An emir in the ruins of Carthage: the life and times of Muhriz Ibn Ziyad (d. 1160 CE)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Muhriz ibn Ziyad was an Ifriqiyan lord of the twelfth century who ruled from fortress of al-Muʿallaqa atop the Byrsa Hill in the ruins of Carthage. Located just a few miles from Tunis, he had substantial interactions – both collaborative and antagonistic – with elites in this nearby urban centre. However, he also played a larger role in the political landscape of Ifriqiya as an ally of the Zirid emir of Ifriqiya and as a resistor of Almohad dominion. Muhriz likewise contributed to Mediterranean-wide economic networks by exporting marble from Carthage. The few scholars who have written about Muhriz have described him as a peripheral player who contributed to (or hindered) the works of larger dynasties like the Zirids, Normans, and Almohads. Recentring this narrative to focus on Muhriz permits the analysis of the Ifriqiyan landscape from a new perspective and provides valuable insights. Namely, the life of Muhriz ibn Ziyad shows the degree of political de-centralization in Ifriqiya following the arrival of the Banu Hilal, the various uses that local lords found for pre-existing ancient infrastructure, and the fluidity of alliances both within and between Berber and Arab groups.