Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd Al-Haqq
Encyclopedia
Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd al-Haqq (أَبُو يُوسُف يَعقُوب بن عَبد الحَقّ abū yūsuf ya`qūb ben `abd al-ḥaqq) (?-20 March 1286) was a Marinid
ruler of Morocco
. He was the fourth son of Marinid
founder Abd al-Haqq
, and succeeded his brother Abu Yahya
in 1258. He died in 1286.
since 1210s. At the time of Abu Yahya
's death in July, 1258, the Marinids were installed in Fez
and controlled eastern and northern Morocco, the Almohads reduced to the southerly districts around their capital, Marrakech
. Although Abu Yahya had designated his son as successor in Fez, Abu Yusuf Yaqub, then a governor in Taza
, managed, with only a little difficulty, to displace his nephew and get himself acknowledged as emir of the Marinids.
In September, 1260, in a surprise attack, a Christian naval force from Spain, probably Castilian
, landed on the Atlantic coast of Morocco and seized the city of Salé
. Abu Yusuf retook the city after a fourteen-day siege. It was the first known direct encounter between the Marinids and the Christian powers of the Iberian peninsula
. Abu Yusuf decided against a retaliatory raid, and instead focused on reducing the Almohad
resistance in the south.
capital of Marrakech
, but his attempt to assault the city faltered. Changing tactics, he decided to sponsor the rebellious Almohad chieftain Abu Dabbus in his struggle against his cousin, the Almohad caliph Abu Hafs Umar al-Murtada
. But once Abu Dabbus seized Marrakech in 1266, he broke his treaty with the Marinids and refused to pass Marrakech over to them. Instead, Abu Dabbus persuaded the Abdalwadid
ruler Yaghmorassan of Tlemcen
to launch an incursion into Marinid land from the northeast. Abu Yusuf broke off his campaign against the errant Almohad client to deal with the Tlemcen intervention, defeating the Abdalwadids at a battle by the Moulouya
in 1268.
Abu Yusuf promptly returned to the south, defeated the forces of Abu Dabbus and entered Marrakech
on 8 September 1269, putting a final end to the Almohad
Caliphate. The Marinids were masters of Morocco, and Abu Yusuf Yaqub took up the title of 'Prince of the Muslims' (amir el-moslimin), the old title used by the Almoravid rulers in the 11th-12th centuries. Like the Almoravids, the Marinids never adopted the caliphal title (amir al-mu'minin), believing it to be an impious pretension (although the contemporary Hafsid rulers of Ifriqiya
would soon take it up).
The Marinids resisted the temptation of relocating their capital to the Marrakech
, citadel of the Almoravids
and Almohads, preferring to base themselves at Fes
.
The Marinids had some difficulty getting their authority recognized by the southerly Ma'qil
Arabs of the Draa valley
and Sijilmassa. The Draa valley Arabs submitted only after a campaign in 1271, and Sijilmassa only in 1274. The northerly port cities of Ceuta
and Tangiers also refrained from acknowledging Marinid suzerainity until 1273.
Part of this resistance had been encouraged by Abdalwadid
ruler Yaghmorassan of Tlemcen
, and so in 1272, Abu Yusuf launched a punitive expedition and even briefly laid siege to Tlemcen, forcing the Abdalwadids to come to terms. Abu Yusuf erected the advanced coastal fortress of Taount
to police any future Abdalwadid interventions in Marinid dominions.
Ibn Khaldoun's account of Abu Yusuf's 1274 siege of Sijilmassa relates what seems to be one of the first uses of powder cannon
as a siege weapon.
had appealed to the Marinid emir Abu Yusuf Yaqub for assistance. Granada was then plunged in civil war, with the Nasrids fighting off a challenge from the rival Banu Ashqilula family, rulers in Malaga
, Guadix
and Comares
. The Christian king Alfonso X
of Castile
had thrown his weight behind the Ashqilula - in part because the Nasrids themselves had sheltered Castilian rebels. But the Marinid emir Abu Yusuf was then engaged against Tlemcen
and could not intervene.
In 1274, Muhammad I's son and successor, Muhammad II al-Faqih
struck a deal with Alfonso X, paying the Castilian king some 300,000 maravedis and promising not to intrigue with Castilian rebels. But Alfonso X did not fulfill his side of the agreement and continued his support for the Ashqilula, so Muhammad II renewed his request to the Marinids for assistance, offering them the Iberian
towns of Tarifa
, Algericas and Ronda
as payment.
With Morocco now pacified and Tlemcen controlled, in April, 1275, Abu Yusuf Yaqub took up the Nasrid request and crossed the straits, landing a large Moroccan army in Spain. The Marinids quickly took Tarifa and Algeciras and confirmed their pact with Muhammad II. The arrival of the Marinids and the absence of Alfonso X (then at a meeting with the pope in France) prompted the Banu Ashqilula to quickly come terms with the Nasrids. With that out of the way, raids were launched on Castilian lands - the Marinids ravaged Castilian-ruled Andalusia
below the Guadalquivir, while Muhammad II led a Granadan army against Cordoba.
News of the Marinid landing had prompted frantic preparations by the Castilian crown prince Ferdinand de la Cerda
, left regent in his father's absence, to counter it. But the prince fell sick and died in July, an event that would soon plunge Castile
into a crisis of succession.
