ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn ʿAlī al-Tamīmī al-Marrākushī (; born 7 July 1185 in

Marrakech Marrakesh or Marrakech (; , ) is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh–Safi Regions of Morocco, region. The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mounta ...

, died 1250) was a Moroccan historian who lived during the

Almohad The Almohad Caliphate (; or or from ) or Almohad Empire was a North African Berber Muslim empire founded in the 12th century. At its height, it controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) and North Africa (the Maghreb). The Almohad ...

period. Abdelwahid was born in Marrakech in 1185 during the reign of

Yaqub al-Mansur Abū Yūsuf Yaʿqūb ibn Yūsuf ibn Abd al-Muʾmin al-Manṣūr (; d. 23 January 1199), commonly known as Yaqub al-Mansur () or Moulay Yacoub (), was the third Almohad caliph. Succeeding his father, al-Mansur reigned from 1184 to 1199. His reig ...

, in 1194 he moved to Fes to pursue his studies, but continued traveling back and forth between the two cities for academic purposes. In 1206 he left for

al-Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...

where he stayed for nine years before returning to Morocco. In 1224 he completed ''Kitab al-mujib fi talkhis akhbar ahl al-Maghrib'' (The pleasant book in summarizing the history of the Maghreb), a history of the

Almohad dynasty The Almohad Caliphate (; or or from ) or Almohad Empire was a North African Berber Muslim empire founded in the 12th century. At its height, it controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) and North Africa (the Maghreb). The Almohad ...

as well as the preceding dynasty of the

Almoravids The Almoravid dynasty () was a Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus, starting in the 1050s and lasting until its fall to the Almo ...

coupled with a summary of

Al Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...

history from the Muslim conquest until 1224. The book was written in a lighthearted spirit with many anecdotes; Abdelwahid explained that his intention was to inform and entertain the students in a summarized way since academic history books tend to be overly lengthy which can sometimes bore the reader. The book contains valuable information about

Ibn Rushd Ibn Rushd (14 April 112611 December 1198), archaically Latinized as Averroes, was an Arab Muslim polymath and jurist from Al-Andalus who wrote about many subjects, including philosophy, theology, medicine, astronomy, physics, psychology, math ...

(a contemporary of Abdelwahid) as well as information directly taken from the Almohad archives, various princes and accounts of events that the author witnessed. Although he vowed respect for the Almohad movement and its founding tribe the

Masmuda The Masmuda (, Berber: ⵉⵎⵙⵎⵓⴷⵏ) is a Berber tribal confederation , one of the largest in the Maghreb, along with the Zenata and the Sanhaja. Today, the Masmuda confederacy largely corresponds to the speakers of the Tashelhit lan ...

, the book was fairly objective as it contained criticism of the actions of some of its kings as well as a neutral account of the movement’s founder

Ibn Tumart Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad Ibn Tūmart (, ca. 1080–1130) was a Muslim religion, religious scholar, teacher and political leader, from the Sous in southern present-day Morocco. He founded and served as the spiritual and first military leader ...

and his teachings. Another aspect of this is the account about the Almoravids, who were the rivals of the Almohads, but were properly credited with their good deeds. Additionally events of in-fighting between the Almohad princes were properly reported, contrary to

Ibn Abi Zar Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn Abī Zarʿ al-Fāsī () (d. between 1310 and 1320) is the commonly presumed original author of the popular and influential medieval history of Morocco known as '' Rawd al-Qirtas'',''Encyclopedia of Arabic literature: A ...

, writing a century later under the

Marinid The Marinid dynasty ( ) was a Berber Muslim dynasty that controlled present-day Morocco from the mid-13th to the 15th century and intermittently controlled other parts of North Africa (Algeria and Tunisia) and of the southern Iberian Peninsula ...

s, who omitted to report about significant plots and revolts that occurred during his lifetime. Abdelwahid finished his life in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, as he reported in his book that the later events of the Almohads did not reach him in great detail since he was away.

References

Bibliography

*Abdel Wahid al-Marrakushi, The history of the Almohades, preceded by a sketch of the history of Spain from the time of the conquest till the reign of Yúsof ibn-Téshúfin, and of the history of the Almoravides, ed. R.P.A. Dozy, 1968 (reprint of the second edition, Leyden 1881; first edition Leyden 1847) {{DEFAULTSORT:Marrakushi, Abdelwahid 1185 births Place of death missing 13th-century deaths People from Marrakesh Moroccan emigrants to Egypt 13th-century Moroccan historians Historians from the Almohad Caliphate