How To Understand The Moors
Summary
TLDRThis video delves into the complex history of the Moors, emphasizing their significance in African and Islamic history. It clarifies misconceptions about the Moors' identity and highlights the crucial role of black soldiers in establishing their legacy. The script discusses the evolution of Moorish power, particularly focusing on the Almoravids and Almohads dynasties, and underscores the importance of recognizing Afro-descended people's agency in Moorish history.
Takeaways
- 📚 The video discusses the complex history of the Moors and the role of Afro-descended people in establishing their legacy.
- 🌍 The term 'Moors' broadly referred to Muslims from North Africa, including both Amazigh populations and other Africans from further south.
- 🕋 The Moors' identity has been constantly challenged, with their history often carrying an asterisk due to the debate over who they truly were.
- 🏰 The focus is on the Almoravids and the Almohads, two Moorish dynasties in Spain known for their use of black soldiers and having rulers with African roots.
- 📖 The script emphasizes the importance of being specific about time periods and dynasties when discussing Moorish history to avoid confusion.
- 🗡 Black soldiers were a significant part of Islamic armies even before the 9th century, but their prominence increased significantly during this time.
- 🛡 The recruitment of black soldiers from inner Africa was a strategic move by North African rulers to ensure loyalty and maintain control over their armies.
- 👥 There were periods in Moorish history where there were more Arab and Amazigh soldiers than black soldiers, especially before the 9th century.
- 🎭 Europeans often depicted the power of the Moors with an image of a black man in their artwork, reflecting the significant presence of black soldiers in Moorish armies.
- 🏼 The 9th century marked a turning point for black soldiers, with rulers like Ahmad Tulun relying heavily on them, which changed the face of the Moors.
- 👶 The legacy of black soldiers continued in Morocco even after the Moors were expelled from Spain in 1492, with Sultan Malay Ismail using them to solidify his power in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Q & A
Why did the creator have to redo the video?
-The creator had to redo the video due to copyright issues.
What is the primary focus of the video?
-The primary focus of the video is on the history of the Moors and their significance to Afro-descended people.
Why is the history of the Moors important to Afro-descended people?
-The history of the Moors is important to Afro-descended people because it represents a time when they achieved glory and demands respect, providing a sense of pride and accomplishment.
What common misconception about the Moors does the video address?
-The video addresses the misconception that the Moors were solely black people, emphasizing the diversity within the Moorish populations, including Arabs and Amazighs.
Who were the Almoravids and Almohads?
-The Almoravids and Almohads were significant Moorish dynasties in Spain known for their use of black soldiers and rulers who were indistinguishable from various African ethnic groups.
How did the recruitment of black soldiers contribute to Moorish supremacy?
-The recruitment of black soldiers contributed to Moorish supremacy by providing a loyal and diverse military force that could reinforce the sultan's power and maintain order, especially during the 9th century and beyond.
What role did black soldiers play in the early days of Islam?
-In the early days of Islam, black soldiers were recruited to join Islamic armies in exchange for freedom, and they played significant roles in various military campaigns, including the capture of Mecca.
How did Sultan Ahmad Tulan use black soldiers in Egypt?
-Sultan Ahmad Tulan relied heavily on black soldiers from Sudan and Nubia to secure his rule in Egypt, with black soldiers forming a large part of his army and personal guard.
What was the significance of black soldiers in the Umayyad dynasty in Spain?
-In the Umayyad dynasty in Spain, black soldiers were crucial in maintaining order and supporting the ruling elite, with Emir Abed al-Rahman I and his successors using them extensively in their armies.
How did the tradition of using black soldiers continue in Morocco after the expulsion from Spain?
-The tradition of using black soldiers continued in Morocco with rulers like Sultan Malay Ismail, who assembled a large army of black soldiers to solidify his power and undermine the influence of local tribal groups.
Outlines
📚 Moorish History and Identity Challenges
This paragraph discusses the complexities of Moorish history, particularly the challenges faced in defining the identity of the Moors. It highlights the importance of this history for Afro-descended people, who find in it a source of pride and achievement. The speaker emphasizes the need for a nuanced understanding of the Moors, who were not exclusively black but included various Muslim populations from North Africa. The paragraph also introduces the focus on the Almoravids and Almohads dynasties, which are central to the discussion of the role of black soldiers in Moorish history.
