Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Umawi

Ibn Hafsun was born around 850 in the mountains near Parauta, in what is now Málaga province.

A wild youth, he had a very violent temper and was involved in a number of disputes, even a homicide around the year 879.

He had joined a group of brigands and was captured by the wali (governor) of Málaga, who had merely imposed a fine (having not been informed of the homicide).

The governor had subsequently lost his post.

Ibn Hafsun had fled, possibly to the Maghreb, but had soon returned to Andalusia, albeit as an outlaw, and joined the bandits who are in rebellion against the caliphate, wherein he had soon risen to a leadership position.

Originally he had settled in the ruins of the old Bobastro castle, rebuilding it and fortifying the nearby town of Ardales, Malaga.

He has allied disaffected muwallads and mozárabs to the cause, playing off resentment at the unfair, heavy taxation and humiliating treatment they have received at the hands of Abd ar-Rahman and his successors.

He has acquired castles and lands in a wide area, not only in Malaga, but including portions of the provinces of Cádiz, Granada known then as Elvira, Jaén, and Seville.

By 883, he had become the leader of the rebels in the provinces to the south and west of the Emirate of Cordoba.

The year before, in 882, he is said to have fought the Emir in a battle in which ally García Íñiguez of Pamplona was killed.

About 885, in order to be more centrally located and quicker to respond to external threats, ibn Hafsun moves his headquarters to the town of Poley, which is now known as Aguilar de la Frontera.

Al-Mundhir had inherited the throne of Córdoba at his father's death in 886.

During the two years of his reign, al-Mundhir has continued the fight against the rebel Umar ibn Hafsun.

He dies in 888 at Bobastro, possibly murdered by his brother Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Umawi, who succeeds him.

This is unlikely, as ibn Muhammad shows very little interest in governing, becoming a neurotic recluse who is only interested in hunting and his faith.

Once in power, however, he shows no reluctance to dispose of those he views as a threat, even if they are family.

Two of his own brothers are executed on his orders, and he commands one of his sons (al-Mutarrif) to kill his own brother.

Abdullah’s government is marked by continuous wars between Arabs, Berbers and Muladi.

His power as emir is confined to the area of Córdoba, while the rest has been seized by rebel families that do not accept his authority.

The most formidable threat for the emir is Umar Ibn Hafsun, who has conquered the provinces of Rayya (including Bobastro), Elvira (including Granada) and Jaén, and has allied with the populations of Archidona, Baeza, Úbeda and Priego.

After ibn Hafsun is defeated near the castle of Polei in 891 and loses several cities, Abdullah massacres all the Christians, while the Muslims of the conquered cities are pardoned.

Ibn Hafsun moves his headquarters back to Bobastro in 891 after his defeat by the forces of Abdallah ibn Muhammad at the Battle of Poley.

Emir Abdullah of Córdoba dies at the age of sixty-seven.

Despite the fact that four of his sons (Aban, Abd al Rahman, Muhammad and Ahmad) are alive at the time of his death, all of them are passed over for succession.

Abdallah instead chooses as his successor his grandson, Abd al-Rahman III (the son of his first son).

This comes as no surprise, since Abdallah had already demonstrated his affection for his grandson in many ways, namely by allowing him to live in his own tower (a privilege he did not grant to any of his sons), and allowing him to sit on the throne on some festive occasions.

Most important, Abdallah had given Abd al-Rahman his ring, the symbol of power, when Abdallah fell ill prior to his death.

Abd al-Rahman succeeds Abdallah the day after his death, October 16, 912.

At the time, Abd al-Rahman is about twenty-one or twenty-two years old.

He inherits an emirate on the verge of dissolution, his power extending not far beyond the vicinity of Córdoba.

To the north, the Christian Kingdom of Asturias is continuing its program of Reconquista in the Duero valley.

To the south in Ifriqiya, the Fatimids have created an independent caliphate that threatens to attract the allegiance of the Muslim population, who have suffered under the harsh rule of Abdullah.

Internally, the discontented Muladi families—Muslims of Iberian origin—represent a constant danger for the Córdoban emir.

The most powerful of the latter is Umar ibn Hafsun, who, from his impregnable fortress of Bobastro, controls much of eastern Al-Andalus.

From the very early stages of his reign, Abd ar-Rahman shows a firm resolve to quash the rebels of Al-Andalus, consolidate centralized power, and reestablish internal order within the emirate.

Within ten days of taking the throne, he exhibits the head of a rebel leader in Cordoba.

From this point on, he will lead annual expeditions every spring against the northern and southern tribes to maintain control over them.

To accomplish his aims, he introduces into the court the saqalibah, slaves of East European origin.

The saqalibah represent a third ethnic group that can serve to neutralize the endless strife between his subjects of Muslim Arab heritage, and those of Muslim Berber heritage.