Abu Hammu II

Abu Hammu was born in Spain in 1323/1324, was educated and raised at the court of Tlemcen . His father Abu Yakub Yusuf led an ascetic life and lived in Morocco , and in 1348 he refused the throne proposed by his brothers. Uncles Abu Hammu II, Abu Sayyed Utman II and Abu Tabid I , were defeated by the Marinids in 1352 , and Tlemcen was occupied by the Moroccans for seven years. Abu Hammu was able to escape and found refuge at the Hafsid court of Tunisia. After some time, the Hafsids entered the war with the Marinids and placed Abu Hamm at the head of the army with which he recaptured Tlemcen. On February 9, 1359, he was proclaimed emir, at the age of 37.

First Reign (1359-1360)

In the spring of 1360, the Marinids, led by Sultan Abu Salim Ali II , with the support of the kingdom of Castile , launched a new attack on Tlemcen. To counter it, Abu Hammu asked for the support of Pedro IV of Aragon , who sent Admiral Mateo Mercer to him with four galleys - two Catalan and two Majorcan (the Kingdom of Valencia did not provide ships) ^[1] . At Annaba, Mercer was defeated by five Castilian galleys and sent to Castile, where he was executed by order of Pedro the Cruel ^[2] . Abu Hammu II fled to the desert, and the Moroccans occupied Tlemcen on May 21 . Marinidov was accompanied by the hated prince Abu l-Abbas Ahmad, who later became the Hafsid Sultan (1370-1394). Abu Hammu did not stop the fight and carried out an attack in the Muluya region, burned Gersif and occupied the area of ​​Angad. Finally, the exhausted Marinides were forced to evacuate Tlemcen.

Second Reign (1360-1370)

After the retreat of the Marinids, Abu Hammu, with the support of loyal tribes, regained control of the city and state. In September 1361, the ruler of Fez, Abu Salim Ibrahim, was killed, and the Marinid state entered a period of turmoil and could no longer fight the Abdalwadids.

At that time, Abu Hammu's cousin, Abu Muhammad al-Kobba Zayyan, son of Abu Sayyed Utman , with the support of the Beni Amer clan led by Khalid ibn Amer, rebelled and proclaimed himself the Sultan, but in 1362 they were defeated by the forces of Abu Hammu and fled to Tunisia.

In 1362, the father of Abu Hammu Yakub ibn Yusuf died, his remains were taken to Tlemcen. In 1364, the vizier of Sultan Marinid Abu Zayyan Muhammad III Umar began an expedition against Tlemcen. Abu Hammu II sent an army against the enemy, which forced the Marinids to retreat, but thoughtless pursuit turned into a counterattack of the enemy, and the Abdalvadids fled. Abu Hammu II was besieged in Tlemcen by the Marinid army, led by Abu Zayyan Muhammad himself. Abu Hamm managed to drive a wedge into the relationship between the Sultan and his allied tribes, and Abu Zayyan Muhammad was forced to retreat west. He returned in 1365/1366, but was killed by Abu Faris Abd al-Aziz al-Mustansir ibn Ali , who is ascended to the throne of Morocco .

On January 14, 1365, Algeria suffered an earthquake and was largely destroyed.

Around 1365, Dellis fell into the hands of the Hafsids, and the sultan Abu Ishaq Ibrahim II al-Muntasir transferred him under the control of Abu Zayyan ibn Utman, but he was arrested some time later by the emir of Konstantina Abul-Abbas . In 1366, Abu Hammu attacked Bejaia . In response, Abul-Abbas freed Abu Zayan, gave him a small army and proclaimed Abdalvadid Sultan. Abu Zayyan attacked the flank of the Abu Hammu II camp and defeated his troops. Abu Hamm had to flee, leaving a harem in the hands of the enemy. He reached Algeria, from where he was able to return to Tlemcen at the end of August 1366 . In honor of the victory, Abu Zayyan received the beloved wife of Abu Hammu named Khawla Zabiya from the Hafsid Sultan, in addition, thousands of soldiers from Arab tribes joined him. In 1367, he was ready to seize power. The clans of Taalib and Hossein supported him. Abu Hammu decided to act, moved his army east and, thanks to a series of successful military operations, put the rebels in a difficult position. Then he sent as an ambassador to Abu Zayyan, who eventually signed an agreement under which he renounced all claims to the throne and received compensation and “pension”.

