Taifa of Seville
Encyclopedia
The Taifa
Taifa
In the history of the Iberian Peninsula, a taifa was an independent Muslim-ruled principality, usually an emirate or petty kingdom, though there was one oligarchy, of which a number formed in the Al-Andalus after the final collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031.-Rise:The origins of...

 of Seville
(Arabic: طائفة أشبيليّة, Ta'ifa Ishbiliya) was a short lived medieval kingdom, in what is now southern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

. It originated in 1023 and lasted until 1091, and was under the rule of the Arab Abbadid
Abbadid
The Abbadi comprised an Arab Muslim Dynasty which arose in Al-Andalus on the downfall of the Caliphate of Cordoba . Abbadid rule lasted from about 1023 until 1091, but during the short period of its existence it exhibited singular energy and typified its time...

 family.

History

The first king of Seville was Abu al-Qasim
Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abbad
Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abbad was the founder and eponym of the Abbadid dynasty; he was the first independent Muslim ruler of Seville in Al-Andalus ,was deceased in 1042....

 (1023-1042). He was qadi
Qadi
Qadi is a judge ruling in accordance with Islamic religious law appointed by the ruler of a Muslim country. Because Islam makes no distinction between religious and secular domains, qadis traditionally have jurisdiction over all legal matters involving Muslims...

 of Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...

 and declared independence of the province of Seville from Caliphate of Córdoba
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...

 after its downfall in 1031, becoming king of Seville as Abbad I. The second king was his son Abbad II Al-Mu'tadid
Abbad II al-Mu'tadid
Abbad II al-Mu'tadid was second ruler of Seville in Al-Andalus, a member of the Abbadid dynasty....

 (1042-1069), the last ruler being Al-Mu'tamid (1069-1091).

The kingdom started as a small, weakly defended territory comprising parts of current Spanish provinces of Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...

, Huelva
Huelva
Huelva is a city in southwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Huelva in the autonomous region of Andalusia. It is located along the Gulf of Cadiz coast, at the confluence of the Odiel and Tinto rivers. According to the 2010 census, the city has a population of 149,410 inhabitants. The...

 and Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....

, but quickly emerged as the most powerful taifa kingdom of the time, after its rulers began pursuing a policy of expansion. After several military campaigns, the kingdom achieved dominance over all of Western Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...

 and Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...

, gradually absorbing the taifas of Badajoz
Taifa of Badajoz
The Taifa of Badajoz was a medieval Muslim kingdom in what is now parts of Portugal and Spain and centred on the city of Badajoz which exists today as the first city of Extremadura, in Spain....

, Algeciras
Taifa of Algeciras
The Taifa of Algeciras was a medieval taifa kingdom in what is now southern Spain, that existed from 1035 to 1058.-History:The taifa was created in 1013, in the wake of the disintegration of the caliphate of Córdoba begun after 1009...

, Granada
Taifa of Granada
The Taifa of Granada was a Moorish kingdom in Al-Andalus, within the present day Granada Province in southern Spain...

 and Málaga
Taifa of Málaga
The Taifa of Málaga was a Muslim taifa kingdom in what is now southern Spain, which existed for four distinct time-periods: from 1026 to 1057, from 1073 to 1090, from 1145 to 1153 and from 1229 to 1239 when it was finally conquered by Granada.-First taifa:...

, Mértola
Taifa of Mértola
The Taifa of Mértola was a medieval taifa kingdom that existed in what is now southeastern Portugal for three distinct periods: from 1033 to 1044, from 1144 to 1145 and from 1146 to 1151 when it was finally conquered by the Almohads.-Tayfurid dynasty:...

 (1044), Huelva (1051), Algarve (1051), Niebla
Taifa of Niebla
The Taifa of Niebla was a taifa kingdom that existed for three distinct times: from 1023 to 1053, from 1145 to 1150 and from 1234 to 1262 when it was finally conquered by Castile.-Yahsubid dynasty:*Abu'l-Abbas Ahmad: 1023/4-1041/2...

 (1053) Algeciras
Taifa of Algeciras
The Taifa of Algeciras was a medieval taifa kingdom in what is now southern Spain, that existed from 1035 to 1058.-History:The taifa was created in 1013, in the wake of the disintegration of the caliphate of Córdoba begun after 1009...

 (1055), Silves
Taifa of Silves
The Taifa of Silves was a Muslim taifa kingdom that existed in what is now southern Portugal for two distinct periods: from 1040 to 1063, and again from 1144 to 1151 when it was finally conquered by the Almohads....

 (1063), Ronda
Taifa of Ronda
The Taifa of Ronda was a medieval taifa kingdom that existed in Moorish al-Andalus from 1039 to 1065, when it was conquered by the taifa of Seville...

 (1065), Morón
Taifa of Morón
-Dammarid dynasty:*Abu Tuziri al-Dammari: ? -1013/4*Nuh: 1013/4-1041/2*Muhammad: 1041/2-1057*Manad: 1057-1066-Sources:* http://web.raex.com/~obsidian/taifa.html...

 (1066), Carmona
Taifa of Carmona
The Taifa of Carmona was a medieval taifa kingdom that existed for two distinct periods; first from 1013 to 1066 when it was conquered by the Taifa of Seville, and secondly from around 1143 to 1150 when it was finally conquered by the Almohads...

