Musa ibn Nusayr ( ar, موسى بن نصير ''Mūsá bin Nuṣayr''; 640 – c. 716) served as a Umayyad governor and an
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...
general under the
Umayyad caliph Al-Walid I. He ruled over the Muslim provinces of
North Africa (
Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya ( '), also known as al-Maghrib al-Adna ( ar, المغرب الأدنى), was a medieval historical region comprising today's Tunisia and eastern Algeria, and Tripolitania (today's western Libya). It included all of what had previously ...
), and directed the
Islamic conquest of the
Visigothic Kingdom
The Visigothic Kingdom, officially the Kingdom of the Goths ( la, Regnum Gothorum), was a kingdom that occupied what is now southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to the 8th centuries. One of the Germanic successor states to ...
in
Hispania (Spain, Portugal, Andorra and part of France).
Background
Various suggestions have been made as to his ancestry. Some say his father belonged to the
Lakhmid clan of semi-nomads who lived east of the
Euphrates and were allies of the
Sassanians, while others claim he belonged to the
Banu Bakr confederation. One account stated that Musa's father was taken captive after the fall of the Mesopotamian city of
Ayn al-Tamr (633). According to this account, he was an Arab Christian who was one of a number being held hostage there. However,
al-Baladhuri, relating the same events, states he was an Arab of the
Balī tribe, from Jabal al-Jalīl in Syria.
As a slave, Musa's father entered the service of
Abd al-Aziz ibn Marwan (
governor of Egypt and son of the caliph
Marwan I) who gave him his freedom. He returned to Syria where Musa was born at a place called Kafarmara or Kafarmathra. The date of his birth has been given as 640.
Musa was made co-governor of
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
by the caliph
Abd al-Malik
Abdul Malik ( ar, عبد الملك) is an Arabic (Muslim or Christian) male given name and, in modern usage, surname. It is built from the Arabic words '' Abd'', ''al-'' and '' Malik''. The name means "servant of the King", in the Christian insta ...
, together with the caliph's brother
Bishr ibn Marwan
Abu Marwan Bishr ibn Marwan ibn al-Hakam ( ar, بشر بن مروان بن الحكم, Bishr ibn Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam; –694) was an Umayyad prince and governor of Iraq during the reign of his brother, Caliph Abd al-Malik. Bishr fought at Mar ...
. There was some quarrel over missing tax money, and Musa was given the choice: pay a huge fine, or pay with his head. His father's patron,
Abd al-Aziz ibn Marwan, had a high opinion of Musa, and paid the ransom; he was later responsible for appointing Musa to be governor of
Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya ( '), also known as al-Maghrib al-Adna ( ar, المغرب الأدنى), was a medieval historical region comprising today's Tunisia and eastern Algeria, and Tripolitania (today's western Libya). It included all of what had previously ...
.
Islamic conquest of Maghreb
Hasan ibn al-Nu'man was sent to continue the Islamic conquest in North Africa all the way to
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...
.He was relieved of his command for allowing continuing
Byzantine attacks. Musa bin Nusayr was then sent to renew the attacks against the Berbers. But he did not impose Islam by force, rather, he respected Berber traditions and used diplomacy in subjugating them. This proved highly successful, as many Berbers converted to Islam and even entered his army as soldiers and officers, possibly including
Tariq bin Ziyad
Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād ( ar, طارق بن زياد), also known simply as Tarik in English, was a Berber commander who served the Umayyad Caliphate and initiated the Muslim Umayyad conquest of Visigothic Hispania (present-day Spain and Portugal) i ...
who would lead the later Islamic expedition in Iberia.
Governor
In 698 Musa was made the governor of
Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya ( '), also known as al-Maghrib al-Adna ( ar, المغرب الأدنى), was a medieval historical region comprising today's Tunisia and eastern Algeria, and Tripolitania (today's western Libya). It included all of what had previously ...
and was responsible for completing the
conquest of North Africa and of the Balearic Islands and Sardinia. He was the first governor of
Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya ( '), also known as al-Maghrib al-Adna ( ar, المغرب الأدنى), was a medieval historical region comprising today's Tunisia and eastern Algeria, and Tripolitania (today's western Libya). It included all of what had previously ...
not to be subordinate to the governor of Egypt. He was the first Muslim general to take
Tangiers and occupy it; his troops also conquered the
Sous
The Sous region (also spelt Sus, Suss, Souss or Sousse) ( ar, سوس, sūs, shi, ⵙⵓⵙ, sus) is an area in mid-southern Morocco. Geologically, it is the alluvial basin of the Sous River (''Asif n Sus''), separated from the Sahara desert ...
