Sa'dun al-Ruayni () was Governor, or

Wali A wali (''wali'' ar, وَلِيّ, '; plural , '), the Arabic word which has been variously translated "master", "authority", "custodian", "protector", is most commonly used by Muslims to indicate an Islamic saint, otherwise referred to by the ...

, of

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

from 792 to 801 and the penultimate Muslim ruler of the city.Roger Collins, ''The Arab Conquest of Spain, 710–797'' (Basil Blackwell, 1989). He was appointed successor to Matruh ben Sulayman al-Arabi in circa 792 by the

Emir of Córdoba Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...

, Hisham. However, in 796 he led a revolt against the Emir; in April 797 he travelled to

Aachen Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...

and offered

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...

the city's loyalty in exchange for the empire's help against Córdoba. Charlemagne summoned an assembly in

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

in the spring of the 800 which agreed to send an expedition led by his son

Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqui ...

to Barcelona. The army included several notable commanders including

Rostany Rostaing (Latin Rostagnus), commonly known as Rostany in Catalan, was the first Count of Girona (785-801), ruling over the earliest-established of the Catalan Counties which formed the ''Marca Hispanica''. A Frankish noble, he was elevated to Coun ...

, Count of

Girona Girona (officially and in Catalan language, Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter River, Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in ...

; Ademar, Count of Narbonne; and

William of Gellone William of Gellone ( 755 – 28 May 812 or 814), the medieval William of Orange, was the second Duke of Toulouse from 790 until 811. In 804, he founded the abbey of Gellone. He was canonized a saint in 1066 by Pope Alexander II.

, Count of

(cousin of

). However, on arriving at Barcelona, Sa'dun, who had in the meantime been reconciled to the Caliphate, refused to open the city gates. The Frankish forces then began a long siege in the autumn of 800. Sa'dun attempted to escape in order to raise help from Córdoba, but was captured by the besieging army. He was replaced as governor by

Harun of Barcelona Harun of Barcelona () was the last ''Wali'' of Barcelona, ruling from 800 to 801, during the Siege of Barcelona.Roger Collins, ''The Arab Conquest of Spain, 710–797'' (Basil Blackwell, 1989). Harun succeeded as Wali when his predecessor, Sa'dun ...

, however the siege was successful and Harun surrendered the city and its starving population on Saturday, April 3, 801. Louis I entered the city on the following day (April 4, 801). Sa'dun was brought before Charlemagne in the summer of 801 and condemned to exile.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sadun Al Ruayni Walis of Barcelona 8th-century Arabs 9th-century Arabs