The Umayyad Period PDF

Lecture 8 (Unit 3): The Umayyad Period ====================================== - Earliest Islamic caliphate dynasty - 138-422 (756-1031) - Umayyad were Quraysh (same tribe as Quraysh tribe of Mohammad) - Came to Iberia because the Abbasids overthrew them Timeline Ein Bild, das Text, Scr...

Lecture 8 (Unit 3): The Umayyad Period ====================================== - Earliest Islamic caliphate dynasty - 138-422 (756-1031) - Umayyad were Quraysh (same tribe as Quraysh tribe of Mohammad) - Came to Iberia because the Abbasids overthrew them Timeline Ein Bild, das Text, Screenshot, Schrift, Electric Blue (Farbe) enthält. Automatisch generierte Beschreibung - Umayyads as the longest Dynasty - Emirate from 756 -- 929 (173 years) - Caliphate 929 (102 years) - After the Umayyads lost the Caliphate in Damascus to the Abbasids in 750, ABD AL-RAHMAN I became Emir of Córdoba in 756 - Abd Al-Rahman III proclaimed himself as the "amir al-mu'min" \[commander of the Faithful\] - The caliphate of Córdoba was an Islamic state ruled by the Umayyad dynasty from 929-1031 peaked in economy and culture - Kennedy: Abd al-Rahman died without naming a successor Umayyad family had a strong hereditary tradition and therefore one of his sons should succeed him The Emirs of the Umayyads  - James D: tells how Umayyads were hunted down and killed in Syria - Ibn Khaldun: Umayyads prevented their people from going abroad and fulfil pilgrimage so that they do not fall in the hand of the Abbasids Mosque of Cordoba - Symbol of the Umayyads 1. After the Alhambra in Granada the mosque of Cordoba is the second most important landmark in Spain 2. The Alhambra and Mosque of Córdoba are two of the three most visited monument ins Spain - The Mosque was built in the place were originally stood a Visgothic Church (Basilica of Saint Vincent) - At first it was a house of God for Christians and Muslims until 784, when Abd al-Rahman I purchased the Christinas half and demolished to original structure to build a mosque - This tradition in question: 3. Similar to the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus to underline legitimacy 4. No archaeological evidence that previously there was a church Two century long building process Ein Bild, das Text, Screenshot, Rechteck, Reihe enthält. Automatisch generierte Beschreibung - First building consisted of eleven naves oriented towards the river Guadalquivir - Hisham I finished the courtyard or sahn and erected the first minaret - Abd al-Rahman II carried out the first expansion of the prayer hall  - Marble, jasper, onyx, and granite in the Mosque - Double arches = inspired by the Dome of the Rock - Mosque is misoriented by 51 degrees (unusual) - In 2010 bishop (Demetrio Fernandez) of Córdoba, renamed it to the Catedral de Cordoba describing it as "arte bizantino" - Misleading narrative of Visigoth Basilica Ein Bild, das Text, Karte, Atlas, Diagramm enthält. Automatisch generierte Beschreibung Abbasid crackdown of the Umayyad -------------------------------- - Abbasids tried to wipe out all the Umayyads (so no one else claims the throne they killed most of the Umayyads - Text on slides (From Damascus to Cordoba) - Why did they come to Iberia? 5. It was far away enough to get rid of the Abbasid crackdown 6. Because Iberia was taken over the Umayyads (a lot of followers in Iberia) "natural" aka logic heritage 7. Limit of the known World (they didn't know what was beyond the Atlantic) - Abd al Rahaman I. (grandson of one of the latest Umayyad Caliphs (prominent member) - Umayyad = longest period in the timeline of Al-Andalus (756-1031) 275 years of leadership in Cordoba can be seen as a stable leadership - Umayyad = Cordoba (capital city of the Umayyads in Al-Andalus) - No one ruled in Iberia as long as the Umayyads did not even Bourbons (had to flee several times), Habsburg or Castile - There is also a second dynasty in this ranking: the Nasrids (Granada) 1232-1492. They were also the last Muslim dynasty - Again: Umayyads (Arabs from middle east) = Cordoba; Nasrids (Arabs but local origin) = Granada. Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba 8. First effective political and territorial unification of al-Andalus under Umayyad rule 9. Institutional consolidation of the Arab and Islamic State 10. Consolidation of a Muslim majority, establishment of a unified community (Jama 'a) 11. Heyday of Islam in Iberia: peak in the 10^th^ century particularly under rule of Almanzor The Fatimid Threat - Fatimid vs Umayyad dynasty both Muslim - Fatimids in the north of Africa - Both had ships (around 200) - Important harbours for the Umayyads were: Pechina and Almería Claiming the Caliphate - D. James writes about Abd Al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Abdallah and fighting against the Rebels Making al-Andalus Great Again - Madinat al-Zahra: The Resplendent City - In the Northwest of Cordoba near the mountains A Theocratic system? The Umayyad state 12. Government functions (central and local) 13. Standing army 14. Judiciary system: judges, other magistrates, and civil servants 15. Religious system (man of religion, ulama) Was the state a theocratic system? "Taking the definition of theocracy literally («a country ruled by religious leaders») it might be reasonably accepted, although always considering that the Caliph held political leadership, while religious authority was in the hands of the ulama, interpreters of the Revelation (Qur'an and Prophetic Tradition) and in charge of elaborating the Islamic doctrine. Judge of Cordoba -- the judge of community (qadi-l-Jamaa) "In fact, the name "judge of the community" for the judge is a new name that didn't exist before" -- by Al-Khushani (1914) Dar al-Islam = Islamic territory - 2/3 of the Iberian Peninsula was under the Muslims, while the Christians occupied the North - Asturias, Navarre, and Catalonia - 26 Provinces (kuwar) + 18 cities on the Islamic territory - Enemy territory = dar al-harb -- The Duero Valley, acted as a Buffer Zone (Zomia) - 464 years and 294 raids - Summer raids in the Land of Christians: 118 in 254 years (1 each 2 years) -- most in Alava Bringing Berber Fighters to al-Andalus - Al-Mansur needed to strengthen his army and increase the number of his troops to conquer enemy territory - Therefore, he imported Berber chieftains, champions, and warriors - The call to the jihad spread around and men famed for their exploits - Maghrib = shaeq al udwa - With these forces Ib Abi Amir launched his attacks on the enemy A. T. Tibi - LEWIS: Describes how the translation "holy war" like "holy law" is some distortion These translations have a basic fact, but their meaning differs depending on the cultural and religious context - Sharia, holy law: misleading because holy is redundant -- Sharia is simply the law and there is no other - Sharia can view as the law: THERE IS NO OTHER - Jihad is often translated wrong as the Arabic word means "effort, striving or struggle" -- in the Islamic tradition jihad is often understood to refer to a struggle or effort in the path of God. Been understood in a military context, by classical Islamic scholars The war in Qur´an - Verses expressing no militant means of propagating or defending the faith - Verses expressing restrictions on fighting - Verses expressing conflict between Gods command and the reaction of Muhammads followers - Veres strongly advocating war for God´s religion The Umayyad State  - Wickham describes how the caliphate was built on Roman foundations, and it arguably preserved the parameters of imperial Roman society more completely than any other part of the post-Roman world (until 750) The tax system in the Umayyad state - Kharaj: tax on agricultural land (paid by Muslims and non-Muslims) - Zaka: agricultural production (Muslims) - Jizya: poll tax (non-Muslims) - Miliary service exemption tax: poll tax (Muslims) - Magarim: Trade transactions (Muslims and Non-Muslims) The ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity - Conquerors (foreigners): Arabs/Berbers \[Muslims\] - Conquered (locals): Converted (Muwallads), Christians (Mozarabs) and Jews -- Non-Muslims are "people of the Book (ahl al-kitab) and are protected (dhimmis) - Ahmand ibn Hanbal/Holyland: Love of Arabs is part of faith, hatred of them is hypocrisy priority Arabs Arabization and Islamization 16. 