The Almohads

Name: The Almohads
Price: 54.99 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock
ISBN: 9781780764054

The Rise of an Islamic Empire

Allen J. Fromherz

$54.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We will update you on expected arrival time to us. If this delay is too long, please let us know within 2 business days and we can give you options regarding cancelling or adjusting your order. More details on cancelling your order can be found in our Terms of Trade.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

I B TAURIS
30 November 2012

History; European history; Asian history; Early history: c 500 to c 1450&1500

How did an obscure Islamic visionary found an empire? The Almohad Empire at its zenith in the 12th century was the major power in Mediterranean and North Africa, ruling a huge and disparate region from the Atlas Mountains to Tunisia, Morocco and Andalusia.

Allen Fromherz, drawing on medieval Arabic and Berber sources, analyses the history and myths surrounding the rise of the Almohads. He shows how Muhammad Ibn Tumart, the son of an obscure Berber tribal chief, founded his mission to reform Islam - then at a low point in its history, battered by the crusades, having lost Jerusalem and been undermined by weak spiritual and political leadership. Ibn Tumart was proclaimed Mahdi by the Berber tribes, as one who heralded the golden age of Islam. He provided charismatic leadership, and a message of unswerving adherence to absolute monotheism and fundamental Islam, to be enforced by jihad - holy war. He died in 1130, before his dream could be accomplished but his successors quickly built on his foundation, conquering Marrakech - the door to the Sahara gold trade and the greatest city of commerce and trade in North Africa. Ibn Tumart and his legacy were to prove the launch-pad for empire, leading to Almohad domination of the Western Mediterranean from Tunisia to Morocco and Andalusia. It became the seat of a brilliant civilisation, the seed-bed of a 12th-century renaissance and flowering of scholarship which reached far into the Middle East and Europe.

Fromherz shows how Tumart formed the sinews of empire - by charismatic leadership, a reformed and powerful Islam, unity based on the closely-knit traditions of the Berber tribes, military power and sound administration. This is the first account of the Almohads in English and will be essential for all who are interested in Islam, the Almohad Empire, North Africa and Middle East, and the lasting cultural effect on the region and on Europe.

By: Allen J. Fromherz
Imprint: I B TAURIS
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 156mm, Width: 232mm, Spine: 24mm
Weight: 480g
ISBN: 9781780764054
ISBN 10: 1780764057
Publication Date: 30 November 2012
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Reviews for The Almohads: The Rise of an Islamic Empire

An intelligent and well-researched account of the origins of the Almohad Empire.' Hugh N. Kennedy, Professor of Arabic, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS),University of London 'A very welcome contribution to the field ... [Fromherz] introduces the Almohads in a lively and engaging way.' Amira K. Bennison, Senior Lecturer in Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge 'Well-researched and thorough ... invaluable for the scholar of Islam.' Anthony McRoy, Muslim World Book Review The Almohad Empire at its zenith in the twelfth century was the major power in the Mediterranean'This is an intelligent and well researched account of the origins of the Almohad Empire. There is no other full length account of this important movement in English.' - Hugh N Kennedy, Professor of Arabic, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.