The Castilians manage to surprise the Muslim…
July 1195 CE
The Castilians manage to surprise the Muslim advance guard; but, having underestimated the strength of the Almohad army, they are severely beaten by Ya'qub, who is joined by the cavalry of the Castilian Pedro Fernández de Castro, a personal enemy of Alfonso.
The decisive defeat occurs in a battle fought on July 18, 1195, near the fortress of Alarcos (Al-Arak in Arabic), close to Ciudad Real.
Alfonso and his army flee to Alarcos and Toledo, while …