Almohad Conquest of Muslim Spain (1146–1172)

Almohad Conquest of Muslim Spain
(1146–1172)

PRINCIPAL COMBATANTS: Almohad Muslims vs. Almoravid
Muslims

PRINCIPAL THEATER(S): Southern Spain

DECLARATION: None

MAJOR ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES: The Almohads sought to
achieve control of Muslim Spain.

OUTCOME: The Almohads defeated and displaced the
powerful Almoravids.

APPROXIMATE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF MEN UNDER ARMS:
Unknown

CASUALTIES: Unknown

TREATIES: None

Before the 11th century, northwest Africa was ruled by a
wide variety of Berber chieftains. By mid-century, however,
the Almoravid (also called the Murabit) sect of Muslim
Berbers rose up in a campaign of conquest, seizing
control of Morocco and much of Algeria, then proceeding
north to conquer Muslim Spain as well as parts of central
Spain, which had been recently Christianized (see
ALMORAVID CONQUEST OF MUSLIM SPAIN). In the meantime,
in northwestern Africa a rival sect, the Almohads,
increased in power, establishing a strong and highly militant
religious confederation by 1125. Today, the Almohads
might be described as a “fundamentalist” sect. They advocated
a return to strict observance of the articles of the
Muslim faith, a position that appealed to many Spanish
Muslims, who felt that their Almoravid overlords had
strayed from the true faith. Accordingly, the Almohads
found strong support for their invasion of southern Spain
in May 1146.
In quick succession Tarifa and Algeciras fell to the
Almohads. From here Abd al-Mumin (c. 1094–1163) led
the Almohads farther north and proclaimed himself ruler
of Muslim Spain in 1146. He forced the Almoravids out of
Seville in January 1147, then compelled the surrender of
Córdoba and Jaén.
As Almohad influence grew stronger, Almohad Spanish
forces were augmented by troops from Africa, and in
1153 Málaga fell to the Almohads, followed by Granada in
1154. Almería, to which Abd al-Mumin laid siege, also
capitulated.
Throughout the 1150s Mohammad ibn-Mardanish
(1147–72), who ruled Moorish Murcia, a kingdom of
southern Spain, led resistance against the Almohad conquerors.
Abd al-Mumin was compelled to attend to uprisings
and rebellion in northern Africa in 1158–59 and left
the continued subjugation of Spain to his sons, one of
whom, Abu Yaqub Yusuf (r. 1163–1184), was destined to
succeed his father. It was not until 1162 that they finally
defeated ibn-Mardanish at Granada and, in 1165, near
Murcia. These defeats compelled ibn-Mardanish’s followers
to sue for peace with the Almohads. When he died in 1172
ibn-Mardanish himself told his followers to accept Almohad
rule. This signaled the successful conclusion of the
Almohad conquest of Muslim Spain, modern Andalusia.

Further reading: Roger Le Tourneau, The Almohad
Movement in North Africa in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries
(Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1969).