• 1009Muslims lay waste to
León again. • The Berbers are expelled from Córdoba and set up camp at
Calatrava. Their Generals nominate another descendant of Abd al-Rahman III – Sulayman al-Mustain – as a rival Caliph. •
Suleiman seeks the aid of Count
Sancho García of Castile against Mohammed II of Umayyad. The joint Berber-
Castilian army defeats the Arab militia of Muhammad II and sacks Córdoba. • Sulaiman al-Mustain becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba as Suleiman II, after deposing Mohammed II. • The Taifa (independent Moorish kingdom) of
Badajoz becomes independent of the Caliph of Córdoba and governs the territory between Coimbra and North
Alentejo. • 1010 • Having fled to Toledo, Mohammed II seeks the aid of
Ramon Borrell,
Count of Barcelona and Urgel. The
Catalan army defeats Sulaiman II's Berbers at Aqabat al-Baqar and again near the river Guadiaro (near Ronda). • Mohammed II reclaims Córdoba supported by the
Slav General
Wadih, but is assassinated. •
Hisham II is restored as Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba by slave troops of the Caliphate under Wahdid. • 1012Berber forces capture Córdoba and order that half the population be executed. • Sulaiman II is restored as Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba by the Berber armies. • 1013A Berber reign of terror in Córdoba that kills the deposed
Hisham II. • The powerless Sulaiman II is forced to hand out provincial governorships to the Berber chiefs. • Jews are expelled from the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba, then ruled by Suleiman II. •
Samuel ibn Naghrillah flees to
Málaga when Suleiman attacks Córdoba. • Samuel ibn Naghrillah becomes vizier to the Emir of Granada, as does his son,
Joseph ibn Naghrela. Many other Jews flee to Granada. • Caliphate of Córdoba begins to break up. Many Taifas (independent Moorish kingdoms) begin to spring up. • 1014The Berber chief
Zawi ibn Ziri – leader of the
Sanhaja confederation, and a member of the
Algerian royal family – makes Granada his capital. • 1015The
Emir of
Denia,
Mujāhid al-‘Āmirī, sets out from his base in the
Balearic Islands with a fleet of 125 ships in an attempt to take
Sardinia. •
Ali ibn Hammud, Emir of
Ceuta, declares himself the rightful Caliph and marches on Córdoba. A Berber general deposes and executes Caliph Suleiman II. •
Mujāhid al-‘Āmirī is dislodged from
Sardinia by a force from
Genoa and
Pisa. • 1018Self-proclaimed Caliph
Ali ibn Hammud assassinated in Córdoba. His brother
Al-Qasim replaces him. The
Zirids of Granada defeat an Andalusian army of 4,000 under
Abd ar-Rahman IV al-Mutadathe Umayyad claimant. • The Taifa of the
Algarve becomes independent. • 1021Abd-ar-Rahman IV becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba. •
Yahya, the son of
Ali ibn Hammud al-Nasir, rebels in
Málaga with the support of the Berbers. • 1022
Abd-ar-Rahman V becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba with the support of Berber troops. • The Taifa (independent Moorish kingdom) of Lisbon emerges. It will be annexed by the Taifa of Badajoz. • 1023
Muhammad III becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba with the support of Berber troops. • The
Abbadid Emir of Seville,
Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abbad, declares independence from Muhammad III, Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba. • 1025Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abbad,
Abbadid Emir of Seville, captures two castles at Alafões to the north-west of Viseu. • 1027
Hisham III becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba. • 1028
Alfonso V, king of
Asturias and León, lays siege to Viseu but is killed by a bolt from the walls. • The Moorish
Caliphate of Córdoba falls. • 1031The Moorish Caliphate of Córdoba falls. •
Hisham III, the last of the Umayyad Caliphs disappears into obscurity. • 1033The Taifa (independent Moorish kingdom) of
Mértola becomes independent. • 1034The Leonese destroy a raiding force under
Ismail ibn Abbad of Seville. Ismail ibn Abbad flees to Lisbon. •
Gonçalo Trastemires – a Portuguese frontiersman – captures
Montemor castle on the
