MARINID

The Marinids originated from a Zenata Amazigh tribe that lived in present-day Biskra, Algeria [i]. After being driven West by Arab armies under the Almohad Dynasty, the Marinids pursued expansion in the region under the command of Abu Yahya al-Haqq, and ultimately took Fez in 1248 [ii]. The Marinids claimed Marrakech in 1268 and expanded their conquest over most of North Africa. By the 15th century, the Marinids fell to the Almohads due to Berber agrarian insurgency [iii] and an outbreak of the Bubonic plague [iv]. The last Marinid Sultan, Abd al Haqq II [v] was overthrown and killed in a revolt in Fez in 1465.

During their reign, the Marinids largely focused on military expansion and conquest which earned them a number of enemies and allies. The Marinids supported the Emirate of Granada [vi], as well as the Hafsids of North Africa [vii] in order to expand their influence in the region. As for their rivals, the Marinids often fought against the Castillians in Iberia [viii]. The Almohads [ix], another powerful Berber Caliphate in the Maghreb region, were arguably the most aggressive of the Maranid’s rivals. The Almohads were ultimately responsible for the official collapse of the Marinid Dynasty through their military attacks that coincided with domestic fighting and rebellion [x].

Marinid rule was marked by a strong emphasis on religious prosperity and scholarship. The Marinids re-established the Qarawiyyin University [xi] as a hub for both academic and religious study. The institution is considered one of the oldest universities in the world. The Marinids built extensive madrassas, or places of learning [xii], throughout North Africa, primarily concentrated in Fez. They were the first to extensively use zellij, or the geometric tilework design [xiii] that is commonly associated with the North African region. The Marinids were also responsible for building the Royal Palace [xiv] in Fez, which remains a Royal residence for the King of Morocco today.

The Marinids ruled over pastoral and nomadic communities and collected taxes from small farmers and pastoralists. By the mid 14th century, the Marinids had become a strong and expansionist military state with extensive army and navy powers [xv]. The Marinids were a powerful force in both land and maritime conquests. This aided their expansion across the Mediteranian into the Iberian Peninsula. As an Islamic Caliphate, the Marinid Dynasty was ruled by religious Sultans that passed rule down hereditarily. The Marinid Dynasty was overseen by a series of islamic viziers [xvi] that advised the Sultan and each held a significant amount of political power.

The Marinid Dynasty officially began in 1248 when the Marinids conquered the city of Fez. Abu Yusuf Yaqub [xvii] captured Marrakech in 1269, and then took control of most of the Maghreb region toward the end of 1268; including present-day Morocco, Algeria, and part of Tunisia. For the Marinids, the 13th and 14th centuries were periods of great religious and cultural prosperity, in which rulers constructed madrassas and expanded cities. However, this prosperity would not last long, as political fragmentation and an insurgency movement [xviii] from disgruntled agrarian peasants ultimately weakened the Marinid Dynasty and rendered them defenseless against the Almohads in 1462.

One of the most remarkable accomplishments of the Marinid Dynasty was the construction of Fez Jdid, or the “new” quarter of the city of Fez [xix]. Under Marinid rule, the city of Fez flourished into a cultural capital in a golden age, and was even considered to be the world’s largest city at the time. One of the Marinid Dynasty’s most famous accomplishments was the building of the Al-Attarine Madrasa [xx], which remains a cultural symbol of Medieval Morocco. The Marinid dynasty was also notable for its unique custom of relative religious tolerance, where both Jews and Christians were incorporated directly into society [xxi].

The Marinids had a complex state-run economic system that was driven by taxes collected from pastoral farmers and agriculturalists [xxii]. At their height, the Marinids held the Strait of Gibraltar and maintained control over much of the maritime trade in the region, primarily by facilitating the trade of grains and agricultural products. The Marinids bolstered their economy by supplying Europe and the Middle East with West Aftrican gold, ivory, and enslaved people [xxiii]. Many of the enslaved people that were captured during Marinid rule originated from West Africa or the Caucasus region and were forced into military service during the Marinids’ many conquests.