The Marinid emir Abu Yusuf defeated a large Castilian army under Nuño González de Lara, adelantado de la frontera, in a pitched battle near Ecija
in September. A second army led by the Archbishop Sancho II of Toledo in October met a similar fate. Only the rapid rallying of Castilian forces by infante Sancho
kept the Marinids from doing more damage. Alfonso X
arrived back in Castile at the end of the year and negotiated a truce with Abu Yusuf Yaqub.
dynasty in Tinmel. It seemed an appropriate time to erect a splendid new city to serve as the capital of a new dynasty.
In March, 1276, Abu Yusuf Yaqub laid down the plans and initiated the construction of El-Medinat el-Beida ('White City'), what will later become known as Fes el-Jedid ('Fez the New'), across the river from the old Idrisid city of Fez (now known as Fez el-Bali ('Fez the Old')). Fes el-Jedid will serve as the Marinid capital throughout.
In 1278, in a remarkable turn-around, the Marinid ruler struck a deal with the Banu Ashqilula, rivals of the Nasrids of Granada, whereby the Ashqilula ceded their city of Malaga
to the Marinids, in return for Marinid protection. News of the deal infuriated the Nasrid ruler Muhammad II al-Faqih
of Granada
, who promptly sought out the support of Alfonso X of Castile
and the Abdalwadid
ruler Yaghmorassan of Tlemcen
to punish the Marinids.
In early 1279, while the Abdalwadid
s launched a diversionary raid on Morocco, the Castilians dispatched a fleet to blockade the straits. Muhammad II led a Granadan army upon Malaga, which soon fell in a negotiated settlement. In a new treaty, Marinid emir Abu Yusuf agreed to surrender his claims on Malaga and withdraw his protection of the Ashqilula, in return for which Muhammad II handed over Almunecar
and Salobrena
to the Marinids.
No sooner was this done, that the attention of the Muslim parties turned towards Marinid Algeciras
which Alfonso X
had decided to take for himself. Anxious not to let it fall in Christian hands, Muhammad II lent his own ships to join the Marinid fleet under the command of the Abu Yusuf's son, Abu Yaqub
. The Marinids defeated the Castilians at the naval battle
of Algeciras on 21 July 1279, and forced Alfonso X to lift the siege and withdraw.
But no sooner had the Castilian threat receded, that Abu Yusuf and Muhammad II fell into a quarrel over whom exactly held suzerain title over Algeciras and Malaga. Now it was the turn of the Marinids to forge an alliance with Alfonso X
of Castile
. The Marinids supported Castilian raids against Granada in 1280 and 1281. For his part, Muhammad II al-Faqih
of Granada
turned to Peter III
of Aragon
and Alfonso X's estranged son, the infante Sancho
. The Abdalwadid
ruler Yaghmorassan of Tlemcen
was happy enough to align with the Granadan-Aragonese, and was promptly punished by a new Marinid campaign against Tlemcen in 1281.
reached its apex when the infante Sancho quarreled with his father and, with the support of the bulk of the Castilian nobility, declared himself King Sancho IV of Castile
. His father, Alfonso X
fled to Seville
, his support reduced to the Muslim-heavy districts of Andalusia and Murcia. With Muhammad II
of Granada
in league with Sancho, Alfonso X appealed to the Marinids of Morocco for support.
At Alfonso X's request, Abu Yusuf crossed the straits for the third time in July, 1282. A pact was forged with Alfonso X in October, and a joint Alfonsine-Marinid army marched against Sancho IV in Córdoba
. But Sancho IV was to well-entrenched to dislodge. Nothing much came of this campaign, and the Marinids returned to Morocco soon after, with little to show for their efforts.
ruler Yaghmorassan of Tlemcen
died in the Spring of 1283, and his successor, Abu Said Othman, immediately sought to mend relations with the Marinid emir Abu Yusuf, thus temporarily relieving a persistent source of stress.
Alfonso X
died in April 1284, throwing Castile
into a new crisis by designating his grandson Alfonso de la Cerda, rather than Sancho IV
as his heir. With his back freed from the Tlemcen threat, Marinid emir Abu Yusuf decided to honor Alfonso X's choice with a new expedition to Spain to support Cerda and his confederates. In Granada, the Banu Ashqilula, under a renewed Nasrid assault, had also appealed to the Marinids.
But all this had to be postponed, as Abu Yusuf had to spend much of 1284 putting down a Maqil
rebellion in the Draa valley
.
Finally, in April 1285, Marinid emir Abu Yusuf Yaqub crossed the straits for the fourth (and last) time. Although Comares
had fallen to the Nasrids of Granada, the Marinids managed to rescue Guadix
, the last Ashqilula stronghold. As the bulk of the Moroccan army landed in Tarifa
, Abu Yusuf promptly led them into Andalusia to lay siege to Jerez. Moroccan detachments were dispatched to devastate a broad area from Medina Sidonia to Carmona
, Ecija
and Seville
. Nervous at Seville's disposition (a Cerda party stronghold), Sancho IV
assembled his army there, and dispatched the Castilian fleet, some hundred ships under his Genoese admiral Benedetto Zaccaria
, to blockade the mouth of the Guadalquivir
, and prevent the Marinid navy from assaulting Seville upriver.
