Abu Zakariya Yahya

Timeline

1. 1220–1228Tunis · IfriqiyaHe inherited his father's governorships at Tunis and Gabès, accumulating local military and administrative strength as the Almohad Empire declined, laying the groundwork for later independence.
2. 1229–1240Tunis · IfriqiyaIn 1228 he overthrew his brother Abdullah, and in 1229 declared independence and founded his state. He then conquered Tripoli (1234), Algiers (1235), and the Chelif River valley, and subdued Berber tribal confederations.
3. 1241–1249Tunis · IfriqiyaIn his later years he maintained diplomatic ties with Marinid Morocco and the Muslim regimes of al-Andalus, fostering flourishing Mediterranean trade. He died at Tunis on October 5, 1249, succeeded by his eldest son al-Mustansir, and the Hafsid dynasty endured into the 16th century.