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The region of Tamazgha has also seen significant changes throughout the 10th century. Most importantly, the former Rhomaic Exarchate of Africa had become independent as the Kingdom of Tafirca. Spreading its power along the Mediterranean Coast, it has also come to rule over Malta and the southern shore of Sardinia. The Tafircan navy has also managed to seize control of the Balearic isles in the latter half of the century.

Tafirca was firstly a maritime-oriented nation, a thalassocracy, if you wish, with frequent contacts with the Appenine peninsula, and also the eastern Iberian coast. Attention inland would be payed only to keep the coastline safe; and if possible, the area would at first be left to friendly Berber realms. However tensions with Tafirca would soon escalate due to border raids and in the 980s the entire kingdom of Numiđa would be incorporated into Tafirca (1)
Fazan would grow in importance and prosperity due to caravan trade; and cities like Ghadames, Ghat and Murzuq would gain profit from the trade. Tensions would gradually rise between Fazan and Tibwitana, as the region was the end stop of the Trans-Saharan trade, with all the roads ending at Tibwi. As for now, the Tafircans lack the capacity for a full-scale invasion of Fazan : they are no experts in skirmish desert tactics, while the Fazani tribes lack the power for a successful invasion of the coast. Anyhow, the Tafircans hungry for profit, sense that this is a good opportunity.

Further westwards, we have the Berber kingdom of Numigia, staying pretty much as it was, based solidly in the eastern Atlas Mountains, until the 980s

Its western neighbour, Warsenis has shifted its focus inland, and taken over the smaller Berber chiefdoms at the southern slopes of the Atlas Mountains, around the Mzab oasis.

At the western edge of the Tamazgha region (2), we can witness the decline of the Barghawata, and the successful rise of Mawrtanya(3) and Sijilmasa.

The Saharan slopes of the Sahara have come to be dominated by the city of Sijilmasa located in the Tafilaft region. Sijilamasa has become a merchant republic, profiting from caravan trade and has established its realm on the entire leeward slope of the Atlas, to reach even the Atlantic Ocean.

On the windward slope of the Atlas, the Mawrtanyans have consolidated their grip over the region. Most importantly, by the end of the 10th century, they have done away with Barghawata independence, also resulting in a southward expansion of the Catholic religion and Latinate language.

The Barghawata religion would retreat to the mountain slopes, as Catholicism would spread along the coast and through the lowlands.

Around the mid-10th century, Mawrtanyan navigators had begun landing on the shores of the Canarian islands, seeking a maritime route to the kingdom of Takrur, to go around their rival Sijilmasa. The islands themselves were not considered important enough to fully subdue- rather, agreements with the Guanche chiefs would allow for resupplying stations and ports built on each of the major islands, where not only would Mawrtanyan ships be repaired, but also for trade with the Guanche.

Taking a look at the bigger picture, one can witness a rise of the two Southern Romance nations: Maourtanya gaining dominance in the west and Tafirca becoming effectively a Carthage 2.0 (4), controlling not only the core regions of Bisdakena and Giudana, but also Tibuitana, Numigia(5), and the southern shores of Sardinia and the Balearic Islands.

Correspondingly, also the entirety of the North African Coast would be by now Chalcedonian Christians. Compared to the situation by 800AD, Chalcedonian Chrisitianity has established a firm root in the area.

The Berber states of the Tamazgha: Warsenis, Sijilmasa and Fazan and are by 1000AD reduced to the interior, outside the littoral regions, mainly on the plateaus of the Atlas Mountains. Berber tongues are spoken also in regions of Latin realms, such as the Barghawata under Maourtanya or Kabylia and Numigia under the Tafirca.

The Donatist Church itself is in deep crisis in its home territory, despite making significant inroads on the other side of the Sahara. In Bisdakena and Giudana, the faith was practically non-existent; and the Patriarch of Carthage relocated to Qescio (6), which had been not only the sole major coastal city to remain in Berber hands, but also was the ancient Caesarea Mauritaensis, capital of the late Roman province Mauritania Caesarensis.

On the other side of the Pillars of Heracles (or the Straits of Gades), the Kingdom of Hispania remains the dominant power of the eponymous Peninsula. While its northern neighbours continue to be a headache for the kings, Hispanias major rival lie to the south of the Mediterranean. Firstly, the Tafircans who have seized the Balearic islands, but more importantly, the Maourtanyans. Hispania tried very well to prevent the conquest of the Barghawata by the Maourtanyans, and during the war has raided the Maourtanyan coast multiple times. After all, Maourtanya itself is comparable not to Hispania itself but rather to Bética (7), its richest, most urbanized and most populous province.

Hispania itself would be considered a beacon of civilization, rivalling Rhomaic Empire itself. Major universities would be established in the cities of Bética. Bética itself an urban heartland of the westernmost parts of the Mediterranean, and given the orientation of the Bética River into the Atlantic Ocean, Hispanic seamen would also explore parts of the Macaronesian archipelago – landing at Madeira and the Canary islands (meeting also some Maourtanyan colonists as well).

The cleavage between the urbanized cities of Bética on one hand and the rural provinces in the rest of the country was opening even wider. These differences would by the late of the 10th century so pronounced, that apparently the magnates would be seeking any possible succession crisis to break away. Bética would also host a sizeable Jewish population


The northwestern corner of the peninsula was governed by the Kingdom of Asturia(8), having its southern border on the Duero, and occupying the entire coast of Cantabric Sea. Asturia was viewed as a semi-barbaric nation, where late Roman frontier mentality has met with the tribal customs of the Cantabrii, Astures, and with Brythonic Celtic influence as well as Germanic Visigoths, whose language, by this time has become extinct, by the way. Asturias was thus part of the “Celtic fringe” of Europe, similar to Brittany, Ireland and Scotland.

To the east of Asturias, we have Navarre, a country at the western edge of the Pyrenees, grown eastwards to encompass the northern tributaries of the Upper Ebro (9).

Ultimately, there is the ancient region of the Hispanic March, which used to be a collection of counties on the southeastern slopes of the Pyrenees. Previously governed from Tolosa, quite naturally these counts would become vassals of Aquitain (10). The seat of the this county would be Emporion (11)

(1) As has been the case in all other parts of the globe, the 10th century was a period of consolidation; and the Tamazgha (OTL Maghreb) would be no exception.

(2) Or put simply, in Morrocco

(3) Mawrtaňa… not that sure about the spelling. Perhaps a more latinate/catalan sort of spelling could go. Maourtanya?

(4) And geopolitically acting like those great Italian maritime states would act. Like Venice. Spreading power along the coast but also securing the city itself by acquisition of the Venetian Terrafirma in contrast to Numigia

(5) Yes I have changed the spelling of the Southern Romance languages. Especially the letters such as “w” and “đ” seeming unnatural to me. Although phonetically accurate, they appear ahistorical, and therefore I considered an Italian sort of spelling for Tafircan.

(6) Cherchell

(7) Andalusia

(8) Yes, its pretty much as the Kingdom of Leon at the same time as OTL, without the Reconquista zeal, and the name remains Asturias

(9) Put simply, northern Aragón

(10)Yes, so we have OTL Catalonia and Occitania in the same country. Not that hard to do J Catalonia here is called Taracones

(11)Perhaps to prevent the rise of Barcelona as the Catalan metropolis. Apparently, Barcelona was chosen because Tarragona was still in Muslim hands.