In August, 1285 Sancho IV was finally ready to march the Castilian army against the Moroccans at Jerez. Finding a pitched battle unwise, Abu Yusuf decided to lift the siege of Jerez, withdrew his army to the safety of Algericas, and opened negotiations with the Castilian usurper.
In October 1285, Sancho IV of Castile
secured a five-year truce and treaty with the Marinid emir Abu Yusuf. In return for promises not to intervene in Castile for the Cerda party, the Marinids received equal assurance that there would be no more Castilian lunges on Muslim territories in Spain (whether Marinid
or Nasrid). To seal the deal, Sancho IV agreed to hand over to the Marinids the collection of Arabic books that had been seized from Andalusian
libraries by Church authorities during the Reconquista
, in return for Marinid payment of cash compensation for the Castilian property taken and damaged by the marauding Moroccan armies.
In March, 1286, Abu Yusuf also began negotiating a final settlement with the Granadan ruler Muhammad II
. The Granadans agreed to recognize Marinid possession of Tarifa
, Algeciras
, Ronda
and Guadix
, in return for which the Marinids agreed to surrender all other possessions and claims on any other towns or dominions on the Iberian peninsula
. The remnants of the Banu Ashqilula family would be exiled to Morocco, and the Marinids would guarantee they would cease all intrigues against the Nasrid rulers.
Abu Yusuf Yaq'ub was in the middle of these negotiations, when he fell ill and died on 21 March 1286 in Algeciras
. Abu Yusuf's remains were translated to the Marinid necropolis at Chellah
which had himself built. He will be succeeded by his son, Marinid emir Abu Yaqub Yusuf
of Morocco
.
or Abu Yahya
as the founders of the Marinid
dynasty, there is little doubt that Abu Yusuf Yaqub ought to be rightly regarded as the founder of the Marinid state. He put a final end to the Almohads, unified Morocco
, established their new grandiose capital at Fez el-Jedid
and gave the Marinids their foothold in Spain
.
However, he also left it in a fragile state. The Arabs and Maqil
of the south remained only half-subdued, the Sanhaja
of the High Atlas unconvinced, and, to the east, Tlemcen
remained an unbowed and unbroken threat.
Abu Yusuf Yaqub may have turned the Marinids into the pre-eminent Muslim power of the region - certainly stronger than the Nasrids of Granada
, the Abdalwadid
of Tlemcen
or the Hafsids of Ifriqiya
. But they remained, at root, a tribal dynasty, and without the kind of religious authority or prestige the Almoravids
or the Almohads enjoyed, the Marinid chances of replicating their empires over the Maghreb and Spain were fatally circumscribed.
Marinid
The Marinid dynasty or Benemerine dynasty was a Zenata Berber dynasty of Morocco. The Marinid dynasty overtook the Almohads in controlling Morocco in 1244. They controlled most of the Maghreb from the mid-14th century to the 15th century and supported the Kingdom of Granada in Al-Andalus in the...
ruler of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. He was the fourth son of Marinid
Marinid
The Marinid dynasty or Benemerine dynasty was a Zenata Berber dynasty of Morocco. The Marinid dynasty overtook the Almohads in controlling Morocco in 1244. They controlled most of the Maghreb from the mid-14th century to the 15th century and supported the Kingdom of Granada in Al-Andalus in the...
founder Abd al-Haqq
Abd al-Haqq I
Abd al-Haqq I was the first Marinid sheikh, leader and an eponym of the same dynasty.-History:Around 1215, the new Almohad caliph, Yusuf II Al-Mustansir was still young and the Almohad dynasty had just received a severe defeat against Christian kingdoms of Iberia on July 1212 in the battle of Las...
, and succeeded his brother Abu Yahya
Abu Yahya ibn Abd al-Haqq
Abu Yahya ibn Abd al-Haqq was a Marinid ruler. He was the son of Abd al-Haqq I and the brother of both Uthman I and Muhammad I....
in 1258. He died in 1286.
History
The Marinids had been fighting the Almohads for supremacy over MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
since 1210s. At the time of Abu Yahya
Abu Yahya ibn Abd al-Haqq
Abu Yahya ibn Abd al-Haqq was a Marinid ruler. He was the son of Abd al-Haqq I and the brother of both Uthman I and Muhammad I....
's death in July, 1258, the Marinids were installed in Fez
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
and controlled eastern and northern Morocco, the Almohads reduced to the southerly districts around their capital, Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
. Although Abu Yahya had designated his son as successor in Fez, Abu Yusuf Yaqub, then a governor in Taza
Taza
Taza is a city in northern Morocco, which occupies the corridor between the Rif mountians and Middle Atlas mountains, about 120 km east of Fez. It is located at 150 km from Nador, and 210 km from Oujda...
, managed, with only a little difficulty, to displace his nephew and get himself acknowledged as emir of the Marinids.
In September, 1260, in a surprise attack, a Christian naval force from Spain, probably Castilian
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
, landed on the Atlantic coast of Morocco and seized the city of Salé
Salé
Salé is a city in north-western Morocco, on the right bank of the Bou Regreg river, opposite the national capital Rabat, for which it serves as a commuter town...
