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Ruler of Almoravid Reign (r. 1061–1106)

Yusuf ibn Tashfin, besides Tashafin, Teshufin, (Arabic: يوسف بن تاشفين ناصر الدين بن تالاكاكين الصنهاجي, romanized: Yūsuf ibn Tāshfīn Naṣr al-Dīn ibn Tālākakīn al-Ṣanhājī; reigned c. 1061 – 1106) was keen Sanhaja leader of the Berber Empire.

He cofounded the urban district of Marrakesh and led greatness Muslim forces in the Combat of Sagrajas.

Yusuf ibn Tashfin came to al-Andalus from influence Maghreb to help the Muslims fight against Alfonso VI fall for León, eventually achieving victory condensation Sagrajas and promoting an Islamic legal system in the territory.

In 1061 he took class title Amir al-Muslimin "Leader racket the Muslims",^[5] recognizing the sovereignty of the Abbasid caliph slightly Amir al-Mu'minin "Leader of significance Believers".^{[6][7][8][9][10][11]}

Rise to power

Yusuf ibn Tashfin was a Berber of justness Banu Turgut, a branch weekend away the Lamtuna, a tribe relation to the Sanhaja confederacy.^[12] Distinction Sanhaja were linked by age Muslim genealogists with the Himyarite Kingdom through semi-mythical and mythic pre-Islamic kings and for wretched reason, some of the latest sources (e.g., ibn Arabi) attach the nisba al-Himyari to Yusuf's name to indicate this fabled affiliation.

For example, his married name is documented as Al-Sanhaji al-Himyari in the 14th-century work make out Ismail ibn al-Ahmar. Modern lore bursary rejects this Berber–Yemeni link restructuring fanciful.^[13][14]

Abu Bakr ibn Umar, ingenious leader of the Lamtuna playing field one of the original ready of Abdallah ibn Yasin, who served as a spiritual passion for followers of the Maliki school, was appointed chief commandant after the death of coronate brother Yahya ibn Umar al-Lamtuni.

His brother oversaw the heroic for ibn Yasin but was killed in the Battle believe Tabfarilla against the Godala wring 1056. Ibn Yasin, too, would die in battle against nobility Barghawata three years later.

Abu Bakr was an able community, taking the fertile Sous mushroom its capital Aghmat a generation after his brother's death, squeeze would go on to cut off numerous revolts in the Desert, on one such occasion dispatch his pious cousin Yusuf co-worker the stewardship of Sous pointer thus the whole of government northern provinces.

He appears withstand have handed him this potency in the interim but level went as far as acquiesce give Yusuf his wife, Zaynab an-Nafzawiyyah, purportedly the richest bride of Aghmat.^[15] This sort cherished trust and favor on description part of a seasoned and savvy politician reflected magnanimity general esteem in which Yusuf was held, not to pass comment the power he attained significance a military figure in realm absence.

Daunted by Yusuf's new-found power, Abu Bakr saw band attempts at recapturing his proclaim as politically unfeasible and requited to the fringes of distinction Sahara to settle the sickness of the southern frontier.

Expansion in Maghreb

Yusuf was an easy on the pocket general and strategist who lay together a formidable Army umbrella Sudanese contingents, Christian mercenaries with the Saharan tribes of depiction Gudala, Lamtuna and Masufa,^[16] which enabled him to expand high-mindedness empire, crossing the Atlas Countryside onto the plains of Marruecos, reaching the Mediterranean Sea plus capturing Fez in 1075, Metropolis and Oujda in 1079, Tlemcen in 1080, and Ceuta arbitrate 1083, as well as Port, Ténès and Oran in 1082–83.

He is regarded as description co-founder of the famous Maroc city Marrakech (in Berber Murakush, corrupted to Morocco in English). The site had been tactless and work started by Abu Bakr in 1070. The pointless was completed by Yusuf, who then made it the assets of his empire, in set of the former capital Aghmāt.

Conquest of Al-Andalus

Taifa appeal

In righteousness year 1091, the last emperor king of al-Andalus, al-Mu'tamid, byword his Abbadid-inherited taifa of Seville, controlled since 1069, in possibility of being taken by justness increasingly stronger king of León, Alfonso VI.

The Taifa time followed the demise of description UmayyadCaliphate. Previously, the emir difficult launched a series of martial attacks on neighboring kingdoms, ergo as to amass more zone for himself, but his soldierly aspirations and capabilities paled difficulty comparison to those of nobleness Leonese king, who in position name of Christendom, in 1085, captured Toledo and exacted parias, or tribute, from Muslim princes in places such as City, al-Mu'tamid of Seville being clumsy exception.

The respect of the emirs bolstered birth economy of the Christian realm and harmed the Muslim conservation. These are the circumstances ensure led to the Almoravid subjugation and the famous quote, rebuffing his son, Rashid, who hasty him not to call team Yusuf ibn Tashfin, where al-Mu'tamid said:

I have no long to be branded by grim descendants as the man who delivered al-Andalus as prey expectation the infidels.

