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. 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.
Each state in its own colour. Move the timeline to see which existed in any year from 1010 AD to 1249 AD; select a territory to read about it. Borders: Cliopatria / Seshat (CC BY 4.0).
Where did the Taifa Kingdoms of al-Andalus come from?
The origins of the taifas must be sought in the administrative division of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba, as well in the ethnic division of the elite of this state, divided among Arabs, Berbers, Muladíes (indigenous Muslim converts, a significant majority) and the Saqaliba, Eastern European former slaves. The most secure rulers were governors of frontier provinces, such as the "Farthest Frontier" of Zaragoza; since these regions had been ruled by families for generations prior to the fall of the caliphate, there was minor immediate impact when the caliphate fell.
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During the late 11th century, the Christian rulers of the northern Iberian peninsula set out to retake the lands of the former Visigothic Kingdom that had been conquered by Muslims.
Observers in al-Andalus in the 1080s did not see a decline as likely, much less imminent or probable. However, by the 1090s, popular revolt became a real possibility as the ulama accusations against taifa kings gained popularity.
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Reversing the trend of the Umayyad period, when the Christian kingdoms of the north often had to pay tribute to the Caliph, the disintegration of the Caliphate left the rival Muslim kingdoms much weaker than their Christian counterparts, particularly the Castilian–Leonese monarchy, and many had to submit to them, paying tributes known as parias.
Due to their military weakness, taifa princes appealed for North African warriors to come fight Christian kings on two occasions. The Almoravid dynasty was invited after the fall of Toledo (1085), and the Almohad Caliphate after the fall of Lisbon (1147).
The Taifa of Alpuente (Arabic: طائفة ألبونت) was a medieval taifa kingdom, of Berber origin, that existed from around 1009 to 1106 created following the end of the Caliphate of Córdoba in the Iberian Peninsula in 1010. It was centered at the city of Alpuente. It was ruled by a Berber family of the Banu Qasim tribe.
1010 CE – 1151 CE · Capital: Batalyaws, currently in the Province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain · 106,877 km²
Lapida del hayib Sapur (16502179436)Ángel M. Felicísimo from Mérida, España · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
The Taifa of Badajoz (from Arabic: طائفة بطليوس) was a medieval Islamic Moorish kingdom located in what is now parts of Portugal and Spain. It was centred on the city of Badajoz which exists today as the first city of Extremadura, in Spain.
The taifa of Dénia (Arabic: طائفة دانية) was an Islamic kingdom in medieval Spain, ruling over part of the Valencian coast and Ibiza. With Dénia as its capital, the taifa included the Balearic Islands and parts of the Spanish mainland. It was founded in 1010 by the Slavic Muslim warlord Mujāhid al-ʿĀmirī.
Reconquista de Toledo en el banco dedicado a esa provincia. Plaza de España de Sevilla. Andalucía, España.CarlosVdeHabsburgo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
The Taifa of Toledo (Arabic: طائفة طليطلة, romanized: ṭa'ifat ṭulayṭula) was an Islamic polity (taifa) located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula in the High Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Dhunnunids, a Hawwara Berber clan. It emerged after 1018 upon the fracturing of the Caliphate of Córdoba, when the Dhunnunids, already strong in the lands of Santaver, Cuenca, Huete and Uclés, seized control over the city of Toledo, the capital of the Middle March of Al-Andalus. Upon later territorial conquest, the taifa also expanded to the land of Calatrava.
The Taifa of Tortosa (Arabic: طائفة طرطوشة) was a medieval Islamic taifa kingdom. It existed for two separate periods, from 1010 to 1060 and 1081 to 1099. It was founded by the Slavic warlord Labib al-Fata al-Saqlabi.
1010 CE – 1249 CE · Capital: Valencia · 53,704 km²
Batalla del Puig por Marzal de Sas (1410-20)Andreu Marçal de Sax / Andrès Marçal de Sas · Public domain · Commons
The Taifa of Valencia was a medieval Muslim kingdom which existed in and around Valencia, Spain. It gained independence from the Caliphate of Córdoba circa 1010 and became its own small kingdom, or Taifa, for most of the 11th century. It was absorbed by the Taifa of Toledo in 1065, which in turn fell to Alfonso VI of León and Castile in 1085. From 1094 to 1099, the kingdom was ruled directly by the Castilian military commander known as El Cid, then by his wife Jimena after his death, until being annexed by the Almoravids in 1102.
