Kusaila

Historical importance

Initially the Berber-Roman States were able to defeat the Umayyad invaders at the Battle of Vescera (modern Biskra in Algeria), that was fought in 682 AD between the Berbers of King Caecilius and their Byzantine allies from the Exarchate of Carthage against an Umayyad army under Uqba ibn Nafi (the founder of Kairouan). Uqba ibn Nafi had led his men in an invasion across North Africa, eventually reaching the Atlantic Ocean and marching as far south as the Draa and Sous rivers. On his return, he was met by the Berber-Byzantine coalition at Tahuda south of Vescera, his army was crushed and he himself was killed. As a result of this crushing defeat, the Arabs were expelled from the area of modern Tunisia and eastern Algeria for more than a decade.

Biography

His homeland was Tlemcen in modern Algeria, according to Ibn Khaldun. However, this account dates from the 14th century, some 700 years later. Indeed, Caecilius -according to historian Noe Villaverde- was probably a king of the Kingdom of Altava. Other sources closer to Caecilius's time (9th century are the earliest available) associate him only with the Awras area. Caecilius grew up in Berber tribal territory during the time of the Byzantine exarchate.

Caecilius is speculated to be a Christian based on his Roman-sounding name. According to historian Camps, his name was a possible translation in Berber of the Latin name "Caecilius", showing that he was from a noble Romano-Berber family. His name even intrigued Orientalists; unlike other Romano-Berber kings, like his predecessors Masuna, Masties, Mastinas and Garmul, Caecilius is not named after a Berber sounding. Arab chroniclers likely transmitted us -according to Camps- a name of another language: Latin Caecilius, a common name found in the graves of Volubilis.

However Caecilius had suffered much at the hands of the Muslims. He was captured by Uqba, put in chains and paraded throughout North Africa. But in AD 683 he succeeded in escaping and raised against his tormentors a large force of Christian Berber and Byzantine soldiers. And attacked Up his return and killed him near Biskra. After Uqba's death, his armies retreated from Kairouan. Which Caecilius took as his capital and for a while he seems to have been, in name at least, the master of all North Africa. But the respite was to be short-lived. Five years later Caecilius was killed in battle against fresh Arab forces led by a Muslim general from Damascus. This soldier was himself ambushed and put to death by Byzantine sea-raiders shortly afterwards. For a while confusion reigned, but the Awraba recognized the weakness of their position and eventually capitulated to the newly re-organized and reinforced Arab army. With the death of Caecilius, the torch of resistance passed to a tribe known as the Jerawa, who had their home in the Aurès mountains.

According to late Muslim accounts (11th century through to Ibn Khaldun in the 14th century) the amir of the Muslim invaders, who was then a freed slave called Abu al-Muhajir Dinar, surprisingly invited Caecilius to meet with him in his camp. Abu al-Muhajir convinced him to accept Islam and join his army with a promise of full equality with the Arabs (678). Abu al-Muhajir was a master in diplomacy and thoroughly impressed Caecilius with not only his piety but with his high sense of respect and etiquette. Caecilius incorporated the Awraba-Sanhajda into the conquering Arab force and participated in their uniformly successful campaigns under Abu al-Muhajir. This amir was then forcibly replaced by Uqba ibn Nafi who treated Caecilius and his men with contempt. Eventually Uqba's disrespect enraged Caecilius and provoked a plot of revenge. On the army's return from Morocco, Uqba allowed his troops to break up and go home. The remainder, about 300, were vulnerable and exhausted. On the return march to Kairowan, Caecilius joined with the Byzantine forces and organised an ambush. The Christian-Berber force, about 5000 strong, defeated the Arabs and felled Uqba at Tahudha near Biskra (683). Caecilius now held undisputed mastery over North Africa and marched to Kairowan in triumph.

The above account is disputed by some historians, who prefer the earlier 9th-century sources. According to these, Abu al-Muhajir had no connection with Caecilius, nor did Uqba ibn Nafi until he was ambushed at Tahudha. These earlier sources also describe Caecilius as a Christian, not a Muslim convert. They do agree, however, that he led a combined Byzantine-Berber force when he defeated Uqba.

In 688 AD Arab reinforcements arrived under Zuhair bin Qais Al Balawi. Caecilius met them in 690 AD at the Battle of Mamma. Vastly outnumbered, the Awraba were defeated and Caecilius was killed. In 693 AD, Caliph Abd al-Malik sent an army of 40,000 men commanded by Hasan ibn al-Nu'man to Cyrenaica and Tripolitana in order to remove the Byzantine threat to the Umayyads in North-Africa. They met no rival groups until they reached Tunisia where they captured Carthage and defeated the Byzantines and Berbers around Bizerte. It was not the last instance of Berber resistance, however (see Dihya).