, effectively taking control of all of the northern half of
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...
. He also had to deal with constant attacks from the
Byzantine navy and he built a navy that would go on to conquer the islands of
Ibiza
Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its ...
,
Majorca
Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean.
The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...
, and
Menorca.
Conquest of Al-Andalus
(Note: Most of what follows in this section is to be found first in Ibn Abd al-Hakam, then repeated by others, e.g. the ''
Akhbār majmūʿa'', with more detail but little real variation.)
Background
Muslim and Christian sources quote that while Musa bin Nusayr was eager to cross the
Straits of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar ( ar, مضيق جبل طارق, Maḍīq Jabal Ṭāriq; es, Estrecho de Gibraltar, Archaic: Pillars of Hercules), also known as the Straits of Gibraltar, is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Medit ...
to Hispania, he determined to do so only when a Visigoth nobleman,
Julian, Count of Ceuta
Julian, Count of Ceuta ( es, Don Julián, Conde de Ceuta,, ar, يليان, (' , ''Youliān Kont Sabteh''; in Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam, بؙلْيان, ''Bulyan'', the latter is treated by the editor of the Arabic text, Torrey, as a copying error. 'A ...
, had encouraged him to invade Iberia, telling him of the people's sufferings and the injustice of their king,
Roderic
Roderic (also spelled Ruderic, Roderik, Roderich, or Roderick; Spanish and pt, Rodrigo, ar, translit=Ludharīq, لذريق; died 711) was the Visigothic king in Hispania between 710 and 711. He is well-known as "the last king of the Goths". ...
, while giving him cause for conquest by telling him of the riches that would be found, and of the many palaces, gardens and beauties of Hispania. Legend tells that Julian wished for the fall of the Visigothic kingdom because his daughter,
Florinda la Cava, had been raped by Roderic.
Invasion
After a successful minor raid on the Spanish coast at
Tarifa where the raiding force returned with a booty captured without any reported resistance, Musa decided to land a larger invasion force.
Tariq bin Ziyad
Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād ( ar, طارق بن زياد), also known simply as Tarik in English, was a Berber commander who served the Umayyad Caliphate and initiated the Muslim Umayyad conquest of Visigothic Hispania (present-day Spain and Portugal) i ...
crossed the strait with approximately 7,000 Berbers and Arabs, and landed at Gibraltar (from Jebel Tariq, meaning Tariq's mountain in Arabic). The expedition's purpose must have been to conduct further raids and explore the territory. Tariq's army contained some guides supplied by Julian. Three weeks after his landing, the Muslims were faced with a superior Visigoth royal army of 100,000 troops under Roderic.
The Muslims won the
Battle of Guadalete, and the entire Visigoth nobility was all but exterminated at the battle. The Muslims then marched towards Córdoba, bypassing several strong fortifications. The well-defended city fell, and Tariq established a garrison there consisting mainly of the city's Jews who welcomed the invaders, having been subjected to conversion from the Visigoths for centuries. Tariq then continued on his way to
Toledo
Toledo most commonly refers to:
* Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain
* Province of Toledo, Spain
* Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States
Toledo may also refer to:
Places Belize
* Toledo District
* Toledo Settlement
Bolivia
* Toledo, Orur ...
.
Musa, learning of Tariq's successes, landed in Iberia with an army of 18,000 Berbers and Arabs. He planned to rendezvous with Tariq at Toledo, but first proceeded to take
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsul ...
, which Tariq had bypassed, and where Musa met stiff resistance, and succeeded after three months of siege. He then campaigned in the province of
Lusitania
Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province located where modern Portugal (south of the Douro river) and
a portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and the province of Salamanca) lie. It was named after the Lusitani or L ...
, eliminating the remaining Gothic resistance there. His last destination before meeting Tariq was to subdue
Mérida, capital of Lusitania. After five months of siege and inconclusive fighting, a group of
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territo ...
ns pretended to be Christian reinforcements and managed to convince the guards into opening the gates. Once inside, the "reinforcements", nearly 700, overwhelmed the guards and managed to keep the gates open for the Muslims to enter the city and capture it.