. Abu Yusuf retook the city after a fourteen-day siege. It was the first known direct encounter between the Marinids and the Christian powers of the Iberian peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
. Abu Yusuf decided against a retaliatory raid, and instead focused on reducing the Almohad
Almohad
The Almohad Dynasty , was a Moroccan Berber-Muslim dynasty founded in the 12th century that established a Berber state in Tinmel in the Atlas Mountains in roughly 1120.The movement was started by Ibn Tumart in the Masmuda tribe, followed by Abd al-Mu'min al-Gumi between 1130 and his...
resistance in the south.
Conquest of Marrakech
In 1262, Abu Yusuf laid siege to the AlmohadAlmohad
The Almohad Dynasty , was a Moroccan Berber-Muslim dynasty founded in the 12th century that established a Berber state in Tinmel in the Atlas Mountains in roughly 1120.The movement was started by Ibn Tumart in the Masmuda tribe, followed by Abd al-Mu'min al-Gumi between 1130 and his...
capital of Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
, but his attempt to assault the city faltered. Changing tactics, he decided to sponsor the rebellious Almohad chieftain Abu Dabbus in his struggle against his cousin, the Almohad caliph Abu Hafs Umar al-Murtada
Abu Hafs Umar al-Murtada
Abu Hafs Umar al-Murtada was an Almohad caliph who reigned in part of Morocco from 1248 until his death.His rule was reduced to the region of Marrakech, and was forced to pay tribute to the Marinids. He was ousted by his cousin Abu al-Ula al-Wathiq Idris who proclaimed himself as...
. But once Abu Dabbus seized Marrakech in 1266, he broke his treaty with the Marinids and refused to pass Marrakech over to them. Instead, Abu Dabbus persuaded the Abdalwadid
Abdalwadid
Zayyanids or Abd al-Wadids , or Banu Zayan, is the name of a Berber zenata dynasty in North Africa. The Zayyanids, whose capital was Tlemcen existed from 1235 to 1556...
ruler Yaghmorassan of Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
to launch an incursion into Marinid land from the northeast. Abu Yusuf broke off his campaign against the errant Almohad client to deal with the Tlemcen intervention, defeating the Abdalwadids at a battle by the Moulouya
Moulouya River
The Moulouya River is a 520 km-long river in Morocco. Its sources are located in the Middle Atlas. It empties into the Mediterranean Sea near Saidia, in Northeast Morocco at about . Water level in the river often fluctuates. The river is used for irrigation...
in 1268.
Abu Yusuf promptly returned to the south, defeated the forces of Abu Dabbus and entered Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
on 8 September 1269, putting a final end to the Almohad
Almohad
The Almohad Dynasty , was a Moroccan Berber-Muslim dynasty founded in the 12th century that established a Berber state in Tinmel in the Atlas Mountains in roughly 1120.The movement was started by Ibn Tumart in the Masmuda tribe, followed by Abd al-Mu'min al-Gumi between 1130 and his...
Caliphate. The Marinids were masters of Morocco, and Abu Yusuf Yaqub took up the title of 'Prince of the Muslims' (amir el-moslimin), the old title used by the Almoravid rulers in the 11th-12th centuries. Like the Almoravids, the Marinids never adopted the caliphal title (amir al-mu'minin), believing it to be an impious pretension (although the contemporary Hafsid rulers of Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
would soon take it up).
The Marinids resisted the temptation of relocating their capital to the Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
, citadel of the Almoravids
Almoravids
The Almoravids were a Berber dynasty of Morocco, who formed an empire in the 11th-century that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus. Their capital was Marrakesh, a city which they founded in 1062 C.E...
and Almohads, preferring to base themselves at Fes
Fes, Morocco
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
.
The Marinids had some difficulty getting their authority recognized by the southerly Ma'qil
Maqil
The Maqil were an Arabian nomadic tribe that emigrated to the Maghreb region, with the Banu Hillal and Banu Sulaym tribes, in the 11th century. They mainly settled in and around Morocco's Saharan wolds and oases; in Tafilalet, Wad Nun , Draa and Taourirt...
Arabs of the Draa valley
Draa River
The Draa is Morocco's longest river . It is formed by the confluence of the Dadès River and Imini River. It flows from the High Atlas mountains south-ward to Tagounit and from Tagounit mostly westwards to the Atlantic Ocean somewhat north of Tan-Tan...
and Sijilmassa. The Draa valley Arabs submitted only after a campaign in 1271, and Sijilmassa only in 1274. The northerly port cities of Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
and Tangiers also refrained from acknowledging Marinid suzerainity until 1273.
Part of this resistance had been encouraged by Abdalwadid
Abdalwadid
Zayyanids or Abd al-Wadids , or Banu Zayan, is the name of a Berber zenata dynasty in North Africa. The Zayyanids, whose capital was Tlemcen existed from 1235 to 1556...
ruler Yaghmorassan of Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
, and so in 1272, Abu Yusuf launched a punitive expedition and even briefly laid siege to Tlemcen, forcing the Abdalwadids to come to terms. Abu Yusuf erected the advanced coastal fortress of Taount
Ghazaouet
Ghazaouet is a town and commune in Tlemcen Province in northwestern Algeria.-References:...
to police any future Abdalwadid interventions in Marinid dominions.
Ibn Khaldoun's account of Abu Yusuf's 1274 siege of Sijilmassa relates what seems to be one of the first uses of powder cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
as a siege weapon.
