Abd al-Mu'min facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Abd al-Mu'min
Caliph of the Almohad Caliphate, founder of its ruling dynasty
Statue of Abd al Mumin in Tlemcen, Algeria
Ruler of the Almohad Caliphate
Reign	1133–1163
Successor	Abu Yaqub Yusuf
Born	c. 1094 Tagra, Tlemcen, Kingdom of the Hammadids
Died	1163 (aged c. 69) Salé, Almohad Empire
Spouse	Safiya bint Abi Imran
Issue	Abu Yaqub Yusuf Aisha bint Abd al-Mu'min
Full name Abd al-Mu'min ibn Ali al-Kumi
Dynasty	Almohad
Father	Ali ibn Makhluf al-Kumi
Mother	Ta'lu bint Atiyya ibn al-Khayr
Religion	Islam

Abd al-Mu'min (born around 1094 – died 1163) was a powerful leader of the Almohad movement. While another person, Ibn Tumart, started the Almohad movement, Abd al-Mu'min was the one who created the Almohad Empire and its ruling family.

He became the first Caliph (a top religious and political leader) of the Almohad Empire in 1133. He ruled for many years until his death in 1163. Abd al-Mu'min followed the ideas of Ibn Tumart. He defeated the Almoravids in what is now Morocco. He also expanded his rule across Al-Andalus (parts of modern-day Spain and Portugal) and all the way to Tunis in Ifriqiya (modern-day Tunisia). This brought a large part of North Africa and Europe under one government and one set of beliefs.

Early Life of Abd al-Mu'min

Abd al-Mu'min was born in a village called Tagra, near Tlemcen, in a kingdom known as the Hammadids. His family belonged to the Kumiya tribe, which was part of the Berber group called the Zenata. This tribe lived in the northern part of what is now the Oran province in Algeria. His father worked as a potter.

When he was young, Abd al-Mu'min went to Tlemcen to study Fiqh (Islamic law). His teacher passed away before he could finish his studies. Later, he heard about a very wise and religious scholar named Ibn Tumart. Ibn Tumart was traveling from the east to his home in Tinmel, Morocco.

Abd al-Mu'min and his fellow students wanted Ibn Tumart to stay in Tlemcen. So, Abd al-Mu'min was sent to meet him with a letter. They met near Bejaïa. Ibn Tumart did not accept the invitation to stay. However, Abd al-Mu'min decided to join him and continued the journey to Morocco with him.

Abd al-Mu'min's Rise to Power

Around 1117, Abd al-Mu'min became a follower of Ibn Tumart. Ibn Tumart was a religious and military leader who had started the Almohads. His goal was to bring back pure Islamic practices. His group often disagreed with the Almoravids and had to live in the mountains.

Abd al-Mu'min stayed with Ibn Tumart as they slowly traveled towards Marrakesh. In Marrakesh, Ibn Tumart announced that he was the Mahdi (a divinely guided leader). He also declared his opposition to the Almoravid rulers. After this, the group moved to the Atlas Mountains and gained many followers. They eventually created a small Almohad state.

During a battle against Marrakesh, the Almohad's second-in-command was killed. Abd al-Mu'min was chosen to take his place.

Leading the Almohad Movement

Ibn Tumart died in 1130 after a big defeat by the Almoravids. Abd al-Mu'min and a group of ten leaders kept Ibn Tumart's death a secret for three years. This was because the Almohads were struggling in their fight against the Almoravids. Abd al-Mu'min also worried that Ibn Tumart's tribe, the Masmuda, would not accept him as their leader because he was from a different tribe.

Eventually, Abd al-Mu'min became the leader of the Almohads. He gained the support of the Masmuda by arranging a family connection with their leader. He then announced himself as Ibn Tumart's successor and transformed the movement into a strong military force. After becoming Caliph, he claimed a family line that connected him to the prophet Muhammad. Under his leadership, the Almohads swept down from the mountains. By 1147, they had completely destroyed the power of the Almoravid dynasty.

Building the Empire

Abd al-Mu'min built his empire by first taking control of the high Atlas Mountains. Then he moved into the Middle Atlas and the Rif region. He eventually reached his homeland north of Tlemcen. In 1145, the Almoravids lost their mercenary leader, and the Almohads defeated them in a major battle. From this point, the Almohads moved west towards the Atlantic coast. They finally captured Marrakesh in 1147 after a long siege.