711 was the beginning of an acculturation process by which the conquered adopted cultural and religious values of the conquerors Iberia turned from a Latin and Christian society into an Islamic and Arabic country 17. Arabization and Islamization was a two-century-long process 18. Arabization and Islamization only reached some parts of Iberia: one third of Iberia remained completely unaffected or only affected indirectly 19. Arabization and Islamization developed parallel but did not overlap: Islam initially developed as a religious faith associated with the Arabic language 20. Islamization is NOT a politically driven process or top-down decision. Islam did not become prevalent following an official decree set by a ruler nor mass conversion slow process Assimilating the Locals: the client system (wala) - Arabs were strongly superior, but their social system included integration and assimilation of the locals into Arab society - Integration took place through a client system: typical for Arab tribal society - The client adopted the nisba or tribal patronymic of the Arab master The client (mala) of an Arab of the Bakr tribe would have had the nisba al-Barki added to his name - This system + polygamy and the possibility of numerous concubines must have encouraged the demographic growth of the Arabs vis-à-vis the locals - Higer power of assimilation to accumulate large sectors - This and Arabic truing into main written and spoken language From Latin to Arabic - Arabic took over (not as in Persia) as the main language - Arabic was not just the language of Muslims, but also Christians and Jews alike: language was not limited by religion - Arabic become the language of the State (administration, bureaucracy, and law) but also of literature, science, and culture - However, al-Andalus was never a monolingual country Arab Christians - Bilingual tombstone (Latin and Arabic) of Qasim ibn Abbas in 998 Paul Alvarus - Lack of Biblical knowledge among Christians: not a lot understand the holy script - World knowledge vs. Christian devotion: lack of understanding their own faith (Arabic language) - Critique of Christian Elite: disconnected from the roots of Christianity - Absurdity of Excessive Rhetoric and Emphasis on Style over substance - Overall critique A lot of Arabic Written production and authors and works: 2465 Getting Islamic: Legal Requirements - Islamization is not just the conversion to Islam of individuals, but also the progressive imposition of Islamic rules - Islamization was NEVER a politically process: Islamic tradition rejects forced conversions - Joining Islam is not mandatory, but departure (leaving) is strictly prohibited - Islamization developed faster than Arabization: because it's much easier to change religious believes than learning a new language Islamization: Main Factors - Being part of the new political union and elite came with social and financial benefits for the locals - Religious similarity: In countries with a strong local Jewish/Christian background (such as Iberia) turning to Islam did not represent a radical shift because Islam belong to the dame religious tradition Christians just have to admit that Muhammad is the new Prophet - Mixed marriages: Qua ´ran allows Muslims men to marry Jewish/Christian women, while Muslim women can only marry Muslim men Conversion process - Based on study of naming patters among converts to Islam RICHARD BULLIET describes a general process of conversion which have been the norm in all medieval Islamic societies conquered by Arabs he says that the conversion to Islam followed a logistic curve meaning it started slowly but as more people converted the rate of conversion increased - Process can be describing as self-generating, as more Muslims interacted with non-Muslims creating a cycle as more people were influenced by Muslims no special policies or external factors: conversion happed naturally through social contact and growing Muslim community Ethnogenesis -- People of al-Andalus - Ibn Hazm: pp of al-Andalus are like Chinese for the perfection of their work and the accuracy of their crafts and decorative arts, and like the Turks with regard to the practice of war Attachment to Land - Ibn Hazm: Nobility and Messenger of God. "Kings on their thrones." - "God grants his grace to whoever he wants, as evidenced by our Al-Andalus which is characterized by the envy of its people towards the wise man who is eminent and skilled" - "My ruby I acclaim. My Andalusian flame" Non-Muslim in Islamic Society - Hoyland: Christians and Jews became integrated into the legal system with granted protection however it was a discriminatory system Naming the non-Muslims - Musrik = Politeist - Käfir = Infidel/Unbeliever - Ahl al-Kitab = people of the Book - Jizya = Poll tax - Tax for non-Muslims in the Qur´an that they have protection Dhimma Legal Status Field Obligation Right ------------- ----------------------------------- ------------------------------------ Economy Poll tax aka jizya Zakat exemption Religion Worship and building limitations Freedom of worship Legal rules Primacy of Islamic law Keeping their traditions and norms Daily life Wearing distinctive sings Work and mobility rights Security Loyalty to Islamic state Security and protection Government Excluded from executive functions Bureaucratic positions Jews of al-Andalus - Raymond Scheindlin: Jews in Muslim Spain - „Jewish community from Abd al-Rahman III (912-961) until the Almohads (1140) had a distinctive character among medieval Jewish communities. Preserving the Local Tradition Against Islamic Rule - One of the Mosque of Cordoba main feature is that (Folie) - Almanzor aka Amir Muhammad ibn Abdulla ibn Abi Amir al-Mafiri (nickname al-Mansur = the victorious) \[938-1002\] -- was not a member of the Dynasty of the Umayyads but he is an important figure but became a strong name of the Umayyad caliphate chancellor of the Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba - He enlarged the Mosque (almost double the size) because he wanted to appear as a big leader and main symbol of the dynasty he was putting the caliph aside (young boy) and increasing his own power acting like the ruler without the ruler Umayyad Emirs - Can be distinguished in two phases: Before 929 and after 929 (Abd al-Rahman III.) because that was when the Umayyad Caliphate in Cordoba was proclaimed (first were in Damascus) - The caliphate is the highest position in Islam (and leader of the Muslim community) - In 929 Abd al-Rahman III. Decided to proclaim himself as Amir al-Mu'min in which is the title of the caliph (=successor), although he did not rule all over the community - Abd al-Rahman III. Wanted to make the Umayyads great again the leadership in al-Andalus was compromised - Before he claimed the title, he fought against the different "rivals" in different parts of al-Andalus the rivals were the people who were unwilling to accept Umayyad rule -- however we don't have the narrative of the rivals ONLY of the Umayyads doesn't mean that the narrative is fake but its one-sided and biased - Umma means community or nation the Muslim community as a whole - And Abd al-Rahman III. Claimed to be the leader however the Umayyads didn't used the word Umma, they used "Jemaa" which also means community - Jemma el-Fnaa no members of the community... something with North - Abd al-Rahman III. Founder of the caliphate - SS of Umayad Emirs - Important one Abd al-Rahman III. Founder of the caliphate in 929 Slide From Damascus to Cordoba - Abd alman the... I. came to al-Andalus it was pointless claiming it, he used it to boost Umayyad power and legitimacy - Mosque of Cordoba is one of the most important places in al-Andalus/Spain - Problems with the name: All people (especially locals) have called it Mosque. However now its La Catedral de Cordoba, even though it is a catholic church (since 1236). A few years ago, the Bishop of Cordoba suggested to change it, because it was confusing in his opinion. - Moros again term for Muslim people by the Spanish but now not appropriate to use Next Lecture: - Christianity and Islam belong to the same religious tradition - Paul Alvarus (Member of the Christian community of Cordoba): complains (slide 55) about the progress of Arabization and Islamisation. He was witnessing the loss of the traditional Latin culture - Also complains that less people are able - Targets young people who try use the volumes of the Chaldeans \[Chaldea biblical name that describes the people from - Christians do not know their own law and Latins are not speaking their language now speaking Arabic Arab Christians (Mozarabs) - The term Mozarabs comes from Arabic and means: "arabized Christians" - There were people getting Arabic but not Islamic e.g. Mozarabs = Christians living among Muslims - Bilingual tombstone: Latin & Arabic John lay here; These sources show us a multicultural society - Christians became Arabatized shared linguist culture: Latin remained but also Arabic became - Arabic was the main language, and in many cases the only language - Generally speaking: different ethnic and religious groups, speaking different languages. However, they communicated together by using Arabic. - We also need to distinguish between written and spoken languages the Arabic spoken in Andalusia was an own dialect - Written is not spoken - Also, for Latin there was a dialect -- Latin Andalusi - Then there was hibbru for the Jewish, although they were highly arabized - Then the Berbers had just a spoken language Arabic Written Production - Approx.. 2500 Authors from al-Andalus - Mainly poetry - Then we have law, language, and Prose Assimilating the Locals - Becoming "Arab" was a social and political process - (Slide Assimilating the Locals) - Client system: the local became clients of the Arabs (Masters) - Becoming client is something formal your Master looks after you, which does not mean that the client is working or a slave for the Master - Advantage of the Master is that the Master has more people to rely on - We need to distinguish between local Muslims and Arab Muslim by time these borders vanished because they were more similar and became one community - However, there were still people that did not assimilate: the Mozarabs. They lived in an Arabic Society without becoming Muslim they were not forced to become Muslim. The social advantages often made Christians to convert. You don't need to deny Jesus, you just need to see Muhammad as the prophet - Religion was not the main problem The Umayyad Society Ein Bild, das Text, Screenshot, Schrift, Electric Blue (Farbe) enthält. Automatisch generierte Beschreibung - Society of peasants they mainly followed the religious or political leaders - Most of the people live in rural society agriculture based although al-Andalus saw a great economic development - Dhimma legal status: (Arabic word for protection) Where people of other Faith, were allowed to stay under certain conditions. Author X claims (slide) that this was discrimination but also something positive - They had to pay a special "poll tax" to the Islamic state, which granted them that they should not be harmed and also shall be protected in case of an attack - They were not allowed to join the military as the Jihad was only for Muslims - And proof loyalty to not turn against the Islamic state Job opportunities - Could work in the administration - However, positions that rule over Islamic people (like judge, or higher politics) you had to be Muslim - Generally, only lower jobs, but there were some exceptions in the history where Christians and Jewish people performed high administrative jobs - Read the text: Power and Status: Jews of al-Andalus - Dying in Jihad gives you direct access to paradise no final judgment Lecture 9: Unit 4 -- Taifa Kingdoms to Berber Dynasties (11^th^ -- 13^th^ century) ================================================================================== - New phase of medieval Iberia - Jhamma = Unity, community - Muslims were united under the Umayyads - Taifa means "group" or "sect" Taifa Kingdoms is the name given in the Arabic sources following the collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate and ensuring civil war (fitna \[1009-1031\]) - Initially more than 30 different Taifas - Most of them were tiny and short-living city-states - Larger principalities seized small ones little by little - Around 1060 4 leading Taifas (Seville, Badajoz, Toledo, and Saragossa) consolidated with other one - Taifa period = turning point in the history of al-Andalus crisis of leadership - The system broke down with little Sancho = Son of al Mansur forced the Caliph to sign a document where he was the heir of the Caliph - However, you cannot be the Caliph without being part of the family civil war broke out in Cordoba 1009, as the Umayyads did not accept this - The caliphate collapsed in 20 years - Fitna = Arabic word for conflict/civil strife - Taifa = means group or faction, used in Coran in the context of fights for the breakdown, look this up - Main outcome of the Fitna = no more Umayyads in 1031? - Now many different