11th century – 12th century
Central Maghrib
The Hammadid Dynasty emerged when Hammad ibn Bulukkīn established an autonomous Sanhāja state in the central Maghrib. Its first capital, the Kalʿa of the Banū Hammad, occupied a strategic position over trade routes and a broad surrounding region. Pressure from the Banū Hilāl and rival Berber groups later forced the dynasty to transfer its capital to Bidjāya, while the state remained entangled in the fragmentation of Maghriban politics.
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The Story
Hammad ibn Bulukkīn, uncle of the Zirid ruler Bādīs, restored order in the central Maghrib after Zanata attacks and revolts threatened the Zirid realm. In recognition of his military success, Bādīs granted him extensive fiefs. Hammad then founded his own capital, the fortress known as the Kalʿa of the Banū Hammad, in 398/1007–8.
The Kalʿa occupied a strategic location superior to Ashīr, the original Zirid seat. It dominated important trade routes and a large surrounding region, allowing Hammad to transform military authority into an independent political base. In 405/1015 he proclaimed independence, severed relations with the Fatimids, and transferred his allegiance to the Abbasids.
The Hammadids ruled the central Maghrib while the Zirids retained Ifrikiya. Their state continued to fight the Zanata and sometimes the Zirids, although the two Sanhāja branches eventually reached an uneasy peace. The arrival of the Banū Hilāl intensified the pressure on the Hammadid polity, and al-Nāsir later abandoned the Kalʿa for Bidjāya, which became the new capital.
11th century – 12th century
Central Maghrib
The Hammadid Dynasty emerged when Hammad ibn Bulukkīn established an autonomous Sanhāja state in the central Maghrib. Its first capital, the Kalʿa of the Banū Hammad, occupied a strategic position over trade routes and a broad surrounding region. Pressure from the Banū Hilāl and rival Berber groups later forced the dynasty to transfer its capital to Bidjāya, while the state remained entangled in the fragmentation of Maghriban politics.
Continue exploring
The Story
Hammad ibn Bulukkīn, uncle of the Zirid ruler Bādīs, restored order in the central Maghrib after Zanata attacks and revolts threatened the Zirid realm. In recognition of his military success, Bādīs granted him extensive fiefs. Hammad then founded his own capital, the fortress known as the Kalʿa of the Banū Hammad, in 398/1007–8.
The Kalʿa occupied a strategic location superior to Ashīr, the original Zirid seat. It dominated important trade routes and a large surrounding region, allowing Hammad to transform military authority into an independent political base. In 405/1015 he proclaimed independence, severed relations with the Fatimids, and transferred his allegiance to the Abbasids.
The Hammadids ruled the central Maghrib while the Zirids retained Ifrikiya. Their state continued to fight the Zanata and sometimes the Zirids, although the two Sanhāja branches eventually reached an uneasy peace. The arrival of the Banū Hilāl intensified the pressure on the Hammadid polity, and al-Nāsir later abandoned the Kalʿa for Bidjāya, which became the new capital.
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