Frederick II of Swabia, the Crown of Aragon, Provence, languedoc, with Venice, Pisa and Genoa. From 1239 he approached the Kingdom of Sicily, in which he paid an annual tribute in exchange for freedom of trade and the supply of Sicilian wheat. As Tunis's maritime trade increased, it became an important economic and cultural center. In the city during his reign took refuge many fleeing the Reconquista, welcoming to his court many notables and scholars of Andalusia. Abu Zakariyya allowed Jews who had forcibly converted to Islam in the Almohad era to return to Judaism, returning to live in relatively normal conditions. Synagogues closed or destroyed in the Almohad era were reopened or rebuilt. The Jews played a very important role in the economic policy and foreign trade developed by Abu Zakariyya. A skillful general, his ability to utilize the military power of the tribesmen enabled him to establish a strong state. His Hafsid dynasty brought peace, prosperity, and stability to Tunisia. His successor Muhammad al-Mustansir, proclaimed himself Caliph in 1256 and continued the policies of his father. Sources Julien, Charles-André. Histoire de l'Afrique du Nord, des origines à 1830, Payot, Paris, 1994. 1203 births 1249 deaths 13th-century Hafsid caliphs People from Tunis People from Gabès Moroccan emigrants to Tunisia Tunisian people of Moroccan descent 13th-century Moroccan people