Battle of Torrevicente
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Torrevicente was fought on Saturday, 9 July 981 between two Córdoban
generals: Galib ibn Abd al-Rahman, recently rebelled, and the loyalist Ibn Abi ‘Amir. Two Christian forces fought as allies of Galib: the Basques under Ramiro Garcés
, King of Viguera, and the Castilians under Count García Fernández. Galib was essentially continuing the policy of Abd ar-Rahman III and al-Hakam II
of supremacy over the Christians and peaceful co-existence, while Ibn Abi ‘Amir was pursuing a new policy (signalled by his seven aggressive actions against the Christians in the previous three years) of jihad
. Both Ramiro and Galib died during the battle and the victory went to Ibn Abi ‘Amir. It was the latter's twelfth campaign, known to Muslim sources as the "Campaign of the Victory" (Campaña de la Victoria).
The principal sources for the battle—all Arabic
—are Ibn al-Khatib
(A‘mal al-a‘lam), Ibn Hazm
(Naqt al-‘arus), and al-Udri
(Tarsi‘ al-ajbar), while Ibn Idari (Boyan), al-Maqqari (Nafh al-tib), and Ibn Alabar (in the biography of Asma, daughter of Galib and wife of Ibn Abi ‘Amir, in his Tekmila) give brief notices. Ibn Hazm relied for his account on his father, Ahmad ibn Hazm, a vizier
who took part in the battle on the side of Ibn Abi ‘Amir, while Ibn al-Khatib appears to have relied on Ibn Hazm. No Christian or Latin source mentions the battle, but the Anales castellanos segundos
states that in the Era mile XVIII
, that is, the year 980, prendiderunt mauri Atenza ("the Moors took Atienza"). Atienza
was conquered, not from the Christians, but from Galib's partisans as a result of their defeat at Torrevicente. The year, however, was 981.
Ibn Abi ‘Amir left Córdoba
on 4 Dhu al-Qi'dah 370
(11 May 981). On Thursday, 2 Muharram 371 (7 July 981), according to Ibn al-Khatib, the armies of Galib and Ibn Abi ‘Amir arrived before the castle of Sant Biyant, that is, San Vicente (probably Torrevicente, near Atienza, as identified by Évariste Lévi-Provençal
), as agreed upon beforehand through diplomatic channels. Friday passed without battle, perhaps out of respect for the Muslim holy day, but on Saturday combat began. According to the eye-witness account of Ibn Hazm's father, Ibn Abi ‘Amir was commanding the centre of his army, while the right, composed of Berbers
, was under the command of Abu Ya‘far ibn ‘Ali al-Zabi and his brother Yahya, and the left was under the joint command of Ahmad ibn Hazm, Abu-l-Ahwas Ma‘n ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Tuyibi, and al-Hasan ibn ‘Abd al-Wadud al-Salami.
The octogenarian Galib, riding a horse and wearing a tall helmet, himself led the initial charge against the Berbers, who immediately broke ranks and fled. The left wing likewise broke under a charge and, in Ahmad ibn Hazm's words, each man looked out for only himself. Having dispersed both of Ibn Abi ‘Amir's flanks, Galib reportedly prayed that God would aid whomever was better suited to lead the Muslims. Then, spurring his horse, he descended into a nearby ravine. His comrades, presuming he was relieving himself, did not follow, but when he was gone a long time they went in search of him and found him dead on the ground, his horse calm nearby. The cause of death was unknown. Believing Galib's death was a sign from God, a large group of his followers went to seek peace from Ibn Abi ‘Amir, who, thinking it was a ploy, demanded proof of Galib's death. One brought his seal, another his hand, and another his horse. It was then that the Muslims inflicted a severe defeat on Galib's Christian allies. Galib's remaining Muslim troops panicked and fled in the direction of Atienza, pursued the whole way by the Ibn Abi ‘Amir's forces. García managed to escape, but Ramiro was found among the dead, along with many other Christians. Muslim historians interpreted the battle as a victory over the Christians.
