Barghawata Confederacy
744–1058
Barghawata Confederacy (green).
Common languages	Berber
Religion	Indigenous religion inspired by Islam
Government	Monarchy
King
• 744	Tarif al-Matghari
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Established	744
• Disestablished	1058
Preceded by Succeeded by Umayyad Caliphate Almoravid dynasty

The Barghawata (also Barghwata or Berghouata) were a medieval Berber tribe confederation of the Atlantic coast of Morocco, belonging to the Masmuda group of tribes. After allying with the Sufri Kharijite rebellion in Morocco against the Umayyads, they established an independent state (744 - 1058) in the area of Tamesna on the Atlantic coast between Safi and Salé under the leadership of Tarif al-Matghari.

Etymology

Some historians believe that the term Barghawata is a phonetic deformation of the term Barbati, a nickname which Tarif carried. It is thought that he was born in the area of Barbate, near Cádiz in Spain.^[1] However, Jérôme Carcopino and other historians think the name is much older and the tribe is the same as that which the Romans called Baquates, who up until the 7th century lived near Volubilis.^[2]

Religion

After the conversion to Islam at the beginning of the 8th century and the Maysara uprising (739-742), the Barghawata Berbers formed their own state on the Atlantic coast between Safi and Salé.

The Barghawata kingdom followed a syncretic religion inspired by Islam (perhaps influenced by Judaism)^[3] with elements of Sunni, Shi'a and Kharijite Islam, mixed with astrological and traditional Berber beliefs. Supposedly, they had their own Qur'an in the Berber language comprising 80 suras under the leadership of the second ruler of the dynasty Salih ibn Tarif who had taken part in the Maysara uprising. He proclaimed himself a prophet.^[4] He also claimed to be the final Mahdi, and that Isa (Jesus) would be his companion and pray behind him.

History

Few details are known about Barghawata. Most of the historical sources are largely posterior to their rule and often present a contradictory and confused historical context. However, one tradition appears more interesting. It comes from Córdoba in Spain and its author is the Large Prior of Barghawata and the Barghawata ambassador to Córdoba Abu Salih Zammur, around the middle of the 10th century. This tradition is regarded as most detailed concerning Barghwata.^[5] It was reported by Al Bakri, Ibn Hazm and Ibn Khaldun, although their interpretations comprise some divergent points of view.

The Barghawatas, along with the Ghomara and the Miknasa, launched the Berber Revolt of 739/40. They were fired up by Sufri Kharijite preachers, a Muslim sect that embraced a doctrine representing total egalitarianism in opposition to the aristocracy of the Quraysh which had grown more pronounced under the Umayyad Caliphate. The rebels elected Maysara al-Matghari to lead their revolt, and successfully seized control of nearly all of what is now Morocco, inspiring further rebellions in the Maghreb and al-Andalus. At the Battle of Bagdoura, the rebels annihilated a particularly strong army dispatched by the Umayyad caliph from Syria. But the rebels army itself was eventually defeated in the outskirts Kairouan, Ifriqiya in 741. In the aftermath, the rebel alliance dissolved. Even before this denouement, the Barghawatas, as founders of the revolt, had grown resentful of the attempt by later adherents, notably the Zenata chieftans, in alliance with the increasingly-authoritarian Sufri commissars, to take control of the leadership of the rebellion. As their primary objective - the liberation of their people from Umayyad rule - had already been achieved, and there was little prospect of it ever being re-imposed, the Barghwata saw little point in continued military campaigns. In 742 or 743, the Barghwata removed themselves from the rebel alliance, and retreated to the Tamesna region, on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, where they founded their new independent state and abandoned their Sufri Kharijitism.

The Barghawatas ruled in the Tamesna region for more than three centuries (744 - 1058). Under the successors of Salih ibn Tarif, Ilyas ibn Salih (?792-842); Yunus (842-888) and Abu Ghufail (888-913) the tribal kingdom was consolidated, and missions sent to neighbouring tribes. After initially good relations with the Caliphate of Cordoba there was a break at the end of the 10th century with the ruling Umayyads. Two Umayyad incursions, as well as attacks by the Fatimids were fought off by the Barghawata. From the 11th century there was an intensive guerilla war with the Banu Ifran. Even though the Barghawata were subsequently much weakened,^[6] they were still able to fend off Almoravid attacks—the spiritual leader of the Almoravids, Ibn Yasin, fell in battle against them (1058). Only in 1149 were the Barghawata eliminated by the Almohads as a political and religious group.

Barghawata kings

• Tarif al-Matghari
• Ṣāliḥ ibn Tarīf (744-?), who declared himself prophet^[4] in 744 and went away at the age of 47, promising to return.
• Ilyas ibn Salih (?792-842),^[7] who is said to have professed Islām publicly but Ṣāliḥ's religion secretly, and died in the 50th year of his reign.
• Yunus ibn Ilyas (?842-888), who made Ṣāliḥ's religion official and killed all those who would not convert (killing 7770 people, according to Ibn Khaldun's sources, some at a place called Tamlukeft). Curiously enough, he is also said to have performed the Hajj. He died in the 44th year of his reign.
• Abu Ghafir Muhammad (?888-917), who may also have been called a prophet (according to a poem Ibn-Khaldun cites) and who had 44 wives and more sons. He died in the 29th year of his reign.
• Abu al-Ansar Abdullah (?917-961), buried at Ameslakht. He died in the 44th year of his reign.
• Abu Mansur Isa (?961-?), who was 22 when he became king.