The Taifa of Albarracín (Arabic: طائفة بني رزين) was a medieval Berber taifa kingdom. The polity existed from 1012 to 1104, and was centered at the city of Albarracín. It was led by the Berber dynasty of the Banu Razin tribe, which arrived in the peninsula after the conquest of Spain by Tariq ibn Ziyad.
In 1167, under the pressure from the ongoing wars between the Almoravids and the new invasions by the Almohad Caliphate. The Moorish Emir Muhammad ibn Mardanis ceded the Taifa of Albarracín to a vassal of Sancho VI of Navarre, a noble from Estella-Lizarra named Pedro Ruiz de Azagra. The title was granted to d'Azagra due to his support of the Navarrese Crown against Alfonso VIII of Castile and Alfonso I "the Battler" of Aragón.
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In 1172, Pero Ruíz d'Azagra managed to consolidate his power over the Señorío making that territory independent of the other Christian kingdoms in the region. In 1190, with the signing of the Borja Accords, between Alfonso II of Aragon and Sancho VI of Navarre, the two monarchs agreed to a defensive pact against Alfonso VIII of Castile which gave official legitimacy to the Sinyoría d'Albarrazín with respect to the two kingdoms.
The Taifa of Almería (Arabic: طائفة المرية, Ta'ifa al-Mariyah) was a Muslim medieval Arab kingdom located in what is now the province of Almería in Spain. The taifa originated in 1012 and lasted until 1091.
In this period the city of Almería reached its historical splendour under powerful local emirs like Khayran, the first fully independent Emir of Almería and Cartagena, and Abu Yahyà Muhammad ibn Ma'n. Almería declared independence of its province from Caliphate of Cordoba around 1012.
1015 CE – 1071 CE · Capital: Arcos de la Frontera, currently in Cádiz, Andalusia, Spain · 5,020 km²
Mirador de Los Cabezuelos/Arcos de la FronteraJesús Cuevas García · CC BY 4.0 · Commons
The Taifa of Arcos (Arabic: طائفة أركش) was a Berber medieval taifa kingdom that existed in two periods; first from 1011 to 1068. Ruled by the Zanata Berber family of the Banū Jizrūn. From 1068 until 1091 it was under the forcible control of Seville, by Abbad II al-Mu'tadid. It regained its independence from 1143 to 1145 when it was finally conquered by the Almohad Caliphate.
The Banū Jizrūn, belonging to the Berber Zanata confederation, led by Muhammad I, seized the cora of Sidonia after expelling the Umayyad governor that ruled.
1015 CE – 1151 CE · Capital: Carmona, now in Seville, Andalusia, Spain · 11,286 km²
View from Alcazar de Puerta Sewilla on St Peter church in Carmona, Andalucia, SpainPufacz · Public domain · Commons
The Taifa of Carmona (Arabic: طائفة قرمونة) was a medieval Berber taifa kingdom. It existed for two distinct periods: first from 1013 to 1066 when it was conquered by the Taifa of Seville, and secondly from around 1143 to 1150 when it was finally conquered by the Almohad Caliphate. The taifa was established and ruled by the Zenata Berber Birzalid dynasty.
View of Granada from the Alhambra.Holger Uwe Schmitt · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
The Taifa of Granada (Arabic: طائفة غرناطة, Ta'ifat Gharnata) or Zirid Kingdom of Granada was a Muslim kingdom that was formed in al-Andalus (in present-day Spain) in 1013 following the deposition of Umayyad Caliph Hisham II in 1009. The kingdom was centered on Granada, its capital, and it also extended its control to Málaga for a period. Four kings succeeded each other during its nearly 80 years of existence, all of them belonging to an offshoot of the Zirid dynasty of North Africa, a Sanhaja Berber clan.