Mondego river. • Over the next 28 years
Ferdinand I of León takes Coimbra and obliges the Muslims of Toledo, Seville, and Badajoz to pay him tribute. Before his death, he divides his territories between his sons: Castile goes to
Sancho II, León to
Alfonso VI of León and Castile and
Galicia to
Garcia II. • 1035
Bermudo III of León defeats the Moors at the
Battle of Cesar, in the
Aveiro region. • 1038Granadine armies under the
vizier wage almost continuous war against their Muslim neighbours, primarily Seville. • 1040The Taifa of
Silves becomes independent. • 1043Zaragoza and Toledo fight over the border city of
Guadalajara. Toledo pays the
Navarrese to raid into Zaragoza; similarly, Zaragoza pays the León–Castilians to raid into Toledo. The Christian armies ravage the respective Muslim lands unchecked. •
Rodrigo Diaz Vivar, whom the Muslims would name "El Cid Campeador" (Lord Winner of Battles) is born in
Burgos. • 1044
Abbad III al-Mu'tamid, son of the
Abbadid Emir of Seville
Abbad II al-Mu'tadid, retakes
Mértola, since 1033 an independent Taifa. • 1051
Yusuf ibn Hud, the
Banu Hud Emir of Lleida, is paying the
Catalans to protect against his own family in Zaragoza. • The Taifa of the
Algarve is annexed by the Taifa of Seville. • 1053Emir
Al-Mutadid of Seville drives Berbers from Arcos, Morón and Ronda. • 1054
Battle of Atapuerca. The army of
Ferdinand I of Castile defeats that of his brother
García III of Navarra, near
Burgos. Several disaffected Navarrese knights join the Castilians before the battle and one of these men is believed to have killed Garcia. Garcia's son Sancho is proclaimed King on the field of battle and the war continues. • 1055Emir Al-Mutadid of Seville drives Berbers from
Algeciras. • 1056The
Almoravids (al-Murabitun) Dynasty begins its rise to power. This Berber dynasty who would rule North Africa and Islamic Iberia until 1147. • 1057Emir Al-Mutadid of Seville drives Almoravids from
Carmona. •
Ferdinand I of Castile-León takes
Lamego from the Moors. • 1058Emir
Al-Muzaffar al-Aftas (Abu Bekr Muhammad al-MudaffarModafar I of Badajoz,
Aftasid dynasty) pays the Christians to leave Badajoz, but not before
Ferdinand I of Castile-León takes Viseu. • 10601063Council (Ecumenical
Synod) of
Santiago de Compostela. • 1060The heretic
Berghouata Berbers set up a Taifa in
Ceuta, but are eventually crushed by the Almoravids. •
Ferdinand I of León imposes an annual tribute on Muslim Zaragoza. Emir Al-Muqtadir ibn Hud of Zaragoza drives Slavs from
Tortosa when the Tortosans rise against their Slav ruler. • 1062
Ferdinand I of Castile and León invades Muslim Toledo with a large army. Emir
Al-Mamun becomes a tributary of Castile. Ferdinand then invades Muslim Badajoz, and extracts tribute from Emir Al-Mutadid of Seville. • 1063
Battle of Graus. During spring,
Ramiro I of Aragon besieges Muslim Graus in Zaragozan territory. The Emir
Ahmad al-Muqtadir of Zaragoza leads his army north accompanied by a Castilian contingent under Prince Sancho (the future Sancho II). Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar later known as El Cid is probably in the Castilian contingent. The opposing armies meet and after a protracted struggle Ramiro I is killed and the Aragonese flee (8 May 1063). Pope Alexander II sends an international force to Spain under his standard bearer William of Montreuil. It includes Italian knights, Normans (Robert Crespin, Baron of Lower Normandy), Frenchmen (William, Count of
Poitiers and Duke of
Aquitaine), and Iberians (Bishop of
Vic; Count
Ermengol II of
Urgel). At the start of July the expedition besieges
Barbastro in the Muslim
Kingdom of Lleida. The Emir of Lleida (the brother of
Ahmad al-Muqtadir of Zaragoza) makes no attempt to relieve the siege and after 40 days the defenders are forced to surrender when a large stone falls from the walls and blocks the only water supply. 50,000 inhabitants are massacred or enslaved. Count Ermengol II of Urgel is left as governor on behalf of
Sancho Ramirez of Aragon. Seville feels obliged to pay Christians tribute. • The Taifa of Seville annexes the Taifa of
Silves. • 1064
