Banu Ghaniya
بنو غانية
Banu Ghaniya, remnant of the Almoravids; a Massufa house of the veiled tribes — Yahya al-Massufi their champion honoured by Yusuf ibn Tashfin, slain leaving by a wife named Ghaniya two sons Muhammad and Yahya raised in the sultan's care; Ali ibn Yusuf granted Yahya the western Andalus seated at Cordoba and Muhammad the eastern isles Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza in 520, and Ishaq ibn Muhammad held all until his death in 580 leaving eight sons — then his son Ali ibn Muhammad carried the house to Ifriqiya, striking Béjaïa unawares in Safar 581, taking Algiers, Mazuna and Milyana, besieging the Qal'a, ruling Qafsa and investing Tripoli, fighting the Almohads by land and sea in famous wars until their house was extinguished.
At a glance
- Era
- The Crusades, Ayyubids and Mamluks
- Region
- Maghreb · al-Andalus & Europe
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
Banu Ghaniya are the remnant of the Almoravids, and their house is of the veiled Masufa. Ibn Khaldun says that Yahya al-Masufi was among the men and brave ones of the Almoravids, held in esteem by Yusuf ibn Tashfin. 1
Origins
Yahya was killed, and left by a woman called Ghaniya two sons, Muhammad and Yahya, who grew up under the protection of Yusuf ibn Tashfin. Ali ibn Yusuf gave Yahya the western part of al-Andalus and settled him in Cordoba, and to Muhammad he gave the eastern islands of Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza, in 520 AH. 1
Ishaq ibn Muhammad then took sole control until he died in 580 AH, leaving eight sons. 1
In Ifriqiya
His son Ali ibn Muhammad moved the command to Ifriqiya. He attacked Bejaia by surprise in Safar 581 AH, took Algiers, Mazuna and Miliana, besieged the fortress, took Qafsa, and attacked Tripoli. 1
The Almohads fought them by land and sea in famous wars until their affair came to an end. 1
A second source is needed: the dates, and a second source other than Ibn Khaldun.
Sources
- Kitab al-Ibar of Ibn Khaldun
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Banu Ghaniya”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/polity/banu-ghaniya/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-16.