🛡️ The Rise and Significance of Black Soldiers in Moorish Dynasties
The second paragraph delves into the historical evolution of black soldiers within Moorish dynasties, especially the Almoravids and Almohads. It explains how the use of black soldiers became a strategic tool for North African rulers to maintain control and authority, free from the influence of intermediate powers or opposing ethnic loyalties. The paragraph describes how the 9th century marked a significant shift in the prominence of black soldiers, with rulers like Ahmad Tulun relying heavily on them. It also touches on the legacy of these soldiers in later periods, such as the 17th and 18th centuries in Morocco under Sultan Malay Ismail, who used a large black soldier army to consolidate his power and diminish the influence of local tribal groups.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Moors
💡African Diaspora
💡Almoravids
💡Almohads
💡Amazigh
💡Black Soldiers
💡Nubia
💡Moorish Supremacy
💡Malay Ismail
💡Afro-Descended Agency
💡Jacob Al-Manzur
Highlights
The video was reposted due to copyright issues, emphasizing the importance of discussing African history, particularly the Moors.
Moorish history is significant in mainstream African history and is of great interest to the African diaspora.
The Moors represent a sense of glory for Afro-descended people, as their history demands respect and cannot be ignored.
The identity of the Moors is often challenged, prompting a need for a better understanding of who they were.
The term 'Moors' broadly referred to Muslims from North Africa, including Amazigh populations and other Africans from further south.
The Moors were not exclusively black but included a diverse range of ethnic groups.
The Almoravids and the Almohads are two Moorish dynasties of particular interest in the context of African history.
Islam's spread across North Africa in the 7th century led to the creation of Islamic armies, which later became known as the Moors.
Black soldiers have been used in the Middle East since ancient times, becoming known as Moors due to Islam's mobilization.
African soldiers, especially from Nubia, were renowned for their archery skills and were in high demand even before the Arab conquest.
The recruitment of black soldiers became central to Moorish military strategy, providing loyalty and diversity to their ranks.
Ahmad Tulan, the first independent ruler of Muslim Egypt, relied heavily on black soldiers, particularly from Sudan.
The 9th century marked a significant shift in the Moors' identity, with black soldiers becoming a dominant force in their armies.
Europeans often depicted the power of the Moors through images of black men, reflecting their presence in Moorish armies.
The focus on the Almoravids and Almohads highlights the contribution of Afro-descended people to Moorish history.
Jacob Al-Mansur of the Almohads, considered one of the greatest Moorish leaders, had a black mother from Mali or Senegal.
The need for control over soldiers led North African Amazigh rulers to favor black soldiers, who were less likely to form alliances with local populations.
The tradition of black soldiers continued in Morocco after the Moors' expulsion from Spain, with Sultan Malay Ismail employing a large black army.
A balanced view of Moorish history is necessary, recognizing the contributions of Afro-descended people while acknowledging the diversity of the Moors.
Transcripts
so i had to do this video over due to
copyright issues
my deepest apologies for the unintended
infringement
anyway if you've already seen this video
please forgive me for the repost
but i think it's an important discussion
on african history
morris history is probably top three as
it concerns mainstream african history
the african diaspora can't seem to get
enough of it the moors represent so many
different things to us as aphrodisiac
people
but perhaps the most valuable thing this
history achieves for us
is a sense that afro-descended people
achieved glory
why well because moore's history simply
demands respect
and cannot be ignored however despite
all this
moore's history for afro-descended
people has always carried an
asterix a blemish if you will because
the identity of the moors
is constantly challenged so today i
wanted us to get a better understanding
about who the moors were
and talk about our role as
afro-descended people
in establishing moore's legacy
[Music]
what about from world islamic here and
welcome back to another video of african
history
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the term more itself consistently
referred to muslims from north africa
whether they were referring to the
various amazigh populations
or other africans who originated further
south in places like senegal
guinea or mali despite what we in the
diaspora may think
the term more is very broad and it's
been used interchangeably between these
two populations
and was never used exclusively to refer
to either of them in the literature
in some occasions you'd even hear
europeans differentiating between
the so-called white moors and blackmores
there are many morris dynasties we can
discuss but my focus will be the alma
ravids and the almohads so please keep
that in mind
when the african diaspora thinks about
or more they tend to think of the black
soldiers or rulers who conquered spain
but we hardly ever refer to the names of
the actual dynasties
who accomplish this it's important to be
specific when speaking about moore's
history
when islam spread across north africa in
the 7th century
many africans converted and created
their own islamic armies
to further the cause these armies later
became known
as the moors to various europeans it may
surprise some of us to learn that black
soldiers have been used in the middle
east
since ancient times they were not new it
was only because of the mobilization of
islam
and the great number in which various
africans joined forces
that they then became known as moors
later on in history
under various persian rulers africans
were employed as mercenaries and armies
to help conquer and control new regions
africans in nubia specifically had a
world renowned reputation
for being excellent archers and their
services were in high demand
even before the arabs swept across north
africa black soldiers were present in
their armies