Ferdinand I of León-Castile besieges Muslim Coimbra from 20 January 10649 July 1064. The Muslim governor who surrendered is allowed to leave with his family, but 5,000 inhabitants are taken captive, and all Muslims are forced out of Portuguese territory across the
Mondego river. • The
Mozarabic (Christian) general
Sisnando Davides, who led the siege of Coimbra, becomes Count of Coimbra. • The
Hispanic calendar is adopted. • 1065Civil War in Castile-León. In April Emir
Ahmad al-Muqtadir of Zaragoza, aided by 500 Sevillian knights, besieges
Barbastro. The governor, Count Ermengol II of Urgel, is killed in a sortie, and a few days later the city falls, whereupon the Iberian and French garrison is put to the sword, thus bringing an end to
Pope Alexander II's prototype crusade. At around the same time Emir
Ahmad al-Muqtadir breaks off relationships with Castile, and Ferdinand I leads a
punitive expedition into Zaragozataking
Alquezarand then into
Valencia. Despite him being a tributary of Castile, Emir Mamun of Toledo leads to force in support of his son-in-law Emir Abd al-Malik. Mamun subsequently dethrones Abd al-Malik and incorporates Valencia into the
Kingdom of Toledo. Ferdinand falls dangerously ill and retires from the field. King Ferdinand dies in
León on 28 December 1065, and his empire is divided between his three sons:
Sancho II in Castile,
Alfonso VI in León, and
Garcia in
Galicia. • 1066
Joseph ibn Naghrela, son of the Jewish Vizier
Samuel ibn Naghrela Ha-Nagid, invites
Al-Mutasim of
Almería to come and rule in Granada. The
Zirids of
Sanhaja defeat the attempt and instigate a
pogrom of the Jews in Granada. • Joseph and other Jews in Granada are attacked and murdered; many escapees flee to the north. "More than 1,500 Jewish families, numbering 4,000 persons, fell in one day, December 30, 1066." • 1067The Castilian army under Sancho II and the Alferez Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar – already known as El Cid by this time – besiege Zaragoza. The siege is lifted after Emir
Ahmad al-Muqtadir pays a large ransom and promises tribute. War of the three Sanchos: Castile versus Aragon and
Navarre. Aragon severely mauls the Castilians at
Viana, however status quo is restored when the Zaragozan
Wali of Huesca invades Aragon from the south. • 1068Alfonso VI of León leads a campaign against Badajoz, but withdraws when Emir Mamun ibn Dhi-I-Nun of Toledo intercedes. Badajoz becomes tributary to León. Later the Emir of Badajoz dies and his two sons dispute the succession. • 1069Alfonso VI of León overruns Badajoz early in the year. Seville takes Córdoba. The army consists of an advance guard of 300 horses and a main body of 1000. • 1071
Battle of Pedroso (between
Braga and the River
Cávado) where
Garcia II of Galicia suppresses the rebellion of his Portuguese subjects under Count
Nuno Mendes, last count of Portugal of the
Vímara Peres House. Count Nuno Mendes is killed and
Garcia II of Galicia proclaims himself King of Portugal. Sometime after 18 January 1071 and before May, Garcia II of Galicia is captured by his brother Sancho II of Castile (It is unclear if Garcia was captured in open battle at Santarém or by trickery). Garcia purchases his release and retires to the court of his tributary
Al-Mutamid of Seville. Galicia is divided between his brothers Sancho and Alfonso. • 1073The Emir of Granada rejects the Castilian demand for tribute, however,
Abbad III al-Mu'tamid, the Emir of Seville offers to pay instead. Consequently, a joint Muslim-Castilian force builds the fortress of
Belillos, from which the garrison raid into Granada. • 1074Emir Al-Mutamid of Seville drives the Almoravids from
Jaén. • 1075Toledo takes Córdoba from Seville with the help of Castilian troops. • 1076Emir
Ahmad al-Muqtadir drives
Slavs from
Denia. Ferdinand I of León-Castile besieges Muslims and takes
Coria in Badajoz. After the Emir of Toledo dies, Seville takes Córdoba back from his son al-Qadir. • 1078
Ibn Ammar acquires Murcia nominally on behalf of Seville but in reality as his own. Seville takes Valencia from Toledo. As a result, Al-Qadir of Toledo is forced from the city by a coup and his opponents acknowledge al-Mutawwakil of Badajoz as their new ruler. The Almoravids take
Tangier.
