How the Arab Muslims conquered North Africa

How the Arab Muslims conquered North Africa.

After the birth of Islam early in the 7th century, the armies of the Semitic Arabs
quickly conquered the whole of the Middle East, including Egypt in 642. Later in the
century they went on from Egypt to the rest of North Africa, converting the Berbers
as they went. By the end of the century the Arab empire had reached Morocco.

About the
only section of the population not converted were Jewish communities (which had
been in North Africa for several centuries). The Arab invasions, however, were not unopposed. Byzantine resistance resulted in the complete and final destruction of Carthage; and further west, in Algeria, there was considerable Berber opposition. Though the Berbers accepted Islam, there was a
long period of anarchy and warfare.

From Morocco the Arab armies reinforced with Berbers and led by the Berber Tariq, moved on to Spain and conquered most of the country between 710 and 720.

Apart
from some areas in the north, the Moors, as they were called, remained masters of the Iberian peninsula until late in the 11th century, and were not finally driven out until the 15th century. As time went on, and more came to Spain from Africa, the Moors in Spain became more Berber than Arab.

Meanwhile in Morocco, the Berber tribes united in a series of Moorish dynasties, under
the first of which Fez was founded as the capital towards the end of the 8th century.
Fez became - and still is - the great intellectual and religious centre of Morocco.
When the Moors were finally expelled from Spain intellectual refugees gathered in
Fez.

In the Arab world divisions soon appeared. Rival families fought for the Caliphate, and there was a serious split between the Shiites and the
Sunnis. The Shiites held that the head of Islam must be a descendant of Ali and his wife Fatima - Mohammed's nephew and daughter. There was also a third sect, the
Kharijites, who held that the Caliph could be any believer fit for the office. They were
at first numerous in North Africa, but few still remain.

These family and religious rivalries were exemplified by events in Tunisia. At the end of the 8th century, a dynasty was founded by the Aghlabids, who broke away from
the ruling Abbasid Caliphate and extended their control over some of Algeria and
Tripolitania. At the beginning of the 10th century the Aghlabids
were overthrown by the Shiite Fatimids, who claimed descent from Fatima. Later in
the century the Fatimids conquered Egypt and founded Cairo, from which they ruled for the next 200 years.

In the 11th century there was a renewal of Islamic energy in North Africa, accompanied by a further wave of Arab immigration. And at this time there arose in the Sahara a sect of fanatical Berber Moslems, the Almoravids. In about 1060 they founded Marrakesh and conquered Morocco, and then went on to Spain where they temporarily arrested the Christian re-conquest.

In the middle of the 12th century, some even fiercer and more intolerant Berber Moslems issued from the region of the Atlas mountains in western and central Morocco - the Almohades. They extinguished the power of the Almoravids, and extended their empire in North Africa from Morocco as far as Tripolitania. The Almohades also
followed in the footsteps of the Almoravids in Spain, from which they were not expelled until the middle of the 13th century (leaving the whole Iberian peninsula in Christian hands except for Granada in the south).

The empire of the Almohades in Africa then declined and gradually broke up. Separate dynasties were established in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Tripolitania.

This was how the Arabs conquered North Africa.

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Throughout history, several African civilizations have interacted with European and Asian civilizations, sometimes through conquest or significant influence. Here are notable examples:

1. Ancient Egypt:
- Conquests in the Near East: Ancient Egypt, one of the earliest and most influential African civilizations, extended its influence into parts of Asia, particularly during the New Kingdom period (circa 1550–1077 BCE). Pharaohs such as Thutmose III led military campaigns into the Levant, which included parts of modern-day Syria and Israel.
- Battle of Kadesh: During the reign of Ramesses II (1279–1213 BCE), the Egyptians fought the Hittites, an Anatolian (modern-day Turkey) civilization, in the famous Battle of Kadesh. While not a definitive conquest, it demonstrated Egyptian military prowess and influence over Asian territories.

2. Carthage:
- Mediterranean Influence: Carthage, a Phoenician city-state located in modern-day Tunisia, established a powerful maritime empire that exerted influence across the Mediterranean. Carthaginian military campaigns reached into parts of southern Europe, including Sicily and Sardinia.
- Punic Wars: The Carthaginian general Hannibal is renowned for his invasion of the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War (218–201 BCE), where he achieved significant victories in Italy, including the Battle of Cannae.

3. Aksumite Empire:
- Conquests in Arabia: The Aksumite Empire (circa 100–940 CE), located in modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea, exerted influence over parts of the Arabian Peninsula. In the 6th century CE, King Kaleb of Aksum launched military campaigns across the Red Sea and conquered the Himyarite Kingdom in present-day Yemen.

4. Almoravid and Almohad Dynasties:
- Control over Iberia: The Almoravid (1040–1147) and Almohad (1121–1269) dynasties, both Berber Muslim empires originating from North Africa, extended their control into southern Europe, specifically the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal). They played significant roles in the history of Al-Andalus, the Muslim-ruled territories in Iberia.

These examples demonstrate the dynamic and often expansive nature of African civilizations in their interactions with European and Asian civilizations throughout history. These interactions included military conquests, cultural exchanges, and the establishment of influential empires.