Ibn Abi ‘Amir followed his victory by taking Atienza and Calatayud
(Qalat Ayub), the centres of Galib's support, and directing a razzia into Castile. After sevety-eight days campaigning, he returned to Córdoba in triumph on 27 July, taking the caliphal honorific al-Manṣūr bi-llāh (meaning "victorious through God"). It is by the medieval Latinisation of al-Manṣūr that Ibn Abi ‘Amir is best known today: Almanzor. In Córdoba, Galib's skin was stuffed with cotton and crucified in the gate of the alcázar
. His head, also nailed to a cross, was placed in the gateway of al-Zahira
, where it remained until the destruction of that place.
Both the identity and the death of Ramiro at Torrevicente has been a matter of some controversy. Ibn al-Khatib and Ibn Hazm refer to him as "Rudmir ibn San", that is, Ramiro Sánchez. A younger son of Sancho II of Navarre did have the name Ramiro, but he appears indisputably in documents between 983 and 991 in the cartularies of San Salvador de Leyre, San Martín de Albelda
, and San Juan de la Peña
. He probably died in 992. The well-known difficulties of Arab historiographers in tracking the various Sanchos and Garcías of the Navarrese royal family have led some scholars to conclude that Sánchez is an error for Garcés. Ramiro Garcés was Sancho of Navarre's brother and he is not known from any documents dating later than 981. Further, he was a king, unlike Ramiro Sánchez. Antonio Ubieto Arteta and José María Lacarra, however, date Ramiro Garcés's death rather to 991. A document of 15 August 981 records the donation of Sancho II of Pamplona
and Urraca Fernández
to Abbot Eximino of the monastery of Leyre, where Ramiro was already buried, the property in the village of Apardués that he had possessed in life, his palaces and belongings both movable and immovable. Another donation of the same year, possibly the same day, records the obligations of the village of Apardués to the monastery. Though the list of confirmants seems to demonstrate the document's authenticity, the three confirming bishops—Sisebutus, Atus, and Vincentus—were not all in power in 981, but correspond perfectly with a date of 991, in which year, on 15 February, Sancho and Urraca made a similar donation of Ramiro's former possessions in Navardún
to the monastery of Leyre. Possibly, the donations of 981 were re-confirmed in the presence of the bishops during the ceremony of 991.
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
generals: Galib ibn Abd al-Rahman, recently rebelled, and the loyalist Ibn Abi ‘Amir. Two Christian forces fought as allies of Galib: the Basques under Ramiro Garcés
Ramiro Garcés of Viguera
Ramiro Garcés was the King of Viguera from 970 to his death. He was the son of García Sánchez I of Pamplona by his second wife, Theresa of León...
, King of Viguera, and the Castilians under Count García Fernández. Galib was essentially continuing the policy of Abd ar-Rahman III and al-Hakam II
Al-Hakam II
Al-Hakam II was the second Caliph of Cordoba, in Al-Andalus , and son of Abd-ar-rahman III . He ruled from 961 to 976....
of supremacy over the Christians and peaceful co-existence, while Ibn Abi ‘Amir was pursuing a new policy (signalled by his seven aggressive actions against the Christians in the previous three years) of jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
. Both Ramiro and Galib died during the battle and the victory went to Ibn Abi ‘Amir. It was the latter's twelfth campaign, known to Muslim sources as the "Campaign of the Victory" (Campaña de la Victoria).
The principal sources for the battle—all Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
—are Ibn al-Khatib
Ibn al-Khatib
Lisan al-Din ibn al-Khatib was a poet, writer, historian, philosopher, physician and politician from Emirate of Granada. Some of his poems decorate the walls of the Alhambra in Granada.He was born at Loja, near Granada...
(A‘mal al-a‘lam), Ibn Hazm
Ibn Hazm
Abū Muḥammad ʿAlī ibn Aḥmad ibn Saʿīd ibn Ḥazm ) was an Andalusian philosopher, litterateur, psychologist, historian, jurist and theologian born in Córdoba, present-day Spain...
(Naqt al-‘arus), and al-Udri
Al-Udri
Al-Udri or el Odsrí in Spanish , was the descendant of Theodor . Al-Udri was an Andalusian Muwallad geographer and historian. He lived in Zaragoza. He was the author of a geographical-historical compendium about the Taifa of Zaragoza in al-Andalus, in which he gives the annals of the region...
