Sulayman ibn al-Hakam or Sulayman al-Musta'in bi-llah ( ar, سلیمان المستعین باللہ; died 1016) was the fifth

Caliph of Córdoba A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

, ruling from 1009 to 1010, and from 1013 to 1016 in

Al-Andalus Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label= Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, al-Ándalus () was the M ...

. In 1009, after Muhammad II ibn Hisham had led a revolt against caliph

Hisham II al-Hakam 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 ...

and imprisoned him, taking advantage of the fact that the kingdom's strongman, Abd al-Rahman Sanchuelo, was fighting in León against the Christian king Alfonso V, Sulayman took command of an army of Berbers who had abandoned Muhammad; by an alliance with count

Sancho García of Castile Sancho García (died 5 February 1017), called of the Good Laws (in Spanish, ''el de los Buenos Fueros''), was the count of Castile and Álava from 995 to his death. Biography Sancho was the son of count García Fernández and his wife Ava of R ...

, he was able to defeat Muhammad on November 1, 1009, in the battle of Alcolea. While Muhammad took refuge in Toledo, Sulayman entered Córdoba, which he allowed to be sacked by Berbers and Castillans; he freed and recognized caliph Hisham II, only to depose him after a few days. He was thus elected caliph by his Berber troops, assuming the title (

laqab Arabic language Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet ...

) of al-Musta'in bi-llah ("He Who Seeks for God's Help"). Sulayman was however unable to conquer Toledo. In May 1010 Muhammad, who had reorganized his troops of "slave" mercenaries from all over Europe and had allied with Count Ramon Borrell 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 ...

, defeated Sulayman and conquered Córdoba, which was plundered by the Spaniards. Muhammad was made again caliph, but his mercenaries assassinated him in July and restored Hisham II. After he had withdrawn to

Algeciras Algeciras ( , ) is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located in the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, near the Strait of Gibraltar, it is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar ( es, Bahía de Algeci ...

, Sulayman managed to reconquer Cordoba in 1013 with Berber help and depose Hisham II. His policy of concessions to Berbers, Arab and "slave" troops and leaders, effectively reduced the caliphate's authority to only Córdoba. In the meantime the

Zirids The Zirid dynasty ( ar, الزيريون, translit=az-zīriyyūn), Banu Ziri ( ar, بنو زيري, translit=banū zīrī), or the Zirid state ( ar, الدولة الزيرية, translit=ad-dawla az-zīriyya) was a Sanhaja Berber dynasty from ...

of Granada formed an independent dynasty. In 1016 Córdoba was attacked by a large Berber army under the

Hammudid The Hammudid dynasty () was a Berberized Arab Muslim family that briefly ruled the Caliphate of CórdobaLane-Poole (1894), p.21 and the taifas of Málaga and Algeciras and nominal control in Ceuta. The dynasty The dynasty is named after their ...

governor 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 territorie ...

, Ali ibn Hammud al-Nasir, who conquered it on 1 July 1016. Sulayman was imprisoned and, shortly afterwards, beheaded.

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sulayman Ibn Al-Hakam 10th-century births 11th-century Arabs 1016 deaths Umayyad caliphs of Córdoba 11th-century caliphs of Córdoba Executed Spanish people