Labib al-Fata al-Saqlabi () (or Labib of Tortosa) was the founder and first ruler of the

Taifa of Tortosa The Taifa of Tortosa () was a medieval Islamic taifa kingdom. It existed for two separate periods, from 1010 to 1060 and 1081 to 1099. It was founded by the Slavic warlord Labib al-Fata al-Saqlabi. List of Emirs Saqlabi (Servile Rulers) dynasty ...

from around to . He was a

Saqaliba Saqaliba ( ar, صقالبة, ṣaqāliba, singular ar, صقلبي, ṣaqlabī) is a term used in medieval Arabic sources to refer to Slavs and other peoples of Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe, or in a broad sense to European slaves. The t ...

, usually Slavic children that were captured, castrated, sold as slaves in Spain, and educated in the Islamic culture and religion. It is possible that Labib left Cordoba after

Hisham II Hisham II or Abu'l-Walid Hisham II al-Mu'ayyad bi-llah (, Abū'l-Walīd Hishām al-Muʾayyad bi-ʾllāh) (son of Al-Hakam II and Subh of Cordoba) was the third Umayyad Caliph of Spain, in Al-Andalus from 976 to 1009, and 1010–13. Reign In 9 ...

was deposed in . Some time after this he took power in the city of

Tortosa Tortosa (; ) is the capital of the ''Catalonia/Comarques, comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain. Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buin ...

, but was deposed when the city was briefly taken over by the Mundhir I of the

Taifa of Zaragoza The taifa of Zaragoza () was an independent Arab Muslim state in the east of Al-Andalus (present day Spain), which was established in 1018 as one of the taifa kingdoms, with its capital in Saraqusta (Zaragoza) city. Zaragoza's taifa emerged in ...

. However, due to aid from the

Mubarak and Muzaffar Mubārak al-Saqlabi and Muẓaffar al-Saqlabi were jointly the first emirs of the Taifa of Valencia between 1010 and 1018. They were brothers and Saqaliba, originally Slavic children that were captured, castrated, sold as slaves in Spain, and edu ...

of Taifa of Valencia he was able to regain his throne. During this time, the poet Ibn Darrach al-Qastalli dedicated a composition to him. He supported the proclamation of

Abd al-Rahman IV Abd ar-Rahman IV Mortada ( ar, عبد الرحمن المرتضى, ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān al-Murtaḍā) was the Caliph of Córdoba in the Umayyad dynasty in Al-Andalus, succeeding Sulayman ibn al-Hakam Sulayman ibn al-Hakam or Sulayman al-Musta' ...

as caliph of Cordoba in , but they and their caliph were defeated in the vicinity of Granada by

Zawi ibn Ziri Zawi ibn Ziri as-Sanhaji or Al-Mansur Zawi ibn Ziri ibn Manad as-Sanhaji ( ar, المنصور زاوي بن زيري بن مناد الصنهاجي), was a chief in the Berber Sanhaja tribe. He arrived in Spain in 1000 (391) during the reign of A ...

. Shortly after this

died (possibly due to a rebellion instigated by Labib), and Labib became the ruler of the

Taifa of Valencia The Taifa of Valencia () was a medieval Moorish taifa kingdom which existed, in and around Valencia, Spain during four distinct periods: from 1010 to 1065, from 1075 to 1099, from 1145 to 1147 and last from 1229 to 1238 when it was finally co ...

. In he became co-ruler of the Taifa of Valencia alongside

Mujāhid al-ʿĀmirī Abu ʾl-Jaysh Mujāhid ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-ʿĀmirī, surnamed ''al-Muwaffaḳ'' (died AD 1044/5 AH_436.html"_;"title="Anno_Hegirae.html"_;"title="small>Anno_Hegirae">AH_436">Anno_Hegirae.html"_;"title="small>Anno_Hegirae">AH_436,_was_the_Ta ...

. This arrangement only lasted until , when Labib was forced to leave Valencia and return to Tortosa. Soon after this Mujahid was replaced by Abd al-Aziz ibn Ámir as the ruler of The Taifa of Valencia. In , Labib declared allegiance to

(who was most likely dead after the Berbers sacking Cordoba in 1013) as a symbol of his legitimacy, after the ruler of the

Taifa of Seville The Taifa of Seville ( ''Ta'ifat-u Ishbiliyyah'') was an Arab kingdom which was ruled by the Abbadid dynasty. It was established in 1023 and lasted until 1091, in what is today southern Spain and Portugal. It gained independence from the Calipha ...

Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abbad Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abbad (or Abbad I; 984 – 25 January 1042) () was the eponymous founder of the Abbadid dynasty; he was the first independent Muslim ruler of Seville in Al-Andalus (ruled 1023–1042), dying in 1042. The qadi (rel ...

claimed he had reappeared. It is possible that he died in Tortosa in , but it is uncertain whether he was deposed or named a successor, since the only evidence found has been that after this date coinage was issued by his successor, Muqatil Sayf al-Milla.

External links

* Spanish Royal Academy of History biography page o
Labib al-Fata al-Saqlabi

References

Taifa of Valencia Taifa of Tortosa 11th-century rulers in Al-Andalus Slavs of the medieval Islamic world {{Al-Andalus-royal-stub