Agdiminids Dynasty

The Mirdasid-Agdiminids Dynasty (formerly Agdiminids) was the ruling dynasty in the Emirate of Crete. After the Great Cretian Holy War, in which the Muslims were expelled from Crete, a divergent bloodline has formed with the Mirdasids. It currently holds control of the Syrian Levant

**Faith:** *Muwalladism (Former)*

**Lords of the Dynasty:**

*Urz'ig (KIA) - 1080*

*Rashid ud-Dawlah Mahmud ibn Shibl al-Dawsa Nasr*

**Motto:** *"The only god guides us!"*

**Starting Holding:** *Emirate of Crete*

## **The Arab Settlers:**

The Agdiminigids originally originate from Hejaz and were related to the prophet Muhammad. Originally following a Pagan faith, with the word of Allah being spread around the Arabian peninsula, the tribe elders decided to convert to this new faith and put their trust in the one true god. In the wake of the conquests of the Rashidun Caliphate, Umar Ibn Agdiminid, the founder of the dynasty and then leader of his local tribe, joined the ranks of the Rashidun Holy Warriors and secured the conquest of the lands near Carthage. Under Uqba ibn Nāfi, he and his local tribe have aided the construction of Qairawan under which Umar has gotten significantly more popular as the co-governor of the newly founded settlement.

With the settlement complete, Umar and his tribe continued the invasion into Algeria. Due to Umar nearing his last years, he decided to settle down near Portus Divinus, now known as al-Marsā al-Kabīr.

## **The Holy Wars for Crete:**

In the late 700s, Tabat "the Daring" rallied his local tribe and, fueled by his desire to aid the Abbasid Caliphate in their war against the Byzantine Empire, gathered some 50 boats and invaded the island of Crete. Tabat, seeking no intent to truly settle down on Crete, has made no efforts in conversion of the lands and was merely seen as a temporary occupier. When the Romans defeated Tabat in 824 where Tabat died, the island remained under Cretian control for over two centuries. For a while, the Agdiminids remained the rulers of a wealthy district in al-Marsā al-Kabīr, bringing peace and prospherity to their district.

With a drought in 1019 ravaging the entire food supply of the city, it was clear that the now settled Tribe would have to once again turn to their Nomad heritage. The memories of the promised land in Crete have not faded away. Some 814 men, guided by the new Ruler Yiliyen and descendants of the previous raiders, supported with Arab Mujahids, managed to reassert control over the island aroud 1030 by capturing Doux Alexandros of the Island alongside the individual townholders, replacing them with Berber ones and preparing for an invasion from the Roman Empire.

## **The Great Cretian Marriage:**

Yiliyen avoided direct confrontation with the Roman Emperor by direclty marrying himself to the first daughter of the former Cretian Doux. Being the only heir to Doux Alexandros, she would have to give up her lands in favour of male nobility. With Yiliyens marriage however, she could keep the title of Duchess of Crete whilst simultanously giving the Roman Emperor the same vassalage terms as he had prior to Alexandros' death. As such, Yiliyen became the first and only Muslim vassal to the Roman Emperor.

Ontop of that, Yiliyen had different ambitions from his great ancestor Tabat. The marriage with the Duchess secured a direct protection from the Roman (Byzantine) Empire, although the wishes from the Emperor for Yiliyen to convert as soon as possible in exchange for proper vassalage have not had an answer to by Yiliyen. Instead of occupying the island, first attempts of conversion and a form of administration were established in the newly formed Emirate of Crete under the Roman Empire (Also known as Tigzirt by the Berber court). The subjugation under the heel of the Roman Emperor was seen as a huge blow to the faith of Islam as the Christians did not believe in the same values as Islam. Yiliyen, being aware of the fact that the age of Islamic conquests may soon come to an end, has decided to secure his place and protection of his faith and people in exchange for a yearly tribute.