Abd al-Mu'min made Marrakesh his capital. The Almohads considered it a city of people with wrong beliefs. So, he ordered the destruction of their palaces and mosques. However, it is not fully clear if these buildings were actually torn down or just left empty.

Expanding into Al-Andalus

The Almohads began to get involved in Al-Andalus (the Muslim-ruled parts of the Iberian Peninsula) as early as 1145. Local Muslim leaders in Al-Andalus asked for Almohad help. They wanted to stop the Christian kingdoms from expanding, as the Almoravids were too weak to do so.

In 1147, Abd al-Mu'min sent a military force to Al-Andalus. This force captured important cities like Algeciras and Tarifa. They then moved west, taking Niebla, Badajoz, and the Algarve. The Almoravids in Seville were surrounded and the city was captured in 1148 with local support.

Facing Rebellions

Around this time, a major rebellion started in the Sous valley. This rebellion had religious reasons and gathered many tribes against the Almohads. Some important cities like Ceuta, Salé, and Sijilmassa removed their Almohad governors. An Almoravid leader was even declared ruler of Ceuta.

After some initial difficulties, the rebellion was put down. Abd al-Mu'min's general led a force that defeated the rebels. Abd al-Mu'min then took strong actions to make sure people were loyal. He removed people he thought might be disloyal from the Berber tribes.

The rebellion had used up many Almohad resources and caused temporary setbacks in Al-Andalus. But the Almohads soon went on the attack again. They took control of Cordoba in 1149, saving the city from Christian forces. The remaining Almoravids in Al-Andalus were pushed back to Granada. In 1150 or 1151, Abd al-Mu'min gathered the leaders of Al-Andalus in Rabat. He made them promise loyalty to him, showing his power. The Almoravids in Granada were defeated in 1155.

Eastward Expansion

For most of the 1150s, Abd al-Mu'min focused on expanding his empire eastward across North Africa into Ifriqiya. By 1151, he had reached Constantine. There, he faced a group of Arab tribes. Instead of destroying these tribes, he used them for his campaigns in Al-Andalus. They also helped him stop any internal opposition from Ibn Tumart's family.

Abd al-Mu'min led his forces to conquer Tunis in 1159. He then gradually took control of Ifriqiya by conquering cities like Mahdia, Kairouan, and other coastal cities all the way to Tripoli in modern-day Libya. After these victories, he returned to Marrakesh. In 1161, he went on another expedition to Al-Andalus. Abd al-Mu'min ordered the building of a new fortress at Gibraltar, where he stayed during his time in Al-Andalus.

Final Years and Legacy

The Almohad empire was built by Abd al-Mu'min and was effectively ruled by his family, known as the Mu'minids. This, along with his constant military actions, upset some of the original founders of the Almohad movement. These founders tried to assassinate Abd al-Mu'min in 1160, but they were unsuccessful.

Abd al-Mu'min returned from Al-Andalus to Morocco in 1162. For the next year, he stayed in Rabat and began gathering troops for another trip to Al-Andalus. However, he became ill and died in May 1163. His body was taken to Tinmel, where he was buried next to Ibn Tumart in the religious complex he had built years earlier. His son, Abu Yaqub Yusuf, became the next ruler.

Abd al-Mu'min created a strong central government that would control North Africa for over fifty years after his death. He founded a ruling family, the Mu'minids. He also added a central administration, called the Makhzan, to the traditional Berber tribal groups. This administration was staffed by Spanish Muslims. To make sure the empire had enough money, he created a system to record land ownership.

Abd al-Mu'min also supported the arts. However, following the wishes of the movement's founders, the mosques he built were simple and plain compared to other buildings of that time. He is seen as a national hero in Algeria.

He was also a great builder of important structures and palaces. He famously founded the Kutubiyya Mosque in Marrakesh and the Mosque of Tinmel. In 1150, he built the Kasbah of the Udayas, across the river from Salé. He named this new fortress al-Mahdiyya or Ribat al-Fath. He planned to use it as a starting point for future military campaigns in Spain. This settlement was later improved and made stronger by another ruler, Yaq'ub al-Mansur, at the end of the 12th century. It eventually grew into modern-day Rabat.

See Also

In Spanish: Abd al-Mumin para niños