A.H. 73–86.
treated as an inferior race; and Kuseila, one of their chiefs who had embraced Islām, was embittered by being put to some menial office.Reverses in Africa. Carrying his countrymen with him, and joining the Greeks, this rebel advanced with an overwhelming force against ʿOḳba, who was slain, and his whole army destroyed at a place called Tahūdha, south-east of Biskra in Algeria, where the mosque containing his tomb may still be seen. Kuseila thereupon occupied Ḳairawān, but entered into an agreement to respect the Muslim families (now his co-religionists) settled there. Most of the Arabs then retired to Egypt, and it was not till 69 A.H. that anything further was attempted. In that year, ʿAbd al-Melik sent an army under Zuheir, one of ʿOḳba's old commanders, who, in a great battle, having slain Kuseila, beat both the Greeks and Berbers. But these, reinforced by sea from Sicily, again advancing, took Zuheir unawares, and cut his entire force to pieces.
Conquests in West Africa,
74 A.H.
693 A.D.Such repeated calamities were sorely felt at Damascus; but some years elapsed before steps could be taken to restore the prestige of the Muslim arms. At last in 74 A.H. an army, "greater than ever before had entered the land of Africa," was despatched under command of Ḥassān ibn an-Noʿmān al-Ghassāni. From Ḳairawān they marched to Carthage, and put to flight the Greeks and Berbers massed in great numbers for its defence. Then they stormed the city,—the inhabitants escaping as best they could by sea to Sicily and Spain,—took much booty, and prisoners without number; and having destroyed many of the Roman buildings, and ravaged the country far and near, returned to Ḳairawān. But good fortune had not yet dawned on African adventure. A "priestess" (Kāhina) wielding a mysterious influence had succeeded Kuseila: and she, inspiring the Berbers with new courage, inflicted signal defeat on Ḥassān, who was driven back on Barḳa, and there for five years forced to remain inactive.[1] Then, reinforced by the Caliph, he overthrew the priestess, who was slain in the fight. Thereupon, her sons, with 12,000 of their army, joined the Muslim force, which then reoccupied Ḳairawān. Islām now spread rapidly amongst the natives. Ḥassān remained in command till
- ↑ He fortified the place, and "The Castles of Ḥassān," says Ibn al-Athīr, "are known by his name to the present day."
