Mark, Joshua J. The Byzantine Empire was still in control of Carthage and the Maghreb at this time and the Byzantine Governor Count Gregory the Patrician mounted a defense against the invasion. Confidentialité & Cookies : Ce site utilise des cookies. ( Déconnexion / Legends suggest she could communicate with birds who were able to warn her of advancing armies. Changer ), Vous commentez à l’aide de votre compte Twitter. Umayyad Conquest, 7th & 8th Centuries CEby Romain0 (Public Domain). Kahina Kanoun en pleine préparation de son flash info est imperturbable face a Cyril Jamet :) The two main tribes in the region were known as the Masaesyli, to the west, and the Massylii to the east. Masinissa united these tribes as the Kingdom of Numidia which was later divided between Mauretania and Rome following the so-called Jugurthine War (112-105 BCE) initiated by Masinissa's grandson Jugurtha (r. 118-105 BCE) against Rome. It is likely, therefore, that they did the same in North Africa with later writers then blaming the widespread destruction on the queen who had led the resistance against them. ( Déconnexion / At this time, he may have been succeeded by his wife (or another female relative) named Koceila who reigned as queen. "Kahina." The site was chosen for its relative safety from attacks by the Imazighen who had already mobilized to resist the Arabs through guerilla tactics. Arab forces had already conquered Mesopotamia and Egypt by 647 CE, converting the populace to Islam, when they moved toward the Maghreb. Her head was then cut off and brought to Hasan as a trophy. http://blip.tv/file/get/KahinaKanoun-BarackObamaForeignPolicy920.mp3. At this point in her story, there are two possible narratives. Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization. Aksel agreed, was released (or escaped), and then threw his army at the Arabs, defeating Uqba ibn Nafi’s forces and killing him in 683 CE. Last modified March 16, 2018. These historians, as well as other legends, claim that she was a Jewish sorceress who descended from the Beta Israelcommunity of Ethiopian Jews. Libyan Figure Statueby Guillaume Blanchard (CC BY-SA). http://blip.tv/file/get/KahinaKanoun-Les10AnsDuPACS948.mp3. Thank you! She was born in the early 7th century and died around the end of … Using the native religion as a rallying point, he was able to attract more recruits to his army. Dihya or Al-Kahina (The Prophetess, Arabic: الكاهنة ), was a Berber queen and a religious and military leader who led indigenous resistance to the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb, the region then known as Numidia. ( Déconnexion / Avertissez-moi par e-mail des nouveaux articles. Books These historians, as well as other legends, claim that she was a Jewish sorceress who descended from the Beta Israel community of Ethiopian Jews. 28 Sep 2020. She remained an obscure figure until she was seized upon by the French in the 19th century CE to support their military initiative in Algeria: a freedom fighter battling Arab aggression. Although Kahina is commonly referred to as a “Berber Queen”, the indigenous people of the region know her as an Imazighen, which is the more accurate term. It may be, however, that the Arab armies themselves used the scorched earth tactic and later Arab writers attributed the destruction of the land to Kahina. His life was spared but he was ordered to disband his troops and convert them to Islam. She is said to have been a royal member of the Jarawa tribe within the larger confederacy known as the Zenata Tribe of Mauretania; a princess, who then became queen and ruled over an autonomous state in the area of the Aures Mountains in modern-day northeastern Algeria. Hasan remobilized his troops and furiously took the city of Carthage in 698 CE. (2018, March 16). Dates given for her death vary between 698, 702, and 705 CE, although the historical evidence suggests that the date of 698 CE is too early and her final battle was in either 702 or 705 CE. He was captured by the Arab forces but was allowed to live, perhaps because of his knowledge of their religion or perhaps he pretended to still be Muslim. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 16 Mar 2018.