In March 1368, Abu Hammu II took on the service of Ibn Khaldun’s brother, Yahya ibn Khaldun, who helped him achieve good relations with the tribes. Yahya was soon appointed royal secretary. In 1370, the Hossein clan accused Yahya ibn Khaldun of recruiting soldiers on their lands. The clan revolted and called on Abu Zayan, who seized the land before Medea ( 1371 ).

In 1372, Sultan Marinid Abu Faris Abd al-Aziz al-Mustansir invaded the possession of Tlemcen. Abu Hammu was about to fight the invaders, but when he found out that they were being led to the city by the Arabs of the Maclius clan, he surrendered his capital for the third time and fled. The Sultan occupied Tlemcen and sent General Ibn-Razi to block the Titeri Mountains, where Abu Zayyan remained at the head of the Hossein rebels. However, the rebel position was very strong.

At this time, Abu Hammu sought support from the tribes. The Banu Rii clan drove him out, and Abu Hamm had to flee south, accompanied by Beni Amer militia members. Soon, the Marinids tried to seize the lands of the border tribes, who eventually sent ambassadors to Abu Hamm. Tribal militias besieged Ujda, and the Marinid army sent from Tlemcen could not defeat them. At the same time, in July 1372, the Hossein clan, driven to starvation by the blockade, surrendered, but Abu Zayyan was able to escape.

After the news of the death of the Sultan Abul al-Fariz, the Marinids abandoned Tlemcen and returned to Fez, and Abu Hammu II re-entered the capital and was met by the inhabitants (December 1372 ).

Third Reign (1372-1383)

Abu Hammu asked Ahmed ibn Muzni, Emir Biskra, to pursue Abu Zayyan, and also ordered Yahya ibn Khaldun to arrest the rebels in Jebel Gamr. Ibn Khaldun went to the mountains of Ghram, but Abu Zayyan could escape to central Maghrib.

In 1374, a massive death of cattle led to severe hunger in the region; cases of cannibalism were recorded. In the same year, Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Ibrahim ascended the throne of Fez, who was not very concerned about the Abdalwadids, which allowed them to seize territories east of Muluyi.

In the spring of 1375, Khalid ibn Amer and Salim ibn Ibrahim, Sheikh of the Taalib clan, proclaimed Abu Zayyan Sultan in Algeria . Abu Hammu mobilized and in 1377 dispersed the rebel forces. Meanwhile, the Sultan Marinid Abu l-Abbas Ahmad, having suppressed the troubles, regained the shores of Muluyi ( 1378 ), and Abu Hammu II, frightened by the new invasion, recognized himself his vassal.

In 1378, Abu Zayyan took over the leadership of the new uprising. Abu Hammu started the campaign again, as a result of which his son Abd-ar-Rahman Abu-Taishufin (later Abu-Tashufin II ) defeated the rebels who suffered heavy losses, but Abu Zayyan was still recognized as a Taalib sultan. Abu Hammu went with new troops in support of his son, but this time the rebels did not expect him in the open, but instead retired to the Titeri Mountains, from where they began to conduct raids. Abu Hamm, in the end, was able to pacify the rebel tribes and demanded surrender of the rebel. In Tozeur, Abu Zayyan was finally caught and imprisoned, where he died many years later.

Until 1382, the Marinids were in a state of civil war, and Abu Hammu took advantage of this, devastating the valley of the Muluya river and besieging the Taza, but, in the end, was forced to retreat when Abu-l-Abbas Ahmad regained power in Fes. The Marinids avenged Tlemen in 1383 . During a new invasion, Abu Hammu escaped from the capital at night, and the Marinid army occupied it. But internal difficulties led to the early return of the Marinids to Fes, and Abu Hammu II returned to the looted city.

