NOVEHBBR 1976. OmaTTAL NÜMESKATIC SOCICTY

INFORIATIOR SHSBT HO. 15

EARLY ARAB COINS OF TUNISIA

P a r t I I - The Aghlabids . 184-296 AH (800-909 AP)

By K.L. Tar izzo

Historical Background

That part of Africa which more or less corresponds to today's Tunisia had been occupied by the Arabs in tiie second part of the 7th century AD and the region - called "Ifriqiyah" by the Arabs - had been ruled by Governors appointed first by the •Umayyad and then by the A^basid Caliphs (see the first article of this series).

Difficulties in connnunication had favoured the develorment of a certain degree of autonomy and the concentration of power in the hands of a snail elite of locally established Arabs. The governojrs appointed by the A.bbasid Caliphs after 151 AH (767 AD) were in fact all members of the same Arab family. In suite of this trend towards local riile, unrest increased and military revolts occurred in the region.

In 184 AH (800 A D ) , CalipK Harun al-Rashid appointed Ibrahim ibn Aghlab -whose father had been killed by soldiers under his command some 35 years earlier -as Amir of Ifriqiyah, in recognition of his role in the negotiations which had put a temporary end to the revolts. At the same time tbe Caliph granted Ibrahim ibn Aghlab the ri^t to tra.f»smit the government to his descendents thus establishing dynastic rule over the Ifriqiyah, It was stipulated that the province should remain nominally subject to the Caliphs of Baghdad and that tiie Caliph, instead of sending an annual contribution of 100,000 dinars, would receive an annual tribute, fixed at 40,000 dinars. This condition was not always fulfilled and the local Amir had often to ask for help from the Caliph,

Ibrahim establ- shed his cai ital in Kairouan and founded a new town about 5 km to the so ith, vhich he called al-Abbassiyah, in honour of the Caliph, a name which had already been used to indicate Kairounn, Under Ibrahim and his successors - who took their dynastic name from al-Aghlab, the father of Ibrahim -the Ifriqiyah becamr> practically independent and the period of Aghlabid rule was one of religious fervour accooppanied by the development of agriculture, trade and public works, notwithstanding continuing political and economic problems.

One of the main sources of trouble was the relationshir» between th'? ruling Arab class and the local Berber population. Heavy taxes were imposed find the local administrator:! often took advantage of a com-nlex bureaucracy to pursue their own personal interert. Fven more serious was the unrest among the soltiers who were supposed to maintain internal security and guard the borders. Instead they frequently rebelled -igainat the central goverrxment, helped at times by ex-soldiers who had settled in the region. This situation eventually led tlxi\.ra:.r3 to create a "Praetorian f-uard" consisting mainly of loyal Negros and charged to protect the Amir and to rerress revolts. This centralising of military power contribute! to a gradual weakening of the defences along the borders and thus indirectly to the eventual downfrll of the Agjilabid dynasty,

TMder the Amir Uyadat Allah I (201-223 AH, 816-837 AD) several iiilitar:'-chiefs in the northern part of the region asserted their inde-Denrience, In part as a diversion, Ziyrdat Allah launched in 212 ;JI (827 AD) a campaign for the conquest of Sicily, Byzantine control over the island was deteriorating and Sicily was the only neighbouring region still in the hand of the Christians,

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The f i r s t Arab Ipndin;? in 'Jicily took place in response to a request for help received from Suphemiiis, a S ic i l i an naval conr.ander of §reek origin ^ho had proclaimed his independence from -öie Byzantine emperor, Supheraius was murdered by S ic i l i ans short ly thereaf ter , but the Arabs gradually extended the i r occupation notwithstanding some local resistance and the intervention of Venice and other I t a l i a n maritime republ ics . By the end of the 9th century AD p rac t i c a l l y the whole of Sic i ly was occupied and i t was to remain unde3r Arab domination u n t i l , t h e Norman conquest of 10^0 AD,