## **Urz'ig the Young:**

Yiliyen only had one son, named Urz'ig, who was a daring and stubborn boy. Described by the court as a man of large guts, Urz'ig got himself into trouble time and time again. In one such occurence, Urz'ig decided to prove his strength by hunting and cutting open a wild mountain goat. In the end, his peaceful nature made him not be able to commit such an act as he approached the mountain goat, wanting to milk it instead. The mountain goat however charged back, knocked him down a few feet onto some debris and permanently scarred the Young Urz'ig while also making him blind in his left eye. Instead of screaming in agony however, Urz'ig became frustrated with the fact that he was not able to appear peaceful to the goat and making it seem that the pain from the slash he endured was minimal.

Over the time, Urz'ig showed his capabilities in administering the Economy of the Island by issuing important decrees to aid the islands export of fish to the Muslim markets. With the sudden death of his father from cancer, the 19 year old boy takes the reign as the Emir of Crete. Although unexpierenced at ruling his nation, similiarly to his father Yiliyen, he follows the idea of peacefully begin the process of conversion on the island, although explicitly not attempting to convert via force. He believes that as long as the faith is a monotheistic one, the small differences in the way of practice can be changed throughout the time.

Attracted to the intelligence of an Bedouin woman named Sajida on his Urz'igs trip to Constantinople took the attention of Urz'ig. As the Silk Road was at the time blocked due to the Byzantine-Seljuk Wars, Urz'ig offered Sajida a boat on her journey to the Levant. Once they've arrived in the Levant, Sajida, also a connoseur of economics, Sajida decided to join Urz'ig in his court in Crete. Although Urz'ig knew the consequences of marrying a non-Greek, he went ahead with it.

Urz'ig believed money would lead to the Islamic Conversion of his Duchy. As such, many of his advisors were given substantual paychecks to keep their loyality and was very lenient on the tax rate of Muslims in his realm.

Following the execution of a Cretian merchant in the Skeikhdom of Malta, Urz'ig, wanting to dethrone the dynasty of Mdinid in Malta, prepared an invasion of the island in order to protect the Maltan citizens of further harm from Skeikh Ramadan. Following the invasion, the settlement of Falita was established on the island as a trading port.

## **Agdiminid Diaspora:**

In 1080, Roman Emperor Androkinos Doukas terminated the vassalage between Urz'ig and him. Urz'ig's forces were captured on Crete and he alongside his court were executed on behalf of the Roman Emperor.

The 9 siblings, children of Urz'ig, all fled to various areas of the Muslim world. Many fled into the royal court of the Mirdasid Emirate, close to the border of the Roman Empire. Rashid ud-Dawlah Mahmud ibn Shibl al-Dawsa Nasr accepted them mainly due to him being a good friend of Urz'ig. Many also fled to the Deserts in the Maghreb, seeking refuge as the Emperor denies them any rights of entering the land. The wealth of the remnants of the Agdiminids has secured good positions in many Muslim Courts throughout the world and especially the fusion with the Mirdasids is largely attributed to the immense wealth that this marriage would bring.

## **Dawn of the Mirdasid-Agdiminids:**

With the expected death of Rashid at age 68, Jalal ud-Dawsa 'the Foolish' took control. Being universally disliked for his disfigured body which he had from a very young age, he attempted his best to let the newly formed Mirdasid-Agdiminid dynasty thrive. With clan members plotting against him however, Jalal quickly developed many mental issues. After the failed first Agdiminid Conquest of Qaryatan, he, being sonless and with his wife dead for quite a while, died of a heart attack, presumably from the stress he endured throughout the time.

His half-brother Sabiq Abu'l Fada'il 'The Sword of Islam', who was married to the Agdiminid Queen Aamira, set his sights on fulfilling his fathers legacy. Rashid, being a theologian, saw no cause in the faith of Ismailism within the Muslim faith, seeing it as a vile heresy. Although Sabiq initially suffered many issues that Jalal did aswell, he pushed on, being described as tyrannical by many of the people living within. His goal was to both leave the not beneficial vassalge under the Uqalyids whilst also promising his fathers wish and cleanse the world of heresy. Through a series of oppurtunities arising in both the weakening Shia States to the south and the Roman Empire in the west, Sabiq overcame his fear and, largely thanks to the General "Bashar 'the Conqueror'" numerous battles against the Romans in Antioch and against the Shiites in Jordan have been won. In the battle of Antioch, Sabiq died of age in his field camp, dividing the lands upon three brothers with Yahya immediatly making a name for himself.