After Mérida, Musa divided his forces, taking the majority with him to meet Tariq at Toledo where he would remain for winter. The remainder of his forces were led by his son '
Abd al-Aziz
Abd al-Aziz ( ar, عبد العزيز, DMG: ''ʽAbd al-ʽAzīz''), frequently also transliterated Abdul-Aziz, is a male Arabic Muslim given name and, in modern usage, surname. It is built from the words '' ʽAbd'', the Arabic definite article an ...
, who would return to Seville to deal with an uprising. 'Abd al-Aziz made short work of the rebellion. He then conducted several campaigns on the return journey in the territories of Lusitania.
Coimbra and
Santarém were captured in the spring of 714. 'Abd al-Aziz then campaigned in
Murcia. The Duke of Murcia,
Theodemir, or Tudmir as he was called by the Muslims, surrendered to 'Abd al-Aziz after several hard-fought engagements in April 713. The terms imposed on Theodemir declared that the duke would keep the citadel of
Orihuela and several other settlements, including
Alicante
Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city was 337,482 , the second-largest in th ...
and
Lorca on the Mediterranean, that his followers will not be killed, taken prisoner, forced into Islam, and that their churches will not be burned. It also demanded that Theodemir not encourage or support others to resist the Muslims, and that he and every citizen of his dominion pay an annual tax in money and other goods.
Musa finally met up with Tariq where there was an argument over the latter's booty, which reportedly included a gold table covered with gems and other precious stones that had reputedly once belonged to
Solomon
Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...
. Meanwhile, Musa's messenger,
Mughith al-Rumi (the Roman) who had been sent to Caliph
al-Walid I to inform him of the situation in Hispania, had returned. The Caliph requested Musa to withdraw and to report in person to
Damascus. Musa chose to ignore this order temporarily, knowing that if he did not continue his advance, Visigoth resistance may increase and turn the tables against the Muslims. Having done so, he continued with Tariq to the north; Musa heading for
Zaragoza, to which he lay siege, while Tariq continued to the provinces of
León and Castile, capturing the towns of
León and
Astorga. Musa continued after taking Zaragoza to the north, taking
Oviedo
Oviedo (; ast, Uviéu ) is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain and the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city. Oviedo is located ap ...
and reaching as far as the
Bay of Biscay. The Islamic conquest of Iberia now complete, Musa proceeded to place governors and prefects throughout the newly conquered
Al-Andalus, before returning to Damascus with most of the booty captured from the Jihad.
Return to Damascus
Both conquerors of Spain were therefore summoned by the caliph to Damascus. Tariq arrived first, according to some accounts. But then the caliph was taken ill. So the caliph's brother,
Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik
Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik ( ar, سليمان بن عبد الملك, Sulaymān ibn ʿAbd al-Malik, – 24 September 717) was the seventh Umayyad caliph, ruling from 24 February 715 until his death. He began his career as governor of Palestine, wh ...
became temporarily in charge, and asked Musa, who was arriving with a cavalcade of soldiers and spoils, to delay his grand entry into the city. He most certainly intended to claim the glories brought from the conquest for himself. But Musa dismissed this request, triumphantly entered Damascus anyway, and brought the booty before the ailing
Al-Walid I, which brought Musa and Tariq unprecedented popularity amongst the people of Damascus.
Al-Walid I then died a few days later and was succeeded by his brother Sulayman, who demanded that Musa deliver up all his spoils. When Musa complained, Sulayman stripped him of his rank and confiscated all the booty, including the table which had reputedly once belonged to
Solomon
Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...
.
One of Musa's sons,
Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa, married
Egilona who was wife of
Roderic
Roderic (also spelled Ruderic, Roderik, Roderich, or Roderick; Spanish and pt, Rodrigo, ar, translit=Ludharīq, لذريق; died 711) was the Visigothic king in Hispania between 710 and 711. He is well-known as "the last king of the Goths". ...
