The Banu Hilal (Arabic: بنو هلال‎) were a confederation of bedouin^[1] tribes that migrated from Upper Egypt^[2] into North Africa in the 11th century, having been sent by the Fatimids to punish the Zirids for abandoning Shiism.^{[citation needed]} Other authors suggest that the tribes left the grasslands on the upper Nile because of environmental degradation accompanying the Medieval Warm Period.^[3] The Banu Hilal quickly defeated the Zirids and deeply weakened the neighboring Hammadids. Their influx was a major factor in the linguistic and cultural Arabization of the Maghreb, and in the spread of nomadism in areas where agriculture had previously been dominant.^[4] Ibn Khaldun noted that the lands ravaged by Banu Hilal invaders had become completely arid desert.^[5]

They were led by Abu Zayd al-Hilali. Their story is recounted in fictionalized form in Taghribat Bani Hilal.

Their "saga" is still recounted in form of poetry in Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt: Djezia and Dhieb bin Ghanim opposed to the Zenati Khalifa.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Almsaodi, Abdulaziz. Modern history of Yemen
• Power and Interest News Report

[edit] See also

• Banu Sulaym