Our Almoravid research and design team take us on a guided tour of 11th-Century Muslim Spain—a patchwork of middling to tiny “taifa” emirates. Al‑Andalus in the Levy & Campaign Series’ second volume presents players a far different political geography to exploit and maneuver across than that of Nevsky. Here we visit each 1085 taifa state and its ruler in turn, with a quick word on their likely roles in the game. All game art in this article is playtest only; all game details are provisional not authoritative.
One thousand three hundred nine years and a few days ago, Berber commander Tariq ibn Ziyad launched the Muslim conquest of what is now Spain and Portugal from a rock now named after him: Djabal Tariq—Gibraltar. Following his army’s shattering of Iberia’s Visigoths in the 711 Battle of Guadalete, control of the bulk of the peninsula lay for centuries in Muslim hands. But this Muslim power was not the monolithic entity we might think, as different tribes and nationalities within the Muslim world arrived on the peninsula over the years and provided a perfect mosaic for the outbreak of internal revolts.
Unhindered Muslim control would last more than 300 years until the death in 1002 of Almanzor, who would be known as the last great scourge of the Iberian Christians. Thereafter, the lack of a strong leader, the dire state of the coffers, and internal intrigues caused the atomization of the Muslim Caliphate into dozens of new independent states known as the “taifa kingdoms”—emirates, some large and others comprising just single a city.* That century, the peninsula’s Christian kings would take advantage of the rivalry among Muslim factions, extend and consolidate their power over the Muslim lords, and accelerate the incipient reconquista.
*The appellation “taifa” came from the Arabic for “party” or “faction” — a pejorative reflecting these states’ status as petty dynasties within a once mighty and unified caliphate; “taifa” also referred to an ancient Arab combat unit made up of 2,048 men—the smallest unit considere able to operate as an independent army.
By 1085, this fracturing of al-Andalus seemed to reach an equilibrium. In this article, we present the pieces of the map puzzle that is the taifas’ territory and how Almoravid’s gameboard represents them, starting in the north and traveling roughly counter-clockwise.
Taifa of Zaragoza
Zaragoza was a front-line taifa dominating the northeast and bordering the Christian kingdoms of León and Aragón. Around it lay the taifa kingdoms of Lérida, Valencia, Toledo, and Albarracín.
Emir Yusuf al‑Mutamin of the Banu Hud (the Arab Hud family) ruled Zaragoza until his death and succession by his son al‑Mustain IIibn Yusuf in June 1085. In light of the son’s rule during the bulk of the time covered in Almoravid, the game represents both individuals with a single Lord piece, “al‑Mustain”.
During the reign of Al-Mustain II’s grandfather, the taifa had included not only the 1080s territory of Zaragoza but also that of Lérida and Tortosa to the east and Denia in the south. But that taifa king’s death had divided the territory among his descendants.
In the years before 1085, the main effort of the Zaragoza Emir al-Mutamin was to defend his taifa, not only against Christian attacks from the kingdoms of León and Aragón but also against his brother who ruled Lérida to the east (see below) and had allied with the Christian monarchs of the north and Barcelona to the east in attempts to carve up Zaragoza’s territory. The Emir had fended off all these challenges, so far, thanks to actions of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (“the Cid”). The Christian Rodrigo from 1081 served as a mercenary in Muslim Zaragoza’s employ and brilliantly oversaw the taifa’s defense.
By 1085, however, the Banu Hud rulers of Zaragoza and Lérida-Tortosa had at least temporarily put aside their feud in the face of the swelling threat from the unified León-Castilla of King Alfonso and Aragón-Navarra of King Sancho Ramírez.
In Almoravid, Zaragoza under its Lord al-Mustain often will find itself under immediate and heavy Christian pressure to resume Parias tribute payments or even as a target of territorial Reconquista. In one shorter scenario, Zaragoza City begins already Besieged by Alfonso with al-Mustain inside. And the Taifa can even become the target of a formal crusade should the Burgundians of Duke Eudes show up. However, should the Christian player send Alfonso elsewhere or fail to Muster or keep the field with Sancho, Zaragoza instead can see an easy opportunity to Ravage Christian border Locales. In addition, not only Rodrigo (a separate Lord) but the equally mercenary COUNT OF BARCELONA (a Capability card that can add units to al-Mustain’s mat) are available for hire to give the Muslims considerable military punch on the Zaragoza front.
Taifas of Albarracín and Alpuente
The tiny twin emirates of Albarracín and Alpuente were ruled respectively by Abd al-Malik ibn Razin (from 1045) and Abd Allah II ibn Muhammad ibn Nizam (from 1043). They lay in the southern reaches of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range, between the lands of the wealthy and powerful cities of Zaragoza to their north, Lérida and Tortosa to their northeast, Toledo to their west, and Valencia to their south.