(Tarsi‘ al-ajbar), while Ibn Idari (Boyan), al-Maqqari (Nafh al-tib), and Ibn Alabar (in the biography of Asma, daughter of Galib and wife of Ibn Abi ‘Amir, in his Tekmila) give brief notices. Ibn Hazm relied for his account on his father, Ahmad ibn Hazm, a vizier
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
who took part in the battle on the side of Ibn Abi ‘Amir, while Ibn al-Khatib appears to have relied on Ibn Hazm. No Christian or Latin source mentions the battle, but the Anales castellanos segundos
Anales castellanos segundos
The Anales castellanos segundos are a set of Latin annals compiled in the mid or late twelfth century in Castile, covering the period from the nativity of Jesus to the death of Queen Urraca in 1126 or to 1110...
states that in the Era mile XVIII
Spanish era
The Spanish era, Hispanic era or Caesar era refers to the dating system used in Hispania until the 14th century, when the Anno Domini system was adopted. It began with year one in what is 38 BC, probably the date of a new tax imposed by the Roman Republic on the subdued population of Iberia....
, that is, the year 980, prendiderunt mauri Atenza ("the Moors took Atienza"). Atienza
Atienza
Atienza is a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 437 inhabitants.There were ancient Celtiberian settlements in the Cerro del Padrastro.- Geology :...
was conquered, not from the Christians, but from Galib's partisans as a result of their defeat at Torrevicente. The year, however, was 981.
Ibn Abi ‘Amir left Córdoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
on 4 Dhu al-Qi'dah 370
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
(11 May 981). On Thursday, 2 Muharram 371 (7 July 981), according to Ibn al-Khatib, the armies of Galib and Ibn Abi ‘Amir arrived before the castle of Sant Biyant, that is, San Vicente (probably Torrevicente, near Atienza, as identified by Évariste Lévi-Provençal
Évariste Lévi-Provençal
Évariste Lévi-Provençal was a French medievalist, orientalist, Arabist, and historian of Islam.Born 4 January 1894 in Constantine, French Algeria, as Makhlóuf Evariste Levi, his name already revealing Gallicized tendencies in his North-African Jewish family...
), as agreed upon beforehand through diplomatic channels. Friday passed without battle, perhaps out of respect for the Muslim holy day, but on Saturday combat began. According to the eye-witness account of Ibn Hazm's father, Ibn Abi ‘Amir was commanding the centre of his army, while the right, composed of Berbers
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
, was under the command of Abu Ya‘far ibn ‘Ali al-Zabi and his brother Yahya, and the left was under the joint command of Ahmad ibn Hazm, Abu-l-Ahwas Ma‘n ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Tuyibi, and al-Hasan ibn ‘Abd al-Wadud al-Salami.
The octogenarian Galib, riding a horse and wearing a tall helmet, himself led the initial charge against the Berbers, who immediately broke ranks and fled. The left wing likewise broke under a charge and, in Ahmad ibn Hazm's words, each man looked out for only himself. Having dispersed both of Ibn Abi ‘Amir's flanks, Galib reportedly prayed that God would aid whomever was better suited to lead the Muslims. Then, spurring his horse, he descended into a nearby ravine. His comrades, presuming he was relieving himself, did not follow, but when he was gone a long time they went in search of him and found him dead on the ground, his horse calm nearby. The cause of death was unknown. Believing Galib's death was a sign from God, a large group of his followers went to seek peace from Ibn Abi ‘Amir, who, thinking it was a ploy, demanded proof of Galib's death. One brought his seal, another his hand, and another his horse. It was then that the Muslims inflicted a severe defeat on Galib's Christian allies. Galib's remaining Muslim troops panicked and fled in the direction of Atienza, pursued the whole way by the Ibn Abi ‘Amir's forces. García managed to escape, but Ramiro was found among the dead, along with many other Christians. Muslim historians interpreted the battle as a victory over the Christians.
Ibn Abi ‘Amir followed his victory by taking Atienza and Calatayud
Calatayud
Calatayud is a city and municipality in the province of Zaragoza in Aragón, Spain lying on the river Jalón, in the midst of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range. It is the second-largest city in the province after the capital, Zaragoza, and the largest town in Aragón other than the three provincial...