kingdoms on al-Andalus - (One the slide, every one red point = one kingdom) = many different dynasties - Local leaderships instead of a central leadership in Cordoba - Iman = used to describe the leader of the community - Amirid dynasty = al Mansur + little Sancho - Zirid dynasty: came with al Mansur to perform Jihad (brought Berber people because he needed fighters) - Some Muslim rulers took advantage of the split kingdoms and made bigger kingdoms by conquering others (especially in the south) 4 big Taifas - Similar situation as Christians were divided as well, but they took advantage of the split kingdoms by stoking divisions among Muslims letting the Muslims fight against each other. Furthermore, they demanded money from the Muslims for not attacking them (money was collected by the Caliph from the folks -- that made them unpopular - "Cats pretending to be Lions" -- Ibn Khaldon - Ibn Hazm -- describes how Christian's "help" Muslims - Al-Sumaysir -- describes the Rising up against the Taifa Rulers - Slide: Know your enemy Redressing the Balance - The fall of Toledo (Capital of Visigoths) in 1085 never came back to the Muslims - The political division in al-Andalus explains much of the Muslims weakness -- Christians took advantage of that in two ways: forced Taifas to pay taxes for not being attacked (this also decreased the popularity of the ruler, as the people had to finance these taxes) and Christians started seizing different Islamic territories and cities -- tipping balances in their favour - The Taifa period is a turning point because the Islamic superiority ended - Christian Conquests: 1064 Coimbra, Toledo 1085, and Valencia in 1094 Islamic reactions to the Christian Expansion Negative - Feeling of precariousness (Fierro): vulnerability, defenceless, the loss of territory as an inevitable destiny - Grieving and nostalgia: lost paradise Positive - Jihad: legal obligation to defend the territory and attack the enemy - Idea of land recovery: Barbastro (1064), Valencia (1094-1102), Silves (1189-1191), Almeria (1147-1157) The fall of Toledo - "Feeling of Precariousness" - Tibi: Fall of Toledo sent a great tremor through al-Andalus and filled inhabitants with fear. Al-Mutamid would rather die than surrender - Abu Muhammad Abd Allah al-Assal from Toledo: People of al-Andalus, spur your horses and fight Know your enemy - King Ferdinand I of Leon: "We seek our own land, which was conquered" - Count Sisnado Davidiz: "Desirae of Christians what they lost" Failed Siege on Aledo - 1088 - Conflict between Almoravids + Taifa kingdoms vs. Kingdom of Castile The Berber Dynasties: Almoravids, Almohads and Merinids 21. Over a period of 150 years (1090-1224) al-Andalus was ruled from Marrakech by two Berber dynasties: the Almoravids and Almohads 22. Role was two folded: one hand al-Andalus integrated into foreign political entities and was ruled from the outside losing political self-government 23. On the other hand, the intervention of the Berber Dynasties secured the survival of al-Andalus probably Christians would have seized the land earlier. They could not stop them but slowed them down The Almoravids - Almoravid = arab. "ribat" and originally in the Qur´anic notion that came to a certain kind of practice and the place where that practice was performed - The Almoravids (al-mulathihmun) \[The veiled ones, die Verschleierten\] to protect them from the desert dust - Veil as uniform dress of the ruling class - Qur´an: "You who believe, be steadfast more steadfast than others, be ready, always be mindful of God, so that you may prosper" - Belonged to the Western Sanhaja tribe - Berbers of Maghreb can be classified into three major groups: the Zanata (North), Masmuda (central Morocco) and the Sanhaja in the western Sahara and hills of eastern Maghreb - Originate among the Lamtuna and Gudala (nomadic Berber tribes, moving between Draa, Niger, and Senegal Their Emirs (1055-1147) 24. Yusuf ibn Tashufin (1062-1106) 25. Ali ibn Yusuf (1106-1143) 26. Tashufin ibn Ali ibn Yusuf (1143-1145) 27. Ibrahim ibn Tashufin (1145-1146) 28. Ishaq ibn Ali ibn Yusuf ibn Tashufin (1145-1147) Origin - Empire founded by Abdallah ibn Yasin in 1062 with Marrakech as the capital - Were rigorist Sunni (orthodox) Islamic dynasty - After being acknowledged as