Period of Idrisid Rule (jan 1, 788 – jan 1, 985)

Description:

The Idrisids were the first independent Shi’ite state that developed in the Maghreb. The Idrisids are an important aspect of the Maghreb history as it marks the beginning of a Shi’ite state and was one of the major independent states in North Africa. They established the system of Sharifian rule whereby the state is governed by a king who is a descendant of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w, also known as Sayyid.

The founding of the Idrisids started with Ishaq ibn Abd al-Hamid who was a chief of a tribal confederation known as Awraba. Ishaq had the desire to consolidate rule on North Africa by applying Islamic religious teachings in the government. He invited Idris ibn Abd Allah who is believed to be a descendant Ali ibn Abi Talib and was persecuted by the Abbasids. Idris fled to Maghreb and settled in modern-day Tangier before he moved to Walila by the invitation of Ishaq in 788. He was proclaimed as Imam which threatened the Abbasids, resulting in his assassination in 791.

His son, Idris II was proclaimed Imam in 803 at a young age. He moved the capital to Fez in 809. The city became a centre for Islamic learning with the establishment of the University of Al Quaraouiyine. The state declined during the reign of Muhammad (828-836) where internal conflicts intensified in addition to attacks of the Fatimids. Their former allies allied themselves with their enemies, the Umayyads of Cordoba. In 921, they were defeated by the Fatimids and driven out of Fez.

Sources:
http://africanhistory.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.001.0001/acrefore-9780190277734-e-321?print

https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Africa/From-the-Arab-conquest-to-1830

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Idrisid_dynasty

Added to timeline:

Date:

Images: