Yahya b. 'Umar
Yahya was son to a leader of the Lamtuna as well as a Judala princess. He was raised for power and leadership by two fierce chieftains, travelers and warriors. While his father was the one with charisma, his mother was the one with erudition. He admired both, and he felt he needed a great and immesurable accomplishment to live up to them. An accomplishment, such as uniting all the Sanhaja again and lead them to rule a territory as vast as they had during the late Roman Empire, so high north they could see the Mediterranea from their own land.
His father had already died and his mother become his advisor when the opportunity came. The leader of the federation, the leader of the Judala, Yahya b. Ibrahim, came to die in 1048 and a successor was sought. At first sight, it appeared evident that his successor to both titles would be another Judala as well. But the Judala, like many Sanhaja, were of matrilinear tradition. Yahya could try his fates and he did pronounce his candidature. And he won.
Yahya was now leader of the federation, but his people weren't ready for a long war. That conundrum didn't last long. Within the Judala, there was a religious leader, Ibn Yasin, who had a trained army of followers, the Murabitun. Ibn Yasin offered his full support and endorsement to Yahya al-Lamtuna and his brother Abu Bakr, making him the second amir of the Murabitun after Yahya al-Judala.
A few years later, in 1054, the opportunity to use this force arrived. Ibn Yasin informed Yahya and his brother that Sijilmasa had called for help, to be freed of an amir of the Zenet federation. The Murabitun flew to the rescue indeed and took Sijilmasa. They found incredible riches, and decided to capture 50 000 camels as much to diminish their foes military potential, as to augment their own. They then left a garrison to Sijilmasa and returned, wondering about this test of their military power and already planning an expansion to the south.
Sijilmasa didn't remain long under their thumb. The city rebelled and massacred the garrison. Yahya sent his brother up north to fix it and remained to continue their plans of conquest towards Ghana, presently fighting the Judala. He was killed during this campaign in 1056 and his titles went to his brother.
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