Ceuta hangs on as the last
Zanata outpost because its fleet can supply it from sea. • 1079
Battle of Cabra.
Rodrigo Díaz, defeats the Emir Abd Allah of Granada, who was helped by the Castilian Count García Ordíñez. • Battle of
Coria. Alfonso VI (already king of Castile and León) defeats the Muslim Emir of Badajoz, Al-Mutawwakkil. Al-Mutawwakkil renounces control of Toledo and al-Qadir is reinstated. A Leonese garrison is established at
Zorita to the east of Toledo. • 1080Ibn Ammar forced to flee Murcia. • 1081El Cid, now a mercenary because he had been exiled by Alfonso IV of Castile, enters the service of the Moorish king of the northeast Spanish city of Zaragosa, al-Mu'tamin, and would remain there for his successor, al-Mu'tamin II. • 1082
Battle of Almenar. Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, leading the army of Al-Mutamin of Zaragoza, defeats a combined army of the kings of Valencia (Al-Mundhir),
Lleida (Al-Hayib), Aragon (Sancho Ramírez), and the Count of Barcelona (
Berenguer Ramón II, who is captured). When Emir Al-Mutamid of Seville pays his tribute in debased coinage, Alfonso of León-Castile leads an expedition in Muslim territory. • 1083In June–July Almoravids take
Ceutathe last outpost of the
Zanataand put to death the ruler, al-Muizz ibn Badis. Ships from Seville may have aided the attack. The same summer Alfonso of León-Castile reaches
Tarifa overlooking the
Straits of Gibraltar. Castile under Alfonso VI of León and Castile takes Madrid. • 1084The Muslim army of Zaragoza under El Cid defeats the Aragonese. In autumn the Castilians start a loose siege of Toledo. • 1085Christians take
Salamanca. • Castile under Alfonso VI of León and Castile,
Emperor of all Spains, takes Toledo. • 1086Several Muslim Emirs (namely
Abbad III al-Mu'tamid) ask the
Almoravid leader
Yusuf ibn Tashfin for help against Alfonso VI of León and Castile. In this year Yusuf ibn Tashfin passed the straits to
Algeciras and inflicted a severe defeat on the Christians at the
Battle of az-Zallaqah (North of Badajoz). He was debarred from following up his victory by trouble in North Africa which he had to settle in person. •
Raymond of Burgundy, son of
William I, Count of Burgundy, comes to Iberia for the 1st time to fight against the Moors, bringing with him his younger cousin
Henry of Burgundy, grandson of
Robert I, Duke of Burgundy. • In spring the Castilians besiege Zaragoza, but the siege is called off when the Almoravids land in the south. In June the Almoravids advance guard of 500 men take possession of
Algeciras. The remaining 12–20,000 soon follow. Castilians under Alvar Fañez install al-Qadir as Emir of Valencia. • Almoravids, rampage through parts of Iberia, especially Granada and
Lucena. There are persecutions and massacres. The wealthier Jews flee to Christian-held Iberia. • The Christian advance obliges the Muslim kings of Granada, Seville and Badajoz to call to their aid the Almoravids. •
Battle of az-Zallaqah: At
Sagrajas (Friday 23 October 1086) north-east of Badajoz, the Almoravids (12,000 or 20,000 men) under Yusuf ibn Tashfin and Andalusians (including Kings of Seville, Granada,
