Sheikh Abu I of Kairuoan (Yarmuk)

Murabit Abu Wad was the son of Murabit Yusuf Abu Saed, the younger brother of the heir to the throne. Despite this obvious exclusion from the Almoravid inheritance, Abu Saed ultimately did gain land in the form of the Sheikhdom of Kairuoan following the break up of the Almoravid Empire in 1140. He ruled this land peacefully until 1180, when he died of natural causes. A year later, following clashes in succession, the land was annexed by the Byzantines Empire.

Beginnings
Murabit Abu Saed was born in 1125 in Fez to Murabit Yusuf Abu Saed, the younger brother of Murabit Yusuf Tariq II, the heir to the throne. His birth was a brief controversy within the royal family, but aside from this he lived in total obscurity throughout his childhood. His part becomes more important at the end of the reign of the current monarch.

Instability and Civil War
The monarch in question was Murabit Yusuf Haseem II, considered the last of the stable monarchs of the Almoravid Empire. This is a true, if unfair, observation; Haseem was only stable because he was ineffectual. All was quite in the Maghreb during his 8 year reign. However, Haseem died of an unknown illness whilst Abu Saed was aged only three and replaced by Murabit Yusuf Tariq II, who lasted only 3 years before his suicide after the fated Songhai invasion and rebellion that he faced after its failure. After that, it was downhill all the way - the reign of Murabit Yusuf Tariq Abdullah marked the end of the Almoravid hegemony over the Maghreb. During this time, Murabit Yusuf Abu Saed trained his son religiously in the art of war.

Sabratha
Aged only 12 years, Murabit Abu Saed lived up to more than his father could ever have expected. An exceptional commander of men, even at that young age, he won a crushing victory over the Byzantines at Sabratha in Libya. No doubt he had an enormous amount of assistance, but nonetheless it was a great feat. There was no saving the Almoravid monarchy, however, for a greater general in the form of Muwahhid Abdul Yusuf, who had marshalled a huge army from his former allies in the southern Maghreb.

Fall of Almoravid sovereignty
1138 saw an end to any hope for sustained power throughout the Maghreb; the fall of Bougie and Cirta to the Almohads showed Abu Saed that there was no turning back. Ironically, this coincided with the death of his father, which came as a terrible emotional blow. In 1139, he retired to the nearest city at Kairuoan, where his formidable army held the forces of Almohad and Byzantine at bay until a peace treaty was signed with both in 1140. During the territorial reassessment that followed, no one was going to contest Abu's position in Kairuoan, least of all the war weary Byzantines, who for all their troubles gained not a thing! Abu's brother gained the neighbouring principality of Thapsus, whilst his other neighbour, Carthage, retained the land that corresponded to the former Roman province of Africa - and remained under its independent dynasty until 1154, when it was annexed by the Byzantines.

Early years in office
Peace descended on the Maghreb for the next 15 years, during which time Abu developed the resources of his kingdom. He was a firm, somewhat harsh ruler - and he ruled Kairuoan as a virtual despot. He was, however, surprisingly well liked by the citesens of Kairuoan and of neighbouring Thapsus, which he visited often to see his brother, Bomilcar. He was also on very friendly terms with King Jeheba Ali of the Almohad domain and made trade connections between the two nations very profitable.

Friction with Byzantium
In 1154, Nicodemus III of Carthago died, leaving no heirs. The only legal claim was held by the Byzantines, who sent troops in to occupy the city and its surrounding