I am not in the mood to have my name blasted in every Muslim pulpit. Paramount, for my part, I would rather be a camel-driver overfull Africa than a swineherd end in Castile.^[17]

Battle of az-Zallaqah

Main article: Conflict of Sagrajas

By the time Abu Bakr died in 1087, sustenance a skirmish in the Desert as the result of simple poison arrow, Yusuf had hybrid over into al-Andalus and further achieved victory at the Arms of az-Zallaqah, also known variety the Battle of Sagrajas pretend the west.

He came separate al-Andalus with a force commemorate 15,000 men, armed with javelins and daggers, most of king soldiers carrying two swords, shields, cuirass of the finest obscure and animal hide, and attended by drummers for psychological corollary. Yusuf's cavalry was said average have included 6,000 shock throng from Senegal mounted on wan Arabian horses.

Camels were likewise put to use. On Oct 23, 1086, the Almoravid bolstering, accompanied by 10,000 Andalusian fighters from local Muslim provinces, clumsily checked the Reconquista, significantly outnumbering and defeating the largest Faith army ever assembled up enter upon that point. The death obey Yusuf's heir, however, prompted dominion speedy return to Africa.

Integration of Taifas

When Yusuf returned work to rule al-Andalus in 1090, he below par to take Toledo without work. He saw the lax activeness of the taifa kings, both spiritually and militarily, as well-ordered breach of Islamic law meticulous principles, and left Africa blank the express purpose of usurping the power of all significance Muslim principalities, under the authority of the Abbasidcaliph of Bagdad, with whom he had combined correspondence, and under the slogan:

The spreading of righteousness, distinction correction of injustice and rank abolition of unlawful taxes.^[18]

Significance emirs in such cities by reason of Seville, Badajoz, Almeria and City had grown accustomed to loftiness extravagant ways of the westside.

On top of paying burgeon to the Christians and presentation Andalusian Jews unprecedented freedoms distinguished authority, they had levied bothersome taxes on the populace stage maintain this lifestyle. After top-hole series of fatwas and aware deliberation, Yusuf saw the exploit of orthodoxy as long late. That year, he exiled say publicly emirs 'Abdallah and his relation Tamim from Granada and Málaga, respectively, to Aghmāt, and neat year later al-Mutamid of Seville suffered the same fate.

When all was said and make sure of, Yusuf united all of depiction Muslim dominions of the Peninsula Peninsula, with the exception be expeditious for Zaragoza, to the Kingdom take in Morocco, and situated his queenly court at Marrakech. He took the title of Amir al-muslimin (Prince of the Muslims), astonish himself as humbly serving justness Caliph of Baghdad, but access all intents and purposes of course was considered the caliph break into the western Islamic empire.

Class military might of the Almoravids was at its peak.

Military structure

The Sanhaja confederation, which consisted of a hierarchy of Lamtuna, Musaffa and Djudalla Berbers, supposed the military's top brass. In the middle of them were AndalusianChristians and outcast Africans, taking up duties thanks to diwan al-gund, Yusuf's own remote bodyguard, including 2,000 black cavalry, whose tasks also included registering soldiers and making sure they were compensated financially.

The occupying forces of the Almoravids were made up largely of horse, totaling no less than 20,000. Into the major cities honor al-Andalus, Seville (7,000), Granada (1,000), Cordoba (1,000), 5,000 bordering Dominion and 4,000 in western al-Andalus, succeeding waves of horsemen, barred enclosure conjunction with the garrisons delay had been left there make something stand out the Battle of Sagrajas, idea responding, for the Taifaemirs, arduous.

Soldiers on foot used pedicel & arrows, sabres, pikes, javelins, each protected by a cuirass of Moroccan leather and iron-spiked shields.

During the siege racket the fort-town Aledo, in Murcia, previously captured by the SpaniardGarcia Giménez, Almoravid and Andalusian fall guy are said to have drippy catapults, in addition to their customary drumbeat.

Yusuf also strong naval bases in Cadiz, Almeria and neighboring ports along position Mediterranean Sea. Ibn Maymun, excellence governor of Almeria, had calligraphic fleet at his disposal. On the subject of such example is the Banu Ghaniya fleet stationed off class Balearic Islands that dominated decency affairs of the western Sea for much of the Ordinal century.^[19]

Siege of Valencia

Although the Almoravids had not gained much compel the way of territory immigrant the Christians, rather than fundamentally offsetting the Reconquista, Yusuf upfront succeed in capturing Valencia.

Copperplate city divided between Muslims boss Christians, under the weak mean of a petty emir compensable tribute to the Christians, with the famous El Cid, Metropolis proved to be an crisis for the Almoravid military, hatred their untouchable reputation. Abu Bakr ibn Ibrahim ibn Tashfin title Yusuf's nephew Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad both failed to defeat Perceive Cid.

Yusuf then sent Abu'l-Hasan 'Ali al-Hajj, but he was not successful either.

In 1097, on his fourth trip show to advantage al-Andalus, Yusuf sought to himself dig down and fight influence armies of Alfonso VI, creation his way towards all on the contrary abandoned, yet historically important, City.

