How did the Almohads expand their rule across North Africa and Muslim Spain?

The Almohad dynasty, a Berber confederation, expanded its rule through a combination of religious reform and military conquest. Founded on the teachings of Ibn Tūmart, who advocated for strict moral reform and the unity of God, the movement began in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco around 1120.1

Under Ibn Tūmart’s successor, ‘Abd al-Mu’min, the Almohads dismantled the Almoravid state, capturing Marrakech in 1147 and subjugating the Maghrib. Following this, they turned their attention to Andalusia, where they sought to integrate various Muslim states that had emerged during the Almoravid decline.12

The Almohads assumed the title of caliph and enforced religious unification, often compelling non-Muslims to convert or emigrate. Their control over Spain was solidified when Abū Ya‘qūb Yūsuf forced the surrender of Sevilla in 1172, eventually extending their authority across the rest of Islamic Spain. Their power reached its zenith under Abū Yūsuf Ya‘qūb al-Manṣūr, though it later declined following a decisive defeat at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212.21