The S ic i l i an campai^ was a success for the Arabs, but i t contributed to the downfall of the A^labids by weakenin,<T the i r strength in I f r iq iyah , The Shite Arabs who had se t t l ed to the v/e^t of the region controlled by the Sunni Aghlabids in tens i f ied the i r harassment at the borders, vdth the help of Berber t r i be s and of small Arab '"inf' -doms, including the descenrlerts of ibn Rustan, a former ru le r of I f r iq iyah who had escaped to fhe west when the Ab' ^asids hnd occupied the region. Under the l.-^st of the Aghlnbid ru le r s , Ziyadat Allah I I I , a cruel and hited ru l e r , the Shi i t e Arabs nnd the i r Berber a l l i e s , the Kotama, defeated what was l e f t in I f r iq iyah of the Aghlabid troops and in March 909 A.D (296 AH) occupied Kairouan, thus nu t ' ing an end to the \ghlabid -oeriod and opening the way for the establishment of the Patimid dynasty.

Description of the Coins

The coins minted by the Aghlabids ore basical ly similar to those of the early Abbasid Caliphs and reTinined uniforn in type th rou^out the period of Aghlabid r u l e . They are in general vjell made and may be considered among the best examples of Arab coins . The basic degign i s comprised of Kufic sc r ip t set in 3 to 5 horizontal l ines on both the obverse and the reverse, surrounded by single c i r co l a r margii al le-ends .

Gold Coins

The majority of the gold coins which are known for t h i s period are dinars vaiying from 1" to 20mm in dia^eter and fron 3.f>3 to 4.25 grans in wei'^it, A few 1/4 dinars have been desc^'ibed, a l l issued by Ibrrhim I I and v/eighi ig approximately 1.0 grams.

The normal obverse consis ts of a centr^2 horizontal legend in 3 l ines giving the f i r s t par t of the kalimah AJ U J J yjl* : ^ / » 3 J » . 3 U i « / a» \ O ' .il (There ia no god but/Cod He i s alone / there i s no associate to Him) w b l e a circiolar marginal legend bears the "pronhetic mission" (Koran IX, 33) . On some coins a fourth l ine i s added below the Kalimah, vrith a proper name, in a l l probabi l i ty , tha t of the off icer in charge of the mint or the t reasury . The following names have been recorded:-

Ibrahiim I

"dyadat Allal^I Muhammad I

Ahmad

Mus a

(on copner coins only) Masrur Khalaf Jabran illegible

Kiihammad II

Ibrahim II

Kas an

Shakar Bala'-h

Ziyadat Allah III Hattab Abi; • ad' r

The reverse i s s imilar and cons is t s of 5 central horizontal l ines of rhich l i n e 2, 3 and 4 contain the second n^r t of the kaliraali AJU I J J J U J ^ b-f,\. ^ (Muhammad i s the Apostle of God) and l ine 5, the name of the Amir.

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Viüi •öie exception of the coins of Ibrahim I , l i ne 1 has the viord w<Jc .. ("ghalaba", He has conquered), a reference to the victory of CrOd over the' inf idels and therefore to the successes of the Arabs but at the same time the symbol of the dynasty. I t i s s ignif icant that t h i s W)rd does not appear ., on the éold coins which have been a t t r ibu ted to Ibraidm as especial ly minted ^ for -öie payment of the annual t r i bu te to the Caliph,,,- .„_ { . > -,,- -^-; -- , .««.b

The early coins of Ibrahim I have a t the bottom, the word "ghalaba" or the foraula "for the Caliph". On coins dated 195 to 196 AH, "for the Caliph" i s , moved to the top l i ne with the word al-Imari or al-Amin appealing a t the bottom.

