taifas

Taifas, from the Arabic ta’ifa meaning faction or party, were independent Muslim-ruled principalities that emerged in the Iberian Peninsula during the 11th century after the collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba. The fragmentation created a mosaic of states bound by dynastic rivalries as well as shifting alliances with neighboring taifas and with Christian kingdoms to the north.

Each taifa was governed by its own ruler, often from Arab, Berber, or mixed lineages, who collected taxes, maintained a local army, and patronized culture and learning. The size and power of the taifas varied, and their borders were fluid as fortunes rose and fell. The era was marked by intense internal competition and periodic cooperation against common foes, particularly the expanding Christian kingdoms of Castile, Aragon, and León.

From the late 11th century, external intervention by North African powers—first the Almoravids and later the Almohads—helped to restore a measure of unity and control, reshaping the political landscape of al-Andalus. Nevertheless, the taifas continued to exist in diminished form, and by the early 13th century most had been absorbed or eclipsed by Christian conquest. The last major Muslim stronghold, the Kingdom of Granada, endured until 1492, when it fell to Castile, effectively ending Muslim rule in Iberia.

Culturally, the taifa period saw substantial artistic, literary, and scientific activity, with urban centers like Seville and Zaragoza hosting courts that patronized poets, scholars, and architects. The period left a lasting legacy in the architectural and cultural landscape of medieval Iberia and is commonly cited as a key phase in the broader history of al-Andalus.