The Zirids were a Sanhaja Berber clan from the central Maghreb (present-day Algeria), who served the Fatimid Caliphate and created a dynasty that thereafter ruled parts of North Africa on their behalf. The dynasty was founded by Ziri ibn Manad, who was succeeded by his son Buluggin after 971, ruling from Kairouan in Ifriqiya (present-day Tunisia). In 999, many of Buluggin's brothers, including Zawi ibn Ziri, rebelled against his grandson, Badis ibn al-Mansur, due to their exclusion from power by Buluggin and his descendants. The rebels, based in 'Ashir, were defeated in battle and most of the brothers were killed except for Zawi. Zawi led the remaining rebels westwards and sought new opportunity in al-Andalus under the Umayyad Caliphs of Córdoba, the former enemies of the Fatimids and Zirids.
The Zirid Taifa period was the golden age of the Jewish aristocracy in Granada and for Andalusi Jews more generally. As scholar David William Foster puts it, "the peak of Sephardic Judaism as a political as well as cultural reality is found in eleventh-century Granada." Under the Zirid kings a Jew, Samuel ha-Nagid (Isma'il ibn Nagrilla), commanded an army, something not seen again until modern Israel. Foster characterizes the Zirid state during this period as a "Jewish kingdom in all but name" with the Muslim ruler as a figurehead with no real power. The power and status of the Granadan Jews at this time was not only unique in al-Andalus, but in the entire Islamic world.
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While the Banu Naghrela (or Banu Nagrilla) family of Samuel ha-Nagid reached the highest office in the kingdom's administration, the Banū 'Ezra family also promoted and sponsored arts and sciences during this century.
The architecture of the Taifa kingdoms in al-Andalus perpetuated and elaborated the architectural styles developed under the caliphs of Cordoba, but it also integrated new ideas and techniques from further abroad. The architecture of the Zirids in al-Andalus was influenced by earlier architecture from Cordoba and also seems to have been influenced by the architecture of the Hammadids in North Africa. Several structures in southern Spain today have been dated, or tentatively dated, to the time of the Zirid Taifa kingdom.
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The original palace and citadel of the Zirids, known as the al-Qasaba al-Qadima ("Old Citadel"), was located on the hill that is now the Albaicín neighborhood, but it has not been preserved. The surviving Aljibe del Rey ("Cistern of the King"), the largest medieval cistern in the neighbourhood, was originally built to serve this citadel.
After these events, the kingdom weakened, exacerbated by frequent wars with the Taifa of Seville and other neighbours. When Badis died in 1073, his grandson, 'Abdallah ibn Buluggin, was chosen by an assembly of Sanhaja dynastic officials and shaykhs to be his successor, despite 'Abdallah being between 7 and 9 years of age. A regent named Simaja was appointed to the young king, the only vizier of Berber origin to serve the Zirid kings of Granada. 'Abdallah's older brother Tamim, the governor of Malaga, declared himself independent. In 1081–1082 Tamim even attacked his brother's territory by land and sea, but he was eventually defeated and then reconciled with his brother.
Vista de Morón de la Frontera desde el Paseo del Gallo, provincia de Sevilla, Andalucía, España.CarlosVdeHabsburgo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
The Taifa of Morón (Arabic: طائفة مورور) was a medieval Berber taifa kingdom that existed from around 1010 to 1066. From 1066 until 1091 it was under the forcible control of Seville, ruled by Abbad II al-Mu'tadid.
Imagen del cuadro de Mauricio Federico Ramos (1846-1904), que representa la Entrada de Jaime I en Murcia en 1266, después de que las autoridades musulmanas capitularan. La pintura está datada en 1876.Mauricio Federico Ramos (1846-1904) · Public domain · Commons
The Taifa of Murcia (Arabic: طائفة مرسية) was an Arab taifa of medieval Al-Andalus, in what is now southern Spain. It became independent as a taifa centered on the Moorish city of Murcia after the fall of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba (11th century). The Moorish Taifa of Murcia included Albacete and part of Almería as well.