Nominally independent, in the context of resistance to the Christian Reconquista they became protectorates of the comparatively mighty Zaragoza taifa state. Almoravid’s gameboard, for simplicity, consolidates their territories into that of Zaragoza. Their rulers play their part in the game as Vassals who send small troop contingents to serve in the army of Zaragoza’s Lord, al‑Mustain.
Taifa of Lérida
Formerly a part of Zaragoza’s Hudid emirate, the northeastern taifa kingdom of Lérida and Tortosa was ruled from 1081 by al-Mundir al–Hayib Imad ad-Dawla (in the game, “al‑Mundir”), also of the Banu Hud, brother of Yusuf al‑Mutamin, and uncle of al‑Mustain II of Zaragoza.
The Emirate of Lérida-Tortosa included the territories of the once independent taifa kingdoms of Lérida (Larida or Lleida)*, Tortosa to its immediate south, and the exclave of Denia along the coast further south beyond Valencia. During the Hudid al‑Muqtadir’s reign in Zaragoza (1046-1081), all these territories had been part of his single Zaragozan kingdom. Lérida-Tortosa as of 1085 bordered the Kingdom of Aragón on its north and, on its east, the Christian Catalan counties including Barcelona. Its taifa neighbors were Zaragoza to the west, Valencia to the south, and (via Denia) the eastern extremes of Sevilla (Murcia and Cartagena).
*A note on place-names in the game: For consistency and familiarity, Almoravid follows the convention of most English-language histories about the period and uses Spanish names for places known to their 11th-Century inhabitants by names in other languages, such as Arabic. Thus, the gameboard shows Zaragoza rather than Saraqusta, Valencia rather than Balansiya, Lérida rather than Larida or the Catalan Lleida, and so on.
As noted above, al-Mundir had not hesitated to ally himself with the Christians of Aragón Barcelona in military campaigns to try to conquer territories off of Zaragozana and Valenciana. In the period portrayed in Almoravid, he campaigned in Valencia but this time against León’s recently installed Muslim puppet emir al-Qadir.
In the game, Lérida serves as another front-line Taifa alongside Zaragoza. Al-Mundir has fewer forces and smaller fortifications at hand than his nephew al‑Mustain next door, but he is a potentially highly active Lord (Command “3” compared to al-Mustain’s “2”) and also can call upon BARCELONA’S mercenaries if the Muslim player wishes to invest the Coin to do so.
Taifa of Valencia
Journeying south along the Mediterranean coast, we reach great city of Valencia. Valencia’s territory during the period 1064-1075 had been by conquest part of the Taifa of Toledo. But its local rulers took advantage of the weakness of Toledo’s king al-Qadir (see below) and riots that a faction within the city organized against him to recover their independence. Ruled from 1075 by Abu Bakr ibn Abd al-Azizof the Banu Amir, the Emirate of Valencia would soon become the object of Leonese, taifa dynasty, Christian mercenary, and Almoravid desires and machinations that would raise to new heights the name of El Cid.
Valencia in the 1080s alone had not strength to prevail against pressure from León-Castilla and acquiesced in parias payments. But an alliance with Zaragoza could prop up the Amirids’ rule and create a force robust enough together to hold the Christian advance. To seal the deal, Abu Bakr oversaw the marriage in January 1085 of his daughter to Zaragoza’s soon-to-be emir al-Mustain. Unfortunately for this scheme, Abu Bakr was ill of health and died in the spring; factionalism broke out against his son and heir, Uthman; the anti-Leonese alliance faltered; and—as we shall see—the Amirids’ seat became vulnerable to a Christian arrangement with the weak but covetous al-Qadir of Toledo.
In Almoravid, the Taifa Lord Abu Bakr may help foster anti-Christian resistance through a TAIFA MARRIAGE Event, may succumb and return Valencia to Parias statue via ILLNESS OF THE EMIR, or neither!
Taifa of Toledo
West of Valencia across the plains of La Mancha and the great river basins of the Guadiana and the Tajo, the Emirate of Toledo stretched across the heart of Iberia. Ruled from 1075 by Yahya ibn Ismail al-Qadir, destined to be last notable of the once powerful Dhunnunid dynasty (Banu Dhi l-Nun). Toledo shared a long border with the Christian Kingdom of León-Castilla and therefore its pampered and incapable ruler was on the front line of Muslim resistance. Around his territory lay the taifa kingdoms of Zaragoza, Alpuente, Albarracín, Valencia, Sevilla and Badajoz—meaning that Alfonso’s control of al-Qadir’s central taifa would provide León’s Christian raiders ready access to the entire remainder of al-Andalus. For Muslims, then, Toledo was the main bastion of defense (alongside Badajoz) against Christian attacks towards the south of the Peninsula.
