The Rise, and Fall of Tlemcen
Chapter 1: The Rise and Subsequent Fall of Tlemcen
Time Period: 1419-1455
The Tlemcen rulers were originally installed by the Romans, hundreds of years ago. Their history is a long one, but we come here to focus upon the period of time which saw the fall of the Tlemcen Empire. This is the story of the Islamic nation that sought to defy the Mediterranean European powers, and secure for itself a place in history, as one of the greatest nations of all time.
Our story cannot begin til an over-view of the world in which Tlemcen's rise to power took place in was detailed.
To the west of the Tlemcen lay the nations of Morocco, Al-Andalusia, Leon, Galicia, and Porto. The ability of the Al-Andalusian empire to hold back the catholics from retaking iberia, and gain dominance of the region had greatly inspired the peoples of the barbary coast. Their proud brothers in faith were able to push back the catholics to the northernmost parts of Iberia, and reclaim a great deal of land, which they had unjustly taken.
To the north there is the region of Gaul torn asunder by the various armies which beset themselves upon it, it's once great kingdom of france has vanished into nothing but a group of feuding feudal states. Further north lays the Kingdom of Scotland, as England had met a similar fate to France, it to is in ruins, and a succession battle for who would become the ruler of Brittania is also waged. To the Northwest lies, Brittany and Eire, two Kingdoms which rose to prominence during the chaos that ensued France and England.
Moving to the near-east, the Italian States of Genoa, and Sicily have risen to prominence and gained control of the Mediterranean, these were to become the primary rivals of the Tlemcen. In Germany Swabia, and Bavaria vie for dominance of the Germanic region.
Further to the east, lay Hungary, and the Byzantine Empire. The defeat of the Seljuk Turks and their disintegration had caused a revival of the Byzantine Empire, who was thought by many to be doomed. This was of great cause for unrest among the peoples of the Islamic faith, as one of the great pillars of Islam had crumbled to christian arms. But, even worse was the survival of the Crusader state of Jerusalem, the failure of Saladin to retake Jerusalem was a great insult to the Islamic nations, but the ability of the Abbasid Caliphate to fend off the Mongols had left the greater successor state of Mohammad himself still standing.
Now, we come to the nation of Tlemcen. It's lands our poor, it's people far from numerous, it's people are ripe with unrest, and the unity of it's lands is tenuous at best. It's rule over it's people is highly decentralized resulting in the total inability of the Sultan to command his followers to do much of anything. The primary economic ability of the Tlemcen Sultanate was it's ability to use pirates to vastly increase the wealth in it's coffers, and yet this greatly angered the nations of Ragusa, Genoa, and Sicily. However, the pirates of the barbary coast feverently backed their Sultan, and helped him in anyway they could, for the fall of the Tlemcen Sultanate, would have ended up with dire consequences for the Barbary Coast!
The Reign of Abu Ya'qub I:
Abu Ya'qub I came to power as the ruler of a very distraught kingdom, with hardly any power to enforce his will on his own subjects let alone other nations, and yet he took it upon himself to better his people, by focusing on granting them greater freedoms. During the beginning of his reign his power was quickly challenged by rebels, who he quickly subdued to increase his control over the Sultanate, lending to an increase in the centralization in power of the kingdom.
During the year 1422, the Sultan Abu Ya'qub I, began the work of creating friendships among the various Islamic states around him. He created what was to be known as the Grand Alliance of the Barbary Coast. All the Islamic nations in the nearby region such as Morocco, Cryencia, and Al-Andalusia joined into this glorious alliance. This was of course a clever tactic by Sultan Abu, to attain the nessecary manpower and resources to carry out his military campaign, that he thought would save Tlemcen from the brink of destruction. His target was Sicily, it was alone without any allies, and long before the island of Sicily had belonged to the Islamic world, and before that to the great empire of Carthage, who had defied rome itself. Abu thought himself to be like Hannibal Barcid, and he always referred to Tlemcen as 'New Carthage'.
The Sicilian War
The Sicilian War, began with the Pirates of the Barbary coast enlisting into the navy of Tlemcen, and all the allies of the Barbary Alliance coming together to face off against the Sicilian threat. This would be a long, and bloody war for all of the Barbary Coast members. Abu took control of the army himself, and created a much larger army then his forefathers had made, one to rival the glory of any other that Tlemcen had raised in the past. The Fleet numbered 25 galleys in total, and the army measuring at around 18 regiments. The Sicilians had a larger navy, and a larger army, but they lacked one thing that Tlemcen had in large numbers, "Friends".
