Evolution of the Oath of Allegiance (bay‘a) as Justification for Rule during the Almoravids

The Almoravids (al-Murbit n, ca.1061-1147), which grew out of the religious reform movement among the S anhja Berbers in the western Sahara, marked a major turning point in the history of the Maghrib and al-Andalus, with the two regions being ruled for the first time by a single authority and the Mlik school of jurisprudence being uniformly adopted. 1) However, as far as the people in the Maghrib and al-Andalus were concerned, the S anhja Berbers, who formed the nucleus of the dynasty, were foreign outsiders.In their rule over this vast region with its diverse population, it was the oath of allegiance (bay'a) that played an important part in the various phases of the expansion of dynastic authority.In general terms, the oath of allegiance was considered to be a contractual act by which a certain number of persons, acting individually or collectively, recognized the authority of another person and demonstrated their willingness to submit to him.It was the means by which the ruler demonstrated the legitimacy and authority of his political power.The process usually involved two separate ceremonies: the bay'at al-khs s a (private bay'a: the "notables" ceremony) where central figures of the dynasty, such as members of the royal family, court officials, and military leaders, swore allegiance privately to the ruler, and the bay'at al-'mma, a public event where ordinary people could swear their loyalty.After these ceremonies were completed, envoys were sent to obtain the same bay'a oaths from governors and military commanders in the various regions. 2)lthough the oath of allegiance had been performed in the Maghrib and al-Andalus from before the Almoravid conquest, in view of the increasing number of references to bay'a in the chronicles and contemporary letters, it appears to have played a substantial role in the recognition of Almoravid power. 3)This paper analyzes the Almovarid bay'a in terms of the occasion, the participants, and the procedures, and identifies changes related to the dynasty's power structure and its sphere of control.This analysis will provide ways of thinking about dynastic rule and how it is justified. 4)