RUSTAMID

The Rustamid Dynasty was founded by 'Abd al-Rahmân ibn Rustam, the leader of the Ibadi tribes with origins likely in Persia. The Ibadi sect of Islam was considered the most important teaching of the Kharijite movement. When Tahert was established as the capital city in 761, Rustam was named the “manifest imam,” and marked the foundation of the dynasty [i]. The fall of the Rustamids began with attacks of the Fatimid [ii] armies on the capital city. The devastating damage caused the destruction of the city, and effectively the fall of the entire dynasty. The remaining Ibadi followers fled to the Algerian desert.

Although they originally opposed the Ibadi ruler, the Amazighs became strong allies of the newly formed Rustamid dynasty [iii] beginning in the 760s. The Amazigh tribes resonated with the established democratic system [iv] and promised loyalty and protection to those within the community. Due to the capital’s land-locked nature, they had little contact and limited allyship with other groups around the Mediterranean. However, Andalusian records state that the Rustamids shared strong relations [v] with the Umayyads [vi] over their common enemy, the Aghlabids [vii], who were also known supporters of the Abbasids [viii]. The Fatimid armies first conquered the Aghlabids before destroying the Rustamid capital of Tahert.

After the Fatimid armies captured Tahert and executed the last imam, the Rustamids escaped to Sedrata in the Algerian desert. The ruins of the Rustamids’ mosque found in the ancient excavations of the desert are proof of their artistic and architectural influence [ix]. The Rustamids were also intellectual advocates [x], and served as a united center for Khariji scholarship and allegiance of scattered Khariji communities. Combined with the moderate policy that was rooted in the Ibadi teachings, economic success and emphasis on intellectual prowess [xi] the Rustamids held a key role in producing Islamic converts and further dissemination of the religion [xii] all over Africa.

The Rustamids were influenced by the Kharijite movement, which stood for equal treatment for those that were faithful within the society. Kharijism also pushed for open accessibility to the imam [xiii] of the community, who acted as the highest spiritual official under this sect of Islam. 'Abd al-Rahmân ibn Rustam, the ruler of this dynasty, was the leader of the Ibadi tribes and made way for the dynasty’s descendants. Ibadi Islam [xiv] is an alternate school of Islam from Shia or Sunni Islam, differentiated by rejecting the leadership of the burgeoning Islamic community. His successors established a system [xv] that marked power by hereditary means.

In 740, the Amazighs led a revolt that vehemently fought against the slave trade and fiscal policies of associates to Damascus Umayyads. These protestors were part of the Kharijite movement, which resulted in the creation of several distinct Kharijite powers [xvi] in the Maghreb region. Ibadi writers have indicated that despite their open-minded ruling, the Rustamids had trouble retaining power. Frequent opposition came to Tahert and the broader region, especially from Eastern dynasties. However, even with consistent antagonism [xvii] from other dynasties, the Rustamid Period did prove prosperous thanks to its involvement in the Saharan trade processes throughout the 8th and 9th centuries.

During their rule, the Rustamids became recognized for their economic prosperity in Northern Africa, largely because of their active participation and success in the Saharan trade. The merchants involved in the trade networks [xviii] were especially prosperous with enslaved peoples and gold, which led them to expand their relations throughout Africa and southern Spain. After the Rustamids settled in Sedrata upon their dynasty’s downfall, they were miraculously able to collect the limited water supplies available and distribute it to create plentiful palm tree plantations [xix]. They discovered ways to utilize the natural resources [xx] and construct homes that were ideal for the nomad lifestyle.

The Rustamids were renowned for their consistent and dominant role within trans-Saharan trade [xxi]. They most prominently traded gold and enslaved people within the Maghreb and Mediterranean. Through their successful trading methods [xxii], the Rustamids converted the city of Tahert into a strategically important hub. The Rustamids were not only avid trans-Saharan traders, but also with other areas of the Muslim world. The Rustamids had a direct relationship with the Radhanites, who were a group of multilingual Jewish merchants [xxiii] that established an extensive network. The two created a triumphant system and stretched all the way from China and India back to southern Europe.