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Taifa

The taifas (green) in 1031

The taifas (from Arabic: طائفة ṭā'ifa, plural طوائف ṭawā'if, meaning "party, band, faction") were the independent Muslim principalities and kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal and Spain), referred to by Muslims as al-Andalus, that emerged from the decline and fall of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba between 1009 and 1031. They were a recurring feature of al-Andalus history.

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.[1] Taifa kings were wary of calling themselves "kings", so they took the title of hajib, presenting themselves as representatives for a temporarily absent caliph.[2] The taifa courts were renowned centres of cultural excellence in which poets, scientists, and other scholars were able to thrive.[3]

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.[4] Eventually, the taifas of Badajoz, Toledo, Zaragoza, and even Sevilla paid tribute to Alfonso VI.[5] 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.

  1. ^ Davies, Catherine (May 2014). The Companion to Hispanic Studies. Routledge. ISBN 9781444118810.
  2. ^ Catlos, Brian (2015). Infidel Kings and Unholy Warriors: Faith, Power, and Violence in the Age of Crusade and Jihad. New York, NY, USA: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0374535322.
  3. ^ Barton, Simon (30 June 2009). A History of Spain. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781137013477.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ O'Connell, Monique; Dursteler, Eric R. (2016). The Mediterranean World: From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Napoleon. Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 84–85. ISBN 978-1-4214-1901-5.
  5. ^ "taifa | Spanish history | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-09-23.

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ملوك الطوائف Arabic ملوك الطوايف ARZ Taifa AST Таифа Bulgarian তাইফা Bengali/Bangla Taifa BR Taifa Catalan Taifská království Czech Taifa Danish Taifa-Königreiche German

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