Muhammad II of Aghlabids
Encyclopedia
Muhammad II ibn Ahmad Abu al-Gharaniq (died 875) was the eighth Emir
of the Aghlabids in Ifriqiya
(864–875)
He succeeded his uncle Ziyadat Allah II (863–864), inheriting from his predecessors a stable and prosperous state. An aesthete fond of wine and hunting, he felt able to devote himself to extravagance and displays of pomp. His reign saw the conquest of Malta
and raids into mainland Italy were sufficient to force tribute from Pope John VIII
.
Towards the end of his reign a caravan of pilgrims from Mecca
introduced the plague into Ifriqiya - this, and an ensuing famine led to severe depopulation and the weakening of the kingdom.
He was succeeded by his brother Abu Ishaq Ibrahim II (875–902)
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
of the Aghlabids in Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
(864–875)
He succeeded his uncle Ziyadat Allah II (863–864), inheriting from his predecessors a stable and prosperous state. An aesthete fond of wine and hunting, he felt able to devote himself to extravagance and displays of pomp. His reign saw the conquest of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and raids into mainland Italy were sufficient to force tribute from Pope John VIII
Pope John VIII
Pope John VIII was pope from December 13, 872 to December 16, 882. He is often considered one of the ablest pontiffs of the ninth century and the last bright spot on the papacy until Leo IX two centuries later....
.
Towards the end of his reign a caravan of pilgrims from Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
introduced the plague into Ifriqiya - this, and an ensuing famine led to severe depopulation and the weakening of the kingdom.
He was succeeded by his brother Abu Ishaq Ibrahim II (875–902)