The Construction of Identity in the Biography of Tariq ibn Ziyad: A Critical Analysis of Early and Later Historical Sources

Abstract

This study investigates the identity and origins of Tariq ibn Ziyad through a critical analysis of historical sources, ranging from the early period (3rd–4th c. AH / 9th–10th c. CE) to the later periods (5th–8th c. AH / 11th–14th c. CE). It traces the narrative evolution of his identity, which initially appeared ambiguous and confined to the status of a Mawla (client) in early historiography. The study concludes that representations of Tariq shifted from conflicting origins to a gradual preference for the Berber Nafzi lineage. By the 8th c. AH / 14th c. CE, a Maghrebi Berber Nafzi identity was firmly consolidated, supported by Berber genealogies and prominent historians such as Ibn Idhari al-Marrakushi.