In the year 713, only two years after the Moorish invasion of the Peninsula, the emir Abd al Aziz occupied the province. Murcia was founded with the name of Medīnah Mursīyyah in A.D. 825 by Abd ar-Rahman II, emir of Al-Andalus. The Moors, taking advantage of the course of the river Segura, created a complex network of irrigation channels that made the town prosperous and is the predecessor of the modern irrigation system. The traveller Muhammad al-Idrisi described it in the 12th century as populous and strongly fortified.
La muralla de Niebla vista desde la orilla opuesta del río Tinto.FJavier GómezL · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
The Taifa of Niebla (Arabic: طائفة لبلة) was an Arab taifa kingdom that existed during three distinct time periods: from 1023 to 1053, from 1145 to 1150 and from 1234 to 1262.
From 1053 until 1091 it was under the forcible control of Taifa of Seville, by Abbad II al-Mu'tadid. It was finally conquered by the Crown of Castile. In 1262 it was eventually absorbed by Castile.
The Taifa of Saltés and Huelva (Arabic: طائفة ولبة وشلطيش) was a medieval Arab taifa kingdom that existed in southern Iberia from around 1012 to 1051. From 1051 until 1091 it was under the forcible control of Seville, by Abbad II al-Mu'tadid.
The geographer al-Bakri (d. 1094) was born in the taifa of Saltés and Huelva.
1015 CE – 1110 CE · Capital: Zaragoza · 38,868 km²
Creu de Sant Jordi al Retaule de Sant Jordi de l'Església Sant Salvador de la Mercé, TeruelJeronimo Martínez · Public domain · Commons
The taifa of Zaragoza (Arabic: طائفة سرقسطة) was an independent Arab Muslim state in the east of Al-Andalus (present-day Spain) with its capital in Saraqusta (Zaragoza) city. It was established in the early 11th century as one of the many Taifa kingdoms that followed the collapse of the Caliphate of Córdoba around this time. It survived until 1110, when it was annexed by the Almoravids.
1018 CE – 1055 CE · Capital: Santa Maria do Algarve · 2,252 km²
Aerial view of Faro, Algarve's capital, in Portugal.Bextrel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
The Taifa of Santa Maria do Algarve (Arabic: شنتمرية الغرب, romanized: Shantamariyya al-Gharb) was a medieval Islamic taifa Moorish kingdom or emirate located in what is now southern Portugal, that existed from 1018 to 1051. From 1051 until 1091, it was under the forcible control of Seville via Abbad II al-Mu'tadid. Known as the Banu Harun, their descendants remained as Qadis of the city until its reconquest by Portugal in 1249, the last of whom being Aloandro Ben Bekar.
The Taifa of Algeciras (Arabic: طائفة الجزيرة) was a medieval Muslim taifa kingdom in what is now southern Spain and Gibraltar, that existed from 1035 to 1058.
Khazar coin, the so called 'Moses coin', from the Spillings Hoard at Gotland Museum, Visby, Gotland, Sweden, cropped photo.W.carter · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Currency
dinar, Dirham
Anillos iberorromanos, lingote, estátera escita (siglo I a. C.), dinar indio (325-345) e histamenon bizantino (1059-1067). Exposición permante de la Historia del dinero. Museo de Prehistoria de ValenciaDorieo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Aerial Photo of Seville (Spain) from approx. 6500 ft / 2000 m height. Viewing direction north.El-mejor · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
The Taifa of Seville (Arabic: طائفة إشبيليّة Ta'ifat-u Ishbiliyyah) was an Arab kingdom which was ruled by the Abbadid dynasty. It was established in 1023 and lasted until 1091, in what is today southern Spain and Portugal. It gained independence from the Caliphate of Cordoba and it expanded the territory it ruled in the mid-11th century. The emerging power of Castile led Seville to ask military assistance from the Almoravids, who then occupied Seville.
Like the other taifas in the 11th century, the Taifa of Seville was a Muslim-majority territory. It did have Christians and Jewish inhabitants, although they were often treated as secondary to Muslims. Christian inhabitants of al-Andalus who adopted Arabic culture were called Mozarab Christians, "Mozarab" being a corruption of the Arabic must'arab which meant "Arabized". Antisemitism certainly existed, but compared to their Christian neighbors to the north, the taifas was far more tolerant. Jews were known to attain high governmental positions, like how the taifas of Granada and Seville both went to war under Jewish prime ministers.
