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New Configurations (1050-1150) - The Seljuks and the Almoravids - From Pastoralists to State-Builders: The Almoravids

6 important questions on New Configurations (1050-1150) - The Seljuks and the Almoravids - From Pastoralists to State-Builders: The Almoravids

Where did the Berbers come from? What religion did they abide by?

The earliest sources for this practice did not connect it with Islam per se, but later sources reported that the Berbers had originally lived in Yemen.
In order to practice their fledgling monotheism, they were forced to flee to the Sahara with their men disguised as women. Their veils thus demonstrated their devotion to Islam.
In the 1030s they were inspired by a leader named Yahya ibn Ibrahim and his companions to follow a strict form of Sunni orthodoxy.

What federation did the Berbers form? What did they conquer?

Seeking economic opportunity, groups of Berbers formed a federation known as the Murabitun (Almoravids) and began conquering the (largely Shi'ite) regions to their north.
They took over cities bordering on the Sahara in the 1050s and soon had their eyes on the Maghreb.
The foundation of their city of Marrakesh c.1070 was a milestone in their transition from a pastoral to a settled existence.
Under their leader, Yusuf ibn Tashfin (d.1106), and members of his clan, they subdued much of the Maghreb, taking Tangier in c.1078 and Ceuta in the 1080s.

How did the Almoravids take over al-Andalus?

The Andalusian king was Christian King Alfonso VI of Leon and Castile. When Alfonso captured Toledo from its Muslim ruler in 1085, Yusuf ibn Tashfin took up the challenge, meeting him near Badajoz in 1086 and dealing him a stunning defeat.
Dismayed by the taifa leaders' feuding and (in their eyes) "lax" form of Islam, the Almoravids soon began to conquer the peninsula on their own behalf. By c.1115 all of al-Andalus not yet taken by Christian rulers was under Almoravid control.

When did the Almoravid hegemony over the western Islamic world end?

Almoravid hegemony over the western Islamic world began to end only in 1145 as the Almohads, a rival Berber group, came to replace them.

What did the Almoravids control? What was their wealth based on?

The Almoravids controlled an empire stretching over 2000 miles, from the northern end of the kingdom of Ghana to half of Spain.
Their wealth and power were based on prosperous urban centers and a flourishing rural economy.
Farmers produced grains, irrigated their gardens with sophisticated water-management systems, and raised animals.

What is famous about Almeria?

The silks woven in Almeria were famous. When King Alfonso VII of Castile and Leon took that city in 1147, he looted its silks to cut up and use to wrap precious relics for the cathedral of Siguenza.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

A Short History of the Middle Ages, Sixth Edition | 9781487541019 | Barbara H Rosenwein

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