Taifa

As Taifa ( King ) Rich (Spanish: reinos de taifas ) or taifas ( طائفة of Arabic, DMG tā ʾ ifa, band, group, party ', plural: طوائف / Tawa ʾ if ) refers to those Muslim small kingdoms and - principalities in al -Andalus, the Muslim -dominated part of the Iberian Peninsula, which were caused by the disintegration of the Caliphate of Córdoba in the first decades of the 11th century. The Taifa were finally subdued by the coming from North Africa and Almoravids Almohads and their realms incorporated. Since al -Andalus was again disintegrated after the end of the empire of the Almoravids in the 12th century and that of the Almohads in the 13th century in power ranges of various local and regional lords, one speaks in historical research partly also of the " second Taifa " and the " third taifas ". The concept of " Taifa " was first applied in the Arab historiography on the Diadochi kingdoms and was negative connotations.

History

After Caliph Hisham II († 1013) was overthrown in 1009, due to continued ongoing power struggles of a rapid decline of the Caliphate of Córdoba. In the course of the fighting between different ethnic groups, especially the in the second half of the 10th century North African immigrant as mercenaries Berbers and the long-established "Arab " population, which is primarily concerned with the descendants of the conquerors of the 8th century and the converted to Islam Hispano -Romans acted ( Muladies ), the individual parts of the empire made ​​independently under new dynasties. It first accrued up to 30 taifas, the almost permanent fought in shifting alliances, so that only about 20 of them should have longer time inventory. In political terms, the Iberian peninsula, therefore, possible in the time of taifas an ever changing patchwork. This taifas can be differentiated into three subgroups, the Taifa of the Berbers, who stood first under the spiritual leadership of the Hammudiden of Málaga and military leadership of the Zirids of Granada Granada, the Taifa of Arabs and Muladies and the Taifa of Amiriden, descendants or. Saqaliba Almansor, the latter had but many had no future because it is often included eunuchs in the former generals and officials. An exception to this was Muğāhid of daniya who could found a dynasty with his Christian wife.

The Taifa of Berber

The Berbers, especially from the original warring tribes of Zanata and Sinhadja first support various Umayyad pretender to the throne, before they gathered under the command of Hammudiden who claimed the caliphate for some time for themselves. De facto, however, they formed, inter alia, in Ronda, Medina Sidonia, Algeciras, Malaga and Granada independent dominions. Under pressure from the Abbadids the smaller Taifa of Zanata were increasingly weakened, so that Granada has rapidly become the most important Taifa of the Berbers. Finally, the Zirids also the Hammudiden caliphs of Málaga and Algeciras rid.

The Taifa of the Arabs

From the Arab taifas are the main Seville, Zaragoza, Badajoz, Córdoba and Toledo, the partially subordinated themselves to a shadow caliphate in legitimist way. Long the Abbadids of Seville could argue that the Umayyade Hisham had fled to Seville and live under its protection, as long as the Abbadids called not kings, but judge. In Córdoba established itself a kind of apparent " Republic ".

The Taifa of Amiriden

The Taifa of Amirden were ruled by functionaries of the late Caliphate, called Fata, released military leaders, such as in Dénia and Almería or about administration officials, as in Valencia. In this city, which for some years later fell into the hands of the Cid, ruled by two officials in water regulation the city until they - as suspected eunuchs to be able to without creating a dynasty - died.

The most important dynasties of this period were the Hūdiden of Zaragoza, the ' Abbadids of Seville, Afṭasiden of Badajoz, Dhun - Nuniden of Toledo, the Hammudiden of Málaga, the Dschahwariden of Córdoba and the Zirids of Granada. The Amiriden dominated the east coast between Almería and Valencia.

Although the Abbadids of Seville soon rose to become the most powerful kingdom in al -Andalus, but also they had in 1064 the supremacy of Castile recognize and pay tribute. When Alfonso VI. († 1109 ) of Castile conquered Toledo in 1085, the petty kings turned with requests for help to the Almoravids in present-day Morocco. This defeated the Castilians in 1086 at the Battle of Zallaqa near Badajoz. Outraged by the their view, " decadent " lifestyle and the " softening" of religion, which they found in al -Andalus, started the Almoravids, who represented a radical Islam, following the defeat of the Christians with the subjugation of the Muslim Taifa rich, which was completed in 1110 with the fall of the Hudiden of Zaragoza. Finally, when 1153 Ramon Berenguer IV (r. 1131-1162 ) conquered the Waliat ( = Viceroyalty ) Siurana in what today is Catalonia, the last Taifa kingdom had disappeared in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula.

After the fall of Almoravidenreiches in the 12th century Ibn Mardanisch could (reigned 1143-1172 ) in the area around Valencia establish an independent kingdom, which was finally conquered by the Almohads. Only in the course of the decline of the Almohadenreiches after the lost battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212), reached Ibn Hud († 1238 ) and the Nasrid Andalusian Muslims back to the rule of the now greatly shrunken al -Andalus. You could argue in the Emirate of Granada to the final expulsion of the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century.

Culture

Even if the political taifas had no great significance, but led the competition among their rulers to a great cultural boom, particularly in the field of poetry, art and science. So living in this time, the major historian al - Udri (1002-1085) from Granada and Ibn Hayyan (987-1076), and the geographer al - Bakri († 1094 ). The lexicographer Ibn Sida (1007-1066) from Murcia wrote two large dictionaries and was under the sponsorship of Mujahedeen of Dénia. In the medical profession was Abu al -Qasim al- Zahrawi († 1010; Latinized Abulcasis ) with his famous textbook of surgery, the Kitab al - Tasrif, which in the 12th century by Gerard of Cremona ( 1114-1187 ) was translated into Latin. Among the astronomers Ibn az- Zarqala († 1087) from Toledo worth mentioning, which was known under the name Azarquiel in Christian Europe. Other important men of the time were the polymath Ibn Hazm (994-1064), the poet Ibn Zaydun (1003-1071), and the poet and philosopher Ibn Gabirol (c. 1021; † around 1058 ), also known as the author of Fons Vitae under the name Avicebron was known.