First Expedition to Spain
In 1272, the Nasrid ruler Muhammad I of GranadaEmirate of Granada
The Emirate of Granada , also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada , was an emirate established in 1238 following the defeat of Muhammad an-Nasir of the Almohad dynasty by an alliance of Christian kingdoms at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212...
had appealed to the Marinid emir Abu Yusuf Yaqub for assistance. Granada was then plunged in civil war, with the Nasrids fighting off a challenge from the rival Banu Ashqilula family, rulers in Malaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
, Guadix
Guadix
Guadix, a city of southern Spain, in the province of Granada; on the left bank of the river Guadix, a sub-tributary of the Guadiana Menor, and on the Madrid-Valdepeñas-Almería railway...
and Comares
Comares
Comares is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. The municipality is situated approximately 28 kilometres from the provincial capital and 24 from Vélez Málaga. It has a population of approximately 1420 residents. The...
. The Christian king Alfonso X
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
of Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
had thrown his weight behind the Ashqilula - in part because the Nasrids themselves had sheltered Castilian rebels. But the Marinid emir Abu Yusuf was then engaged against Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
and could not intervene.
In 1274, Muhammad I's son and successor, Muhammad II al-Faqih
Muhammed II al-Faqih, Sultan of Granada
Muhammed II al-Faqih was the son and heir of Mohammed ibn Alhamar and the second Nasrid ruler of the Moorish Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula....
struck a deal with Alfonso X, paying the Castilian king some 300,000 maravedis and promising not to intrigue with Castilian rebels. But Alfonso X did not fulfill his side of the agreement and continued his support for the Ashqilula, so Muhammad II renewed his request to the Marinids for assistance, offering them the Iberian
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
towns of Tarifa
Tarifa
Tarifa is a small town in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, on the southernmost coast of Spain. The town is located on the Costa de la Luz and across the Straits of Gibraltar facing Morocco. The municipality includes Punta de Tarifa, the southernmost point in continental Europe. There are five...
, Algericas and Ronda
Ronda
Ronda is a city in Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about West from the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is approximately 35,000 inhabitants.-History:...
as payment.
With Morocco now pacified and Tlemcen controlled, in April, 1275, Abu Yusuf Yaqub took up the Nasrid request and crossed the straits, landing a large Moroccan army in Spain. The Marinids quickly took Tarifa and Algeciras and confirmed their pact with Muhammad II. The arrival of the Marinids and the absence of Alfonso X (then at a meeting with the pope in France) prompted the Banu Ashqilula to quickly come terms with the Nasrids. With that out of the way, raids were launched on Castilian lands - the Marinids ravaged Castilian-ruled Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
below the Guadalquivir, while Muhammad II led a Granadan army against Cordoba.
News of the Marinid landing had prompted frantic preparations by the Castilian crown prince Ferdinand de la Cerda
Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile
Don Ferdinand de la Cerda was the Crown Prince of Castile, eldest son of King Alfonso X of Castile and Violant of Aragon. His nickname, de la Cerda, means "of the bristle" in Spanish, a reference to being born with a strand of thick hair running down his chest.In November 1268 he married Princess...
, left regent in his father's absence, to counter it. But the prince fell sick and died in July, an event that would soon plunge Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
into a crisis of succession.
The Marinid emir Abu Yusuf defeated a large Castilian army under Nuño González de Lara, adelantado de la frontera, in a pitched battle near Ecija
Écija
Écija is a city belonging to the province of Seville, Spain. It is located in the Andalusian countryside, 85 km east of the city of Seville. According to the 2008 census, Écija has a total population of 40,100 inhabitants, ranking as the fifth most populous city in the province...
in September. A second army led by the Archbishop Sancho II of Toledo in October met a similar fate. Only the rapid rallying of Castilian forces by infante Sancho
Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV the Brave was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.-Biography:...
kept the Marinids from doing more damage. Alfonso X
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
arrived back in Castile at the end of the year and negotiated a truce with Abu Yusuf Yaqub.
Foundation of Fes-el-Jedid
Returning to Morocco in early 1276, flush from his successes over Tlemcen and Castile, the Marinid emir Abu Yusuf was greeted by news that the Marinid governor of Marrakech had finally reduced the last remnants of the AlmohadAlmohad
The Almohad Dynasty , was a Moroccan Berber-Muslim dynasty founded in the 12th century that established a Berber state in Tinmel in the Atlas Mountains in roughly 1120.The movement was started by Ibn Tumart in the Masmuda tribe, followed by Abd al-Mu'min al-Gumi between 1130 and his...
dynasty in Tinmel. It seemed an appropriate time to erect a splendid new city to serve as the capital of a new dynasty.
In March, 1276, Abu Yusuf Yaqub laid down the plans and initiated the construction of El-Medinat el-Beida ('White City'), what will later become known as Fes el-Jedid ('Fez the New'), across the river from the old Idrisid city of Fez (now known as Fez el-Bali ('Fez the Old')). Fes el-Jedid will serve as the Marinid capital throughout.