. She asked 'Abd al-Aziz why his guests did not bow to him as they used to do in the presence of his father. It was reported that he began to force guests to bow to him. It was rumoured that he had secretly become a Christian, and a group of Arabs assassinated him, cut off his head and sent it to the caliph. Sulayman had Musa in his audience when the head arrived, and seeing whose it was, callously asked Musa if he recognized it. Musa maintained his dignity, saying he recognized it as belonging to someone who had always practiced the faith fervently, and cursed the men who had killed him. Another son, Abd Allah, who had acted as governor of
Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya ( '), also known as al-Maghrib al-Adna ( ar, المغرب الأدنى), was a medieval historical region comprising today's Tunisia and eastern Algeria, and Tripolitania (today's western Libya). It included all of what had previously ...
after Musa, was executed on the orders of the caliph on suspicion of having had killed the man who had replaced him.
Death
Musa died naturally while on the
Hajj
The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carri ...
pilgrimage with Sulayman in about the year 715–716. Because of his disgrace, and the misfortunes of his sons, there was a tendency among medieval historians of the
Maghreb to attribute his deeds (the conquest of
Tangiers and the
Sous
The Sous region (also spelt Sus, Suss, Souss or Sousse) ( ar, سوس, sūs, shi, ⵙⵓⵙ, sus) is an area in mid-southern Morocco. Geologically, it is the alluvial basin of the Sous River (''Asif n Sus''), separated from the Sahara desert ...
) to
Uqba ibn Nafi.
The Moroccan peak
Jebel Musa
Jabal, Jabel, Jebel or Jibal may refer to:
People
* Jabal (name), a male Arabic given name
* Jabal (Bible), mentioned in the Hebrew Bible
Places
In Arabic, ''jabal'' or ''jebel'' (spelling variants of the same word) means 'mountain'.
* Dzhebel, ...
is named for Musa bin Nusayr according to the 14th-century Berber Muslim geographer
Ibn Battuta
Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battutah (, ; 24 February 13041368/1369),; fully: ; Arabic: commonly known as Ibn Battuta, was a Berbers, Berber Maghrebi people, Maghrebi scholar and explorer who travelled extensively in the lands of Afro-Eurasia, ...
.
[H.T. Norris, ''Ibn Battutah's Andalusian Journey", ''The Geographical Journal'', 1959.]
Al-Bakri in his ''al-Maslik wa al-Mamalik'', mentions that Musa Ibn Nusayr was buried in
Zaragoza.
In legend
Less than 200 years after his death, Musa ibn Nusayr became the subject of fantastic legends. These tales were first recorded in the late 9th or early 10th century by
ibn al-Faqih
Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Faqih al-Hamadani ( fa, احمد بن محمد ابن الفقيه الهمذانی) (floruit, fl. 902) was a 10th-century Persians, Persian historian and geographer, famous for his ''Mukhtasar Kitab al-Buldan'' ("Co ...
, who wrote that Musa was ordered by the caliph to investigate reports of a strange city called al-Baht. Musa marched from
Qayrawan to the deserts of Spain and came upon a city that was surrounded by walls with no entrance. Those who attempted to look over the wall became entranced and jumped, laughing deliriously. Musa then proceeded to a nearby lake, which contained copper jars. When opened, a genie emerged from each one.
A more extensive version of the same legend is recorded in "The City of Brass," a tale in ''
One Thousand and One Nights
''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...
'', in which Musa encounters many other marvels, such as a palace filled with jewels, whose only human occupant was the embalmed corpse of a beautiful woman, guarded by two robot warriors.
The 17th-century historian
Ibn Abi Dinar used Musa's decline in fortune as an object lesson in the vagaries of human existence, with some exaggerations: "Musa, who had conquered half the inhabited world, who had acquired so many riches, died in poverty, begging alms from passers-by, after having been abandoned by the last of his servants. Overcome by shame and misery, he wished for death, and God gave it to him. I only mention the details of Musa's death to give my contemporaries, who are poorly read, a striking example of the vicissitudes of human life".
Probably the most extensive work to be inspired by the life of Musa is a section of the anonymous ''
Kitāb al-imāma w'as-siyāsa'', which contains a lengthy description of his deeds accompanied by many supposed speeches and sayings. Unlike many other authors, such as
Ibn Abd al-Hakam, the work is entirely favourable to Musa.
[It has been suggested that this life of Musa originated with an Egyptian descendant of his son Marwan, in the 2nd half of the 9th century: M. Makki, "Egipto y los orígenes de la historiografía árabe-española", ''Revista del Instituto Egipcio de Estudios Islámicos en Madrid'', v. 5 157-248 (1957).]
See also
*
Umayyad conquest of North Africa
*
Umayyad conquest of Hispania
*
Timeline of the Muslim Occupation of the Iberian peninsula
This is a timeline of notable events during the period of Muslim presence in Iberia, starting with the Umayyad conquest in the 8th century.
Conquest (711–756)
* 711A Muslim force consisting of Arabs and Berbers of about 7,000 soldiers under ge ...
*
Al-Andalus
Notes
References
*
Al-Bakri, ''Kitāb al-masālik w'al-mamālik''. Spanish translation of extracts relating to Spain, E. Vidal Beltran, '' Geografia de España'', Textos Medievales vol. 53, Zaragoza, 1982.
*
al-Baladhuri, ''
Kitab Futuh al-Buldan'', translated by
Phillip Hitti in ''The Origins of the Islamic State'' (1916, 1924).
* Anon., ''Akhbār majmūa fī fath al-andalūs wa dhikr ūmarā'ihā''. Arabic text edited with Spanish translation: E. Lafuente y Alcantara, ''Ajbar Machmua'', Coleccion de Obras Arabigas de Historia y Geografia, vol. 1, Madrid, 1867.
*
Ibn Abd al-Hakam, ''Kitab Futuh Misr wa'l Maghrib wa'l Andalus''. English translation by
Torrey of portion of this 9th century work covering the period: "The Mohammedan conquest of Egypt and North Africa in the Years 643-705 A.D., translated from the Original Arabic of Ibn 'Abd-el Hakem'", ''Biblical and Semitic Studies'' vol. 1 (1901), 279-330 (covers North Africa only, not Spain). Critical Arabic edition of the whole work published by
Torrey, Yale University Press, 1932. Spanish translation by Eliseo Vidal Beltran of the North African and Spanish parts of Torrey's Arabic text: "Conquista de Africa del Norte y de Espana", Textos Medievales #17, Valencia, 1966. An online copy of an older and less reliable (19th-century) English translation of the portion dealing only with Spain is at
Medieval Sourcebook: ''The Islamic conquest of Spain''*A. Benabbès: "Les premiers raids arabes en Numidie Byzantine: questions toponymiques." In ''Identités et Cultures dans l'Algérie Antique'', University of Rouen, 2005 ()
*
Muhammad ibn Abi Dinar al-Qayrawānī, ''Al-Mu’nis fi Akhbar Ifriqiya wa Tunis'' (1681). French translation by E. Pellisier & E. Rémusat, ''Histoire de l'Afrique'', Paris, 1845.
*
Ibn al-Faqih al-Hamadānī, ''Kitāb al-buldān''. French translation by H. Massé: ''Abrégé du Livre des Pays'', Damascus, 1973.
*
Pascual de Gayangos y Arce, ''The History of the Mohammedan Dynasties in Spain.'' vol. 1. 1840. English translation of
al-Maqqari and other authors.
*Anon., ''Kitāb al-imāma w'as-siyāsa'' (9th-10th century?). English translation: Appendix E of Gayangos' ''The History of the Mohammedan Dynasties in Spain.''
* Robert Brunschvig, "Ibn 'Abdalh'akam et la conquête de l'Afrique du Nord par les Arabes." ''Annales de l'Institut d'Etudes Orientales'', v. 6 (1942–44) 108-155. Reprinted in ''Al-Andalus'', 40 (1975), pp. 129–179.
* M.J. Viguera Molina, "The Muslim settlement of Spania/al-Andalus", p. 13-38 in ''The Foundation of al-Andalus. Part 1: History and Society'' (ed. M. Martin), Ashgate, UK, 1998 (vol. 46 of ''The Foundation of the Classical Islamic World'' series). Reviews all Arabic sources.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Musa Bin Nusayr
640 births
716 deaths
Generals of the Umayyad Caliphate
8th-century Al-Andalus people
Medieval Moroccan people
Umayyad governors of Ifriqiya
Arab generals
Umayyad governors of Al-Andalus
7th-century Arabs
8th-century Arabs
7th-century Muslims
Umayyad conquest of Hispania
Al-Andalus military personnel
8th-century rulers in Africa
One Thousand and One Nights characters
8th-century people of Ifriqiya