التوحيد bekenntniss (in the original Arabic Et-täwhid) we have the explanation of the name El-Muwaḥḥidūn. El-Mahdi, and the rest of the Ash'arīs, as well as the Moatezilis, considered anthropomorphism to be inconsistent with the belief in the Unity of God; and therefore the Maghrabi reformers took the name of Unitarians, to distinguish themselves from the old school of El-Maghrib, whom the former regarded as quasi-polytheists.8 Abu-'Abd-Allah Mohammad Ibn-'Abd-Allah-Tümart, the Imam of the Muwaḥḥids, was born in the latter half of the fifth century of the Hijreh. He belonged to the Hergha tribe, a branch of the Masmuda, and, like all Muslim reformers of eminence, was a descendant of 'Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet. Stimulated by an augury, variously recorded, Moḥammad Ibn-Tūmart, after travelling in Spain and Egypt, and visiting Mekkeh and Baghdad, determined to conquer El-Maghrib, then under the rule of the dynasty of Yusuf Ibn-Tashifin, and to secure the sovereignty for the Masmūda. He began by writing several religious treatises, such as the Tauhid. He next instituted systematic polemico-theological discussions with the Maghrabi Doctors, generally coming out victorious. During these religious campaigns he met with 'Abd-ElMu-min, the future founder of the Muwahhid dynasty. After more wandering, and after presenting himself at Marrākush, at the court of 'Ali Ibn-Yusuf the Murabit sovereign, Ibn-Tumart summoned together the tribe of the Masmūda; and when the chiefs had sworn the oath of fealty to him, he took the name of El-Mahdi,9 and gave Ed. Cureton, pt. i. p. 30, 1. 16. * After I had written this I found that Ibn-Khaldūn (vol. ii. p. 173) had come to the same conclusion. • El-Mahdi means The Directed (pass. participial n. of ). The Mohammadan idea of the Mahdi has an exact parallel in the Jewish idea of the Messiah. The Mahdi was expected to make that of El-Muwahhidun to his adherents. In 522 (1128) El-Mahdi died, leaving 'Abd-El-Mu-min chief of the Muwahhids. EL-MUWAHHIDIN.10 1128 522 Death of El-Mahdi. 524 'Abd-El-Mu-min succeeds. 558 1130 1199 595 1214 1224 611 620 1227 624 Abu-Yaakub Yusuf Ibn-'Abd-El-Mu-min. Abu-Yaakub Yusuf El-Mustanşir İbn-En-Naşir. 1229 626 Abu-l-'Ola Idris El-Ma-mun Ibn-El-Manşür. 1248 646 1266 665 1269 667 Abu-l-Hasan 'Ali Es-Sa'id El-Moataḍid Ibn-El-Ma-mun. Abu-l-'Olā Abu-Debbūs El-Wathik Ibn-Abi-'Abd-Allāh- Fearing dissensions, 'Abd-El-Mu-min and the other chief disciples concealed the death of the Mahdi for about three years under the pretence of illness, and in the meanwhile directed all their efforts towards strengthening and consolidating the sect. In 524 they announced the death of their master, and also the designation by him of 'AbdEl-Mu-min as successor in the chief authority. The new leader occupied himself with various successful expeditions until 534 (1139-40), when he began his seven-years-campaign of conquest. His troops were daily augmented by deserters from the Murabits, and there seemed every prospect of a speedy conquest of El-Maghrib. In 539 (1144-5) he annihilated the army of the Murabit the religion of El-Islam triumph over all others, and to establish justice throughout the world. 10 This table is taken from De Slane's Intr. to his Trans. of Ibn-Khaldun, with very few alterations. Except in a discussion on the meaning of the word, I have thought it advisable to use the relative case Muwaḥḥidin, which in Modern Arabic is employed in the stead of the subjective case Muwaḥḥidun; the use of the latter form being generally deprecated as pedantic. Tashifin Ibn-'Ali, and captured Wahran (Oran) and Tilimsan. In 540 Fãs was taken, and Sebteh (Ceuta) sent a deputation of submission. After seizing Aghmāt and Sela (Salee), 'Abd-El-Mu-min laid siege to Marrākush (Marocco), which, after a seven-months-siege (541), fell, and with it the dynasty of the Murabits in the person of Ishak Ibn-'Ali Ibn-Yusuf Ibn-Tashifin. By the capture in 543 of Sijilmāseh and Miknāseh (Mequinez) the Muwahḥids became masters of the whole of El-Maghrib (Marocco and part of Algiers). In the midst of his African conquests 'Abd-El-Mu-min had not forgotten Spain. An expedition was sent there in 540 (1145–6); and Xeres, Mertola, Niebla, Siloes, Beja, and Badajoz, were speedily added to the dominions of the Unitarians; Seville was taken in 541; and Cordova joined the rest in the following year. Marocco and Spain being subdued, 'Abd-El-Mu-min turned his thoughts towards Afrikiyeh (the country