holding ground against the Berber rebellion around Tlemcen
.
The junction between the African and Syrian forces did not go smoothly. The Syrian commanders, particularly Balj ibn Bishr, treated their Ifriqiyan counterparts in high-minded and disdainful fashion, and the armies nearly came to blows. Kulthum ibn Iyad papered over the differences and kept the armies together.
The armies moved down the Sebou river
into central Morocco, where they finally encountered the Berber rebel army of Khalid ibn Hamid al-Zanati
. Disdaining the advice of the experienced Ifriqiyans, Kulthum ibn Iyad made several tactical errors which led to the disastrous defeat of the Arab army at the Battle of Bagdoura
in October 741. Kulthum ibn Iyad was killed in the field. His nephew, Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri
, managed to rescue what remained of the Syrian army and ferried them over to al-Andalus in early 742.
741
Year 741 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 741 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Carloman, Pippin the Short and Grifo succeed...
) was an Umayyad
Umayyad
The 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...
governor of Kairouan
Kairouan
Kairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...
, Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
for only a few months, from February to October, 741.
Kulthum ibn Iyad, an Arab aristocrat of Qaysid
Qais
Qais , also spelled Qays or Kais, were an Arabian tribe branched from the Mudhar Adnani groups.-Main branches of Qais:The main branches of the Qais tribes are the Banu Sulaym, Hawazin and the Banu Ghatafan. These three main groups remained in the Eastern Hejaz until the 7th century...
stock, was appointed by Umayyad
Umayyad
The 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 Hishamin February 741 as governor of Kairouan
Kairouan
Kairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...
(Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
), with authority over all the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
(North Africa) and al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
(Iberian Peninsula). He was to replace the disgraced Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab
Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab
Obeid Allah ibn al-Habhab al-Maousili was an important Umayyad official in Egypt from 724 to 734, and subsequently Umayyad governor of Kairouan, Ifriqiya from 734 to 741...
, whose misgovernment had provoked the Great Berber Revolt
Berber Revolt
The Great Berber Revolt of 739/740-743 AD took place during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik and marked the first successful secession from the Arab caliphate...
in Morocco and led to the defeat of the Arab army at the Battle of the Nobles
Battle of the Nobles
The Battle of the Nobles was an important confrontation in the Berber Revolt in c. 740 CE. It resulted in a major Berber victory over the Arabs near Tangier. During the battle, numerous Arab aristocrats were slaughtered, which led to the conflict being called the "Battle of the Nobles"...
in late 740.
Kulthum was give a fresh Arab army of 30,000, raised from the regiments (junds) of the east - specifically, Damascus, Jordan, Qinnasrin
Qinnasrin
Qinnasrin , was a historical town in northern Syria. It gained fame as an important religious and cultural centre of Syriac Christians before the coming of Islamic conquests....
, Emesa (Hims), Palestine and Egypt. The military command of this elite 'Syrian' army was given to Kulthum's nephew and designated successor Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri
Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri
Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri ; was a Syrian Arab military commander in North Africa and Iberia, and briefly ruler of al-Andalus in 742....
and the vice-command to the designated second successor, Thalaba ibn Salama al-Amili
Thalaba ibn Salama al-Amili
Tha'laba ibn Salama al-Amili was a Arab military commander in Jordan, North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, and briefly ruler of al-Andalus from August 742 to May 743....
.
Kulthum ibn Iyad arrived in the environs of Kairouan
Kairouan
Kairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...
in the summer of 741. He did not enter the city, but dispatched a messenger assigning the government of the city to Abd al-Rahman ibn Oqba al-Ghaffari, the qadi
Qadi
Qadi is a judge ruling in accordance with Islamic religious law appointed by the ruler of a Muslim country. Because Islam makes no distinction between religious and secular domains, qadis traditionally have jurisdiction over all legal matters involving Muslims...
of Ifriqiya. Kulthum then hurried along the coast to make junction with the remaining Ifriqiyan forces of Habib ibn Abi Obeida, then holding ground against the Berber rebellion around Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
.
The junction between the African and Syrian forces did not go smoothly. The Syrian commanders, particularly Balj ibn Bishr, treated their Ifriqiyan counterparts in high-minded and disdainful fashion, and the armies nearly came to blows. Kulthum ibn Iyad papered over the differences and kept the armies together.
The armies moved down the Sebou river
Sebou River
Sebou is a river in northern Morocco. The river is 458 kilometres long and has an average water flow of 137 m3/s, which makes it the largest North African river by volume. The source is in the Middle Atlas mountains. It passes near the city of Fes and discharges to the Atlantic Ocean in Mehdia...
into central Morocco, where they finally encountered the Berber rebel army of Khalid ibn Hamid al-Zanati
Khalid ibn Hamid al-Zanati
Khalid ibn Hamid al-Zanati was a Zenata Berber chieftain and military commander during the Berber Revolt of the 740s against the Umayyads in the Maghreb....
. Disdaining the advice of the experienced Ifriqiyans, Kulthum ibn Iyad made several tactical errors which led to the disastrous defeat of the Arab army at the Battle of Bagdoura
Battle of Bagdoura
The Battle of Bagdoura 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...
in October 741. Kulthum ibn Iyad was killed in the field. His nephew, Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri
Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri
Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri ; was a Syrian Arab military commander in North Africa and Iberia, and briefly ruler of al-Andalus in 742....
, managed to rescue what remained of the Syrian army and ferried them over to al-Andalus in early 742.
See also
- Great Berber RevoltBerber RevoltThe Great Berber Revolt of 739/740-743 AD took place during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik and marked the first successful secession from the Arab caliphate...
- History of early Islamic TunisiaHistory of early Islamic TunisiaThe History of early Islamic Tunisia opens with the arrival of the Arabs who brought their language and the religion of Islam, and its calendar. The Arab conquest followed strategy designed by the Umayyad Caliphate regarding ist long-term conflict with the Byzantine Empire...
- History of medieval TunisiaHistory of medieval TunisiaThe medieval era opens with the commencement of a process that would return Ifriqiya, i.e., Tunisia, and the entire Maghrib to local Berber rule. The precipitating cause was the departure of the Shia Fatimid Caliphate to their newly conquered territories in Egypt. To govern Ifriqiya in their stead,...