Al-Mansur ibn al-Nasir succeeded his father
Nasir ibn Alnas in 1088. In 1090, he left the Kal'a (
Beni Hammad Fort), the traditional capital of the Hammadids, to settle in Béjaïa (Bougie) with his troops and his court, which he considered less accessible to the Nomads. The Hammadid kingdom thus abandoned its nomadic origins and became sedentary. At Al-Mansur's accession to the throne, Balbar ibn Alnas, Al-Mansur's uncle and governor of
Constantine, rebelled. Al Mansur sent him an army commanded by Abu Yakni ibn Muhsin to which he gave the control of
Annaba and Constantine. Abu Yakni then captured Balbar and sent him to
Qal'a Beni Hammad, and gave the command of Annaba to his brother Ouighlan. Several years later, in 1094 (487 AH), Abu Yakni rebelled in turn and formed a coalition against the Hammadid central government, composed of the
Zirids, the
Banu Hilal and the
Almoravids. Abu Yakni tasked Ouighlan to go to Mahdia and offer
Tamim ibn al-Mu'izz the possession of Annaba. Tamim accepted and Ouighlan came back to Annaba with Tamim's son Abu al Futuh. Ouighlan and Abu Yakni were rallying Arabs and were corresponding with the Almoravids. However Al-Mansur acted fast and took back Annaba after a 7-month long siege, all while taking prisoner Abu al Futuh who was sent to Qal'a Beni Hammad. Constantine was swiftly assieged and Abu Yakni fled to a Qal'a in the
Aures. Abu Yakni had given control to an Athbajid chief, Sulaysal bin al Ahmar, who sold the city to the Hammadids. Abu Yakni was repeteadly attacking Constantine but he was assieged in his Qal'a, was captured and put to death. == References ==