The Almohads The Rise of an Islamic Empire - Paperback

by Allen J. Fromherz (Author)

Fromherz, drawing on medieval Arabic and Berber sources, analyses the myths and history surrounding the origins and rise of the Almohad Empire. He shows how Muhammad Ibn Tumart, the son of a minor Berber tribal chief, set off on his mission to reform Islam, then at a low point in its history, battered by the crusades, having lost Jerusalem and been undermined by weak spiritual and political leadership. Muhammad Ibn Tumart was proclaimed Mahdi - one who would herald the golden age of Islam - provided charismatic leadership, unwavering adherence to a fundamentalist monotheistic Islam enforced by holy war, established tribal unity, effective administration and a formidable military force. Ibn Tumart and his legacy were to prove the launch pad for empire, leading to Almohad domination of the western Mediterranean from Tunisia to Morocco and Andalusia.

Author Biography

Allen J. Fromherz is Associate Professor of Middle Eastern and editerranean History at Georgia State University. He holds a PhD in History from St Andrews University and is the author of Qatar: A Modern History (I.B.Tauris) and Ibn Khaldun, Life and Times.