Abu Yazid

Quick Facts: Who was Abu Yazid?

Subject:

Abu Yazid

Known for:

Kharijite Berber leader who led a major rebellion against the Fatimid Caliphate in North Africa.

Born:

873

Died:

947-08-19

Century / Era:

873s Historical Era Archive

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Abū Yazīd Makhlad ibn Kaydād (Arabic: أبو يزيد مخلد بن كيداد;‎ c. 873 – 19 August 947), was a member of the Ibadi sect. He opposed the Ismaili Shia rule of the Fatimids in North Africa and sought to restore Ibadi dominance in the region. Known as the Man on the Donkey (Arabic: صاحب الحمار, romanized: Ṣāhib al-Himār) due to his humble means of transport, Abu Yazid led a rebellion against the Fatimid Caliphate in Ifriqiya (modern Tunisia and eastern Algeria) starting in 944, rallying various Berber tribes and disaffected groups against the Fatimids. His forces initially achieved significant victories, even threatening the Fatimid capital of al-Mahdiyya. Abu Yazid conquered Kairouan for a time, but was eventually driven back and defeated by the Fatimid caliph al-Mansur bi-Nasr Allah in 947, Abu Yazid escaped following a siege, but was wounded and captured.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He died of his wounds several days later. Abu Yazid's father Kaydad was a Zenata Berber from Taqyus or Tozeur in the district of Chott el Djerid, then still known by its ancient name, Qastiliya. Kaydad was a trans-Saharan trader, and during his travels took as concubine a Hawwara or Black African slave, Sabika. Abu Yazid was born c. 874 south of the Sahara, at Tadmakka or Gao. Coupled with his mother's descent, this brought him the sobriquet "the Black Ethiop" (al-Habashi al-Aswad).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Abu Yazid returned with his father to Qitun near Tozeur, where Kaydad died shortly after. The orphaned boy survived through alms, and in his youth became a schoolmaster in the area of Qitun, Tozeur, and Taqyus. Likely raised as a Kharijite from infancy, Abu Yazid went to Tahert to study the Ibadi doctrine (madhhab); at the time, Tahert was still the seat of an Ibadi imam of the Rustamid dynasty, who was widely acknowledged by the North African Kharijites as their spiritual leader. Abu Yazid was an eyewitness to the end of the Ibadi imamate in 909: after the overthrow of the Aghlabid emirate by the Isma'ili preacher Abu Abdallah al-Shi'i and his Kutama followers, the latter marched west to Sijilmasa, to bring his hidden master, Abdallah al-Mahdi Billah, back to Ifriqiya to assume the throne of the Fatimid Caliphate. On the way, the Kutama overthrew and executed the Rustamid imam, and installed a Fatimid governor in his place.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 873: Birth of Abu Yazid — Kharijite Berber leader who led a major rebellion against the Fatimid Caliphate in North Africa.
2. 947 (0947-08-19): Passing & Historical Legacy — Abu Yazid passed away on 0947-08-19, leaving an enduring historical legacy.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Abu Yazid

True or False: “Abu Yazid's nickname, 'Man on the Donkey,' was derived from his actual mode of transportation during his rebellion.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The epithet Ṣāhib al-Himār (Man on the Donkey) was given to him due to his humble means of transport while leading his forces.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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