TheBanu Ifran (Arabic:بنو يفرن,Banu Yafran) orIfranids,[1] were aZenataBerber tribe prominent in the history of pre-Islamic and early Islamic North Africa. In the 8th century, they established akingdom in the central Maghreb, withTlemcen as its capital.
Prior to the 8th century, the Banu Ifran resisted or revolted against foreign occupiers—Romans,Vandals, andByzantines—of their territory inAfrica. In the seventh century, they sided withKahina in her resistance against the MuslimUmayyad invaders. In the eighth century they mobilized around theSufri dogma,revolting against the Arab Umayyads andAbbasids.
In the 10th century they founded a dynasty opposed to theFatimids, theZirids, the Umayyads, theHammadids and theMaghraoua. The Banu Ifran were defeated by theAlmoravids and the invading Arabs (theBanu Hilal and theBanu Sulaym)[2] at the end of the 11th century.The Ifranid dynasty[3] was recognized as the only dynasty that defended the indigenous people of the Maghreb, by the Romans referred to as theAfricani.[4]In 11th centuryIberia, the Ifranids founded aTaifa of Ronda in 1039[5] atRonda in Andalusia and governed fromCordoba for several centuries.[6]
According toIbn Khaldun, the Banu Ifran are named after an ancestor, Ifri, whose name inBerber languages meant "cavern".[1]
The oldest mentions concerning the Banu Ifran situate the bulk of their people in the western region ofMauretania Caesariensis.[7] The Banu Ifran were one of the four major tribes of theZenata orGaetulia[8] confederation in theAurès Mountains, and were known as expert cavalrymen. According to Ibn Khaldun, "Ifrinides" or "Ait Ifren" successfully resisted Romans, Vandals and Byzantines who sought to occupy North Africa before the arrival of the Muslim armies. According toCorippus in hisIohannis,[9] during the reign ofJustinian I between 547 and 550, the Banu Ifran challenged the Byzantine armies underJohn Troglita to war.[10][11][12]
At the time of theArab-Muslim conquests, they were located in the region ofYafran inTripolitania (present-dayLibya). The conquests most likely caused them to move from there to theAurès region, and an Abbasid invasion ofIfriqiya in 761 likely made them move further into what is now north-westernAlgeria.[13] Their chiefAbu Qurra founded the city ofTlemcen in this region in 765 (over the site of the former Roman city of Pomaria) and established anemirate based here.[1][13]
In the 10th century the Ifranids were enemies with theFatimid Caliphate, aligning themselves with theMaghrawa tribe and theUmayyad Caliphate of Córdoba, although they themselves becameKharijites. Led byAbu Yazid, they surged east and attackedKairouan in 945. Another leader,Yala ibn Mohammed capturedOran and constructed a new capital, Ifgan, nearMascara. Under the leadership of their able generalJawhar, who killed Ya'la, in battle in 954,[14] the Fatimids struck back and destroyed Ifgan, and for some time afterward the Banu Ifran reverted to being scatterednomads in perpetual competition with theirSanhaja neighbours. Some settled in regions of Spain, such asMálaga. Others, led by Hammama, managed to gain control of the Moroccan province ofTadla. Later, led by Abu al-Kamāl, they established a new capital atSalé on the Atlantic coast, though this brought them into conflict with theBarghawata tribes on the seaboard.[citation needed] The Banu Ifran had also founded Tadla and Sale where Tamim ibn Ziri built theGreat Mosque of Sale.[15][16][17] the Ifrenid emirate fell in 1058, after a Hilalian invasion on western Algeria, in which the Banu Ifren led byAbu Soda collaborated with theHammadids but were defeated nevertheless, and Abu Soda was killed[18][19] however, their capitulation was not caused by the Arab invasion, as after suffering defeat, Hammadid leaderBuluggin ibn Muhammad expediated to Tlemcen in the same year, sacking it and disperising the Banu Ifren into many different tribes[20] it was not until 1066 that the Almoravids led by Ibn Tashfin finished off the tribes by capturing Tlemcen and effectively ending the Banu Ifren.[21][22]
During the 11th century, the Banu Ifran contested with the Maghrawa tribe for the control of the Maghreb al-Aqsa (present-day Morocco) after the fall of theIdrisid dynasty. Ya'la's son Yaddū tookFes by surprise in January 993 and held it for some months until the Maghrawa rulerZiri ibn Atiyya returned from Spain and reconquered the region.
In 1029, the Banu Ifran led byTemimconqueredTamesna from theBarghawata, Temim then expulsed half the population and putting the rest to slavery, he managed to then put his residence there.[23][24]
In May or June 1033,Fes was recaptured by Ya'la's grandson Tamīm. Fanatically devoted to religion, he began a persecution of the Jews,[25] and is said to have killed 6000 of their men while confiscating their wealth and women, butIbn Khaldun says only persecution without killing.[26] It was described to have been a bloodbath and the women were reduced to slavery while the men were massacred.[27][28] Sometime in the period 1038–1040 the Maghrawa tribe retookFes, forcing Tamīm to flee toSalé.
Soon after that time, theAlmoravids began their rise to power and effectively conquered both the Banu Ifran and their brother-rivals the Maghrawa.
The Banu Ifran were influential in al-Andalus (present-day Spain) in the 11th century AD: the Ifran house of Corra ruled the Andalusian city ofRonda.Yeddas was the military leader of the Berber troops who were at war against the Christian king and El Mehdi.Abu Nour or Nour of the house of Corra became lord of Ronda and thenSeville in Andalusia from 1023 to 1039 and from 1039 to 1054. The son ofNour bin Badis Hallal ruled Ronda from 1054 to 1057, andAbu Nacer from 1057 to 1065.[29][better source needed]
Among the Ifran,animism was the principal spiritual philosophy. Ifri was also the name of aBerber deity, and their name may have an origin in their beliefs.[30]Ifru rites symbolized in caves were held to gain favor or protection for merchants and traders. The myth of this protection is befittingly depicted on Roman coins.[31][32]
Ifru was regarded as a sun goddess, cave goddess and protector of the home.[33][34] Ifru or Ifran was regarded as a Berber version of Vesta.
Dihya, usually referred to as theKahina, was theJarawa Berber queen, prophetess, and leader of the non-Muslim response to the advancing Arab armies. Some historians claim Kahina was Christian,[35] or a follower of the Judaic faith,[25][36][37] though few of the Ifran were Christians, even after more than half a millennium of Christianity among the urban populations and the more sedentary tribes. Ibn Khaldun simply states that the Ifran were Berbers, and says nothing of their religion before the advent of Islam.
The Banu Ifran were opposed to the Sunnis of the Arab armies. They eventually converted, but joined the Kharidjite movement within Islam.Ibn Khaldun claimed that the "Zenata people say they are Muslims but they still oppose the Arab army".[38][39] After 711, the Berbers were systematically converted to Islam and many became devout members of the faith.
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| Preceded by | Ifrinid Dynasty 950- 1066 | Succeeded by |