of Hisham II al-Mu'ayyad bi-llah, First reign, (976–1009) al-Andalus (
Córdoba) mint. Dated (AH 396) 1006/7 AD In 976, at the age of 10, Hisham II succeeded his father
Al-Hakam II as
Caliph of Córdoba. Hisham II was a minor at the time of his accession and therefore unfit to rule. In order to benefit the Caliphate, his mother
Subh was aided by first minister Jafar al-Mushafi to act as regents with
Abu ʿĀmir Muḥammad (better known as "Almanzor") as her steward. In 978 Almanzor manipulated his way into the position of royal chamberlain. In an attempt to position himself as a prospective ruler of the Caliphate, Almanzor and General
Ghalib al-Siklabi sabotaged the brother of Al-Hakam II who was set to succeed his brother and become the next Caliph of Córdoba. Still too young to rule, Hisham II handed the reins of power over to Almanzor in 981, who became the
de facto leader of the Caliphate until his death in 1002. Almanzor perpetuated his position as the omnipotent ruler in charge of the empire while he exiled Hisham II and essentially kept him prisoner for most of his reign as the third
Caliph of Córdoba. With his countless successful campaigns against Christian powers in the Spanish North such as Barcelona in 985, León in 988, as well as a major strike on the church of St. James in the
Galician city of
Santiago de Compostela in 998,
Almanzor is known for bringing the
Caliphate of Córdoba to its apex of power in
Islamic Iberian history. In 1002, after the death of Almanzor, his son
Abd al-Malik became the ruler of the Caliphate and led successful campaigns against
Navarre and
Barcelona. In October 1008 Abd al-Malik died, potentially poisoned by his brother
Abd al-Rahman Sanchuelo. In February 1009, while Abd al-Rahman Sanchuelo was waging war against
Alfonso V in
León,
Muhammad II al-Mahdi, a member of another branch of the Umayyad dynasty, usurped the throne from Hisham II and held him hostage in
Córdoba. On 9 November 1009, just months after taking control of the Caliphate, Muhammad II was overthrown by a Berber and Castilian army when another relative,
Sulayman ibn al-Hakam led those forces into the capital city of Córdoba, forcing Muhammad II to flee to Toledo. After capturing the city, Sulaymān freed Hisham II from imprisonment and reinstated him as caliph. After a few days, however, Sulaymān deposed Hisham II and was elected caliph by his Berber troops, assuming the title (laqab) of al-Musta'in bi-llah ("He Who Seeks for God's Help"). Hisham II was placed under close guard and removed entirely from the machinery of government. Sulaymān remained caliph only until May 1010 when Muhammad II defeated Sulaymān's Berber army at the
Battle of Aqbat al-Bakr. After the battle, Muhammad II advanced to Córdoba where he was once again installed as caliph while Sulaymān withdrew to the southern region of Al-Andalus. Hisham II was not restored to power by Muhammad II but remained a political pawn in the ongoing civil war. Approximately one month later, Muhammad II was removed from power in a coup by his Chamberlain,
Wadih al-Siqlabi. Muhammad II attempted to flee Córdoba, reportedly disguised as a woman. He was ultimately arrested by Wāḍiḥ, put on trial, and executed on June 23, 1010. Hisham II was then restored to his position of caliph and he subsequently appointed Wāḍiḥ as his Chamberlain. So as it had been in the past, Hisham II was only the titular head of the Caliphate with the real power held by others. Approximately four months later in November 1010, Sulaymān and the Berbers began a siege of Córdoba that would last for two and a half years. During that time, Hisham II took a more active role interacting with the people of Córdoba encouraging them to defend the city and themselves. In May 1013, the Berbers accepted the surrender of a weak and desperate city. By that time Wāḍiḥ had been executed for treason. Sulaymān was once again appointed Caliph. Hisham II's fate is unclear. Some historians believe that he was killed by the Berbers. Other historians believed he escaped and went into exile. ==Revival under the taifa kings==