HAMMADID

The Hammadid Dynasty began when the Zirid ruler, Buluggin I, appointed his son [i] Hammad ibn Buluggin to govern over the Zirid’s western lands. Hammad cultivated the land and built a prosperous qal‘a (fortress) in the Hodna mountains near the M’Sila region [ii]. This settlement developed into the Hammadid’s capital, Qal‘a Bani Hammād. After splitting from the Fatimids [iii] in 1048, the local Almohad Tribe [iv] besieged Qal‘a Bani Hammād and forced the Hammadid to move their capital and empire to Bejaïa, present-day Northern Algeria. They enjoyed success until the siege and capture of both Qal‘a Bani and Bejaïa [v] by the Almohads [vi] in 1152.

The centrality of Qal‘a Bani Hammād to the major east-west trade routes [vii] of North Africa, as well as connections to the Zirid Empire, provided the Hammadids with pre-existing and new allies. As evidenced by the architecture displayed at both Qal‘a Bani and Bejaïa, the Fatimids and Normans [viii] impacted Hammadid life and empire construction. The relocation of the Hammadid capital to the port city of Bugie (now Bejaïa) saw the rise of maritime trade [ix] across the Mediterranean. Following the split from the Zirid’s in the 1100’s [x], cyclical nature of ally and rivalship arose as military, economic and external power, and circumstances shifted.

The architecture and art [xi] found at sites such as Qal‘a Bani Hammād preserves the Hammadid’s legacy in modern-day. Agricultural innovations that are still used today, such as gridworked canal systems [xii] spanning cities, produced fertile farmlands. Mosques, minarets, and most notably artificial lakes [xiii], that were built survive as well-preserved archeological sites and examples of the dynasty’s technological and scientific advancements. Only after the neighboring Zirids split from the Fatimids and converted to Sunni Islam [xiv] did the Hammadids follow suit, shifting the regional demographic even into the modern-day. Further, the discovery of their successful trade at Bejaïa helped revitalize Algerian maritime trade [xv].

The Hammadid’s originated as governors for the Zirid Caliphte serving under the overarching rule of the Fatimids. Later, after their declared independence from the Zirids in 1015 [xvi], the procession of rulers followed hereditary lines of succession [xvii], emanating from Hammad ibn Buluggin. Rulers were referred to as emirs [xviii], due to their military ability or religious vocation. Many Hammadid cities were often populated by caravans of refugees either fleeing nomadic tribes or via forced repopulation [xix]. This may have impacted the strength of Hammadid culture and the ability of their rulers to effectively lead. Hammadid rulers depended on mercenary armies which would eventually bankrupt them.

The Hammadid Dynasty started in the Northern Algeria region of M'Sila Hodna mountains under Hammad ibn Buluggin [xx]. The city of Qal‘a Bani Hammād served as their capital from 1007 until 1067 when local Almohad Berber tribes laid siege to the city. The Hammadid were forced to move to the coastal city of Bugie, now known as Bejaïa. During the reign of emir Yahya ibn al-ʿAziz [xxi], the Hammadids attempted to expand along the coasts of Algeria and Tunisia; most notably launching an offensive on the Zirid port city of Mahdia [xxii]. These attempts failed and the Hammadids were left vulnerable to nomadic attacks.

Architectural advancements, both practical and artistic, denote some of the key accomplishments of the Hammadid’s. The impressive muqarnas [xxiii] (ornamented, oftentimes honeycombed vaulting) present in Hammadid mosques at Qal‘a Bani Hammād are some of the earliest examples in the region. The military enforcements of Hammadid cities not only influenced other Arab architecture but also civilizations in the wider Maghreb, as well as Andalusia and Sicily [xxiv]. Today, Qal‘a Bani Hammād is a UNESCO world heritage site [xxv], attesting to the level of the Hammadid’s architectural accomplishments. The Minaret of Bani Hammād still stands today, over 1000 years old, as a reminder of their accomplishments.

The innovation of canal irrigation systems while at Bani Hammād allowed for the continuous production of sustenance crops [xxvi] such as wheat and fruit for the city's inhabitants. At the same time, engagement in trade on east-west trade routes [xxvii] throughout the Maghreb, allowed the Hammadid’s to trade crops and art such as ceramics. Trade with nomadic peoples aided the economic prosperity witnessed during the Hammadid’s reign, with caravanserais [xxviii] built to house these traders. At Bugie, the Hammadids engaged in maritime trade [xxix] across the Mediterranean, notably with the Normans in Sicily [xxx]. Failed military ventures caused irreparable damage and contributed to their economic failure.