Beyond that operational consideration, Toledo held deep traditional meaning for the Christians, as it had been the capital of their ancient Visigothic kingdom.
Under the rule of the ethnic-Berber emir Yahya ibn Ismail al‑Mamun (1043-1075), Toledo reached its greatest extent, garnering under its control the taifas of Valencia and Córdoba. But after his death and succession by his grandson al-Qadir, Muslim Toledo’s decline began.
Al-Qadir would not only lose control of Valencia to the Amirid family and Córdoba to al-Mutamid of Sevilla but would also end up exiled from Toledo by the taifa King of Badajoz Al-Mutawakkil in an attempted annexation of Toledo’s territory. In that position, al-Qadir asked the Christian Alfonso VI for help and thereby regained his Toledo seat. But this Christian aid had an important economic cost—parias—and the handover of various fortresses and castles to León-Castilla. Discontent would not take long to reappear, so that al-Qadir’s fate hung by a thread as 1085 dawned.
In light of al-Qadir’s enforced collusion with the Christian Reconquista—he ends up permanently ceding Toledo to León-Castilla in a negotiated siege-surrender and installed by the Alfonso’s captain Álvar Fáñez as a puppet emir of Valencia—Almoravid denies Toledo a maneuver piece for its Taifa Lord. Instead, al-Qadir makes his appearance in the game via two Event cards that either dampen or augment local Muslim resistance. Toledo’s Taifa tends to serve as a key battlefield between the players—perhaps taken by the Christian side as Reconquista territory, perhaps the scene of a building Jihad against them.
Taifa of Sevilla
To the southwest, at the great river port of Sevilla, the court of poet-king Muhammad ibn Abbad al-Mutamid would rule over the most powerful and influential taifa of the period. During the mandate of al-Mutamid from 1069, it would achieve its maximum splendor at the expense of the other emirs—and with Alfonso’s military help, in exchange for parias. Sevilla in 1070 seized the taifa of Córdoba from Al-Qadir, then further up the Guadalquivir River won the town of Jaén from Granada, and by 1080 extended al‑Mutamid’s dominion across al‑Andalus to absorb the taifa of Murcia and its seaport of Cartagena. (Murcia would maintain some independence within the Kingdom of Sevilla.)
With a northern border stretching from the Atlantic Ocean and Badajoz in the west along Toledo’s south to Valencia, Lérida’s Denia and the Mediterranean Sea in the east, Sevilla taifa sooner or later would have to take the lead in opposing Alfonso VI. Once he had Toledo in his hands, Sevilla would become a front-line state. Al-Mutamid then took that bit in his teeth, rallied the taifa kings to their own mutual defense, and risked it all in a call to the Almoravids with the poetic explanation “rather a camel-driver in Africa than a swineherd in Castilla”.
In Almoravid, al-Mutamid not only boasts the greatest army and purse of dinars of all the Taifa Lords, he is committed from the outset to the longest military Service (six 40-day Campaigns compared to four for the others) and enjoys the alacrity on Campaign of a “3” Command rating. Without the Taifa of Sevilla and its militarily capable Lord as a spearpoint, the Muslim player will be hard-pressed to stem the Christian tide—even once the Almoravid army appears on the scene.
Taifa of Granada
South of the expanse of al-Mutamid’s Sevilla taifa lay Granada, ruled from 1073 by Abd Allah ibn Buluggin al-Muzaffar of the ethnic-Berber Zirid dynasty. Since coming to power, Abd Allah had to deal with the challenges of the Christian Kingdom of León (whose objective was to force Granada to pay parias) and the expansionist veins of Sevilla and Málaga.
León’s aggression paused when Granada agreed to pay parias to and thereby obtain Alfonso’s protection. As noted above, Granada’s rival Sevilla had the same arrangement with the Leonese king, so that the spectacle ensued in 1079 of a battle facing Sevillans under Alfonso’s captain Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar against Granadans under Alfonso’s great count García Ordóñez (Rodrigo won and earned himself the Arabic appellation “al‑Sayyid”—El Cid). The bellicosity of Málaga, ruled by Abd Allah’s estranged older brother Tamim, ended after successful military campaigns that finally fended the Málagans off from Granadan territory.