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Toledan judge and historian of science Said ibn Said labelled the Taifa of Seville as the “kingdom of poetry”.
While historians in the mid-20th century have painted a picture that the taifas, including Seville, were merely barbarians, modern historians have explained how they were geopolitically placed into positions where they had to be ruthlessly pragmatic to survive. Similar to the other taifas of the 11th century, the Taifa of Seville saw a sophistication in culture alongside state degradation. This taifa is an example of how the taifa kings would maneuver to unite al-Andalus under their own banner, but the infighting between the taifa kings would lead to their territories becoming unsustainable by 1085.
The Taifa of Ronda (Arabic: طائفة رندة) was a medieval Berber taifa kingdom centered in Moorish al-Andalus in what is now southern Spain. It existed from 1039 to 1065. The taifa was ruled by a family from the Berber Banu Ifran tribe of North Africa. Its capital was the city of Ronda. From 1065 until 1091, the taifa was under the control of the Taifa of Seville, led by Abbad II al-Mu'tadid.
The Taifa of Silves (Arabic: طائفة شلب, Ṭā'ifa Šilb) was an Arab taifa kingdom that existed in what is now southern Portugal for two distinct periods: from 1027 to 1063, and again from 1145 to 1150, when it was finally conquered by the Almohad Caliphate.
The taifa occupied the westernmost part of the presently Portuguese region of Algarve, near Cape St. Vincent, with its capital in Silves.
The Taifa of Ceuta (Arabic: طائفة سبتة) was one of the taifa states formed after the breakup of the Caliphate of Córdoba in the early 11th century. The cities of Ceuta (Arabic: Sabta) and Tangiers were a part of the Ḥammūdid dynasty taifa of Málaga from 1026. From 1036 (427 AH) it was governed on behalf of the Ḥammūdids by the Barghawāṭa, a Berber tribe with a non-Islamic religion. Shortly before 1061 (453 AH), the Barghawāṭa, led by the illiterate Saqqūt, took power from the Ḥammūdids.
Centro Histórico, 16.9 -- 2023 -- Córdoba, EspañaJose María Ligero Loarte · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
The Taifa of Córdoba (Arabic: طائفة قرطبة) was an Arab taifa which was ruled by the Banu Jahwar that replaced the Umayyad Caliph as the government of Córdoba and its vicinity in 1031.
1147 CE – 1151 CE · Capital: Tejada, Huelva · 2,252 km²
Vista lateral de la Iglesia de San Bartolomé, en Paterna del Campo, Huelva, España.Paco Garrido · CC0 · Commons
The Taifa of Tejada (Arabic: طائفة تيجادا) was a medieval Islamic taifa kingdom in al-Andalus during the second taifa period. It existed from its founding in 1146 to 1150 when it was conquered by the Almohad Caliphate. It was centered at the town of Tejada, Huelva [es] (known as Țalyāṭa/Thalyata in Arabic), which is located in the present day Province of Huelva in southern Spain.
The taifa was ruled by Emir Yusuf al-Bitruyi of the Banu Bitruy family, although he also claimed heritage from the Banu Khazraj tribe. He also was the ruler of the Taifa of Niebla from 1145-1450.
Taifa Kingdoms of al-Andalus: Frequently Asked Questions
What were the Taifa Kingdoms of al-Andalus?
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.
How many states were there among the Taifa Kingdoms of al-Andalus?
The atlas maps 24 of them: Taifa of Alpuente, Taifa of Badajoz, Taifa of Dénia, Taifa of Toledo, Taifa of Tortosa, Taifa of Valencia, Taifa of Albarracín, Taifa of Almería, Taifa of Arcos, Taifa of Carmona, Taifa of Granada, Taifa of Morón and 12 more.
Which was the largest of the Taifa Kingdoms of al-Andalus?
Taifa of Badajoz had the largest mapped extent, about 106,877 km².
Which of the Taifa Kingdoms of al-Andalus lasted longest?
Taifa of Dénia lasted longest, 1010 CE – 1249 CE.
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