Editing Almanzor (section)

=== The Maghreb campaigns ===
The meager Cordoban cereal production forced the Umayyads to obtain stocks from the Maghreb, and, thus, to oppose Fatimid expansion in the region, which jeopardized their supply.{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=162}} At stake was commercial control of the western Mediterranean.{{Sfn|Bariani|2003|p=30}} Unlike his campaigns on the Iberian Peninsula and with the exception of the one carried out jointly with Ghalib at the beginning of his career, Almanzor did not take a personal role in the fighting in the Maghreb, but simply a supervisory one.{{Sfn|Bariani|2003|p=216}} The effective direction of the fight was in the hands of subordinates, whom he would ceremonially accompany to Algeciras to see off the troops as they crossed the strait.{{Sfn|Bariani|2003|p=216}}

Abd al-Rahman III had conquered Ceuta and [[Tangier]] and fortified them in 951, but he had not been able to prevent the Fatimids from taking control of the Maghreb in 958–959, after burning the Umayyad fleet in Almería in 955.{{Sfn|Bariani|2003|p=30}} In 971, Umayyad clients suffered another heavy defeat.{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=387}} The Fatimid march to Egypt around 972 benefitted the Umayyads, who were left facing a Fatimid client, the [[Sanhaja]] Berber [[Buluggin ibn Ziri]].{{Sfn|Bariani|2003|p=30}}{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=387}}

[[File:ZiríesComoClientesFatimíes.svg|thumb|right|upright=1.6|The situation in the Maghreb at the end of the 970s.]]
The Caliphate's strategy began by the fortification of Ceuta, manned by a large garrison.{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=430}} In May of 978,{{Sfn|Ballestín Navarro|2004|p=141}} the [[Zenata]] tribes seized the city of [[Sijilmasa]], at the northern end of the trans-[[Sahara]]n gold, salt and textile trading routes, and where they founded a pro-Córdoba principality ruled by Jazrun ibn Fulful,{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=430}} the city's conqueror.{{Sfn|Ballestín Navarro|2004|p=139}}{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=137}} The success of the Umayyad political machine, continued by Almanzor,{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=430}} allowed him to concentrate the offensive power of the Berber tribes on the expansion of the regions that recognized his legitimacy and limited clashes among those accepting Córdoba's protection.{{Sfn|Ballestín Navarro|2004|p=139}} This conquest, which gave great prestige to Hisham and Almanzor—and affronted the Fatimids because it was the city where its founder had appeared before the Berber [[Kutama]] tribe{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=141}}--allowed them to counteract the influence of the Fatimids who, after moving to Egypt, had left these regions under the control of the [[Zirid dynasty]].{{Sfn|Kennedy|1996|p=121}} Ibn Ziri launched a victorious campaign that temporarily disrupted the Zenata and allowed him to recover much of the Western Maghreb before besieging Ceuta.{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=431}}{{Sfn|Ballestín Navarro|2004|p=148}} The refugees there asked for help from Almanzor, who sent a large army that he accompanied as far as Algeciras, to repulse Ibn Ziri, who decided to retire{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=431}} although he continued harassing Umayyad supporters until his death in 984.{{Sfn|Ballestín Navarro|2004|p=148}} The effects of Ibn Ziri's inroads, however, were transient: at his death most of the tribes of the region once again accepted Cordoban religious authority.{{Sfn|Ballestín Navarro|2004|p=154}}

In 985, before the Idrisid [[Al-Hasan ibn Kannun]], who had proclaimed himself Caliph, returned from his refuge in the Fatimid court in Egypt, Almanzor saw off a new army that crossed the Maghreb to confront him under command of his cousin.{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=431}}{{Sfn|Bariani|2003|p=144}}{{Sfn|Ballestín Navarro|2004|p=156}}{{Sfn|Castellanos Gómez|2002|p=94}} Reinforcements were later dispatched, commanded by the eldest son of Almanzor, and his father-in-law, the governor of Zaragoza.{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=431}}{{Sfn|Bariani|2003|p=144}}{{Sfn|Ballestín Navarro|2004|p=156}} Overwhelmed, the Idrisid negotiated his surrender and proceeded to the Cordoban court,{{Sfn|Bariani|2003|p=144}} but Almanzor had him assassinated on his way to the city, and later executed{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=432}} his cousin who had granted safe conduct to the rebel.{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=431}}{{Sfn|Ballestín Navarro|2004|p=156}}{{Sfn|Bariani|2003|p=146}}