(Qalat Ayub), the centres of Galib's support, and directing a razzia into Castile. After sevety-eight days campaigning, he returned to Córdoba in triumph on 27 July, taking the caliphal honorific al-Manṣūr bi-llāh (meaning "victorious through God"). It is by the medieval Latinisation of al-Manṣūr that Ibn Abi ‘Amir is best known today: Almanzor. In Córdoba, Galib's skin was stuffed with cotton and crucified in the gate of the alcázar
Alcázar
An alcázar , alcácer or alcàsser is a type of castle in Spain and Portugal. The term derives from the Arabic word القصر meaning "fort, castle or palace"; and the Arabic word is derived from the Latin word, 'castrum', meaning an army camp or fort...
. His head, also nailed to a cross, was placed in the gateway of al-Zahira
Medina Azahara
Medina Azahara is the ruins of a vast, fortified Arab Muslim medieval palace-city built by Abd-ar-Rahman III al-Nasir, Ummayad Caliph of Córdoba, and located on the western outskirts of Córdoba, Spain. It was an Arab Muslim medieval town and the de-facto capital of al-Andalus, or Muslim Spain, as...
, where it remained until the destruction of that place.
Both the identity and the death of Ramiro at Torrevicente has been a matter of some controversy. Ibn al-Khatib and Ibn Hazm refer to him as "Rudmir ibn San", that is, Ramiro Sánchez. A younger son of Sancho II of Navarre did have the name Ramiro, but he appears indisputably in documents between 983 and 991 in the cartularies of San Salvador de Leyre, San Martín de Albelda
San Martín de Albelda
San Martín de Albelda was a Riojan monastery, whose ruins now lie within the municipal boundaries of Albelda de Iregua. It was an important and advanced cultural centre in Spain and western Europe during the tenth century....
, and San Juan de la Peña
San Juan de la Peña
The monastery of San Juan de la Peña is a religious complex in the town of Santa Cruz de la Serós, at the south-west of Jaca, in the province of Huesca, Spain. It was one of the most important monasteries in Aragon in the Middle Ages. Its two-level church is partially carved in the stone of the...
. He probably died in 992. The well-known difficulties of Arab historiographers in tracking the various Sanchos and Garcías of the Navarrese royal family have led some scholars to conclude that Sánchez is an error for Garcés. Ramiro Garcés was Sancho of Navarre's brother and he is not known from any documents dating later than 981. Further, he was a king, unlike Ramiro Sánchez. Antonio Ubieto Arteta and José María Lacarra, however, date Ramiro Garcés's death rather to 991. A document of 15 August 981 records the donation of Sancho II of Pamplona
Sancho II of Pamplona
Sancho II Garcés Abarca was King of Pamplona from 970 until his death. He was the son of García Sánchez I and Andregota, daughter of Galindo Aznárez II, Count of Aragon...
and Urraca Fernández
Urraca Fernández
Urraca Fernández , infanta of Castile and daughter of Count Fernán González, was the queen consort of two Kings of León and one King of Navarre between 951 and 994...
to Abbot Eximino of the monastery of Leyre, where Ramiro was already buried, the property in the village of Apardués that he had possessed in life, his palaces and belongings both movable and immovable. Another donation of the same year, possibly the same day, records the obligations of the village of Apardués to the monastery. Though the list of confirmants seems to demonstrate the document's authenticity, the three confirming bishops—Sisebutus, Atus, and Vincentus—were not all in power in 981, but correspond perfectly with a date of 991, in which year, on 15 February, Sancho and Urraca made a similar donation of Ramiro's former possessions in Navardún
Navardún
Navardún is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 54 inhabitants....
to the monastery of Leyre. Possibly, the donations of 981 were re-confirmed in the presence of the bishops during the ceremony of 991.
Sources
- Cañada Juste, Alberto. 1982. "Un milenario navarro: Ramiro Garcés, rey de Viguera", Príncipe de Viana, 42:21–37.
- Martínez Díez, Gonzalo. 2005. El condado de Castilla, 711–1038: La historia frente a la leyenda. Marcial Pons Historia, pp. 495–500.
- Ruiz Asencio, J. M. 1968. "Campañas de Almanzor contra el reino de León (981–986)", Anuario de estudios medievales, 5:31–64.
- Ubieto Arteta, Antonio. 1950. "Monarcas navarros olvidados: los reyes de Viguera", Hispania (Madrid), 10:38, 3–24.