Editing Fatimid Caliphate (section)

==== Conquest of Aghlabid Ifriqiya ====
{{See also|Al-Muqtadir}}
[[File:Fall of the Aghlabid Emirate.svg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Map of Abu Abdallah's campaigns and battles during the overthrow of the Aghlabids]]

In 902, while the Aghlabid emir [[Ibrahim II of Ifriqiya|Ibrahim II]] was away on campaign in [[Sicily]], Abu Abdallah struck the first significant blow against Aghlabid authority in [[North Africa]] by attacking and capturing the city of Mila for the first time.{{Sfn|Halm|1996|p=106}} This news triggered a serious response from the Aghlabids, who sent a punitive expedition of 12,000 men from Tunis in October of the same year. Abu Abdallah's forces were unable to resist this counterattack and after two defeats they evacuated Tazrut (which was largely unfortified) and fled to Ikjan, leaving Mila to be retaken. Ikjan became the new center of the Fatimid movement and the {{transliteration|ar|dā'ī}} reestablished his network of missionaries and spies.{{Sfn|Halm|1996|p=107}}

Ibrahim II died in October 902 while in [[southern Italy]] and was succeeded by [[Abdallah II of Ifriqiya|Abdallah II]]. In early 903 Abdallah II set out on another expedition to destroy Ikjan and the Kutama rebels, but he ended the expedition prematurely due to troubles at home arising from disputes over his succession. On 27 July 903, he was assassinated and his son [[Ziyadat Allah III of Ifriqiya|Ziyadat Allah III]] took power in Tunis.{{Sfn|Halm|1996|pp=107–08}} These internal Aghlabid troubles gave Abu Abdallah the opportunity to recapture Mila and then go on to capture Setif, another fortified city, by October or November 904.{{Sfn|Halm|1996|p=108}}{{Sfn|Abun-Nasr|1987|p=61}} In 905 the Aghlabids sent a third expedition to try and subdue the Kutama. They based themselves in [[Constantine, Algeria|Constantine]] and in the fall of 905, after receiving further reinforcements, set out to march against Abu Abdallah. However, they were surprised by Kutama forces on the first day of their march, which caused a panic and scattered their army. The Aghlabid general fled and the Kutama captured a large booty.{{Sfn|Halm|1996|pp=108–09}} Another Aghlabid military expedition organized the next year (906) failed when the soldiers mutinied. Around the same time or soon after, Abu Abdallah's forces besieged and captured the fortified cities of [[Tobna|Tubna]] and Bilizma. The capture of Tubna was significant as it was the first major commercial center to come under Abu Abdallah's control.{{Sfn|Halm|1996|pp=109–11}}

[[File:Rock Crystal Ewer.jpg|thumb|upright|Fatimid ewer, 10th century CE<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rock Crystal Ewer from the Keir Collection {{!}} DMA Content Management System |url=https://cms.dma.org/art/exhibitions/rock-crystal-ewer-keir-collection |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=cms.dma.org |archive-date=16 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240916020842/https://cms.dma.org/art/exhibitions/rock-crystal-ewer-keir-collection |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
Meanwhile, Ziyadat Allah III moved his court from Tunis to [[Raqqada]], the palace-city near [[Kairouan]], in response to the growing threat. He fortified Raqqada in 907.{{Sfn|Halm|1996|p=111}} In early 907 another Aghlabid army marched eastwards again against Abu Abdallah, accompanied by Berber reinforcements from the [[Aurès Mountains]]. They were again scattered by Kutama cavalry and retreated to [[Baghai|Baghaya]], the most fortified town on the old southern Roman road between Ifriqiya and the central Maghreb. The fortress, however, fell to the Kutama without a siege when local notables arranged to have the gates opened to them in May or June 907.{{Sfn|Halm|1996|pp=112–13}} This opened a hole in the wider defensive system of Ifriqiya and created panic in Raqqada. Ziyadat Allah III stepped up anti-Fatimid propaganda, recruited volunteers, and took measures to defend the weakly-fortified city of Kairouan.{{Sfn|Halm|1996|pp=113–15}} He spent the winter of 907–908 with his army in [[al-Aribus]] ([[Ancient Rome|Roman]]-era Laribus, between present-day [[El Kef]] and [[Maktar]]), expecting an attack from the north. However, Abu Abdallah's forces had been unable to capture the northerly city of Constantine and therefore they instead attacked along the southern road from Baghaya in early 908 and captured [[Haïdra|Maydara]] (present-day Haïdra). An indecisive battle subsequently occurred between the Aghalabid and Kutama armies near Dar Madyan (probably a site between [[Sbeitla]] and [[Kasserine]]), with neither side gaining the upper hand.{{Sfn|Halm|1996|pp=115–17}} During the winter of 908–909 Abu Abdallah campaigned in the region around [[Chott el Djerid|Chott el-Jerid]], capturing the towns of [[Tozeur|Tuzur (Tozeur)]], [[Nefta, Tunisia|Nafta]], and [[Gafsa|Qafsa (Gafsa)]] and taking control of the region. The Aghlabids responded by besieging Baghaya soon afterward in the same winter, but they were quickly repelled.{{Sfn|Halm|1996|p=117}}

On 25 February 909, Abu Abdallah set out from Ikjan with an army of 200,000 men for a final invasion of Kairouan.{{Sfn|Halm|1996|p=118}} The remaining Aghlabid army, led by an Aghlabid prince named Ibrahim Ibn Abi al-Aghlab, met them near al-Aribus on 18 March. The battle lasted until the afternoon, when a contingent of Kutama horsemen managed to outflank the Aghlabid army and finally caused a rout.{{Sfn|Halm|1996|p=118}} When news of the defeat reached Raqqada, Ziyadat Allah III packed his valuable treasures and fled towards Egypt. The population of Kairouan looted the abandoned palaces of Raqqada and resisted Ibn Abi al-Aghlab's calls to organise a last-ditch resistance.{{Sfn|Halm|1996|pp=119–20}} Upon hearing of the looting, Abu Abdallah sent an advance force of Kutama horsemen who secured Raqqada on 24 March. On 25 March 909 (Saturday, 1 [[Rajab]] 296), Abu Abdallah himself entered Raqqada and took up residence here.{{Sfn|Halm|1996|pp=120–21}}{{sfn|Halm|2014}}