The c i rcu la r reverse legend has the "bismillaK with the dste but not the place of minting which in the case of gold coins was presumably always Kairouan,

Si lver Coins

S i lver dirhams of th i s period "re l ess numerous than gold coins arid are known from four only of the eleven Aghlabid Amirs. The basic design i s nirailnr to that of the dinars , but notwithstandinft the i r limited number, these coins show more var ie ty ,especia l ly in the reverse legends. In cornnon with contemnorary Abbasid dirhems, the mint/date formula i s on the obverse for coins of IbrahiTD I , of Abd Allah I and of Ziyadat AllaKi, whereas those of Ibrnhira I I follow the arrangement of the dinars . The normal rriint was Ifr iqiyah hut other mints are shown on coins of Ziyadat Allah I and the name al-Abhasiyah i s known for a half dirhem of IbraMm I , and a l l coins of Ibr-him I I .

Three ^different issues of Ziyadat Allah I dated 210 exis t , iMO havin/^ the formula "for the Caliph' instead of the n?.xae of the Amir. One comes from .

___ V. « (Maja-^, today MeJ.ez-el-Bab) with the name ,^5^ ( 'Ali) on the obverse, and one from Ifr iqiyah with the name O .y^ ( 'Alun). Thasccoins provide some supporting evidence for the a t t r i bu t i on of the "lil-Khalifat" dinars to the Aghlabids. I t should be noted tha t dinars of t h i s period have the name Hasrur.

On the third of the dirhams of 210 AH, the word J i ^c ( jus t ) replaces "ghalaba" on the reverse wüTithe nane of nansur ibn Nasir (a l Tambadhi), a mi l i t a ry chief who occupied Kairouan for a short time and who declared h is independence. The word Mansur i . e . "the Victor" i s repeated under the name.

Another s i lver coin issued during the reign of Ziyadat Allah I has ^u4Ju<-i Siqediyah, i . e . •^icily) as mint smd bears the name in 3 \ :^ ^ OU>AXJUJ Sliman ibn Daud). The legends and the i r arrangement are those of the 'Umayyad

coins which were then minted in 3pain, The name i s probably that of a 'Uméiyyad general put at the dispor;al of Ziyadat Allah for the S ic i l ian campaign and i t i s l i ke ly that the coin had been minted in Spain, to be used for T^aying the so ld iers in S i c i l y ^ | "^.''O' -S

No dirhams of l a t e r Aghlabid Amirs ere known un t i l 275 AH when Ibrahim I I reformed the coinage a f te r h is victory of 267 AH (880 AD) over nn Egyptian rr^y had put him in rwssession of the treasure of the Tulunids. The s i l v e r coins of low weight and poor a l loy then in c i rcu la t ion in Ifr iqiyah - most of them in fragments and used in t ransact ions according to the i r weight - wei^ withdra"n and replaced by new coins with the legends copying those of the dinars of th i s period. The value of these new dirhams was fixed a t 10 for 1 dinar, althourh t h e i r recorded w e i ^ t s range between 1.0 and 1.65 gramipes, instead of the 2.20 to 2.97 of the early dir'hfimi.

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Copper Coins

The issues of two Amirs only are re':)resented by the r e l a t i v e l y few copoer coins of th i s period which have been descr-'bed and these c-m seldom be a t t r ibuted </ith confidence. On ro - t oi" those l ike ly to belong to th is se r i e s the ma -ginal l e ^ n d s , which include the date, are vjorn or missing, and the centrtil legends are often simplified,

S\xmmary of Aghlabid coins

Gold Coins - when not otherwise specified the coins correspond to the following general de3crii:)tion:-

Obverse Circular lef^end (Koran IX, 5J5):

Central legend in 3 horizontal l i ne s :

Line 1 il 1 MJ i There i s no God but

Line 2 otaA. 3 vU/ God He i s alone

Line 3 \Ji-ij ^ ^ there i s no associ-^te to Him

Reverse Circular lerend ('^nte)

Central le'"e id in 5 horirioptal l ines ;

K^Vir ("^halaba") Lin 1

Linr 2

Line 3

Line 4

Line 5

«ÜJ »

fjuham' ad

i s the Anostle

of God (nane of the Anir)

ao7

2.90

Cold Coins Nc Hint tiamed

I

I

Andr

Ibrahim ibn

al-Aghlab

184-196/800-811

«Abd Al lah i b n

Ibrahim

196-201/811-816

Ziyadat Al lah ibn

Ibrahim

201-223/816-837

Above Rev.

