Ziri ibn Atiyya

Who was Ziri ibn Atiyya?

Ziri ibn 'Atiyya ibn Abd Allah ibn Tabādalt ibn Muhammad ibn Khazar az-Zanātī al-Maghrāwī al-Khazarī was the first tribal leader of the Maghrawa confederacy.

Under the protection of the Umayyad Caliph in Spain, Hisham II, and his powerful regent Al-Mansur, Ziri became king of the Zenata tribes in 978-979 and immediately set about conquering as much of Morocco as he could. In 987-988 he was secure enough to be able to establish his court at Fes.

In 989, he was asked by Al-Mansur to attack Abu al-Bahār, who controlled most of what is now Algeria and Tunisia. Abu al-Bahār had deserted the Fatimid cause to align himself with the Umayyads, but then changed sides again once he had gained control of most of the Maghreb. Ziri attacked with such vigour that Abu al-Bahār fled without much of a fight, and Ziri became master of the Maghreb in the year 991.

After this victory, Ziri is said to have sent Al-Mansur a present consisting of 200 racehorses, 50 racing camels, 1000 shields, musk civets, giraffes, gazelles and other animals of the Sahara, and 1000 loads of dates. Al-Mansur invited Ziri to Cordoba. He went accompanied by 300 slaves on horseback and 300 more on foot, as well as taking more presents including lions in cages, cattle that resembled horses, a bird that spoke both Arabic and Berber, dates the size of melons, and other prodigies. Al-Mansur gave him the title of vizir. However, on his return to Morocco, Ziri is said to have exclaimed "Now my head is my own!" and forbade anyone to call him by any title other than amir.