Second Expedition to Spain
In August 1277, Abu Yusuf Yaqub crossed the straits again with a Moroccan army. This time he moved further north, ravaging the districts of Jerez, Seville and Cordoba.In 1278, in a remarkable turn-around, the Marinid ruler struck a deal with the Banu Ashqilula, rivals of the Nasrids of Granada, whereby the Ashqilula ceded their city of Malaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
to the Marinids, in return for Marinid protection. News of the deal infuriated the Nasrid ruler Muhammad II al-Faqih
Muhammed II al-Faqih, Sultan of Granada
Muhammed II al-Faqih was the son and heir of Mohammed ibn Alhamar and the second Nasrid ruler of the Moorish Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula....
of Granada
Emirate of Granada
The Emirate of Granada , also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada , was an emirate established in 1238 following the defeat of Muhammad an-Nasir of the Almohad dynasty by an alliance of Christian kingdoms at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212...
, who promptly sought out the support of Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
and the Abdalwadid
Abdalwadid
Zayyanids or Abd al-Wadids , or Banu Zayan, is the name of a Berber zenata dynasty in North Africa. The Zayyanids, whose capital was Tlemcen existed from 1235 to 1556...
ruler Yaghmorassan of Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
to punish the Marinids.
In early 1279, while the Abdalwadid
Abdalwadid
Zayyanids or Abd al-Wadids , or Banu Zayan, is the name of a Berber zenata dynasty in North Africa. The Zayyanids, whose capital was Tlemcen existed from 1235 to 1556...
s launched a diversionary raid on Morocco, the Castilians dispatched a fleet to blockade the straits. Muhammad II led a Granadan army upon Malaga, which soon fell in a negotiated settlement. In a new treaty, Marinid emir Abu Yusuf agreed to surrender his claims on Malaga and withdraw his protection of the Ashqilula, in return for which Muhammad II handed over Almunecar
Almuñécar
Almuñécar is a municipality in the Spanish Autonomous Region of Andalusia on the Costa Tropical between Nerja and Motril . It has a subtropical climate...
and Salobrena
Salobreña
Salobreña is a town on the Costa Tropical in Granada, Spain. It claims a history stretching back 6000 years.The old town of is a cluster of whitewashed houses and steep narrow streets set around a 10th century Moorish castle. The town sits atop a rocky prominence surrounded by sugar cane fields...
to the Marinids.
No sooner was this done, that the attention of the Muslim parties turned towards Marinid Algeciras
Algeciras
Algeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
which Alfonso X
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
had decided to take for himself. Anxious not to let it fall in Christian hands, Muhammad II lent his own ships to join the Marinid fleet under the command of the Abu Yusuf's son, Abu Yaqub
Abu Yaqub Yusuf an-Nasr
Abu Yaqub Yusuf an-Nasr was a Marinid ruler of Morocco. Son of Abu Yusuf Ya'qub, whom he succeeded in 1286. He was assassinated in 1307.- History :...
. The Marinids defeated the Castilians at the naval battle
Naval battle
A naval battle is a battle fought using boats, ships or other waterborne vessels. Most naval battles have occurred at sea, but a few have taken place on lakes or rivers. The earliest recorded naval battle took place in 1210 BC near Cyprus...
of Algeciras on 21 July 1279, and forced Alfonso X to lift the siege and withdraw.
But no sooner had the Castilian threat receded, that Abu Yusuf and Muhammad II fell into a quarrel over whom exactly held suzerain title over Algeciras and Malaga. Now it was the turn of the Marinids to forge an alliance with Alfonso X
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
of Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
. The Marinids supported Castilian raids against Granada in 1280 and 1281. For his part, Muhammad II al-Faqih
Muhammed II al-Faqih, Sultan of Granada
Muhammed II al-Faqih was the son and heir of Mohammed ibn Alhamar and the second Nasrid ruler of the Moorish Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula....
of Granada
Emirate of Granada
The Emirate of Granada , also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada , was an emirate established in 1238 following the defeat of Muhammad an-Nasir of the Almohad dynasty by an alliance of Christian kingdoms at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212...
turned to Peter III
Peter III of Aragon
Peter the Great was the King of Aragon of Valencia , and Count of Barcelona from 1276 to his death. He conquered Sicily and became its king in 1282. He was one of the greatest of medieval Aragonese monarchs.-Youth and succession:Peter was the eldest son of James I of Aragon and his second wife...
of Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
and Alfonso X's estranged son, the infante Sancho
Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV the Brave was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.-Biography:...
. The Abdalwadid
Abdalwadid
Zayyanids or Abd al-Wadids , or Banu Zayan, is the name of a Berber zenata dynasty in North Africa. The Zayyanids, whose capital was Tlemcen existed from 1235 to 1556...
ruler Yaghmorassan of Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
was happy enough to align with the Granadan-Aragonese, and was promptly punished by a new Marinid campaign against Tlemcen in 1281.
Third Expedition to Spain
In April, 1282, the political crisis in CastileCrown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
reached its apex when the infante Sancho quarreled with his father and, with the support of the bulk of the Castilian nobility, declared himself King Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV the Brave was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.-Biography:...
. His father, Alfonso X
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
fled to Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, his support reduced to the Muslim-heavy districts of Andalusia and Murcia. With Muhammad II
Muhammed II al-Faqih, Sultan of Granada
Muhammed II al-Faqih was the son and heir of Mohammed ibn Alhamar and the second Nasrid ruler of the Moorish Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula....
of Granada
Emirate of Granada
The Emirate of Granada , also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada , was an emirate established in 1238 following the defeat of Muhammad an-Nasir of the Almohad dynasty by an alliance of Christian kingdoms at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212...
in league with Sancho, Alfonso X appealed to the Marinids of Morocco for support.