Amir al Mu´ninin (Commander of the Faithful), Yusuf ibn Tashfin took the titles of Amir al-Muslimin (Commander of the Muslims) - Their empire included all NW Africa between Algeria and Atlantic Coast, South Iberia until Saragossa, Balearic Islands 3000km from North to South - Islamic Victory of Zallaqaa (479/1086) Battle against Alfonso - Wiped out the Taifas from 1090-1116 (Yusuf ibn Tasufin) - Ibn Simak: "By god, Ill rather raise camels than pigs" Almoravids in al-Andalus - The Almoravids played a crucial role in preventing the fall of al-Andalus into the hands of the Christians especially thanks to their crushing defeat of a coalition of Castilian and Aragonese Armies in Zallaqa/Sagrajas (near Badajoz) in October 1086 - Rule was relatively short, as the Almoravids fell when they failed to quell the Masmuda-led rebellion by Ibn Tumart last emir Ishaq ibn Ali was killed in Marrakech in April 1147 by the Almohads who replaced them as a dynasty Non-Muslims in Almoravid Seville - By Lewis Bernard - Strict separation between Muslims and non-Muslims Muslims should avoid certain tasks for non-Muslims, restrict their women from entering Christian churches - Should be very visible distinct not allowed to dress like Muslims of high status - Maintain Islamic purity and authority The Almohad Movement - Almohad means "follower of the doctrine of divine unity" relates to the concept of tawhid converting the idea of Gods uniqueness - The movement came up as a reaction the Almoravid rule represents original religious reform of Islam - Almohads real rebuilding of Islam based on purity "retrospective revolution"/golden past - Movement was carried out by Berber belonging to Masmuda tribe and settled around high Atlas Mountains Origin - Started by Ibn Tumart (son of Berber chief from the high Atlas Mountains), after proclaiming the necessity of a jihad and revolt against Almoravids during 1120s - The triumph was possible by Abd al-Mu´min(Ibn Turmart successor) who not only defeated the Almoravids between 1130 and his death in 1163 but also expanded his power over all northern Africa and Egypt - Abd al-Mu´min became first Almohad Caliph in 1147 - Almohad rule was finished - Almohad rule in Ibera was finished in 1228 a few years before the rival dynasty of Marinids raised in Maghrib, putting Almohad rule with the taking of Marrakesh in 1269 The Almohad Caliphate - The Almohad political construction is the most sophisticated and original that has place in the Islamic West, as well as one of the most interesting in the Islamic classical world as a whole - Origin in the Atlas Mountains Almohads controlled much of the Western Mediterranean -- first and only time they managed to unify the whole territory of Maghreb, al-Anadlus, Tripoli and Safi from Sijilmasa to Calatrava - Almohads stand a completely sovereign and autonomous political organization by claiming the Caliph dignity refusing to accept the Abbasid dynasty from Baghdad The Almohad Doctrine - Almohadism mainly featured by diversity in its origin and its capacity for synthesis - The Almohads cannot be easily categorized Ibn Turmat & Almohads were not Shii, Sunni or Kharijite wanted to create true Islam - Political succeed and their victories against Catholic enemy in Iberia helped to minimizes the effects of this. The Almohad Creed (credo/Glaubensbekenntnis) - God is our Lord -- All power belongs to God. There is no power but Gods. - God is our Lord -- Muhammad is our Prophet. The Mahdi is our imam Almohad Caliphs - 1147 (Abd al. Mu´min) until 1269 (Abd I Ula) - Seville as Almohad capital city The Almohad Decline - Balle of Las Navas de Tolosa (=Battle of al-Uqab in Arabic sources) took place on 16 July 1212 - Catholic forces of King Alfonso VIII of Castle, joined by armies of his rivals, Sancho VII of Navarre, Peter II of Aragon and Afonso II of Portugal, defeated Almohad Caliph al-Nasir near Jaén - Stated decline  New lecture: The Tide Turns - Ranting against the Taifa Rulers -- Ibn Hazm - Who were the Amirds? Little Sancho as the last one - Muslim Leaders could have 4 wives and concubinages - Children from concubinages were legitimate children (part of the Umayyads) - Taifa system = chaos - Failed Siege on Aledo (1088) - Most of the cases it was taken over by agreements (Wiping out Taifas)