Andalusia Emigrations to African Countries during the Huffsi Rule (621 – 932 AH / 1222 – 1474 AD)

Abstract

Abstract

The downfall of Al-Muwaheddin state in (591 AH / 1195 AD) led to the inheritance of the State by three states which played a serious role in the Islamic west. These states are: the Mariniyah state in 668 AH / 1263 AD in the far west, the Zayaniyah state in 633 AH / 1234 AD in the mid west and BanooHaffis in 621 AH / 1222 AD) in the near west, and when Al-Muwaheddin state began weakening and taken to pieces, the  Haffsi sultan named Abo Zakariya Mohamed Bin Abdelwahad Bin Abi Haffis seized the opportunity and took advantage of the circumstances and declared independence from Al-Muwaheddin state and established the Haffsiya state in Africa (near west) in 621 AH / 1222 AD. The establishment of Haffsiya state synchronized with the fall of the most important Islamic Andalusia states, starting from 7^th century a.h. / 13^th century AD, in the hands of the Christian Spaniards, as a result of the weakness of Al-Muawaheddin state after their defeat by Christian Spaniards in the battle of Al-Ekab took place in 609 AH / 1212 AD, a Defeat that disturbed the balance of power in Andalusia in the Christian Spaniards favor, immediately afterwards the Christian Restoration Movement commenced in Andalusia which compelled the Islamic and Jewish inhabitants to leave Andalusia and emigrate to the Islamic west, as the majority of the Andalusia emigrants headed for the lands of Africa the center of Haffis state. The Andalusia emigration underwent three main stages, the first stage was in the beginning of the 7^th century a.h./13^th century AD, the second stage started upon the fall of Ghernata in  897 AH / 1492 AD and the third stage was at the beginning of the 11^th century a.h. / 17^th century AD, the Andalusians  established the administrative, political and commercial foundation of Haffisiya state and they had political, economic, social and cultural influence and effective roles in African countries during the Haffis rule.