Abu Yahya Abu Bakr II
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Hafsid Sultanate
| Abu Yahya Abu Bakr II | |
|---|---|
| Caliph of the Hafsid Sultanate | |
| Reign | 1318–1346 |
| Predecessor | Abu-l Abbas Ahmad |
| Successor | Abu-l Abbas Ahmad |
| Died | 19 October 1346 Hafsid Sultanate |
| Dynasty | Hafsids |
| Religion | Islam |
Abu Yahya Abu Bakr II (Arabic: أبو يحيى أبو بكر المتوكل ; died 19 October 1346) was the Hafsid caliph of Ifriqiya from 1318 to 1346. He was the son of Abu-Zakariyya Yahya III, emir of Béjaïa and grandson of Abu Ishaq Ibrahim I.[1][2] Under his rule the former unity of the Hafsid domains was restored.[3]
After 1309 his brother Abu-l-Baqa Khalid An-Nasr came to power in Tunis and made him governor of Constantine. Shortly after this he revolted. In 1311 his brother was overthrown and Abu-Yahya Abu-Bakr seized the opportunity to take Bejaïa in 1312 with the new ruler of Tunis, Abd al-Wahid Zakariya ibn al-Lihyani, powerless to respond. In 1315 or 1316 the attacks on Tunis began; in 1317 al-Lihyaní fled the country and abdicated in favor of his son Abu-Darba Muhammad who resisted for another nine months, but in early 1318 Abu-Yahya Abu-Bakr II made his entrance into the capital.[4]: 128, 130–133
Early challenges
The earlier part of his reign was largely devoted to suppressing rebellions. Abu-Darba tried to encourage revolts and also encouraged Ibn al-Imran, son-in-law of al-Lihyaní, to rebel.[4]: 144 Until 1332 there were numerous rebellions but Abu-Yahya Abu-Bakr II was gradually able to restore control. To maintain the cohesion of his states he entrusted the government of the provinces from 1320 to his sons assisted by chamberlains.[4]: 146–7, 150 Between 1319 and 1330 the Zayyanids of Tlemcen attacked Hafsid territory every year until the threat was neutralised through an alliance with the Marinids of Fez, whose heir presumptive Abu-l-Hassan married Abu-Yahya Abu-Bakr's daughter.[4]: 148