Ziri ibn Manad or Ziri son of Mennad (died in 971) was the founder of the Zirid dynasty in the Maghreb. Ziri ibn Mennad was a chief of the Takalata branch of the

Sanhajah The Sanhaja ( ber, Aẓnag, pl. Iẓnagen, and also Aẓnaj, pl. Iẓnajen; ar, صنهاجة, ''Ṣanhaja'' or زناگة ''Znaga'') were once one of the largest Berber tribal confederations, along with the Zanata and Masmuda confederations. Ma ...

confederation, to which the Kutama Berbers belonged located in the Central Maghreb ( Algeria). As an ally of the

Fatimids The Fatimid Caliphate was an Isma'ilism, Ismaili Shia Islam, Shi'a caliphate extant from the tenth to the twelfth centuries AD. Spanning a large area of North Africa, it ranged from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the ea ...

, he assisted in the defeat of the rebellion of Abu Yazid (943–947) by Caliph al-Mansur bi-Nasr Allah, and was rewarded with the governorship of the western provinces, an area that roughly corresponds with modern Algeria north of the

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

. Ziri had the residence of Achir built south of the future site of

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...

in 935. He summoned masons and joiners from M'sila and Tubna to build the fortress, which, once finished, was filled with scholars, merchants and lawyers. He minted money and began to pay his troops in cash. His son Buluggin ibn Ziri founded the cities of

, Miliana and Médéa (Lamdiya), and rebuilt the settlements destroyed in the revolt. In 959 Ziri successfully conquered Fez in Morocco. On his return home he paraded the amir of Fez as well as the “Caliph” Ibn Wasul of Sijilmasa in cages in a very humiliating manner.Pellat, Charles (1991). "Midrār". In Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E. & Pellat, Ch. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition, Volume VI: Mahk–Mid. Leiden: E. J. Brill. Ziri ibn Manad was killed in battle against the lord of M'sila (Ja'far Ibn 'Ali al-andalusi al-Maghrawi) in June-July 971. He was succeeded as governor by his son Buluggin ibn Ziri, who in 972 became Viceroy of

Ifriqiya Ifriqiya ( '), also known as al-Maghrib al-Adna ( ar, المغرب الأدنى), was a medieval historical region comprising today's Tunisia and eastern Algeria, and Tripolitania (today's western Libya). It included all of what had previously ...

(972–984) when the Fatimids transferred their court to Egypt. 971 deaths 10th-century Berber people 10th-century people from the Fatimid Caliphate Governors of the Fatimid Caliphate People killed in action Sanhaja Year of birth unknown Zirid dynasty

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