l Maghrib, the Zayanids founded a dynasty at Tlemcen. Based on a Zenata tribe, the Bani Abd el Wad, which had been settled in the region by Abd al Mumin, the Zayanids also emphasized their links with the Almohads.For more than 300 years, until the region came under Ottoman suzerainty in the sixteenth century, the Zayanids kept a tenuous hold in the central Maghrib. The regime, which depended on the administrative skills of Andalusians, was plagued by frequent rebellions but learned to survive as the vassal of the Merinids or Hafsids or later as an ally of Spain.In conclusion, to the strong loyalties of the tribe, the Berber added individualism, democratic participation in inter-tribal affairs and fierce opposition to foreign invaders. Over the centuries, many conquerors came to the Maghrib, but few established durable empires, and few exercised a significant cultural influence. In the religious sphere, the Berbers continued to practice their animistic beliefs, while often adopting religious heresies to oppose their Christian, Jewish or Islamic overlords....
