Almohad defeat at al-Buhaira

1131

Ibn Tumart's first major engagement with Almoravid forces was a bloody rout outside Marrakech. The Mahdi himself survived but died of grief and wounds shortly afterward. His lieutenant Abd al-Mumin would prove a more capable general and take over the movement. Abd al-Mumin concealed his leader's death for years, issuing orders in the Mahdi's name while methodically building the tribal coalition that would eventually overwhelm the Almoravids.