lying between Egypt and Bejayeh in Algiers); and he determined to attack it. In 547 he took Bejayeh and Kusantiniyeh (Constantina); and, soon after, his son 'Abd-Allāh defeated the Arabs of Afrīkiyeh and received their submission, about half the province being thus acquired. Disturbances in other parts of his dominions prevented 'Abd-El-Mu-min from following up this success at once; but in 553 (1158) he returned to the attack, and succeeded in conquering the more eastern parts of Afriķiyeh, then under the rule of Roger II. of Sicily: El-Mahdiyeh, Tūnis, and Tarābulus (Tripoli), now formed part of the empire, which stretched from Egypt to the Atlantic and from Marocco to Cordova. 'Abd-El-Mu-min's attention was next directed again towards Spain, where his son Yusuf was hard pressed by Alfonso VIII. of Castile. After relieving his son he returned to Africa, and began to make preparations for a renewal of the Holy War.' It was when setting out in 558 (1163) for this last expedition that the great leader of the Muwaḥhids was visited by 'the terminator of delights and the separator of companions.' I have sketched the conquest of the various countries that united to form the extensive empire of the Muwahhids; and I shall now mention a few of the leading events that happened in the reigns of 'Abd-El-Mu-min's successors. The main subject of interest is the Holy War, or the continual and absorbing struggle between the Christian Kings of Castile and of Aragon and the Mohammadan Khalifehs of Marrākush for the possession of Andalusia,a struggle which, long after the subversion of this dynasty, ended in the complete overthrow of the Muslim power in Spain. We have also to notice frequent insurrections in Africa, especially the conquest of Afrikiyeh attempted, and almost attained, by Ibn-Ghaniyeh. With respect to the orthodoxy of the Khalifehs, we find a remarkable exception in the case of El-Ma-mun, who suppressed the name of El-Mahdi in the Khutbeh and Sikkeh, (or prayer and coinage,) and restored the dirhems to their original circular shape: his tolerance extended to allowing the Christians to build a church in Marrākush, and even to ring the bells. Er-Rashid, the son and successor of this liberal Khalifeh, seems to have followed in his father's steps; for Adler (Coll. Nov. xc. A.) publishes a silver coin with the name Er-Rashid substituted for El-Mahdi. Probably Es-Sa'id followed the example of his father and brother. But the coins prove that El-Murtaḍā and ElWathik restored the repudiated name of the Imām of the dynasty to the gold coins; for we cannot but conclude that El-Ma-mun omitted the name of El-Mahdi from the gold as well as the silver coins, although Ibn-El-Katib (ap. Casiri ap. Adler) mentions the omission in the dirhems only. The fall of the Muwaḥhids was clearly foreshadowed by two significant facts, the multitude of pretenders to the throne, and the growing importance of the tribe of the Beni-Merin. These mountaineers had long been slowly advancing and gradually increasing in power, until finally, having pursued and killed El-Wathik, they entered Marrākush in 668 (1269-70). ON THE COINAGE OF THE MUWAHHIDS. The coinage of this dynasty, as represented in the British Museum, exhibits many peculiarities. Gold. Form circular. The area is always square, defined by single, double, or triple, lines. The coin is struck of such a size that the circumference almost touches the angles of the inscribed square. Four segments of a circle are thus formed between the square and the circumscribed circle, and in these segments various words which compose the marginal inscription are distributed. In transcribing the coins I have always indicated by spaces the division of the marginal inscription into four parts. The field abounds in points, some diacritical, and some not. When the points are diacritical, intentionally or accidentally, I have noted them separately. Instances will be observed of diacritical points inverted, put above instead of below a letter, or contrariwise. There are usually three dots in each of the four segments, one at each end and one in the middle, independent of the diacritical points. The appropriation of a particular area or margin to a particular part of the inscriptions is also noteworthy. The area of the obverse is always reserved for religious sentences, including the pro and generally ,(لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله) fession of faith a reference to the Mahdi, and the special motto of the |