What were the taifas?

Taifas ("factions" or "camps") were small independent Muslim kingdoms and principalities in al-Andalus between 1031 and the mid-13th century.

Where were the taifas located?

The Taifas emerged in al-Andalus, the Muslim-controlled part of the Iberian peninsula.

How many taifas were there?

It is estimated that between 30 and 50 were established after the fall of the Umayyad Caliphate. However, this number drastically shrunk in the ensuing scramble.

Taifa

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Definition

Taifas ("factions" or "camps") were small independent Muslim kingdoms and principalities that emerged after the fall of hegemonic Muslim caliphates in al-Andalus – the Muslim-controlled part of the Iberian peninsula – during the High Middle Ages. There were three taifa periods between 1031 and the mid-13th century.

More about: Taifa

Timeline

1031
The Umayyad Caiphate of Cordoba fragments; the emergence of the taifa system.
1085
Alfonso VI, king of Castile and León conquers the taifa of Toledo.
c. 1090
The Almoravids take control of al-Andalus.
1144
The second taifa system emerges in al-Andalus.
1172 - 1212
The Almohads dominate al-Andalus.
1212
Start of the third taifa period in al-Andalus.