Ali ibn Hammud al-Nasir

In 1009, civil war erupted in the Caliphate of Córdoba. Prior to the conflict, the strength and unity of the Caliphate had deteriorated as rival Muslim groups vied for power. Between 1009 and 1013, the primary belligerents in the civil war were Muhammad II of Córdoba and Sulayman ibn al-Hakam. Neither were in power at the outset of the conflict. Both used force to take power from Hisham II, the 3rd Caliph of Córdoba, who served largely as a figurehead after he was coerced in 981 at the age of 15 to relinquish the reins of power to his chamberlain Almanzor. During these years, Muhammad II and Sulayman fought for control of the Caliphate and its capital city of Córdoba. In 1010, while in possession of Córdoba, Muhammad II was arrested as a part of a ''coup d'état'' by his leading military general, Wadih al-Siqlabi. He was ultimately put on trial and executed. In 1013, after a two-and-half-year siege, Sulayman and his Berber army captured the city. Prior to the surrender of Córdoba, Hisham II refused to flee the city choosing rather to remain and face Sulayman. Nothing further is known of his fate as Hisham II disappeared with many individuals believing that he was murdered. ==Sulayman’s Rule==

Sulayman offered amnesty to the Córdobans, however, his Berber army began a campaign of revenge killings and destruction against their political enemies who had held and defended the city. In an attempt to lessen the violence, placate the Berbers, and assert his claim to the Caliphate, Sulayman established administrative divisions in the southern portion of al-Andalus, and gave those territories to the Berber tribes as fiefdoms. As a part of that program, Sulayman gave control of Ceuta to Ali ibn Hammud and control of Tangier, Arcila, and Algeciras to Ali ibn Hammud’s brother, Al-Qasim al-Ma'mun. Over time, the people and garrisons of the fiefdoms broke away from their relationships with Sulayman and the Caliphate of Córdoba aligning themselves with the growing authorities in the field. And in Córdoba proper, the citizens of the city including the Mawali and the Arab Muslims continued their hostility toward the Sulayman and the Berbers. As such, it became clear that Sulayman’s effort to bring the various Muslim factions together as a unified Umayyad state under his leadership was failing. ==Rise to power==

Down near the Straits of Gibraltar, however, the Hammud brothers began their own plan to restore strong central control of the Caliphate under their leadership. The Hammud brothers claimed Arab descent and believed that their lineage would allow them to stand apart from the local quarrels and disputes of the region thus enabling them to appeal to a broad array of Muslims. Ali ibn Hammud had little respect for Sulayman and patiently waited for the most opportune time to initiate a revolution. As so, at the outset of his rule in Ceuta, Ali ibn Hammud postured himself as loyal to Sulayman. Beginning in late 1013, however, he declared himself independent of Ceuta and stated that he would undertake to free Hisham II, who’s ultimate disposition remained a mystery. Ali ibn Hammud also opportunistically accepted and promoted a narrative circulated by supporters of the ruling Umayyads that Hisham II, uncertain about his own fate during the siege of Córdoba, named Ali ibn Hammud as his heir-presumptive. The narrative also purportedly claimed that Hisham II sought to have his death avenged by Ali ibn Hammud. Then in 1014 when Mujahid al-Amiri, the Muslim ruler of the Balearic Islands, began his expeditions in the Mediterranean, Ali ibn Hammud crossed the Straits of Gibraltar and captured the city of Málaga. In al-Andalus over the next 18 months, Ali ibn Hammud consolidated his forces in part by joining with his brother and marched on Córdoba. Along the way he met little resistance as the Berber fiefdoms were more interested in their respective domains then they were in defending Sulayman. Advancing toward Córdoba, Ali ibn Hammud gathered supporters and in the summer of 1016 he entered the capital city. On 17 June, 1016, Ali ibn Hammud defeated Sulayman’s Berber militias in Córdoba. In an organized fashion the palace was immediately searched for Hisham II. Ultimately a body was exhumed and declared to be Hisham II. Sulayman was charged with the murder of the caliph and shortly thereafter beheaded. Approximately two weeks later on 3 July 1016, Ali ibn Hammud was proclaimed caliph. ==Reign and downfall==

At the outset of Ali ibn Hammud’s reign as caliph, it seemed to be his intention to restore the Caliphate to its earlier form with a strong unified government. To bring the citizens of Córdoba and the Berbers together into a coalition, Ali ibn Hammud attempted to reduce the abuses that were being committed by the Berber militia against the citizenry. Ali ibn Hammud’s efforts, however, were unsuccessful and over time the hatred of the Córdobans for his regime became evident. Regardless of his efforts, Ali ibn Hammud continued to be considered as pro-Berber. After approximately eight months of attempting to treat the Córdobans as equals, Ali ibn Hammud reversed course. He began to show favor to the Berbers and allowed the Berber militia to once again abuse the Córdobans by means of arrests, property confiscation, and arms seizures. As these abuses continued, Ali ibn Hammud gained a reputation as “a scourge of the Córdobans.” Opposition and challenges to the legitimacy of Ali ibn Hammud’s rule also arose among many of those who had led militias in support of Ali ibn Hammud’s conquest of Sulayman. One such individual, Khayran al-Amiri, the Amirid ruler of Almería, had supported Ali ibn Hammud largely to eliminate Sulayman. In that regard, Khayran al-Amiri and others desired to see a legitimate Umayyad as caliph and had actually hoped that they would find Hisham II alive when Córdoba was taken from Sulayman. By early 1018, the Umayyad supporters had selected Abd al-Rahman as their candidate for caliph and open rebellion had broken out. Shortly thereafter in March 1018, just as Ali ibn Hammud prepared to deal with the rebellion against his rule, he was attacked in the palace baths and killed by three of his household servants. Ali ibn Hammud was succeeded by his brother, Al-Qasim, who ruled as caliph for three years until he was forced from the throne. ==Citations==