 (1067), Arcos
Taifa of Arcos
The Taifa of Arcos was a medieval taifa kingdom that existed in two periods; first from 1011 to 1068 when it was conquered by the Taifa of Seville, and secondly from 1143 to 1145 when it was finally conquered by the Almohads.-Jizrunid dynasty:...

 (1069) and even Córdoba itself (1070, lost in 1075 to Toledo
Taifa of Toledo
The taifa of Toledo was a Muslim medieval kingdom located in what is now central Spain. It existed from the fracturing of the long-eminent Muslim Caliphate of Córdoba in 1035 until the Christian conquest in 1085.-History:...

 but regained in 1077). The kingdom reached its largest territorial extent in 1078 with the capture of Murcia
Taifa of Murcia
The Taifa of Murcia was one of the Taifas of medieval Al-Andalus, in what is now southern Spain. It became independent as a taifa centered on the Moorish city of Murcia after the fall of the Omayyad Caliphate of Córdoba...

 in 1078 by poet Abu Bakr Ibn Ammar.

Nevertheless, the Abbad family was still subject to taxation by the King of Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...

, to whom they were vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...

s. The drain of these taxes weakened the kingdom's power: Al-Mu'tamid decision to stop paying these taxes caused King Alfonso VI
Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI , nicknamed the Brave or the Valiant, was King of León from 1065, King of Castile and de facto King of Galicia from 1072, and self-proclaimed "Emperor of all Spain". After the conquest of Toledo he was also self-proclaimed victoriosissimo rege in Toleto, et in Hispania et Gallecia...

 (who had already conquered Toledo in 1085) to besiege Seville. Al-Mu'tamid asked help to the Almoravids
Almoravids
The Almoravids were a Berber dynasty of Morocco, who formed an empire in the 11th-century that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus. Their capital was Marrakesh, a city which they founded in 1062 C.E...

 of Morocco against the Castillan king. The Africans established themselves at Algeciras, and after defeating the Christians occupied all the Islamic taifas, included, in 1091, Seville itself. After they ravaged the city, Al-Mu'tamid ordered his sons to give up the royal fortress (early Alcazar of Seville
Alcázar of Seville
thumb|right|250px|Baths of Lady María de PadillaThe Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace in Seville, Spain, originally a Moorish fort....

) in order to save their lives. He was taken prisoner to Africa, where he was assassinated in 1095.

Besides the intrigues and the conquerings eagerness of the kings, many artists of the time moved to the court of Seville, as the Almeria
Almería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...

 poet Ibn al-Abbâr, author of epistoles, and the poet Abû `Âmir ibn Maslama and Abû l-Walîd al-Himyarî, that made a compilation of the literary works of both ones.

Al-Mutadid also was a remarkable poet, having been taught by ibn Ammar. On the other hand, he had a very cruel personality. His son Al-Mu'tamid was even more dedicated to poetry than his father. He was friend of the poet Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn al-`Ammâr, who was famous at that time after defeating the Castilian
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...

 king Alfonso VI
Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI , nicknamed the Brave or the Valiant, was King of León from 1065, King of Castile and de facto King of Galicia from 1072, and self-proclaimed "Emperor of all Spain". After the conquest of Toledo he was also self-proclaimed victoriosissimo rege in Toleto, et in Hispania et Gallecia...

 in a chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...

 contest.

Al-Mu'tamid sons, al-Rashid
Al-Rashid
Al-Rashid or Ar-Rashid may refer to:*Al Rashid a historic dynasty of the Arabian Peninsula*One of the 99 Names of Allah, "righteous"*Harun al-Rashid, caliph of Iraq, 786–809*al-Rashid caliph of Baghdad 1135–1136...

 and al-Radi, were also very interested on arts, but had any interests on politics, and after the death of the king Al-Mu'tamid, the Taifa of Seville was ruled by the Almoravids.

Al-Mu'tamid was lover of the future queen Itimad (Rumayqiyya). A brief tale on the queen Rumayqiyya appears on the book Libro de los ejemplos del Conde Lucanor y de Patronio
Libro de los ejemplos del conde Lucanor y de Patronio
Don Juan Manuel's Tales of Count Lucanor, in Spanish Libro de los ejemplos del conde Lucanor y de Patronio , also commonly known as El Conde Lucanor or Libro de los ejemplos , is one of the earliest works of prose in...

(Book of the examples of Count Lucanor and Patronio), as the tale XXX, De lo que aconteció al rey Abenabed de Sevilla con su mujer, Ramaiquía (Tell of the story who happened to the king Abenabed of Seville with her wife, Ramaiquía).

Symbols

There are chronicles of that time that tells Almoravids fought under a white flag, while Andalusies soldiers as those of King Al-Mu'tamid fought under different green flags with islamic texts written on them. This is supposed to be the origin of the Andalucia flag, current used as the autonomous region flag, called Arbonaida or Arbondaira.

See also

  • Taifa
    Taifa
    In the history of the Iberian Peninsula, a taifa was an independent Muslim-ruled principality, usually an emirate or petty kingdom, though there was one oligarchy, of which a number formed in the Al-Andalus after the final collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031.-Rise:The origins of...

  • Seville
    Seville
    Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...

  • History of Islam
  • History of Spain
    History of Spain
    The history of Spain involves all the other peoples and nations within the Iberian peninsula formerly known as Hispania, and includes still today the nations of Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain...

  • Al-Andalus
    Al-Andalus
    Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...

  • List of Sunni Muslim dynasties

External links




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