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Aghlabids
Hereditary Islamic dynasty of the ninth and early tenth centuries in North Africa, centered in Qayrawan. Came to power in 800 when Ibrahim ibn Aghlab , governor for the Abbasid caliph Haroun al-Rashid , quelled Khariji uprisings. He was rewarded with relative independence in exchange for tribute. Independence eventually grew, and Aghlabid territory extended into Sicily, Malta, and southern Italy. Qayrawan became an important crossroads of commercial and intellectual activity, the center of Maliki jurisprudence, and home to an outstanding mosque. Aghlabids also constructed many forts and waterways. Their sovereignty ended in 909 when the Ismaili leader al-Mahdi and a coalition of Berbers conquered the Maghreb, establishing the Fatimid dynasty.