At Alfonso X's request, Abu Yusuf crossed the straits for the third time in July, 1282. A pact was forged with Alfonso X in October, and a joint Alfonsine-Marinid army marched against Sancho IV in Córdoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
. But Sancho IV was to well-entrenched to dislodge. Nothing much came of this campaign, and the Marinids returned to Morocco soon after, with little to show for their efforts.
Fourth Expedition to Spain
The ever-troublesome AbdalwadidAbdalwadid
Zayyanids or Abd al-Wadids , or Banu Zayan, is the name of a Berber zenata dynasty in North Africa. The Zayyanids, whose capital was Tlemcen existed from 1235 to 1556...
ruler Yaghmorassan of Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
died in the Spring of 1283, and his successor, Abu Said Othman, immediately sought to mend relations with the Marinid emir Abu Yusuf, thus temporarily relieving a persistent source of stress.
Alfonso X
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
died in April 1284, throwing Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
into a new crisis by designating his grandson Alfonso de la Cerda, rather than Sancho IV
Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV the Brave was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.-Biography:...
as his heir. With his back freed from the Tlemcen threat, Marinid emir Abu Yusuf decided to honor Alfonso X's choice with a new expedition to Spain to support Cerda and his confederates. In Granada, the Banu Ashqilula, under a renewed Nasrid assault, had also appealed to the Marinids.
But all this had to be postponed, as Abu Yusuf had to spend much of 1284 putting down a Maqil
Maqil
The Maqil were an Arabian nomadic tribe that emigrated to the Maghreb region, with the Banu Hillal and Banu Sulaym tribes, in the 11th century. They mainly settled in and around Morocco's Saharan wolds and oases; in Tafilalet, Wad Nun , Draa and Taourirt...
rebellion in the Draa valley
Draa River
The Draa is Morocco's longest river . It is formed by the confluence of the Dadès River and Imini River. It flows from the High Atlas mountains south-ward to Tagounit and from Tagounit mostly westwards to the Atlantic Ocean somewhat north of Tan-Tan...
.
Finally, in April 1285, Marinid emir Abu Yusuf Yaqub crossed the straits for the fourth (and last) time. Although Comares
Comares
Comares is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. The municipality is situated approximately 28 kilometres from the provincial capital and 24 from Vélez Málaga. It has a population of approximately 1420 residents. The...
had fallen to the Nasrids of Granada, the Marinids managed to rescue Guadix
Guadix
Guadix, a city of southern Spain, in the province of Granada; on the left bank of the river Guadix, a sub-tributary of the Guadiana Menor, and on the Madrid-Valdepeñas-Almería railway...
, the last Ashqilula stronghold. As the bulk of the Moroccan army landed in Tarifa
Tarifa
Tarifa is a small town in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, on the southernmost coast of Spain. The town is located on the Costa de la Luz and across the Straits of Gibraltar facing Morocco. The municipality includes Punta de Tarifa, the southernmost point in continental Europe. There are five...
, Abu Yusuf promptly led them into Andalusia to lay siege to Jerez. Moroccan detachments were dispatched to devastate a broad area from Medina Sidonia to Carmona
Carmona
Carmona may be:Places* Carmona, a town in Seville, Spain.* Carmona, Cavite, a municipality in the Philippines* Carmona, Goa* Carmona, Costa Rica, a city in Guanacaste province.* The former name of the Angolan town of Uíge.People...
, Ecija
Écija
Écija is a city belonging to the province of Seville, Spain. It is located in the Andalusian countryside, 85 km east of the city of Seville. According to the 2008 census, Écija has a total population of 40,100 inhabitants, ranking as the fifth most populous city in the province...
and Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
. Nervous at Seville's disposition (a Cerda party stronghold), Sancho IV
Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV the Brave was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.-Biography:...
assembled his army there, and dispatched the Castilian fleet, some hundred ships under his Genoese admiral Benedetto Zaccaria
Benedetto I Zaccaria
Benedetto I Zaccaria was an Italian admiral of the Republic of Genoa. He was the Lord of Phocaea and first Lord of Chios , and the founder of Zaccaria fortunes in Byzantine and Latin Greece...
, to blockade the mouth of the Guadalquivir
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
, and prevent the Marinid navy from assaulting Seville upriver.
In August, 1285 Sancho IV was finally ready to march the Castilian army against the Moroccans at Jerez. Finding a pitched battle unwise, Abu Yusuf decided to lift the siege of Jerez, withdrew his army to the safety of Algericas, and opened negotiations with the Castilian usurper.
In October 1285, Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV the Brave was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.-Biography:...
secured a five-year truce and treaty with the Marinid emir Abu Yusuf. In return for promises not to intervene in Castile for the Cerda party, the Marinids received equal assurance that there would be no more Castilian lunges on Muslim territories in Spain (whether Marinid
Marinid
The Marinid dynasty or Benemerine dynasty was a Zenata Berber dynasty of Morocco. The Marinid dynasty overtook the Almohads in controlling Morocco in 1244. They controlled most of the Maghreb from the mid-14th century to the 15th century and supported the Kingdom of Granada in Al-Andalus in the...
or Nasrid). To seal the deal, Sancho IV agreed to hand over to the Marinids the collection of Arabic books that had been seized from Andalusian
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
libraries by Church authorities during the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
, in return for Marinid payment of cash compensation for the Castilian property taken and damaged by the marauding Moroccan armies.
