Demographic developments ) The demographics of Ifriqiya changed considerably during the Hafsid period and in the period leading up to it. The large-scale
influx of Arab Bedouin tribes into the countryside during the preceding centuries promoted the
Arabization of Ifriqiya. Aside from some relatively isolated region such as
Djerba and the
Nafusa Mountains, where
Berber languages continued to be spoken, nearly all of Ifriqiya became fully Arabized during this era.
Religion The Hafsid rulers continued to follow
Almohad doctrine initially, at least officially, but Almohadism was not widely followed among the rest of the population. The Hafsids tolerated the activities of Sunni islamic scholars (
ulama) from the regionally dominant Maliki school and eventually, during the 14th century, these scholars came to occupy most religious offices in the state. Tunis also replaced Kairouan, the former traditional capital of Ifriqiya, as the main center of religious scholarship.
Ibn 'Arafa, who served as the imam of the
Zaytuna Mosque in Tunis from 1355 to 1401, was one of main figures in this Maliki revival. In turn, the Malikis provided support to the Hafsid resurgence in the later 14th century. Among other things, the Malikis served as a counterweight to the growing influence of
Sufi saints. Cults based around these saints had grown in importance across the country, especially in the countryside and among the Arab tribes there. The Hafsids remained wary of this trend, which undermined centralized authority, and thus allied with the more urban Maliki scholars. Nonetheless,
Sufism grew into one of the most important aspects of Islam in the region, with
zawiyas (Sufi religious complexes) founded in many locations, sometimes under the protection of local tribes, and reached some level of accommodation with central authorities.
Non-Muslims Under Almohad rule, Jews were treated poorly, and their communities nearly disappeared. Under the Hafsids, a policy of tolerance returned and allowed their communities to recover. Jews were prominent as merchants, moneylenders, and craftsmen. The recovery was also aided by the arrival of Jewish refugees fleeing persecution on the Iberian Peninsula, particularly after their
1492 expulsion from Spain. Jews elected a leader who represented them before the sultan and were allowed to govern themselves according to
rabbinical law, though
Islamic law and tribunals still had priority where relevant. What was left of indigenous Christianity in Ifriqiya had disappeared in the 13th century under Almohad rule. In contrast again with the Almohads, the Hafsids showed a marked toleration for Christianity, in part because they sought commercial ties with European Christian states, who saw this toleration as a requisite for normal relations. Treaties were struck with individual states that also laid out the conditions under which Christians lived in Hafsid domains. These included rights, such as diplomatic representation by a
consul, as well as restrictions, such as prohibiting merchants from bringing their spouses to live with them. Most of these Christians were merchants from countries around the Mediterranean such as
Catalonia, southern France, and the
maritime republics of Italy. Starting sometime in Abu Zakariya's reign (), Catalonian Christian mercenaries were brought into the service of the Hafsid army as a result of Hafsid relations with the
Kingdom of Aragon. The king of Aragon retained some formal authority over this mercenary corps, while other European Christians joined its ranks over time. Aragonese subjects had a dedicated
fondouk, a compound that provided lodging and services, in both Tunis and Béjaïa. By the 15th century, the descendants of these and other mercenaries continued to form the ruler's personal guard but had assimilated to Arab culture. ==Economy==