.

-

Ixl-KKalif»! n

^ a l a b a

^ l * %

It

Below Rev.

ghalaba

l i l - K h a l i f a t

al-Amin

al-Imam

•Abd Al lah

Ziyadat

Al lah n

Dates Known

189,192

189,190

193,194,

196

197,199,

200,201

195

204 202-206^10

207-216

219-222

r i a r - e t e r s mm

18

17 - 1 8 . 5

18

17-1Sï3

i e . 5 - 1 9

19 18

17-18.5

Weights grams

4 .20

3 .95-4 .24

3 .80-4 .10

4 .10 -4 .20

4 .20-4 .24

3.60 4 .05 -4 .25

3 .00-4 .25

" o t e s

a t t r i b u t e d to Ibrahim by P a r r u g i a de Candia

I I

a l - I f r i q i y a h below obverse ( p o s s i b l y Aghlabid)

Masrur below obverse

Al-A^lab.^n

Ibrahim

223-226/837-840

ghalaba al««A^lab 223-226 18 3.88-4.20

Huhammad I ibn

Al-Aê^ab

226-242/840-856

n

R

I I

Hiihammad 226-229

231,232,234 -236,241

233

18.5-19

17-19

19

4.10-4.19

4.14-4.21

4.20

Khalafbelow ohverse

J a b r ^ below obverse

Gold Coins (continued) M

Amir

Ahmad ibn MuhaJTmad

242-249/856-865

Above Rev.

/ h a l a b a

1-

1"

Below Rev.

Ahmad

- I I •

Dates Tnown

24-^,243,245,

246,248-9

- - 245,247

249

Diameters ram

17-19

18 • •

' ' e i g h t s grams

3 .90-4 .20

4 .20 -4 .25

ïïotes

belovr obverse

Ziyadat Al lah I I i b n

i.uhammad

249-250/8*^3-864

Ko co ins known

f'juhainmad I I ibn Ahmad

^.50-^ɻl/864-87A

Ibrahim I I i bn Ahmad ;

/ • - . . . . .

»

ghalr

.1 ..

1 ••

n

It

1'

1,

i b a Muhamr.ad

1»

Ibrahim II

n

ti

251-4

257-9

260

261

265-7

2^7-8,274

262-5 ,2^7-270,272 274-281, 283-4,287-9

272

18-19

- .t- •

18

17.5-19

19

13

10-20

13

4 .08-4 .21

4 .14 -4 .20

4 .15-4 .20

4 .19-4 .22

1.0-1.05

3 .65-4 .22

1.04

Easan below obverse

Shakar below obverse

Balagh below obv^-rse

^ 4 » n « r . " "

,: . . .

7- d i n a r

f

Gold Coins (Continued)

Amir Above Below Dates Diameters Weights Notes Rev. Rev. Known mm grama

•Abd Allah II ibn Ibrahim ghalaba 'Abd Allah ?90 18 4.0^-4.17

289-290/902

Ziyadat Allah in ibn Abd •' Ziyadat Allah 291-3 18--19 4.07-4.20 Hatt.ab below obverse

Allah " " 290,295 18-1Q 4.11-4.18

290-296/902-908 " « 295-6 19-20 3.88-4.18 Abu Madar below obverse

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S i l v e r Coins - When not other^d-se desc^'ibed, the legends a r e : -

Obverse C i r c u l a r legend: " b i s m i l l a h " , p lnce - u sua l l y 6>x5U h»\

I f r i q i y a h and da te of mintinf^.