In March, 1286, Abu Yusuf also began negotiating a final settlement with the Granadan ruler Muhammad II
Muhammed II al-Faqih, Sultan of Granada
Muhammed II al-Faqih was the son and heir of Mohammed ibn Alhamar and the second Nasrid ruler of the Moorish Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula....
. The Granadans agreed to recognize Marinid possession of Tarifa
Tarifa
Tarifa is a small town in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, on the southernmost coast of Spain. The town is located on the Costa de la Luz and across the Straits of Gibraltar facing Morocco. The municipality includes Punta de Tarifa, the southernmost point in continental Europe. There are five...
, Algeciras
Algeciras
Algeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
, Ronda
Ronda
Ronda is a city in Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about West from the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is approximately 35,000 inhabitants.-History:...
and Guadix
Guadix
Guadix, a city of southern Spain, in the province of Granada; on the left bank of the river Guadix, a sub-tributary of the Guadiana Menor, and on the Madrid-Valdepeñas-Almería railway...
, in return for which the Marinids agreed to surrender all other possessions and claims on any other towns or dominions on the Iberian peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
. The remnants of the Banu Ashqilula family would be exiled to Morocco, and the Marinids would guarantee they would cease all intrigues against the Nasrid rulers.
Abu Yusuf Yaq'ub was in the middle of these negotiations, when he fell ill and died on 21 March 1286 in Algeciras
Algeciras
Algeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
. Abu Yusuf's remains were translated to the Marinid necropolis at Chellah
Chellah
Chellah, or Sala Colonia is a necropolis and complex of ancient Roman Mauretania Tingitana and medieval ruins at Rabat, Morocco. It is the most ancient human settlement on the mouth of the Bou Regreg River.-History:...
which had himself built. He will be succeeded by his son, Marinid emir Abu Yaqub Yusuf
Abu Yaqub Yusuf an-Nasr
Abu Yaqub Yusuf an-Nasr was a Marinid ruler of Morocco. Son of Abu Yusuf Ya'qub, whom he succeeded in 1286. He was assassinated in 1307.- History :...
of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.
Legacy
While it is common to designate Abd al-HaqqAbd al-Haqq I
Abd al-Haqq I was the first Marinid sheikh, leader and an eponym of the same dynasty.-History:Around 1215, the new Almohad caliph, Yusuf II Al-Mustansir was still young and the Almohad dynasty had just received a severe defeat against Christian kingdoms of Iberia on July 1212 in the battle of Las...
or Abu Yahya
Abu Yahya ibn Abd al-Haqq
Abu Yahya ibn Abd al-Haqq was a Marinid ruler. He was the son of Abd al-Haqq I and the brother of both Uthman I and Muhammad I....
as the founders of the Marinid
Marinid
The Marinid dynasty or Benemerine dynasty was a Zenata Berber dynasty of Morocco. The Marinid dynasty overtook the Almohads in controlling Morocco in 1244. They controlled most of the Maghreb from the mid-14th century to the 15th century and supported the Kingdom of Granada in Al-Andalus in the...
dynasty, there is little doubt that Abu Yusuf Yaqub ought to be rightly regarded as the founder of the Marinid state. He put a final end to the Almohads, unified Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, established their new grandiose capital at Fez el-Jedid
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
and gave the Marinids their foothold in Spain
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
.
However, he also left it in a fragile state. The Arabs and Maqil
Maqil
The Maqil were an Arabian nomadic tribe that emigrated to the Maghreb region, with the Banu Hillal and Banu Sulaym tribes, in the 11th century. They mainly settled in and around Morocco's Saharan wolds and oases; in Tafilalet, Wad Nun , Draa and Taourirt...
of the south remained only half-subdued, the Sanhaja
Sanhaja
The Sanhaja or Senhaja were once one of the largest Berber tribal confederations of the Maghreb, along with the Zanata and Masmuda...
of the High Atlas unconvinced, and, to the east, Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
remained an unbowed and unbroken threat.
Abu Yusuf Yaqub may have turned the Marinids into the pre-eminent Muslim power of the region - certainly stronger than the Nasrids of Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
, the Abdalwadid
Abdalwadid
Zayyanids or Abd al-Wadids , or Banu Zayan, is the name of a Berber zenata dynasty in North Africa. The Zayyanids, whose capital was Tlemcen existed from 1235 to 1556...
of Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
or the Hafsids of Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
. But they remained, at root, a tribal dynasty, and without the kind of religious authority or prestige the Almoravids
Almoravids
The Almoravids were a Berber dynasty of Morocco, who formed an empire in the 11th-century that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus. Their capital was Marrakesh, a city which they founded in 1062 C.E...
or the Almohads enjoyed, the Marinid chances of replicating their empires over the Maghreb and Spain were fatally circumscribed.
Sources
- Julien, Charles-André, Histoire de l'Afrique du Nord, des origines à 1830, édition originale 1931, réédition Payot, Paris, 1961, pp. 166–174