ALMOHEDES, the name of a dynasty, which, in the commencement of the twelfth century, succeeded that of the Almoravides in Barbary. It derived its name from an obscure founder called Al Mohedi, or Al Mohedes, and it rose into public notice in the 25th year of the reign of Al Abraham, or Brahem, who succeeded his father Ali, A.D. 1115. This person was a Bereber, and was a famous preacher of the tribe of Muzamada, which was settled along Mount Atlas. His scheme was formed with ingenuity, and executed with unremitting activity. In order to obtain attention and success, he assumed the title of Mohdi or Mohedi, and claimed the honour of leader of the orthodox, or Unitarians; and by his preach[7:2:535]ing they became so numerous, that he even dared to set the royal power at defiance. Confident of security, and immersed in pleasure, Brahem looked with a contemptuous eye upon the insurrection of a party composed of such persons. They increased in number and strength, so that the king was at last roused from his indolence, and prepared for his own security and their subjection. In the first engagement he was defeated, being overpowered by superior numbers. The artful Abdallah took possession of the capital, so that Brahem, pursued as a fugitive by Abdolmumen, one of the party, sought refuge in the city of Fez. The gates were shut against him, but they were opened to admit his pursuers. He next took refuge in the city of Auran, or Oran; but he was pursued by Abdolmumen, who threatened to destroy the city with fire and sword; and the magistrates, unable to defend themselves, urged him to leave the town, and provide for his own safety. Concealed by the darkness of the night, he escaped with his favourite wife on horseback behind him; but being closely pursued by the enemy, rather than fall into their hands he rushed over a precipice, and, along with his wife, was dashed to pieces. Such was the death of this prince, which put a final period to the empire of the Almoravides. When the death of Brahem was known, Abdolmumen was chosen by the chiefs of that party his successor, and proclaimed king of the Almohedes, under the title of Al Emir Al Mumin Abdallah Mohammed Abdal Mumin Ebn Abdallah Ibni Ali, i. e. Chief or Emperor of the true Believers of the house of Mohammed Abdal Mumin, the son of Abdal Mumin, the son of Abdallah, of the lineage of Ali. Abdallah, during his reign, enacted prudential laws for the establishment of his new kingdom, and the regulation of the conduct of his followers. He appointed a council of forty of his disciples, all of whom were preachers. Some of these were commissioned to regulate all public affairs; and at proper seasons they went forth as itinerant preachers, for the purpose of strengthening their party and spreading their doctrines, and sixteen of their number acted as secretaries. As both the regal and pontifical dignities were united in the same person, the king was chosen from both of these two classes. The disciples of this sect were denominated Mohameddin, or Ali Mohaddin; but the Arabian writers only style them preachers, and the Spanish Al Mohedes. The descendants and successors of that tribe continued to retain the appellation of Emir Al Mumenin, or chiefs of the faithful believers, as long as their dynasty lasted; and they became very powerful both in Africa and Spain. By their invectives against the tyranny of the Almoravides, and their loud clamours for liberty, they induced the greater part of the kingdom to revolt, and to embrace their religious doctrines. The chief thing in them was their specious pretence to orthodoxy, and strict adherence to the unity of the Godhead, which they inculcated with the greatest zeal and diligence.

On his accession to power, the new sovereign extirpated all the unhappy remains and steady adherents of this race, by strangling Isaac the son of Brahem. The Almo-ravides governor, taking advantage of the general tumult and distraction that prevailed, constituted their governments into independent principalities and petty kingdoms; and they who inhabited the mountainous parts established, under their own sheiks, a variety of lordships. The Libyans and Nubians took the lead; and the states of Barbary, Tripoli, Kairwan, Tunis, Algiers, Tremecen, and Bujeiah, followed their example. Abdolmumen, however, successfully pursued his conquests; and in a few years he reduced to his subjection the Numidians and Galatians in the west, and the kingdoms of Tunis, Tremecen, and the greater part of Mauritania and Tin-gitana. He expelled the Christians of Mohedia, the chief city of Africa, and some others on the same coast; and likewise made conquests both in Spain and Portugal’ He died in the seventh year of his reign, and was succeeded, a. d. 1156, by his son Yusef or Joseph. Yusef proved a valiant and martial prince, and in his military court he first established the kings, of Tunis and Bujeiah in their respective dominions, as his tributaries and vassals; and then by earnest solicitation he embarked for Spain to assist the Moorish princes. Yakub or Jacob, or the Conqueror, succeeding him, after providing for his own safety against the revolted and plundering Arabs, pursued his conquests with such success, that he soon became master of the whole country lying between Numidia and the entire length of the Barbary coasts, from Tripoli to the boundaries of the kingdom of Morocco; and thus he was acknowledged as sovereign by most of the Arabian Moorish princes in his Spanish dominions. He also extended his territory above 1200 leagues in length, and 480 in breadth. The remaining part of the history of this prince is involved in obscurity. About the year 1206 he quelled a revolt in Morocco, but violated his faith with the governor of the capital, which he reduced, and in a cruel and perfidious manner extirpated all his adherents. Touched, it is said, with remorse, he disappeared, and, according to report, wandered about obscure and unknown, until ho died in the humble condition of a baker at Alexandria. His son Mohammed, surnamed Al Naker, succeeded his father; and, on his accession to the crown, he passed over into Spain with an immense army of 120,000 horse and 300,000 foot, and engaging the whole force of the Christians on the plains of Tolosa, received a total defeat, with the loss of above 150,000 foot, 30,000 horse, and 50,000 prisoners. According to Spanish and other historians, this famous battle was fought in 617, a. d. 1220; but according to the Arabian writers, it was in the year of the Hegira 609, a. d. 1212. Returning home to Africa, he was received with coldness and disgust by his subjects, on account of his defeat; and soon after died of vexation, having appointed his grandson Zeyed Arrax his successor. A descendant of the Abdol-wates, ancient monarchs of the kingdom, named Gama-razan ebn Zeyen, of the tribe of the Zeneti, caused him to be assassinated. With him terminated the dynasty or government of the Almohedes, having possessed it for about 170 years, which gave place to that of the Beni-merini, another branch of the Zeneti. These having enlarged their conquests, and enriched themselves by frequent inroads, not only into the neighbouring kingdoms, but even into Nubia, Libya, and Numidia, were at length lost in the general prevalence of Mohammedism, after having existed 117 years.