The initial fighting in Sicily resulted in at first a major defeat for the forces of Tlemcen, but with the forces of Al-Andalusia attacking the city of Naples, the forces of Sicily were spread in two. With all the might of Tlemcen, Abu took control of the city of Medina, and the Sicilians begged him for peace after such a minor conquest. His great military victory, had established his right to rule as far as the military was concerned, but this was not to be the end of the war. The Sicilian army, number over 18,000 men charged into Medina in an attempt to retake the city from the forces of Tlemcen, Abu's valiant soldiers crushed the Sicilian Army. After this great loss, the Sicilians dared to offer Abu the pitiful tribute of 32 Ducats.
The Sinking of the Sicilian Navy, by the Tlemcen Navy
But Abu, refused this pitiful demand, and within a matter of months he had seized the capitol of sicily itself. The Christians soon fled their lands, and the island of Sicily was once again under Islamic control. Abu, soon accepted peace with the Sicilian fools, for a grand total of four Ducats.
Tlemcen had won a great victory, Sicily was once again part of their Empire, and the Catholics had been shown the true power of the Islamic forces of the Barbary Coast.
The Andalusian Wars
Sultan Abu the Wrathful *As he was called after the conquest of Sicily*, was called upon by his Al-Andalusian allies to come to their aid, yet he turned down their request, abandoning the very alliance he had created. He did not wish a war with the Catholic powers who were trying to retake the Iberian peninsula, and his people were ravaged by the cost, and exhaustion caused by the Sicilian War. His prudent decision ended up in the eventual major losses suffered by Al-Andalusian forces, which resulted in a partial reconquest by the Catholics of Iberia. He wished to aid his brothers in faith to fend off the Catholics, and yet he knew that there would be other times for that, maybe not in his lifetime, but in that of others.
The Reign of Abu Yusuf Ya'qub II the Glorious
Painting of Sultan Abu Yusuf Ya'qub II
Abu Yusuf Ya'qub II took control of the Tlemcen Sultanate after his wise, and revered father had passed away. Under his rule the Tlemcen would reach an unparalleled level of centralization in their Government, then ever before. He was to be the greatest military commander their land had ever seen since Hannibal, and his military talents were only equaled by his talents in Diplomacy, and Administration. He was to be known as Abu the Glorious, for many thought he was blessed by Allah.
The Genoan War
Abu the II, took it upon himself to claim the lands in the Mediterranean that his father had not. Mainly, the lands held by the Genoans, such as Malta, Corsica, and Sardinia.
He cared not for the likes of Alliances, such as his father, and he declared war all on his own verse the Genoans. As fortune would have it, the Genoans allies of Burgundy, and Savoy abandoned them in their war vs the Tlemcen Milan also declared war upon their pitiful republic.
Upon hearing this news it was said that Abu the II let out a cheer of joy, and exclaimed "Surely, Allah has blessed us this day, let us go forth and bring Islam to these Infidels!". Within a matter of months the forces of Abu the II, had destroyed the entire fleet of the Genoans, with their massive fleet of 40 galley's headed by the greatest admirals in Tlemcen history. The victory on the sea, assured that the conquest of he islands of Malta, Corsica, and Sardinia was imminent. The land battles on these Islands were all victorious for the Tlemcen, and the news that the Provinces of Sicily, and Medina on the Island of Sicily had converted to the true religion of Islam, inspired the forces of Abu the Glorious to feats of even greater valor. Within months the Genoans offered peace to the Tlemcen, they seceded the islands of Sardinia, Corsica, and Malta.
Truly, this was a blessed day for Islam, and for Tlemcen. But it was to be the beginning of the end of the Tlemcen 'Empire'. Within months of it's conquest Abu the II had enforced the Jizya, on Corsica and Sardinia. Expelled all the christians from Malta, and re-colonized it in the name of Islam, making it a true part of the Tlemcen 'Empire' again.
The End of the Tlemcen Empire
In the year 1455, the religious conversion of much of the territories of the Tlemcen Empire was all but complete, only the recent conquests of Sardinia, and Corsica were without the true faith.
With the immense gain of power caused by the conquest of all these territories, and the spread of Islam into the heart of Catholic lands, there was thought little that the Tlemcen Empire could accomplish, it was becoming a power to rival the Abbasid Caliphate.
It was during this time, that the Abu the Glorious declared that they would no longer be known as the Tlemcen Empire, but as the Alumajadid Caliphate.
From this day forward they would seek to rival the Abbasid Caliphate, as the true successors of Mohammad.
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