Fourth reign (1384-1389)

In the last years of his life, Abu Hammu was in conflict with his son Abu Tashufin, which ultimately ended in the conspiracy and overthrow of Abu Hammu by his son in January 1387 . He was sent to Oran , Abu Tashufin II was proclaimed a sultan and went to fight with his brothers, Mohammed al-Muntasir (Governor of Oran), Muhammad Abu Zayyan (Governor of Dellis) and Umar (lieutenant of Mohammed al-Muntasir). Abu Hamm II managed to escape and return to Tlemcen, where he was met as a sultan. Abu Tashufin quickly entered the capital, and Abu Hammu took refuge in a mosque, but was captured and again imprisoned in the palace. After some time, he asked for permission to go on a pilgrimage and settle in Mecca, for which he received permission. A Catalan ship was hired for the voyage, sailing to Alexandria, but barely leaving the sea, Abu Hammu bribed the Catalan captain, who helped him disarm the guards. On the shore, Abu Hammu was met by Abul Abbas, the grandson of Sultan Abu al-Abbas Ahmad , who helped him meet with his sons Mohammed al-Muntasir, Muhammad Abu Zayyan and Umar. Arriving at Mitiju, Abu Hammu gathered Arab tribes and formed an army with which he went to Tlemen. He stopped near Uddd, where he began to accumulate strength. At the same time, the tribes left Abu Tashufin II, who fled from Tlemcen to the desert, and then to Fez to turn to the Marinids for help. Abu Hammu again regained power.

In 1389, Abu Tashufin opposed Tlemcen at the head of the Marinid army, but was defeated by his brother Umar. The retreating forces of Abu Tashufin were met in the southern part of the Beni Urnid area by the Tlemcen army, led by Abu Hammu himself. A horse fell beneath him during the battle, and Abu Hammu was mortally wounded. In this battle, Umar was captured, who was executed by Abu Tashufin upon arrival in Tlemcen. Abu Taishufin II again occupied the capital and regained the throne. In gratitude for the help, he recognized himself as a vassal of the Marinids and promised to pay an annual tribute. The Moroccans, in turn, returned to Fez.

Abu Hammu had about 80 children, including 16 Maltese: Abu Tashufin Abd al-Rahman (his successor), Muhammad al-Muntasir (Governor of Oran), Muhammad Abu Zayyan (Governor of Medea), Yusuf, Umar († 1389 ), al-Nassir, Usman, Faris, Abd-Allu, Ahmad, al-Saeed, Ali, Yakub, Abu Bakr, Daoud, Zayan. Of his direct descendants, four were sultans:

• Abu Tashufin II (1389-1393)
• Aboul Hajjaj I Yusuf (1393)
• Muhammad Abu Zayyan II (1393-1399)
• Abu Mu I (1399-1401)

Abu Hammu also wrote a treatise on political morality. His secretary and historian of the dynasty was Yahya ibn Khaldun, who was killed in 780 by Ramadan (1378/1379) by order of Abu Tashufin II.

• Bel, A .. "Abū Ḥammū II." Encyclopaedia of Islam , segona edició. Editada per: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, CE Bosworth, E. van Donzel, WP Heinrichs. Brill Online, 2016. Referència. 25 de maig de 2016 < http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/abu-hammu-ii-SIM_0193 >
• Histoire des Beni Zeiyan pel xeic Mohammed Abd'al-Djalil al-Tenesy, traducció de l'abat Bargès
• Abat JJL Bargès, Complément de l'histoire des Beni-Zeiyan, rois de Tlemcen, ouvrage du cheikh Mohammed Abd'al-Djalil al-Tenesy , París 1887
• La période des dynasties berbères musulmanes
• Article, "Revolte du prince zianide d'Abu-Zeyane-Mohamed", extracte del lliber L'Histoire de l'Afrique Septentrionale per Ernest Mercier