Almohad reforms

The Almohad reforms were a series of changes to the existing religious climate in Islamic Spain over the course of seventy years. The preceding Almoravid dynasty, while more repressive than some governments in Al-Andalus, was not violent. The religious fundamentalism of the Almohad Caliphate caused a massive emigration of Jews and Christians from southern Iberia to the Christian north and North Africa, specifically Egypt.

During its golden age, Spain was open to a good deal of religious tolerance. For the most part the Almoravids let other people of the book, or other religions that held the Old Testament as a holy text, practice their religion freely. The Almoravids, however, were more puritanical than previous Muslim rulers of Spain.

The golden age for Jews in Spain is considered to be under the relative lax rule of the Muslim Caliphates in al-Andalus. It was generally a time when Jews were free to conduct business, participate in government, and practice their religion without fear of persecution.

Like the Almoravids, the Almohads crossed over into Spain from North Africa. They were led by ibn Tumart, regarded by historians as a fundamentalist who was convinced that it was his destiny to reform Islam. He was an intelligent and charismatic man; he claimed to be a direct descendent of Muhammad. He had studied in Alexandria, Córdoba, Mecca, and Baghdad, and his fanaticism and charismatic preaching earned him a devoted group of followers.

He presented a different view that caused outright hostility on the Iberian peninsula. To top off the Almohads' meteoric rise, in 1146 they crossed over the Strait of Gibraltar into Iberia. Their rule quickly spread across a new continent. At their height they were one of the most powerful forces in the world. Once they took control over the Iberian Peninsula, they cemented their presence by moving their capital from the high Atlas village of Tinmel to the Spanish city of Seville. They were a determined military and economic force, defeating Christian forces primarily composed of Castilians at the Battle of Alarcos. This marked the height of the Almohad Caliphate.

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