Al-Mustanṣir billāh al-Ḥafṣī
Triumph and troubles of the Last Caliph of Islam
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3978453 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Brahim Jadla (Manouba University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 611-624 |
| Publication date | 2021-07-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of North African Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1362-9387 • E-ISSN: 1743-9345 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13629387.2020.1763103 |
| OpenAlex | W3024133690 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 2 |
This article argues that the prestige achieved by the Ḥafṣid caliph al-Mustanṣir (1249–1277 CE) was more apparent than real, and should be critically evaluated against the lateness of most Ifrīqiyan sources and their authors’ commitments to dynastic panegyric, local history, and other literary genres. First of all, al-Mustanṣir was operating in a rhetorical and aspirational framework established by his father, Abū Zakarīyāʾ (r. 1229–1249 CE), who was already being addressed as caliph in the 1230s. The various pledges of allegiance (bayʿa-s) received by the caliph from Andalusi or Maghribi rulers reflected temporary appeals for Ḥafṣid aid in the 1250s and 60s rather than a recognition of the merits of al- Mustanṣir’s claim, while the famous bayʿa of Mecca was almost certainly a Ḥafṣid forgery. Furthermore, the prestige building projects of al- Mustanṣir’s reign took place against a backdrop of economic stagnation, oppressive taxation and the debilitating financial exactions imposed by the Crusade of Louis IX in 1270. The swift collapse of the caliph’s authority after al-Mustanṣir’s death suggests just how ephemeral Ḥafṣid power really was, even if future members of his dynasty would hold onto his titles for over a century
Allegiance · Ancient history · Archaeology · Islam · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Prestige · Reign · History · Islamic Finance and Banking Studies · Islamic Studies and History · Law · Medieval History and Crusades · Philosophy
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0.33 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2023 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |