Lably
Skip to content

Taifa

Independent states of al-Andalus

  • 7 min read
  • 4 chapters

Related on Lably

Through Muslims, Portugal and Christians

Lab · Class 6–12Ancient Indian Ocean TradeLab · Class 6–10Maps & ProjectionsLab · Class 7–10Trade RoutesLab · Class 7–9Ancient Indian Empires

The taifas were eventually incorporated by the Almoravid dynasty in the late 11th century and, on its collapse, many taifas re-appeared only to be incorporated by the Almohad Caliphate. The fall of the Almohads resulted in a flourishing of the taifas, and this was the case despite constant warfare with Christian kingdoms. Taifa kings were wary of calling themselves "kings", so they took the title of hajib, presenting themselves as representatives for a temporarily absent caliph. The taifa courts were renowned centres of cultural excellence in which poets, scientists, and other scholars were able to thrive.

Wars between the taifas were common and rulers of Muslim taifas were known to ally with the Iberian Christians (and the North African kingdoms) against European or Mediterranean Christian rulers from outside of al-Andalus. These alliances frequently included payments of large tributes in return for security. Eventually, the taifas of Badajoz, Toledo, Zaragoza, and even Sevilla paid tribute to Alfonso VI. By the end of the 13th century, only one remained, the Emirate of Granada, the rest being incorporated into the Christian states of the north.

Etymology

The Arabic term mulūk al-ṭawāʾif means "kings of the territorial divisions" or "party kings". Muslim historians originally used these terms to refer to the Parthian Empire and other regional rulers that succeeded Alexander the Great. That period was treated as an interlude between Alexander's conquest of Persia and the formation of the Sasanian Empire. The negative portrayal of the Parthian period by Muslim historians may have been inherited from Sasanian propaganda. In the 11th century, Ṣāʿid al-Andalusī first applied the term to the regional rulers who appeared after the collapse of Umayyad power in Spain, "whose condition was like that of the mulūk al-ṭawāʾif of the Persians". The phrase implied cultural decline.

The corresponding term in Spanish is reyes de taifas ("kings of taifas"), by way of which the Arabic term has entered English (and French) usage.

Sign in to keep reading

3 more chapters are free with a Lably account.

More in Post-classical

Song dynastyImperial dynasty of China (960–1279)Abbasid CaliphateThird Islamic caliphateFeudalismLegal and military structure in medieval EuropeRepublic of VeniceMaritime republic in Italy (697–1797)Yuan dynastyMongol-led dynasty of China (1271–1368)MongolsEast Asian ethnic group