Metamorphosis in the Ifriqiyan Cocoon: Ḥafṣid State Formation, Diplomacy, and Transformation, 1220-1450

Abstract

Over the course of three centuries, from 1229 to 1574, Ifriqiya was ruled by the Ḥafṣid dynasty. Claiming to be inheritors of the great Almohad administrative and ideological tradition, the Ḥafṣids came to power when the Islamicate world, and medieval Mediterranean in general, were particularly tumultuous. Although faced with economic hardship, foreign and domestic threats, diplomatic pressures, and other challenges, the Ḥafṣid state managed to weather them all and survive – in various forms – for several centuries. Using primary source chronicles, correspondences, treaties, and other documents, as well as a solid foundation of secondary scholarship, this thesis explores the phases of Ḥafṣid state formation and how they transformed and adapted over the course of three centuries. Contrary to previous assessments, the Ḥafṣid state was a dynamic polity that utilized diplomatic tactics, trade deals, and maritime activity in order to maintain their state and diplomatic interests. Periods of instability catalyzed transformation and adaptation that eventually yielded a more centralized state with sophisticated ideological, legal, and administrative structures.