TAIFA OR INDEPENDENT KINGDOMS
(1031-1086 AD)
After the end of Ummayad Caliphate numerous Amirs, military commanders emerged and where ever they got chance to control declared their independence and started their ruling. Some of the notable are below.
AUTONOMOUS STATES:
A. Bani Hamood at Malaga
(1035-1058 AD )
B. Bani Idrees at Garnada
(1018-1090 AD)
C. Bani Ibaad at Seville
(1023-1083 AD)
D. Bani Zun Noon at Toledo
(till 1085 AD)
E. Rulers of Saragosa
(till 1118 AD). Etc
Hence Andalus was divided into various small states. Usually these states were busy in fighting each other to gain more power and territories. Sometimes Muslim rulers seek assistance from Christian rulers against other Muslim ruler. Christians benefitted from this infighting and marched towards Muslim lands and start capturing it.
Fall of Toledo : (1085 AD)
As a result of these conflicts among Muslim states Alfanso IV came forward and attacked over Toledo one of the key state. After a series of wars he succeeded and captured Toledo. This was the first greatest loss of Muslims in Spain.
Battle of Zallaqa: (1086 AD)
With the fall of Toledo in the hands of Alfanso IV, he continued his expedition in South of Andalus. To stop Alfanso few Taifa rulers notably Al Mutamid of Garnada asked help from YUSUF BIN TASHFEEN a great military commander and newly emerged Moravid ruler of Africa who recently established himself and became the ruler of Morocco. He was very brave and enthusiastic against rivals of Islam. He responded positively and accepted Andlusian requests.
Yusuf bin Tashfeen landed in Andalus with his Army. Local Andlusian army was with him. And they reached to battleground of ZALLAQA in the province of Badajoz. Alfanso IV asked help from his Christian friends and gathered a huge army more than Muslims and reached to the ZALLAQA. A Historical battle was fought there, both sides are determined to be victorious. But Alfanso IV was defeated and escaped. This led to the impulse of Muslim rule for next 3 centuries in Andalus. Yusuf Bin Tashfeen came out victorious and thanked Almighty Allah and returned to Africa.
ALMORAVID ERA : REUNIFICATION
(1086-1147 AD)
1. YUSUF BIN TASHFEEN
(1086-1106 AD)
After the great assistance by ALMORAVIDS, Andlusian rulers again fell into conflicts. Andlusian people were fed-up with the infightings of Muslim rulers and invasions of Christian rulers. So a group of Highly intellectuals decided to handover Andalus to Yusuf bin Tashfeen for its long-term stability. With this offer a delegation of High ranked scholars and sufis reached Morocco and asked him to take control over Andalus by overthrowing the Taifa rulers.
Yusuf bin Tashfeen was also well aware about the situation in Andalus he had also planned to conquer Andalus and made it a province of his African Dynasty. And this request did it all for him. Yusuf bin Tashfeen decided to reunite Andalus and marched towards Andalus.
In 1090 AD he announced a new military campaign against Alfanso of Toledo and Andlusian promised him to help, but no one comes forward. This trigger his anger and he attacked on Garnada and defeated Abdullah for collaboration with Christians and captured it. After this he appointed his best Generals like Sayr bin Abi Bakr, Abu Bakr almirya, Jaroor Al hashmi, Abdullah bin Alhaj, etc. to conquer all the Taifa states. Within a short period of time these great generals defeated almost all Taifas and conquered it. Saragosa, Cordaba, Seville, Murcia, Badajoz, Malaga, one by one fell on the hands of AL MORAVIDS. Yusuf bin Tashfeen appointed his men as the Governors of different provinces and ruled Andalus from Morocco as a province of his Dynasty. In 1106 he died in Morocco and his son Ali came to power and ascended the throne.
Fall of Saragosa : (1118 AD)
Though Yusuf's successor reunite Andalus and got new victories and managed to slow down Christian invasions till 1118 AD but soon they got help from France and surrounded Saragosa and captured it. After Toledo this was second biggest loss for Muslims in Andalus.
Ali bin Yusuf does what he can to maintain the unity of Andalus and protect it from foreign invasion, and was majorly busy in Africa and died in the year 1143. Until this Andalus was united, then his son Tashfeen ascended the throne. He has to tackle the challenges of Al Mohads under the leadership of Abu Abdullah who revolted against AL MORAVIDS, his whole reign was spent in fighting against Almohads. Then the last ruler was Ibrahim bin Tashfeen who killed by Abdul Momin successor of Abu Abdullah in the year 1147. With this AL MORAVIDS era came to an end.
AL MOHADS ERA :
(1147-1233 AD)
In the year 1147 Abdul Momin ascended the throne in Morocco as the first ruler of Al mohads. After Moravid declined Andalus was again came under the Taifa rulers, but Abdul Momin was well aware of the importance of Andalus, he send his best Generals to take control over Andalus and soon they captured Cordaba and took control over Andalus. They protected Andalus for another century. Abdul Momin visited Andalus twice and appointed his men for the administration and returned to Africa and died in the year 1163.
Then his son Yusuf ruled over his legacy between 1163-1184 AD. Then his son Yaqub ascended the throne and his period witnessed many clashes with Portugal and Northern Christian kingdoms. In 1195 AD he got a significant victory against the coalition of Castilian, Aragonian and Portuguese forces under the leadership of Alfanso VIII who sieged Seville with his huge army but defeated badly. In 1199 AD Yaqoob bin Yusuf "Al Mansoor bil Allah" died in Morocco. Abu Abdullah bin Yaqoob succeeded his father, he gathered a huge army and landed into Andalus.
BATTLE OF IQAB(Punishment) OR
LAS NAVAS de Tolosa (Spanish)
(17-July-1212 AD)
In 1212 AD a historical battle took place called "Battle of Iqab(punishment)". By seeing a huge army of 6 lakhs, Abu Abdullah was over confident and avoided military tactics which resulted in a huge defeat, just few thousand soldiers came out alive. This was the turning point for Muslims in Andalus. It marked a decline in the Al mohads. Soon the era of Al mohads came to an end because there was no capable ruler who may unite its territories and rule. Hardly they ruled till 1269 AD.
To be continued...
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