Cen t ra l legend: f i r s t p i r t of the "kalimah" i n 3 l i n e s

Reverse C i r c u l a r l egend: Koran, IX, 53

Cen t r a l legend: i n 5 l i n e s , i nc lud ing the second p a r t

of the "Kaliniah"

Ibrahim iTjn al-Aghlab 184-1% AH (800-811 AD)

Reverse C i r c u l a r l egend: (by "öie a u t h o r i t y of al-Maraun Abd Al lah

Com:"ander of the b e l i e v e r s )

Line 1

Line 2

Line 3

Lin^ 4

Line 5

•

J ^jjuj iLo.:ku»

AD) J^o <Ül)

^ 3 ^

/°^J<^

"ghalaba"

Muhammad is the Apostle

of God God bless

hira anH grant him üeace

Ibrahim

AH 184,186, 187,189,190, 191,194.

1 .90-2.90 ;^s

1 .5-2'lmm

Simi l a r but y dirhe-i of nl-Abbassiyah AH184, 1.40 grams, 18mm.Mint/date formula preceded by "by the a u t h o r i t y of the Gorar'ander of tho b e l i e v e r s " .

•Reverse Cen t ra l l egend:

Line 1 v _ J c "ghalaba" AH 189

Line 2 «Jul J juuj tx^^^t» Muhammad i s the Apost le of God 2 .85-3 . Igns

I^ine 3 O-LUJ 3<ulc«*iJl l o God b l e s s him and grant him peace

t i n e 4tl»3ol4ljj-oJl' Airolltf* by the a u t h o r i t y of t h e Amir al-Mamun

Line 5 /**-f A ^ Ibrahim 24-26mm

Reverse Central

Line 1

Line 2

Line 3

Line 4

Lino 5

Leger.l:. , ' .

^ . J y^ J S.>*

^ ^ \

A3-O^J

^Ji.U3U

good

yuharanad is the Apostle

of God the Prophet

mercy

for the Calinh

-,. > •-,'

AH 195

2.72 gms

23ram

- 9 -

'Abd Al lah i b n IbreMm 1%-201 AH (811-81'^ AD)

Obverae

Reverse

Central Legend: kaliraah on line 1, 2 and 4

Line 3 ^. good

Central legend

Line 1 ,>ic "g^alaba"

Line 2 i_jAAJ ) tUo-=*o Muhammad i s the Apost le

Line 3 j*jb }l • t yftl^» *lll of God by the a u t h o r i t y

of the Amir

Line 4 ^-^ j'} KT- Aül - l u ; 'Abd Al lah ibn \ferahim

Line 5 AU I -A4c 'Abd Allah

AH 198

24 mm

Ziyadat Al lah ibn Ibrahim 201-223 AH (81^-837 AD)

Obverse Cent ra l legend: k a l i r a h on l i n e 1, 2 and 4

Line 3 - ^ J J*"**-^ Kasrur

Reverse C a i t r a l legend

Line 1, 2 and 3 as preceding co in of 198 AH

Line 4 - « H J ^ ^ . Ï <y.<ü\ ó i a l j j Ziyadat Al lah ibn Ibrahim AH208,209

Line 5 <Ui^ b S l > ' Ziyadat Al lah 2.82-'^.9f gms.

2f mm

Coins minted diiring the r e ign of Ziyadat Al lah but bear ing d i f f e r e n t n'^mes

Obverse

Reverse

Obverse

Reverse

Cen t r a l

Line 3

Cen t r a l

Line 1

Line 2

Line 3

Line 4

Line 5

Cent ra l

Line 3

Cen t r a l

Line 1

Line 2

Line 3

Line 4

Line 5

legend: kal imah on

S-- ^ legend

:^jxc

•i:io=:»o

A U » J > W J J

j ^ C ^ - . ^ ^ - ^ o ^ ^ ^ y - o S u o

l e g e n l : kalimah on

W..A-Legend

-e ^j J ^ A ^ J - i t O ^ ^

^ -VU^ A i o ^ i - j

lAn y \ ^ \ \

l i n e 1, 2 and 4

very good

j u s t

Muhammad

i s the Apostle of God

Mansur i b n Nas i r

Tansur

l i n e 1, 2 and 4

•Alun

very good

Muhammad i s the Apost le

of God the Prophet

mercy

f o r the Cal iph

AH 210

2,70 gms

26mra

AH 210

2.95 gos

26 mm

- 10 -

Obverse C i r c u l a r l e ^ n d : ^

Reverse

Cen t r a l legend as above b u t :