The disagreements among the various tribal leaders loyal to the Umayyads did produce one crisis: the favor shown by Almanzor to [[Ziri ibn Atiyya]] of the [[Maghrawa]] Berbers upset other chiefs, who ended up rising in arms. They defeated the Cordoban governor of [[Fez, Morocco|Fez]], who died in combat, and Ibn Atiyya in April 991.{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=432}}{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=143}} After this defeat, Almanzor understood the need to grant control of the region to local Berber leaders instead of trying to govern through Iberian delegates.{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=144}} This strategy aimed to attract the support of local tribes to the Umayyads.{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=144}} Fundamentally, the fate of the campaigns depended on the changing loyalties of the various tribal leaders, although, in general, the Zenata supported the Umayyads while the Sanhaja supported the Fatimids.{{Sfn|Kennedy|1996|p=121}}{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=144}} Almanzor unsuccessfully attempted to divide the territory between Ibn Attiya and another tribal chief who had abandoned the Fatimids—the uncle of al-Mansur ibn Buluggin, son and successor of Buluggin ibn Ziri.{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=432}}{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=144}}{{Sfn|Ballestín Navarro|2004|p=178}}  So, Almanzor gave all lands controlled by the Caliphate to Ibn Atiyya,{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=433}}{{Sfn|Kennedy|1996|p=120}} who managed to defeat the rebels and supporters of the Fatimids in 994,{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=433}}{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=146}} and founded a small principality centered on [[Oujda]].{{Sfn|Kennedy|1996|p=120}}{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=433}}{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=146}}

The crisis between Almanzor and the royal family in 996–998 caused a confrontation between him and Ibn Atiyya,{{Sfn|Bariani|2003|p=180}}{{Sfn|Ballestín Navarro|2004|p=192}} who considered Almanzor's attitude towards the Caliph to be disrespectful.{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=146}}{{Sfn|Ballestín Navarro|2004|p=191}} Seeing in Ibn Atiyya a threat to his power, Almanzor dismissed him{{Sfn|Kennedy|1996|p=121}}{{Sfn|Castellanos Gómez|2002|p=110}} and sent forces to combat him.{{Sfn|Bariani|2003|p=180}}{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=433}}{{Sfn|Ballestín Navarro|2004|p=192}}{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=147}} The [[Maghrawa|Banu Maghrawa]], the [[Banu Ifran]] and [[Miknasa|Banu Miknasa]] joined the Al Andalus forces landing at Tangier,{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=433}} soon receiving reinforcements commanded by the Almanzor's son,{{Sfn|Castellanos Gómez|2002|p=110}}{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=434}} already chamberlain.{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=147}} At the beginning of August 998, Almanzor himself went to Algeciras with the numerous reinforcements destined to participate in the campaign.{{Sfn|Bariani|2003|p=182}}{{Sfn|Martínez Díez|2005|p=562}} In October 998, Abd al-Malik managed to defeat Ibn Atiyya and put him to flight,{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=147}}{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=435}} although Almanzor still sought local support for the Umayyad administration.{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=148}} Until his death, however, the territorial government remained in the hands of successive Iberian officials.{{Sfn|Lévi Provençal|1957|p=435}}

The campaigns in the Maghreb also had an important consequence for Iberian politics: Almanzor brought Berber troops and warlords to the peninsula,{{Sfn|Kennedy|1996|p=121}} both to form his personal troops and as contingents in the campaigns against Christian territories.{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=148}} Some of these leaders were even named viziers, which did not prevent their occasional fall from grace.{{Sfn|Echevarría Arsuaga|2011|p=148}}