When Yazîd ibn-al-Walîd assumed the caliphate, he did not send to al-Maghrib any ʿâmil.
Then came Marwân ibn-Muḥammad to power. ʿAbd-ar-Raḥmân ibn-Ḥabîb communicated with him and professed homage and sent him presents. Marwân had a secretary, Khâlid ibn-Rabîʿah-l-Ifrîḳi, who was a special friend of ʿAbd-al-Ḥamîd ibn-Yaḥya and kept up a correspondence with him. Marwân confirmed ʿAbd-ar-Raḥmân as governor of the region, and appointed after him Ilyâs ibn-Ḥabîb, and after that, Ḥabîb ibn-ʿAbd-ar-Raḥmân. After this, the Ibâḍites[1] and the Berbers of the Khârijites had the upper hand.
Towards the end of abu-l-ʿAbbâs' caliphate, Muḥammad ibn-al-Ashʿath al-Khuzâʿi came to Ifrîḳiyah as its ruler at the head of 70,000 men, according to others, 40,000. His rule lasted for four years, during which he repaired the city of al-Ḳairawân. At last, the troops of the city rose against him together with others. I heard it reported that the inhabitants of the town and the troops that were in it rose against him and he held out against them in his castle for 40 days, during which his followers from Khurâsân, and others who owed him allegiance, came to his help. Consequently, he succeeded in laying hold on those who fought against him. He then went over the names and put to death every one whose name was Muʿâwiyah, Sufyân, Marwân or any other name that is borne by anyone of the banu-Umaiyah, sparing only those who had different names. He was thereupon dismissed by al-Manṣûr.
ʿUmar ibn-Ḥafṣ ibn-ʿUthmân ibn-Ḳabîṣah ibn-abi-Ṣufrah-l-ʿAtaki, known as Hizârmard, was then made governor by al-Manṣûr, who had great admiration for him. ʿUmar entered Ifrîḳiyah and launched in it a campaign that carried
- ↑ Ash-Shahrastâni, Kitâb al-Milal w-an-Niḥal, p. 100 (ed. Cureton).
