6o A TROPICAL DEPENDENCY imported to their African Court in Morocco workmen from all parts of Spain. Ibn Said describes Morocco in the thirteenth century as the " Baghdad of the West," and says that it was never so prosperous as under the early Almohades. Both dynasties had two courts, one in Africa and one in Spain. Thus, whatever was the prosperity or greatness of one part of their empire, it was shared by the other, and under the Almohades there was a shifting towards the African centre.

A good deal of jealousy seems to have existed between the natives of the *' Two Shores" as to the merits of their respective territories. A certain distinguished citizen of Tangier, Abu Yahya, arguing on one occasion with the Sheikh Ash-shakandi of Cordova — who flourished under the later Almohades and died 1231 — on the advantages of their respective countries, provoked Ash-shakandi to say : *' Were it not for Andalusia, Africa, thy country, would never have been known." ** Do you really mean," replied the African, "to say that excellency and power reside anywhere in such degree as amongst us ? Prove it ! " The Caliph, who was listening to the dispute, interposed.

He said that It was too serious to be decided by extempore speaking, and ordered each disputant to put his views in writing. Hence the celebrated epistle of Ash-shakandi, written under the last of the Almohades, to which we are indebted for a great deal of contemporary information.

It states the case for the civilisation of the Spanish half of the empire. Unfortunately the counter-statement of Abu Yahya, maintaining the claims of the African half, has not been preserved.

"He pretends to make Africa superior to Andalusia!" exclaims Ash-shakandi in derision of his opponent. " It is as much as to say that the left hand is better than the right, and that night is lighter than day." No claim is allowed to be based on the fact that the Sultans of the day kept their chief court in Africa. "We too," says Ashshakandi, " have had our Sultans," and he speaks of the Ommeyades as " Sultans who succeeded each other as