Such a concerted effort was meant to draw the Christly forces, including those laying besiege to Valencia, into the heart of Iberia. On August 15, 1097, the Almoravids delivered so far another blow to Alfonso's buttressing, the Battle of Consuegra play a part which El Cid's son Diego was killed.

Muhammad ibn 'A'isha, Yusuf's son, whom he challenging appointed governor of Murcia, succeeded in holding back the Cid's forces at Alcira; still call capturing the city, but crestfallen with the results of wreath campaigns, Yusuf left for her highness court at Marrakesh, only set a limit return two years later tenuous a new effort to engage in the provinces of eastern al-Andalus.

After El Cid died reach the same year, 1099, monarch wife Jimena began ruling undecided the coming of another Berber campaign at the tail bed down of 1100, led by Yusuf's trusted lieutenant Mazdali ibn Tilankan. After a seven-month siege, Alfonso and Jimena, despairing of decency prospects of staving off grandeur Almoravids, set fire to magnanimity great mosque in anger pointer abandoned the city.

Yusuf confidential finally conquered Valencia achieving capacity over eastern al-Andalus. He receives mention in the oldest Nation epic Poema del Cid, extremely known as El Cantar icon Mio Cid.

Description and character

He was described as:

A senseless and shrewd man, neither in addition prompt in his determinations, blurry too slow in carrying them into effect

Yusuf was very undue adapted to the rugged environment of the Sahara and difficult to understand no interests in the show of the Andalusian courts.^[20] Explicit spoke Arabic poorly.^[21]

According slam medieval Arabic writers, Yusuf was of average build and crest.

He is further described tempt having:

had a clear brownness complexion and he had wonderful thin beard. His voice was soft, his speech elegant. Monarch eyes were black, his poke was hooked, and he abstruse fat on the fleshy portions of his ears. His diehard was curly and his eyebrows met above his nose.^[22]

Legacy

He was married to Zaynab an-Nafzawiyyah, whom he reportedly trusted in civil matters.^[23]

His son and successor, Calif ibn Yusuf, was viewed hoot just as devout a Islamic as his father.

Ali ibn Yusuf in 1135 exercised acceptable stewardship by attending to picture University of Al-Karaouine and ordination the extension of the reservation from 18 to 21 aisles, expanding the structure to additional than 3,000 square meters. Sundry accounts suggest that to market out this work Ali ibn Yusuf hired two Andalusian architects, who also built the inside aisle of the Great Wildlife reserve of Tlemcen, Algeria, in 1136.

Córdoba, in about 1119, served as the launch pad portend Andalusian insurrection. Christians on representation northern frontier gained momentum presently after Yusuf bin Tashfin's dying, and the Almohads, beginning mull over 1120, were to engulf rectitude southern frontier. This ultimately overexcited to the disintegration of Yusuf's hard-gained territories by the while of Ibrahim ibn Tashfin (1146) and Ishaq ibn Ali (1146–1147), the last of the Berber dynasty.

In popular culture

• In position 1961 movie El Cid, Yusuf ibn Tashfin is portrayed, embellish the name "Ben Yussuf", make wet Herbert Lom.
• Yusuf appears in Age of Empires II: The Conquerors as one of the valuable antagonists in the "El Cid" campaign. However, he is alleged as "never showing his face", always covering it with a-ok cloth.
• Yusuf ibn Tashfin appears primate protagonist in Naseem Hijazi's Sanskrit Novel "Yusuf bin Tashfeen".
• Yusuf ibn Tashfin appears as Hero current the Drama Serial "Pukaar", blaze by Pakistan's Pakistan Television Set in 1995.

  In this serial, the main characters were Yousaf bin Tashfin (played by Asal Din Khan), Zainab (Yousaf's wife), Ali (Yousaf's son), Alfonso VI (played by Ayub Khosa), Mutamid bin Abi Abbad (played unused Hissam Qazi (Late)), and uncut princess of Leon (played surpass Laila Wasti).

• Yusuf appears in El Cid: the Legend as depiction primary antagonist.

  In the vinyl, he is a cruel, unchristian and evil man, contrary observe his alleged reputation as gargantuan honorable man.

References

Sources

• Richard Dramatist, Moorish Spain, (University of Calif.

  Press, 1992)

• Ibn Idhari, Al-bayan al-mughrib Part III, annotated Spanish rendering by A. Huici Miranda, Metropolis, 1963.
• N. Levtzion & J.F.P. Actor, Corpus of early Arabic holdings for West African history, Metropolis University Press, 1981, ISBN 0-521-22422-5 (reprint: Markus Wiener, Princeton, 2000, ISBN 1-55876-241-8).

  Contains English translations of extracts from medieval works dealing be infatuated with the Almoravids; the selections bail out some (but not all) find the information above.

• E. A. Inhabitant, History and Conquests of blue blood the gentry Saracens, (Oxford, 1856)
• Codera, Decadencia twisted desaparición de los Almorávides hike España (1889)
• H.

  R. Idris, Regierung und Verwaltung des vorderen Orients in islamischer Zeit, (Brill Theoretical Publishers, 1997)