The Council of Ten ( or ) was a group of
Ibn Tumart's earliest and closest disciples, at the top of the hierarchy of the
Almohad movement.
It was composed of members from different tribes, including
‘Abd al-Mu’min al-Kumi of the
Zanata, the chronicler
al-Baydhaq
Abu Bakr Mohammed ibn Ali al Sanhaji al-Baydhaq () (died after 1164) was a Moroccan historian mainly known as a companion of Ibn Tumart and chronicler of the Almohads. Al-Baydhaq (meaning pawn) was his nickname, because he was small in stature. H ...
of the
Sanhaja
The Sanhaja ( ber, Aẓnag, pl. Iẓnagen, and also Aẓnaj, pl. Iẓnajen; ar, صنهاجة, ''Ṣanhaja'' or زناگة ''Znaga'') were once one of the largest Berber tribal confederations, along with the Zanata and Masmuda confederations. Ma ...
, and the tribal chief
Abu Hafs ‘Umar al-Hintati of the
Masmuda
The Masmuda ( ar, المصمودة, Berber: ⵉⵎⵙⵎⵓⴷⵏ) is a Berber tribal confederation of Morocco and one of the largest in the Maghreb, along with the Zanata and the Sanhaja. They were composed of several sub-tribes: Berghouatas, ...
.
The Council of Ten evoked the image of the Prophet
Muhammad's ten companions,
though sources indicate that, for the Almohad council, ten was more of a name than a fixed number of members.
The status of members of the Council of Ten was based, not on tribal origin, but on adherence to
Almohad doctrine
Almohad doctrine () or Almohadism was the ideology underpinning the Almohad movement, founded by Ibn Tumart, which created the Almohad Caliphate, Almohad Empire during the 12th to 13th centuries. Fundamental to Almohadism was Ibn Tumart's radical ...
and proximity to Ibn Tumart.
Members of the Council of Ten were appointed as governors and given military responsibilities from the
conquest of Marrakesh in 1147 until 1157, when ‘Abd al-Mu’min started appointing his heirs.
Sources
Of the few primary sources on the matter there are the anonymous ''
Kitāb al-Ansāb'' () and
Ibn al-Qattan's ''
Nuẓm al-Jumān'' ().
References
Almohad Caliphate
Government in Africa
Islamic political organizations
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