By 1086, the strategic situation had changed utterly. After fending off Christian raids out of the now Christian-conquered Toledo, Abd Allah agreed to invite the Almoravids into al‑Andalus and then belatedly joined Yusuf’s army on its march northward at what in a later century would become the Knights Templar stronghold of Jerez de los Caballeros.
The gambit would succeed in securing Granada against Alfonso. But the Almoravids, as feared, would return to conquer the taifas for themselves. Exiled and imprisoned, Abd Allah would have the time to compose the memoirs that serve as our principal source today of the Muslim view of the campaigns portrayed in Almoravid. Eventually, Granada would regain its independence as an emirate and—guarded by a ring of mountains like some gigantic walled city—hold out against Christian Reconquista another four centuries.
In the game, Abd Allah will serve as a useful reserve to al-Mutamid and the front-line Taifa Lords. He can readily join a strike via Badajoz (as historically), or directly northward into Toledo, or even reinforce the hard-pressed northeast via transport by Sevillan or African fleet.
Taifas of Málaga and Almería
On the seashore southwest of the fastness of Granada and not far from Sevilla’s Gibraltar and Algeciras, Málaga in the period of our game hosted the rule of Tamim ibn Buluggin ibn Badis of the Ziri dynasty. The Zirid emir of Granada Badis ben Habus had conquered Málaga in 1057, and Tamim served as governor of the Málaga port within Granada’s taifa kingdom. But, when Tamim’s little brother Abd Allah acceded to Granada’s throne in 1073, Tamim declared his independence and the kingdom split in two. This division included an unsuccessful attempt by Tamim on Granada itself in 1082.
Meanwhile, to the east of Málaga, the fortified harbor of Almería (al‑Mariyah, “Mirror of the Sea”) thrived under the independent rule of Abu Yahya Muhammad al‑Mutasim (1052-1091) of the Arab Sumadih dynasty. During his reign, Almería achieved its greatest economic and cultural splendor if not any feats of military resistance.
Almoravid for simplicity consolidates Málaga and Almería into the Granada Taifa and treats their rulers as Vassals who may send Granada’s Taifa Lord Abd Allah a few light units. Historically, Málaga’s Tamim did answer Yusuf’s call in the summer of 1086 to join Almoravid army alongside his brother. Almería’s al‑Mutasim joined in the taifa’s call to arms to Yusuf; but then, when time came to campaign, he sent only his son (apparently, in lieu of his forces) to make excuses to the Sultan.
Taifa of Badajoz
At last we arrive in al-Andalus’s northwest, at the Badajoz taifa ruled from 1072 by Umar al‑Mutawakkil Ula Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Aftas—or Omar al‑Mutawakkil to his friends. Badajoz bordered Sevilla to its south and reigned over much to what is today Portugal to the west; however, its challenges in al‑Mutawakkil’s reign would deal far more with its neighbors to the north—the Christian Kingdom of León—and east—the troubled taifa of Toledo.
Al-Mutawakkil (like Granada’s Abd Allah, an ethnic Berber) took advantage of the unrest and revolts in Toledo to expel its ruler al-Qadir from power and integrate Toledo into the taifa of Badajoz for a time. This move should have allowed him to better organize a defense against the Kingdom of León. But Alfonso VI—after agreeing with al‑Qadir to restore the latter to control of Toledo—started a series of attacks on Badajoz that forced al‑Mutawakkil to return home and give up his new eastern acquisition. On top of that, Alfonso in 1079 forced from Badajoz the cession of the town of Coria to the taifa capital’s north.
Come 1086, with al-Mutawakkil’s territory along a convenient north-south invasion route for the Almoravids to threaten Coria (the very prize that Alfonso had extracted from him the decade before), Badajoz was destined to play reluctant host to Yusuf’s army. That October, just north of Badajoz city, al-Mutawakkil would take part in the great showdown between the taifas’ supposed Almoravid saviours and their tormentor Alfonso: the Battle of Sagrajas (Zallaqa).
In Almoravid, players may see the political and military geography guide campaigns to the same outcome. Naturally, however, with so many Taifa puzzle pieces on the board and in motion, many other stories are on offer!
We hope that you have found this tour of the Almoravid’s Taifas of interest. It constitutes just a sample of the historical information that you will find included in the game’s Background Book. An upcoming InsideGMT article will introduce us to the Iberian Peninsula’s Christian Kingdoms of 1085.
Previous Articles:
Mío Cid: Almoravid Testers’ Replay – Part I
Mío Cid: Almoravid Testers’ Replay – Part II
Mío Cid: Almoravid Testers’ Replay – Part III
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