Málaga, and Badajoz) defeat a predominantly Leonese-Castilian army (possibly 50–60,000 men including Jews, Aragonese, Italian and French) under Alfonso VI of León and Castile. The Andalusians encamp separately from the Almoravids. The Christian vanguard (Alvar Fañez) surprise the Andalusian camp before dawn; the men of Seville (Al-Mutamid) hold firm but the remaining Andalusians are chased off by the Aragonese cavalry. The Christian main body then attacks the Almoravids, but are held by the Lamtuma, and then withdraw to their own camp in response to an outflanking move by ibn Tashufin. The Aragonese return to the field, do not like what they see, and start a withdraw which turns to a rout. The Andalusians rally, and the Muslims drive Alfonso to a small hill. Alfonso and 500 knights escape in the night to Toledo. Al-Mutamid proposes that the Christians are pursued and crushed, but Ibn Tashufin retires back to his African domains leaving only 3,000 troops to defend the east of Al-Andalus. Al-Mutamid and the Almoravid generals
Sir ibn Abi Bakr and Dawud ibn Aisha are reported to have fought well during the battle. • 1087Alfonso VI of León and Castile takes the fortress of
Aledo in the territory of Murcia, blocking the route from Seville and Granada to the eastern provinces. • After his crushing defeat at
Zallaqa, Alfonso VI of León and Castile swallows his pride and recalls El Cid from exile. • 1088Yusuf ibn Tashfin arrives back in
Algeciras (May–June) and is joined by al-Mutamid of Seville and Abd Allah of Granada, plus support from
Almería and Murcia (but not the Emirs). The combined army besieges
Aledo for 4 months, but Yusuf ibn Tashfin returns to Africa unsuccessful. • 1090Yusuf ibn Tashfin returns to the Peninsula for the third time, takes over the kingdoms of Granada and
Málaga in September and is back in Africa by the end of the year. However, this time his nephew Sir ibn Abi Bakr is left to continue the conquest. Between 30 April 1090 and 8 May 1090, Christian troops enter Santarém, Lisbon and
Sintra. These were recently ceded by the Al-Mutawwakil of Badajoz in return for protection from the Almoravids. • July 1090: Yusuf
besieges Toledo without success. • Yusuf ibn Tashfin, King of the Almoravids, captures Granada. • 1091The Almoravids led by Muhammad ibn al-Hajj take Córdoba and the
Guadalquivir valley early in the year, and then defeat a Castilian force under
Álvar Fáñez who were attempting to aid Al-Mutamid of Seville. In September Seville surrenders without much of a fight to Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr. Subsequently, other Almoravids armies take Aledo and Almería. Ronda also falls and the Almoravid commander Garur executes al-Radi (the son al-Mutamid of Seville). • The Taifa of
Mértola falls to the Almoravids. • 1092With El Cid away in Zaragoza, the Valencians under the qadi Ibn Jahhaf and supported by a small Almoravid force, drive the Castilian garrison out and execute their Emir al-Qadir. Ibn Jahhaf promptly sets himself up at Emir and starts negotiating with both El Cid and the Almoravids. • 1093An Almoravid army (Abu Bakr ibn Ibrahiim) approaches Valencia but then retreats without striking a blow. • Almoravid Sir ibn Abi Bakr takes Badajoz and Lisbon. Fall of the Taifa of Badajoz. • El Cid captures Valencia from the Moors, carving out his own kingdom along the Mediterranean that is only nominally subservient to Alfonso VI of León and Castile. Valencia would be both Christian and Muslim, with adherents of both religions serving in his army. • The Almoravids from
Morocco land near
Quart de Poblet and lay siege to Valencia with 50,000 men. El Cid, however, breaks the siege and
forces the Almoravids to flee – the first Christian victory against the hard-fighting Africans. == Almoravid-Almohad period (1094–1238) ==