Line 5 ^ ^ 'Al i

C i r c u l a r legend miss ing

Lir^ty ^ a jaz) ins tead of AJ^JLJ y» \

I f r i q i y n h

AH 210

' ' . ° 0 m s .

Cen t ra l legend as T>receding coin with 'Alun on obvprse 251 "

Obverse C i r c u l a r legen'^: ^jJuUi^ * (S iqa l iyah ) inst-^ad of I f r i q i y a h

Cen t ra l legend

Thf^re i s no god but

S l i -lan ibn

i od He i s alone

Daud

t h r r e i s no associ - ' te to Him

Line 1

Line 2

Line 5

Line 4

Line 5

Reverse C e n t r a l legend (Koran GXIl):

Lin" 1 41)1 t x a - l Ali I God i s alone God AH 216

Line 2 Jf ^ , p / i ao>- ' *^ ' i s e t e r n a l He bege t s r o t and

Line 3 -CJu pJ _^ il) ^ j ^ i s not begot ten nor i- t h o r e 2.03 ^nis.

Line 4 ia-^- \ f ^ A - f 4J l i > e ii>ito Him anyone 2^ mn

Ibrahim I I i bn Ahmad 2f 1-289 AH (874-902 AD)

Obverse

Reverse

Legends same as those of th<= p'old coins of t h i s pe r iod

C i r c u l a r legend:

Cen t ra l legend

ósUu u x i ^ (al-Abbassiyah) ins te- id of I f r i q i y a h

Line 1

Lino 2

Lino 3

Line 4

Lin'^ 5

w ^

4 x

"ghi laba

Tuhan^nd * '^

i 3 th^ Apostle

of God

Ibrahim

AH ^7=;,?'^<^-,

28?

1.0-1 .'''^'T-ns,

1 ic_?9mn'

- 11 -

Copper Coins - When not o therwise desc r ibed , the co ins conform to the

s tandard type desc r ibed for the s i l v e r c o i n s .

Ibrahim ibn a l - A ^ l a b 184-196 AH (800-811 AD)

As t h e f i r s t i s s u e of s i l v e r c o i n s AH ''89

1.55-2.20fm3.

18-19nm.

Reverse Cen t ra l legend i n 4 l i n e s

Line 1, 2 and 3 : second p a r t of the kalimah

Line 4 ^ - A i "ghalaba" AH 189

1.55-2.30gn3,

18-21nun

Obverse Cen t r a l legend i n 4 l i n e s

Line 1, 2 and 4 : f i r s t p a r t of the kalimah

Line 3 t^"^ — 3 - ^ Mus a

Reverse as p reced ing type

2,15 gms.

19™n

Reverse Cen t ra l legend i n 5 l i n e s

Line 1 sp* lé "ghalaba*

Line 2 ^l.

Line 3 , 4 and 5: second p a r t of the kalimah

AH 18x

2.17 gms

20mm

Ziyadat Allah ibn Ibrahim 201-223 AH (81 -837 AD)

Circular legerd missing, obverse and reverse

Obverse Central legend in 4 lines

Line 1, 2 and 4t first part of the kalimah

Line 4 VJ-» „S"^ Musa

Reverse Central legend in 5 lines

Line 1 »—*ic "ghalaba"

Line 2, 3 and 4: second part of the kalimah

Line 5 ^^' ö±»li j Ziyadat Allah