Key Pages:
Home
Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology & the Ancient World
Brown University
Box 1837 / 60 George Street
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: (401) 863-3188
Fax: (401) 863-9423
Joukowsky_Institute@brown.edu
• the social organization of the Katama Berbers had been tribal from the earliest known period of their history, they were the largest of the Berber tribes.
• The word Berber describes any of the descendants of the pre-Arab inhabitants of North Africa. It is derived from Latin barbari, an equivalent to the English barbarian
• the Berbers of Katama embraced Ismailism, a large sect of Shi’ism, and played a prominent role in the foundation of the Fatimid Caliphate in Maghrib
• It was a common Fatimid policy to recruit loyal Berber tribes to their regular standing army
• The Fatimid Imam al-Muizz (the 14th Imam 4th Fatimid Caliph - 341 A.H. - 365 A.H.), was able to rally the Katama tribe under the capable leadership of general Jawhar for impending expedition against Egypt. Al-Muʿizz appointed the Berber chief Buluggīn, son of the Fātimids’ chief ally in Algeria, Zīrī ibn Manād, as his viceroy in the Maghrib.
Posted at Apr 12/2009 09:16AM:
ian: Why is it that these new players in Muslim politics seem so reliant on these outside groups? What has happened to the Arabs?