Almohads

Almohads

Almohads , Berber Muslim dynasty that ruled Morocco and Spain in the 12th and 13th cent. It had its origins in the puritanical sect founded by Ibn Tumart , who stirred up (c.1120) the tribes of the Atlas Mts. area to purify Islam and oust the Almoravids . His successors, Abd al-Mumin , Yusuf II, and Yakub I , succeeded in conquering Morocco and Muslim Spain, and by 1174 the Almohads had completely displaced the Almoravids. With time the Almohads lost some of their fierce purifying zeal; Yakub had a rich court and was the patron of Averroës. Yakub defeated (1195) Alfonso VIII of Castile in the battle of Alarcos, but in 1212 the Almohad army was defeated, and Almohad power in Spain was destroyed by the victory of the Spanish and Portuguese at Navas de Tolosa. In Morocco they lost power to the Merinid dynasty, which took Marrakech in 1269.

Bibliography: See studies by Abd al-Wahid al Marrakushi 1881, repr. 1968) and R. Le Tourneau (1969).

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Almohads

Almohads (Arab., al-muwwaḥḥidūn, ‘those who espouse Oneness’). Spanish name of a Muslim dynasty in N. Africa and Spain, 1130–1269 (AH 524–667). Their name summarizes their character as protestants against the lax style of prevailing Islam, especially under the Almoravids. They derived their inspiration from ibn Tumart, but it was his successor, ʿAbd al-Muʾmin, who extended territorial control. In 1170 (AH 566) Muslim Spain fell to them. The ‘Almohad arch’ is sometimes interpreted as a physical manifestation of sūra 94 in the Qurʾān, The Grand Mosque in Seville, the Giralda, is now a cathedral, but still illustrates the vision. After their defeat at Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212 (AH 609), their eclipse was only a matter of time.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Almohads." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Almohads." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Almohads.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Almohads." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Almohads.html

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Almohad

Almohad Berber Muslim dynasty (1145–1269) in North Africa and Spain, the followers of a reform movement within Islam. It was founded by Muhammad ibn Tumart, who set out from the Atlas Mountains to purify Islam and oust the Almoravids from Morocco and eventually Spain. In 1212 Alfonso VIII of Castile routed the Almohads, and in 1269 their capital, Marrakech, fell to the Marinids.

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"Almohad." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Almohad." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Almohad.html

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Almohad

Almohad An Islamic dynasty that ruled in Morocco and Spain during the 12th and 13th centuries. The Almohads built many of the defensive monasteries or ribats of North Africa. They were defeated by the Portuguese and Spanish on the Iberian peninsula in 1228 and superseded by the Merenid dynasty in Morocco in 1269.

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"Almohad." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Almohad." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-Almohad.html

"Almohad." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-Almohad.html

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Almohad

Almohad a member of a Berber Muslim movement and dynasty that conquered the Spanish and North African empire of the Almoravids in the 12th century, taking the capital Marrakesh in 1147. They were driven out of Spain in 1212 but held on to Marrakesh until 1269.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Almohad." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Almohad." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Almohad.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Almohad." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Almohad.html

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