War of Andalusian Independence (836-838)
The
War of Andalusian Independence was a military conflict which occurred in northern
Italia. The war began as a rebellion against the
Abbasid governor of the province of
Ruma al-Gharbiya (northern Italia),
Hatim ibn Harthama ibn A’yan; due to longstanding cultural ties between the Muslim nobility of Ruma al-Gharbiya and
al-Andalus, the governor of the latter province joined the conflict. The rebellion in Ruma al-Gharbiya had its root in multiple causes: the forced separation of northern Italia from Andalusia to establish the new province; the perceived marginalisation of the Arab-Berber elite (descended from the original Andalusian conquerors) in favour of the
abna al-dawla and other recent immigrants; the governors’ reliance on Christian Romans in the administration; and the creation of a
saqaliba army.
In 836 CE, after news of the
Zanj Revolt had spread west, Arab, Berber, and converted Lombard nobles banded together and declared their allegiance to the governor of al-Andalus,
Habib ibn Muhammad al-Fihri. The hesitation on the part of the latter resulted in his swift removal via coup and the succession to his relative
Abd al-Rahman ibn Khalid ibn al-Qasim al-Fihri. The latter immediately set upon an expedition to join forces with the rebels. Hatim ibn Harthama ibn A’yan simultaneously requested aid from the central Abbasid government in
Baghdad. The rebels, under the leadership of the Berber
Abu Imran Zallu ibn Yusuf al-Matmata’i, joined with the army of al-Fihri and achieved success early on in the campaign. This success included the killing of the governor’s able lieutenant
Tahir ibn al-Husayn al-Mus’abi. Later in the year Abbasid reinforcements under the command of
ghulam Bugha al-Kabir arrived on the west coast. The
ghulam’s army faced increasing resistance from the local populace which prevented him reinforcing the governor to the north. Consequently Hatim ibn Harthama ibn A’yan himself was killed in battle, leaving local Abbasid soldiers under the capable leadership of
Ibrahim ibn al-Husayn al-Mus’abi. Though the war appeared to have shifted in the rebels’ favour, the following year saw a series of indecisive battles which wore down the numbers of Italo-Andalusian leaders. At the same time, Ibrahim ibn al-Husayn al-Mus’abi worked closely with the former governor’s
wazir al-Fadl ibn Marwan to entice the rebels to surrender through amnesties and promises of inclusive government. The burgeoning military effectiveness of the Abbasid
saqaliba, combined with the government’s reconciliation campaign, proved successful and the rebellion gradually came to an end in 838 CE. Once Abd al-Rahman ibn Khalid ibn al-Qasim al-Fihri realised that his cause was lost, he retreated to the territory of the
Nicaean League whereupon he declared himself an independent emir. Ibrahim ibn al-Husayn al-Mus’abi prevented Bugha al-Kabir’s army from pursuing the Andalusians and he sent the reinforcements back to Baghdad with the request of appointment to the currently vacant governorships of Ruma al-Gharbiya and al-Andalus; both were accepted by the caliph’s
wazir Sa’id ibn Yahya ibn Abu Mansur.
To the surprise of many contemporary observers, Ibrahim ibn al-Husayn al-Mus’abi honoured his promises of reconciliation and reintegrated the Andalusian Arab-Berbers, as well as some Muslim Lombards, into governance of the province thus maintaining a precarious balancing act. The
al-Mus’abi family were able to retain the governorships of Ruma al-Gharbiya and al-Andalus (though the latter was titular) through outward loyalty and obedience to the caliph in Baghdad. In reality however, the Abbasid Caliphate or its de facto rulers had little authority over the provinces and lacked the capability to assert that authority. On the other hand, the
Fihrid dynasty in Andalusia began the process of extrapolating their already highly autonomous existence into an entirely
independent state, culminating in the eventual declaration of a
new caliphate.