one of the earliest mentions of a black
soldier or what europeans would later
refer to
as amor was named washi washi lived
during the time of muhammad
and it was said that he distinguished
himself in battle especially during the
capture of mecca
the truth is in the early days of islam
arabs began to extend their hand to
enslave people
whether they were from the middle east
or north africa they began to entice
them to join their armies
and in return they would gain freedom
this was an excellent strategy by the
arabs to gain a huge
loyal following and it greatly
diversified their military ranks
over time this strategy began to be used
amongst the amazigh populations who
converted to islam
in the 9th century north african slave
armies became more desirable
as ambitious amazigh governors sought
them out to create autonomous
principalities
they believed these soldiers from inner
africa would be loyal to them in
totality
because they didn't come from the ethnic
group of the governor
and so was not invested in the needs and
concerns of the majority population
the north african caliphs themselves
began to adopt this tradition
to comfortably enforce their power and
not
worry about any arab or amazigh
dissidents
in other words the recruitment of black
men further south
became the very backbone of moorish
supremacy
now it's important to understand that
black soldiers were always used in
islamic armies even before the 9th
century
but they did not become supreme if you
will until about this time
for example under the umayya dynasty the
first emir of cordoba in spain
abed al-rahman the first who came to the
throne in 756
was known to have kept a large personal
guard of black troops
he founded the muslim dynasty that ruled
a large portion of spain
for nearly three centuries and all his
successors used black soldiers
especially to maintain order now here is
where a lot of the confusion comes in
people may look at early morris history
and say well the moors were black people
however we can't ignore the presence of
arab or
amazigh soldiers in fact at various
times in morse history
there were more arab and amazigh
soldiers than black soldiers
especially before the 9th century if
there is to be any value in the
statement of saying
the moors were black people we have to
keep in mind that it's
time sensitive because when discussing
events before the 9th century
we can only use it to express how black
soldiers were used
to reinforce the sultan's power when the
9th century arose
the face of the moors began to change
fairly quickly
ahmad tulan who came to power in 884
the first independent rule of muslim
egypt began to rely heavily on black
soldiers
most of which came from sudan many of
them nubian
upon his death he's said to have
possessed 24 000 so-called white
soldiers
and 45 000 black soldiers in essence
his army consisted of black men his son
was protected by a thousand black
soldiers
alone one chronicler had this to say
wearing black cloaks and black turbans
so that a watcher
could fancy them to be a black sea
spreading over the face of the earth
because of the blackness of their color
and of their garments
with the glitter of their shields of the
chasing on their swords
and of the helmets under their turbans
they made a really splendid sight
so it would seem as though the 9th
century really ushered in the power of
black soldiers giving moorish armies its
distinction
any european army who had never seen
black soldiers in such great numbers
would have certainly spoken about it and
identified them as being the power of
the muslims
and if we look throughout the literature
this is indeed the case
this is why europeans in their artwork
often times represented the power of the
moors
with an image of a black man this is why
the focus on the amaravats and the
almohads is significant when speaking
about our contribution as afro-descended
people to maurice history
because these two moorish ruling
dynasties in spain
arguably used the most black soldiers
and had rulers
who were indistinguishable from the
various african ethnic groups further
south
like in the case of jacob al-manzur of
the amohats
whom i consider the greatest moorish
leader in the history of muslim spain
his mother was a black woman believed to
be from either mali or senegal
one of the primary reasons for the rapid
growth of black soldiers
was the need for north african amazigh
rulers to have
complete control over their soldiers and
not be challenged by
any intermediate power or opposing
ethnic loyalties
that would come from arabs or other
amazigh clans
it would be very difficult for black
soldiers originating from the interior
of africa
to rally up the local arab or amazigh
populace
because of the ideological social and
political divisions between them
it was black men who served to maintain
the ruler in his palace
protect the capital and uphold imperial
authority
the moorish tradition of black soldiers
continued to develop in morocco
centuries after their expulsion from
spain in 1492
in the 17th century to the early 18th
century the sultan of morocco
malay ismail made great use of black
soldiers to solidify
his power he himself was the son of an
arab prince
and a black woman male ismail felt the
immediate threat to his rule would come
from the arabs amazigs and the turks in
algeria
he assembled the largest army in
moroccan history
consisting of 250 000 black soldiers
allowing him to exert great authority
through which he was able to undermine
the power
and influence of local tribal groups in
his nation
malay went even further by demanding
that the other moroccan ethnic groups
turn over their weapons
and their horses to his all-black
moorish army
our agency in moore's history as
afro-descent people
cannot be denied as it so often has
there just needs to be balance when
speaking about the moors
we need to be specific about time
periods and dynasties
because diversity did indeed exist
moore's history is akin to a blanket we
just have to identify
our specific threat that makes up a part
of the whole
well i'm all out guys if you like these
videos and want to helping us continue
production
consider supporting the home team on
patreon.com the link
is in the description box below no lots
of remember your ancestors
peace
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